Sharon Waller

Sharon is Head of Anglia Learning & Teaching. She leads the activities of Anglia Learning & Teaching which are driven by our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy.

sharon.waller@anglia.ac.uk
01223 698636
@sl_waller

Background

Sharon has a senior leadership role in developing a culture of research-informed teaching, cultivating and sharing good learning, teaching and assessment practice and leading and managing pedagogic initiatives. 

Sharon leads a number of institution-wide initiatives including our highly successful Making our Mark: transforming assessment practices at ARU which has led to a course level approach to improving the student learning experience. Her passion for enhancing learning, teaching and assessment practice through an evidence-informed approach has led to the development of an institutional technology-enhanced learning and teaching (TELT) framework, the successful introduction of active collaborative learning methodologies, including team-based learning, and the piloting of Directed Independent Learning by all faculties. She is currently the institutional lead for the HEFCE-funded longitudinal National Mixed Methodology Learning Gain Project and is leading two work streams for the implementation of our new LMS: 1. Content design and process; 2. Staff development and training. Constantly seeking ways to engage and support busy academic staff, Sharon has successfully established a number of innovative events designed to share good practice such as DigiFest, an Assessment Fiesta and annual TeachMeets – the latter have been adopted by faculties as an effective form of CPD.  

Sharon’s experience in institutional change management has been gained through working at a national level with sector agencies while seconded to the government’s Department for Education and Skills (2006) and the Higher Education Academy (2007–2011). Sharon was invited to co-chair ALT-C in 2007, an international conference with over 600 delegates and subsequently served on the programme committee for three years.

Professional affiliations

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Million+ Learning and Teaching Group
• Leading the Learning Landscape Network 
• Heads of Educational Developers Group 
• UK HE learning spaces special interest group
• Canvas UK HE user group

Research interests

• Strategic educational developments and change management in HE
• How changes in technology influence pedagogy and impact on the organisational context of learning
• The cultivation of communities of practice and, specifically, the development of learning communities in distributed learning environments
• The changing role of the academic and the impact on academic identity
• Learning environments – physical and virtual, formal and informal

Teaching

• PGCert Learning and Teaching/MA Learning and Teaching, level 7 modules: Learning and Teaching Using Learning Technologies; Effective Electronic Learning Facilitation
• Computer Tools for Linguists to BA (Hons) all years of all language degrees
• Computer Tools for Social Scientists to Year 1 of BA (Hons) Sociology
• MA Women’s Studies
• MA (Applied Linguistics) Language Learning Technologies
• MBA, HE in Context
• ‘ICT in Learning and Teaching’ masters level module for the Eastern Deanery

Qualifications

• MSc Advanced Learning Technologies
• PGCert Post Compulsory Education
• BSc (Hons) Computer Science and French
• Advanced Certificate in Marketing

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• External Examiner, Open University – Course H808: The eLearning Professional, 2006–2013
• Higher Education Academy Associate supporting HEFCE/HEA/JISC UK Open Educational Resources programme phase 3 project (2012)
• Advisor to Bridging the gap: teaching adaptations across the disciplines and sharing content for curriculum renewal, OER project led by the University of Tasmania (2011–2012)
• ‘Critical friend’ to 4 HEA Discipline-focused Learning Technology Enhancement (DfLTEA) programme change management projects: Southampton Solent University Business School and Southampton Solent University School of Visual and Interactive Arts (October 2009–January 2011); University of Bath, Department of Economics and the University of Plymouth Business School (January 2010–April 2011)

Selected recent publications

Waller, S. (2003) Portfolio Assessments in the Subject Centre for Languages and Linguistics and Area Studies, Web Guide to Good Practice in Teaching and Learning in Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Waller, S., Griffiths, S., Wu, S., Wisker, G. and Illes, K. (2002) Towards the creation of institution wide support for improving ‘Language for Study Skills’ for international postgraduate students: providing adequate learning infrastructures including learning technologies and student support in Rust, C. (Ed.), Improving Student Learning Using Learning Technology, OSCLD

Wisker, G., Tiley, J., Watkins, M., Waller, S., Thomas, J. and Wisker, A. (2001), Discipline-Based Research into Student Learning in English, Law, Social Work, Computer Skills for Linguists, Women’s Studies, Creative Writing: How can it inform our teaching? in Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Vol 28, 2, Routledge.

Ferney, D. and Waller, S. (2001) Reflections on Multimedia Design Criteria for the International Language Learning Community, Computer Assisted Language Learning,14, 2, pp 145-168. Zwets & Zeitlinger

Ferney, D. and Waller, S. (2000) Key factors in the design of an interactive multimedia CD-ROM for EAP Learning. In Howarth, P. and Herington, R. (eds), EAP Learning Technologies, Leeds University Press, Leeds.

Recent presentations and conferences

Kerrigan, M. & Waller, S. Making our Mark: Transforming assessment at ARU assessment mapping: Experiences of a large Faculty, Assessment in HE Seminar Day, June 2016.

Morris, E. & Waller, S. Making our Mark at Anglia Ruskin University: Evaluating the impact of an institutional initiative on transforming assessment, SEDA Spring Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference 2016:  Innovations in Assessment and Feedback Practice, May 2016.

Pegler, C., Fitzgerald, A, Hardy, S. Manista, F. Waller, S. & Wild, J. Climbing the stairway to OER Nirvana, ALT-C 2012, University of Manchester, September 2012.

Working from the 'Middle Out': A disciplinary approach to changing learning and teaching practice, accepted for the Higher Education Academy annual conference, Nottingham, July 2011