51Âþ»­

Carmen has extensive experience in developing and leading accessible online and blended learning experiences within higher education. As the Interim Head for Digital Education she is currently leading the implementation of 'Learning Zone', the new VLE for 51Âþ»­. Carmen has developed high quality online learning programmes for several UK and Global universities. An experienced chair of academic committees and review panels with experience in monitoring the student experience, overseeing interventions and strategies to enhance teaching quality for online and blended students at an institutional level.

In addition, through the leadership of academic development and digital learning teams she has hands-on experience in curriculum and learning design, finding the unique pedagogic innovation opportunities each of these programmes provide. As an experienced institutional lead for digital learning and teaching innovation, she has expertise in balancing this with sector benchmarks and quality standards relating to digital education.

With established networks across the UK and Global HE digital education sector, Carmen is passionate about collaborative working, and supporting others to develop their digital teaching practices as evidenced in her Doctorate in Education, focusing on the development of teaching practices within learning communities.

Carmen is an experienced educator, with over 20 years teaching non-traditional HE students. Her notable career achievements include the development of the academic development, and learning and teaching function, at a private provider as it developed into a leading online provider. An early advocate of blended learning, she led the implementation of block delivery, launching across 5 campuses leading the pedagogic approach and teaching quality 2014-2021. 

Conference presentations and outputs:

"Induction is a process": Outcomes from a Learning Summit where academics and cross university staff and students co-created the induction process to support first year transition". Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2020.

Description: ‘Induction is a process’ has become the new mantra at Arden, and the ‘way we do things around here’. Arden University has developed blended learning provision over five UK campuses and one in Berlin, in addition to the extensive online learning provision delivered globally. This session shared how a Learning Summit support the design of an induction for all of our learners, across all disciplines that was a positive experience, and the initiatives that we co-created with staff and students to provide learners with access to ‘a toolkit for success’ in their first year.

 "Appreciative inquiry to facilitate the integration of technology and pedagogy in higher education", University of Wolverhampton Annual Researchers Conference 2020.

Description: This session summarised how programme teams were supported to recognise situated teacher competencies through the use of appreciative inquiry using the TPACK framework.

Designing blended learning: What have we learnt? Applying our learning to help support our educators and students. Advance HE Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2019.

Description: This session shared learnings from implementation of blended learning through the launch of five new UK campuses. The unique 'blend' for adult learners, and how the institution and academics need to adapt their teaching and operational processes to accommodate the pedagogical change.

Book Chapter:

Scott. H., Miles., C. "Having your cake and eating it”: Arden University’s responses to the COVID-19 lockdowns in Smith., M. and Traxler, J. (eds) (2022). Digital Learning in Higher Education, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. (pp.131-144) available from: .

Description: Mapping the uncertain landscape of education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Digital Learning in Higher Education examines how Higher Education (HE) institutions have moved to widespread digital learning in an effort to maintain the educational experience. The chapter shares reflections on future possibilities for HE based on learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her research focuses around exploring sustainable approaches to embedding flexible, student centred learning, and developing mechanisms to facilitate pedagogic change. With her background in supporting non-traditional students she is passionate about the use of technology to support student transition into HE and first year student success.

Technology Enhanced Learning, Pedagogy, Research Methods, Personal and Professional Development, Leadership and Management.

• Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Adult Learning, Oxford Brookes University.
• Post Graduate Certificate (PG Cert) Technology Enhanced Learning, Leicester University.
• Masters of Science (MSc) Sustainable Tourism Management, Sheffield Hallam University.
• Masters of Research, (MRes) Wolverhampton University.
• Doctorate in Education, (EdD) Wolverhampton University.

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2018.
Outstanding Service to the Society for Information Technology and teacher Education, 2021, re-authorship of the Technology, Pedagogy and Content (TPACK) Wikipedia site.

Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. Technology Pedagogy and Content (TPACK) Special Interest Group, Officer.

• Advance HE (2018-)
• Staff and Educational Development Association (2019-)
• Association for Learning Technology (2019-)
• Society for Information Technology and teacher Education (2021-)
• Technology Pedagogy & Education Association (2022-)

OfS/DfE Short Course Challenge for the Life Long Loan Entitlement.
Instigator, and Evaluator (September 2021-)

Invited Lectures, Panels and Keynotes

• "Using data to support the student experience within online learning environments in higher education", Elevate, UCL, June 2020. Invited speaker.
• "What I learnt from the mock viva", Doctoral College, Wolverhampton University, March 2021. Invited lecture.
• Revolutionising Learning: Making visions a reality in strategic planning, Manchester University, November 2021. Invited to round table discussion.
• "Managing Quality in Short Courses", Inside Government, UK, The Future of Short Courses and the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) In Higher Education, February 2022. Invited speaker.
• "Quality Assurance and Performance Monitoring", Inside Government, Lifelong Loan Entitlement Conference, London, UK, February 202. Invited key Speaker.
• "Me, myself and AI: How do we deliver personalised learning at scale?", Digital Universities, University of Leeds. April 2023. Invited speaker at a panel discussion, April 2023.
• "Driving your digital strategy through change management", Bett, London, UK. Invited Speaker, March 2023.

Conferences organised

Arden University Bi-annual Staff Development Conference (2008-2021)
Arden University Annual innovation in Learning, Teaching and Research Conference (2008-2021). Keynotes presented (2008, Lifelong Learning; 2014,2015 formation of the Arden Learning Model).

• Reviewer, author and quality assurance of online materials for higher education providers and institutions including: Anglia Ruskin University, Arden University, Birmingham City University, Bradford University, East London University, Sheffield Hallam University, Pearson Publishing (2007-2021)
• JISC Digital Champion supporting educator and learning technologist use of learning technologies and digital capabilities frameworks, via MOOC support (2016-2019)

Professional Esteem indicators:

• External Examiner, Centre Standards Verifier, Pearson. (2008-2016)
• Chief examiner and moderator for Association of Business Executives (ABE) (2015-2019)
• Moderator for Future Blended Learning Essentials MOOC (2016)
• Completed Arden University Leadership scheme (2017-2018)

Currently open to supervise PG students face to face or online:
Technology Enhanced Learning, Digital Education, Flexible Learning. and Transformation for 21st Century Learning.

2021: OfS Short Course Challenge. Funding awarded to develop four short courses level 4-6 to pilot shorter, flexible provision in support of the development of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement.

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