LearnHigher

Chad is a Senior Academic and Study Skills Tutor at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he manages a team of nine learning developers. He previously taught academic literacies at the Universities of Bristol and Chester. Much of his work has focused on students who are at transition points in higher education, especially in arts and humanities disciplines. He has been a member of LearnHigher’s working group since 2021 and ALDinHE’s Professional Recognition working group since 2023. Chad joined the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education’s editorial board in 2024. He is an Advance HE Senior Fellow (SFHEA) and an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP). Chad occasionally tweets about learning development using @Chad_McDonald.

Clara works as a Learning Advisor in the Learning Development Team at the University of Leeds where she is co-lead on the teams ‘Workshop Programme Group’, responsible for creating lesson plans and developing resources for the Skills@Library co-curricula offer. Previously, Clara worked as an Academic Skills Tutor at Leeds Beckett and as a Senior Outreach Officer at the University of Leeds, where she helped pre-University students develop research skills for their studies, particularly the EPQ and EE. As well as being a Fellow of the HEA, Clara has a CELTA and an MRes in Classics and Philosophy, and is currently studying part-time for an MA in Social Justice and Education (UCL) with a particular interest in decolonising knowledge and critical pedagogies. Clara joined the Learn Higher Working Group in March 2023.

Chair of LearnHigher and Steering Group Member

Helena Beeson started working as a Learning Development Tutor in 2011 at the University of Northampton but has worked in roles across Library and Learning Services for several years before this. She is currently working as a Learning Development Tutor and Mentor Manager. Helena joined the LearnHigher in 2019 to collaborate with colleagues in similar roles across the country and share her wealth of experience. She is an ALDinHE Certified Practitioner, a Fellow of the HEA with a MA in Modern English and Linguistics. Her current research interests include collaboration with student mentors and promoting student autonomy.

Jennie joined the LearnHigher Working Group in December 2017 and became the Co-chair in 2021. She is also a Co-chair of the Neurodiversity/Inclusion Community of Practice. Her interests include technology-enhanced learning and inclusive teaching practices. She is a qualified dyslexia tutor, a Certified Leading Practitioner of LD, a Senior Fellow of HEA and has an MA in Education (SEND and Inclusion). Outside of ALDinHE, she is Co-chair of ALT East England and one of the regional co-ordinators in London, South-East & Anglia for the Association of Dyslexia Specialists in Higher Education. She has over twenty years of teaching experience and currently works as an Academic Skills Tutor at the University of Hertfordshire for the Hertfordshire Business School.

I have worked within the Nursing Division at the University of Essex for over 10 years, supporting both students and subject lecturers with the teaching and learning of academic practices and clinical numeracy. During this time, I have developed specific expertise in academic integrity and in supporting students with maths anxiety. I am currently the Academic Offences Lead for the School of Health and Social Care and also sit on a University-wide working group to develop our policy and practice in relation to managing academic misconduct and in fostering a shared culture of academic integrity. Additionally, I am also on the assessor panel for AFHEA and FHEA applications, which has given me a sound understanding of the UKPSF and how to evidence these in accreditation applications.

Co-chair of Learn Higher

A HE teacher for over 10 years, Laura worked at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, the University Centre at Bradford College and Leeds Beckett University in a variety of academic and professional services roles before joining York St John University in 2023. It was during her studies for a PhD in American Literature that Laura first became interested in teaching pedagogy, and her latest post has involved a move from learning development into educational development as a Lecturer in Academic Practice. A Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE (SFHEA), Laura has also co-chaired the LearnHigher Working Group since March 2023.

Laurence Morris is an Academic Skills Development Manager with Leeds Beckett University and Associate of LBU’s Centre for Learning and Teaching. He is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an ILM-qualified coach. He has previously worked as an Academic Skills Tutor, an Academic Librarian and for the Ministry of Defence. His primary professional interest dates from his time as an information professional, enabling individuals to access and apply information effectively.

Lee works as a Lecturer in Education Studies and MA Programme Director for the School of Education at the University of Hull. He has ten years of experience working as a Learning Developer for the University Library and is an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP). Lee is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Certified Member of ALT, an NVivo Certified Expert, a Microsoft Certified Educator and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Lee has an EdD in Education, a PG Cert in eLearning, a PG Cert in Academic Practice and a BA (Hons) in Geography. His research interests focus on the intersections between education and geography, inclusive of physical and digital spaces. His specific interests include learning spaces and communities, inclusive digital practice, SENDI education, higher education, research methodologies and geographies of place. Lee joined the LHWG and JLDHE Editorial Board in 2022. You can find him on X as @LeeFallin.

Bio coming soon.

Dr Scott Ramsay is one of two Deputy Heads of Student Learning Development (managing the Sciences, Maths & Stats team) at the University of Glasgow, UK, having previously worked as the Good Practice Adviser for academic staff. This role involved collecting, curating and disseminating examples of effective, evidence-based learning and teaching innovations. His PhD is in the genetics of thermotolerance, and he has co-authored two student textbooks: Writing for Science Students (2nd ed), and Writing a Science PhD (both Bloomsbury, and both with Dr Jennifer Boyle).

Dr Sumeetra is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey. She joined LHWG in 2022. Her research interests lie within equality, diversity and inclusion in Tourism and Hospitality organisations and education, with a particular focus on gender and ethnicity influences. She is passionate about tackling the challenges and barriers (visible and invisible) towards achieving inclusion in education and currently involved in research and teaching projects to address the challenges of race, gender, neurodiversity, wellbeing, cultural diversity, sexuality and religious beliefs, to create inclusive education and organisational practices. She has led projects on inclusive education with educational institutions and partnered with social enterprises towards creating equitable work opportunities for women entrepreneurs and business leaders. She sits on the University’s Race Equality (RE) Steering Committee, is a consultant for Religious Literacy Partnership and contributes to BBC Surrey/Sussex on diversity in hospitality education.