I’m a Learning Technologist at the University of Edinburgh, supporting Moray House School of Education and Sport and the Centre for Open Learning.

My work focuses on helping academic and professional services colleagues integrate digital tools into their teaching and assessment practices, particularly in the areas of virtual learning environment (VLE) adoption, accessibility, and inclusive learning design. I bring a practitioner’s mindset, a strong background in curriculum and assessment management, and a deep interest in how learning technologies can support more authentic, accessible, and creative learning experiences.

Since 2005, I’ve worked in a variety of education-related roles spanning language teaching, community-based education, exams administration, and distance learning. I’ve taught ESOL to Syrian refugees, supported community projects on climate change, and delivered English language and vocational qualifications in the UK, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia. In my previous role, I managed distance learning programmes and an international exam centre delivering A Levels, GCSEs, and vocational qualifications to students around the world.

I hold an MA in Mental Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh, an MSc in Human Ecology from the University of Strathclyde, and a Cambridge Delta (with Distinction) from CELT Athens. I am also proficient in Mandarin Chinese to HSK Level 3 and HSKK Intermediate.

My interest in learning technology began in 2012, when I first began using smartboards in my language lessons. This led to a secondment designing an iPad-based curriculum for Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest companies, as it rolled out a major curriculum transformation programme. After returning to the UK in 2018, I joined an edtech company as Curriculum Development Manager, helping grow its online learning portfolio during the COVID-19 pandemic and establishing a JCQ-accredited exam centre in London.

As a learning technologist, I lead local change initiatives related to virtual learning environments, supporting Learn Ultra, Canvas, PebblePad, and Xerte. I work closely with course teams to support curriculum and course (re)design, deliver learning design workshops, and pilot new tools related to assessment and feedback such as digital rubrics, skills articulation, dropbox integrations, and generative AI.

I contribute to policy-aligned projects at both College and University level which aim to enhance student experience in assessment and feedback, and I promote inclusive education through Universal Design for Learning, lecture captioning, and accessible hybrid events, collaborating with Deaf education practitioners to pilot classroom technologies that support BSL users and the wider Deaf community.

Building on this, I am developing two GenAI applications: a tool to support AI-resilient assessment design, and an app that provides students with tailored formative feedback on their reflective writing. I have also begun leading practice share sessions for academic colleagues on inclusive AI-resilient assessment design.

Image: Kenai Fjords by Jamie Auld Smith, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0