Abigail Ball
Abi is an Assistant Professor and Head of Technology Enhanced Learning in the Centre for Teacher Education at the University of Warwick (view CTE profile). She leads projects that embed innovative TEL approaches into mainstream teaching and learning activities to promote deeper learning, collaboration and student self-authorship. Abi is a qualified university lecturer with an MA in Management.
She has extensive experience of designing and facilitating online programmes and is a proponent of continuing professional development and lifelong learning.
She is a Senior Certified member of ALT and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is also an assessor for the CMALT Accreditation Framework and for the AdvanceHE accredited CPD programme at Warwick that confers all categories of HEA fellowship.
Abi is interested in a wide range of topics including the role of and career opportunities for Third Space professionals, the development of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, online assessment and feedback, reusable learning objects and reflective practice.
Anna Armstrong, University of London
Anna is a Senior Learning Designer and has worked in digital education since 2007. She is inspired by transformative potential of online learning and experienced this for herself as an online postgraduate student while completing an MSc in Blended and Online Education. Anna now specialises in learning design where she can make a real difference to the learning experience of hundreds of students.
She is a Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology (CMALT), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and contributes to the professional community in her role as a CMALT Assessor.
She currently manages the University of London’s Online Education blog which has become an effective platform for colleagues to share their professional insights and experience. She also leads the University of London’s Digital Education Reading Group, a popular initiative aimed at keeping colleagues abreast of the current debates and innovative trends in digital education.
Cat Hallam, Keele University
Cat Hallam is a Learning Technology Officer at Keele University. She is a strong advocate of using educational technologies to enhance learning and teaching. She works with academic staff, professional services staff and students to inform their practice exploring the innovative use of technology in programme consultancy, curriculum design and implementation.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion play an instrumental role in her day-to-day life and she is committed to advancing representation and success of underrepresented groups both in STEM subjects and other areas such as Race Equality and Athena SWAN groups regularly providing talks on digital inclusion and transforming organisational cultures through inclusivity. She is also the co-founder of Staffordshire Women in Tech. She can be found on Twitter @cathallam1.
Debayan Dey, University of York
As a seasoned e-Learning Support Officer at the University of York, Debayan is thrilled to provide his vast experience in e-learning, cyber security, and digital storytelling. He holds an MSc in Cyber Security from the University of York and an Honours degree in Computer Science from India.
Debayan greatly benefited from his time at the University of York Students’ Union as an Academic Officer and Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate.
Based on his successful election campaigns and effective student assistance programmes, his stay in these posts is distinguished by a profound dedication to using technology for educational improvement.
Debayan was born and raised in India, Debayan Dey offers expertise from a distinctive international viewpoint. A superb traveller and state-level athlete, Debayan has visited over 168 sites in India, the UK, and several European nations, broadening his perspective on the world and cultivating a profound respect for varied learning environments.
Debayan is an experienced teacher on Udemy who has taught over 200,000 students globally, teaching six courses covering augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and cyber security.
Karen S Barden, Freelance Editor
Karen is a freelance digital editor and project manager with over 25 years’ working in the university sector, awarding organisations and professional bodies, most recently with The Law Society of England & Wales, The Open University, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
She has wide-ranging experience in online learning and assessment, a meticulous eye for detail, and enjoys sharing best practice with others.
Karen is passionate about technology-enhanced learning, digital transformation, and pedagogical thought and is advancing this via her postgraduate studies with The Institute of Educational Technology. She was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education in 2022 and plans to further enhance her continuing professional development by applying her learning towards Advance HE Fellowship and CMALT.
An advocate of equality, inclusion, and diversity, she is currently researching STEM-based initiatives, OER and social curation in the context of women in motorsport, and plans to present her findings as part of her STEM Ambassador role.
Liv Chapter
Liv is a Digital Learning Designer at the University of the West of England, specialising in the interaction between learning design and accessibility, especially involving the use of assistive technology.
Liv enjoys working with colleagues to develop learning design solutions for a wide range of courses from art to architecture; creating and ensuring pedagogical equity across blended learning methods.
She has worked as an access consultant for several years, covering physical as well as digital accessibility.
Interested in Digital Humanities, Liv is also a PhD student in History at Bath Spa University, planning to expand her learning by undertaking CMALT.
Lucy-Ann Pickering
Lucy-Ann is a Partner in Digitally Enabled Education at the University of South Wales and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is committed to pioneering innovative digital teaching and assessment approaches in higher education, and to fostering excellence in learning through technology in partnership with colleagues across multiple sectors.
Lucy-Ann has broad experience spanning higher education, cultural heritage, and compulsory education. In addition to her role with ALT she is a member of the Digital Learning Network for Galleries, Museums and Archives (@DLNET) committee and has been an assessment associate with Pearson since 2009.
Rachel Heyes, University of Manchester
Rachel is a Learning Technologist for the University of Manchester’s MBChB Medicine programme and is responsible for developing their engaging and interactive VLE, integrating the best software applications for aspiring medical students. This includes actively supporting the development of medical educators and faculty staff.
Rachel taught creative media production within an FE college, focusing on vocational training, including the BBC apprenticeship programme. She also works as a Principal Examiner for Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Rachel holds QTLS and AFHEA status and is always looking for further opportunities to learn.