The ALDinHE Award
The ALDinHE Annual Award was launched in 2020 to celebrate great practice and dedicated practitioners in the learning development community. The awards are open to everyone working in learning development.
Nominations are invited from colleagues by sending a brief (300 words) account of a practitioner’s contribution to learning development. Tell us how they have made a difference to students and we will celebrate their achievements.
The call for applications is now closed.
Our previous winner and nominees can be found here for: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
Nomination guidelines:
- You can nominate a colleague at your own institution or a different one. You can nominate yourself!
- The nominations will be reviewed by a small group of our previous Award nominees
- The committee will be looking for a link to the five ALDinHE values and the contribution made to learning development
- We will publicly recognise all nominees and celebrate the shortlisted nominees.
- Neither you nor the person you are nominating are required to attend the conference
- Members of the ALDinHE Steering Group are not eligible for nomination
Congratulations to Kate Normandin, the winner of the 2024 ALDinHE Award
Nominated by Kerith George-Briant:
Kate matches her enthusiasm for supporting students with excellence in project creation and application to enable student learning. Kate joined the Learner Development team at Abertay in March 2023 having previously worked as a Student Advisor; within months she had created two projects for placement students, a first for our service. The projects focused on using the lived experience of students and research literature to evaluate our online study skills resources and one of our online micro credential (5 credit) offerings, with the end goal of ensuring that what we offer is a best practice fit for a neurodivergent student population. As Kate supervised these projects, she also joined the ALDinHE Neurodiversity/Inclusivity Community of Practice and upskilled her practice by completing the Future Learn courses on Understanding ADHD and Supporting Adult and Adolescent Students with Dyslexia. The project recommendations highlighted a number of areas for improvement and Kate has already implemented changes to the micro credential, which is running this term. The placement students are thrilled that real change has happened thanks to their input, and in terms of the changes made, Kate has already received the following feedback “Really good micro credential, good layout, easy to follow, good online resources and I really like the option of drop-in sessions. I feel very supported and able to do the course”. Kate’s current work, alongside the daily work of appointments and workshop delivery includes being a part of our new Autism and ADHD working group in Student Services, as well as supervising two more placement students, this time to consider how to promote ourselves to the student population, and how to strengthen our study skills guides for a specific cohort of students – those studying Law. I believe that this work shows Kate would be a worthy winner of this year’s ALDinHE award.
What the reviewing panel said:
An impactful and highly pro-active and driven learning developer who is innovating in the area of micro credentials. Responsive to feedback and proactive in making changes to create meaningful learning opportunities for students. Also a keen learner and very much interested in broadening their skills set and knowledge and understanding in new for her areas to inform practice. Excellent!
The LD Team Award
The LD Team Award was launched in 2023. Often our best work is achieved in collaboration with others, and a good team is far greater than the sum of its parts. We want to celebrate those who have gone further together, whether that relates to project outcomes, reach, or innovative working practices.
If you know or are part of a Learning Development team that deserves recognition, nominations are now open. Please send us 300 words outlining how this team has lived the ALDinHE values and made a difference to students, and we will celebrate their achievements at the conference and on our website.
The call for applications is now closed.
Nomination guidelines:
- You can nominate a team at another institution. You can nominate your own!
- The nominations will be reviewed by a small group of previous ALDinHE Award nominees
- The committee will be looking for a link to the five ALDinHE values and the contribution made to learning development
- We will publicly recognise all nominees and celebrate the shortlisted nominees by publishing on our website
- Neither you nor the team you are nominating are required to attend the conference
Congratulations to University of Northampton, the winner of the 2024 ALDinHE Team Award
Nominated by Sheryl Mansfield:
The Learning Development Team at University of Northampton demonstrates ALDinHE values in every aspect of their work. I am privileged as the Head of Department to work with an array of enthusiastic colleagues and would like to nominate the Team who are student-focussed and collaborative, as well as inquisitive and research active. Each team member contributes to the ALDinHE community in different ways including reviewing for the Professional Recognition scheme, reviewing for the journal and special editions, attending and leading COP’s, committee members for Northampton ALDCon 2020-22, publish content for the JLDHE, Chair Working Groups as well as sit on the Steering Group. All this activity demonstrates our commitment and forges links with the community supporting the ethos of the Association. As a team, we encourage conversations about difficult topics and respectfully debate issues with colleagues to ensure critical perspectives are offered. Placing the student first in our day-to-day activity embodies the values of Learning Development, and remaining mindful of the additional stresses students have outside their studies supports a welcoming and approachable team. To boost our impact, the team effectively liaise with colleagues from other departments benefiting our service output which saw 17,618 student interactions in 2022/23. Recently, the team have seamlessly adapted our practice allowing students to book tutorials in groups. This has offered choice to students and increased the accessibility of tutorials. Our team is made of Tutors as well as Mentors who are current undergraduate students, this partnership has enabled a student perspectives to be included in the design and development of resources shaping our provision and using other platforms previous untapped by Learning Development. Collectively we work together embracing the expertise of each individual creating a team which is greater than the sum of its parts.
Team Awardees:
Alison Loddick ; Amy West ; Anna Shirley ; Anna Smith ; Anne-Marie Langford ; Asanat Kazeem ; Emma Kimberley Ellie Abrahart ; Elliot Lake ;; Helena Beeson ; Holly Griffiths ; Ivelina Cramphorn ; Kate Swinton ; Marlies Shepperdson ; Paul Rice ; Samantha King ; Sarah Mills ; Sheryl Mansfield .
What the reviewing panel said:
What an amazing initiative to have undergraduate students as mentors in the design of resources.
Congratulations to ALDinHE members who received formal recognition of their specialist knowledge and practice in learning development in 2023-24.
The following members were awarded Certified Practitioners (CeP) and Certified Leading Practitioners (CeLP) in Learning Development:
CeP
- Helen Briscoe
- Phil O’Brien
- Jamie Smith
- Adam Paxman
- Maisie Prior
- Jo Briggs
- Ed Powell
- Emma Morrison
- Alex Read
- Mike Scott
CeLP
- Steph Allen
- Claire Olson
- Chad McDonald
