Networking & Expertise Directory

Chris Little

Areas of Expertise

Academic Literacies | Academic Reading | Academic Writing | Assessment, Feedback and Course Design | Inclusive Teaching | Learning Spaces & Learning Communities | Professional Identity

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer in Academic Development at Manchester Metropolitan University’s University Teaching Academy where I teach and tutor across our PGCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and Masters in Higher Education. Here, I teach across all units and offer MA dissertation supervision too.

 

I have co-led the Advance HE Fellowships scheme at Manchester Met since joining in 2021 and grow the scheme from a scheme awarding approximately 20-25 Fellowships per year to one that regularly now awards over 150 per year. During this time, I led on the launch and growth of our Senior Fellow by Professional Dialogue route and have grown the scheme to be inclusive of colleagues in Professional Services and Third-Space roles, who now account for almost 50% of all Fellowships awarded each year.

 

I hold PFHEA status since 2024 and have mentored and reviewed applicants through various PSF recognition routes, assessing many claims from D1-D4 over the past decade. Between 2022-2025, I also led the university’s AdvanceHE Teaching Excellence Awards provision, supporting colleagues several awards of National Teaching Fellowships (NTF) and the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). I have held external roles at the Open University, University of the Arts London and Lancaster University.

 

Prior to joining Manchester Met, I worked as a teaching fellow and learning developer delivering across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Keele University, offering curriculum design consultancy across Keele’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, while lecturing across Keele’s Masters in Higher Education Practice. I also created, project led and established Keele’s annual Undergraduate Research Conference and associated undergraduate research strategy, funding and development provision. In addition to SF-ALDinHE, I hold:

• Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA)
• Certified Member of the Association of Learning Technologists (CMALT)
• Recognised Practitioner Status of UK Advising and Tutoring (RPA UKAT)
• Fellowship of SEDA (FSEDA)

You can view Chris’s full university webpage at: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-chris-little. Alternatively, catch him on BlueSky via @drlittle26.bsky.social or on LinkedIn: Dr Christopher Little LinkedIn

How can I help learning developers?

I have quite a broad range of practice and research interests and would happily collaborate/support fellow LD practitioners across the sector. I have a real passion for, and interest in, undergraduate research and have also conducted funded research into inclusive and universal design, international student transitions and academic writing and reading retreats alongside colleagues at Keele University. I also would love to work on colleagues who have perhaps taken student-facing LD quite far and have now become unofficial academic developers – this was my pathway at Keele University and I enjoy the space between Learning Development and Academic Development. I currently work as reviewer and mentor for Manchester Met’s AdvanceHE accreditation scheme and the CMALT process so would be more than happy to assist colleagues looking towards these schemes too.

Last modified: 28/10/2025