Lindsay Jordan

Thesis title: Solidarity as a civic virtue in citizenship education

Contact: 13096908@brookes.ac.uk

Research topic

My Masters dissertation was focused on the development of staff digital literacy through embedded use of learning technologies on a PG Cert programme. This study presented me with a number of possible tangents to explore and #x2013; for example, the factors contributing to teachers’ reluctance to use certain technologies. Whether I am still interested in these in three years’ time remains to be seen and, although I would like to investigate these in the short-term (perhaps as a focus for preliminary unit assignments), I am not particularly attached to following these ideas through for my EdD thesis. The way things are going, it is highly probable that by the time 2015 rolls around we will be in the midst of a widespread backlash against the technopositivist perspective, and and #x2018;explorations of reluctance’ will either be old hat, or redundant.

What I would really like to do and #x2013; although this will probably be old hat by thesis-time as well and #x2013; is to do some research that aims to improve the experience of those who are studying on free, open online courses. Such courses have notoriously high attrition rates, which are often conveniently explained with the suggestion that the participants got what they wanted and then left (if this is the case, it seems an extraordinary coincidence that what the participants want always seems to be scheduled in the first week of the course, rather than the fifth, or the eighth). Interrogating this assumption would require an examination of the experience of those who didn’t complete - who are hard enough to get hold of even on fee-paying courses. This recent piece of research by Kizilcec et al. attempts to explore disengagement on three open, online computer science courses, and makes some valuable conclusions around the use of learning analytics to monitor engagement. However I would like to explore disengagement in a more qualitative way, with a view to identifying features of the curriculum and the learning environment that have the potential to influence retention.

Work in progress

I am about to begin my first year on the Doctorate in Education programme, which requires the completion of units on Research methods and Academic Writing. Alongside my studies on these units and #x2013; and being employed full time as a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Arts London and #x2013; I am also about to complete some consultancy work for the Institute of Education and the Staff and Educational Developers Association. Also in this academic year I will be working on publishing the outcomes from my MA dissertation, and putting in proposals for the 2014 conference season.

Academic school / department

School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Publications

Book chapters

  • Jordan, L. (2013) Mirror and memory – benefits and challenges of using video for feedback and reflection. In Digital Voices: A collaborative exploration of the recorded voice in post-compulsory education. Kindle Edition

Journal articles

Reports and papers

Teaching experience

University of Bath (2007-2009)

  • E-learning (optional PGCAPP unit)
  • VLE training

University of the Arts London (2009–present)

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Art and Design (Tutor 2009-2011)
  • Developing Educational Practice (Unit Leader 2010-2012)
  • Learning and Teaching for Art, Design and Communication in HE (Unit Leader since 2011)
  • Teaching Development Project (Unit Leader since 2012)
  • Sustainability in the Curriculum (Tutor since 2012)
  • Negotiated Studies (Tutor 2012)
  • Open Educational Practice (Unit Leader since 2013)

Further details

Academic and professional training

  • MA Education (Learning and Teaching) - University of Bath 2013
  • PGCE Secondary Science - University of Cumbria 2003
  • BSc Science and the Media (Biology) - Royal Holloway, University of London 2000

Scholarships and prizes

  • Best Short Presentation - Association of Learning Technologists Conference (ALT-C) 2012

Other experience and professional activities

I currently lead and manage units within the MA Academic Practice programme at the University of the Arts London. I have responsibility for the design, development and curriculum delivery of the portfolio of units contributing towards the UAL Initial Teaching Qualification, and teach, assess and support participants on these and other units of the programme as required. I also contribute towards the development of the MA programme as a whole, including external recognition and accreditation processes.

While in my current role I have also been a facilitator at summer schools for SEDA (Staff and Educational Developers Association), and for the First Steps in Learning and Teaching course at Oxford Brookes.