See this entry.

I work closely with a range of colleagues across the University to help utilise technology to enhance the interrelationships between learning, teaching, assessment and research. I am currently focused on determining the key areas relevant to Blended Learning, whilst building communities of practice, implementing Wimba software,  promoting the use of the Learning Network (VLE) and Web 2.0, always committed to ensuring that the tool is right for the job. I have responsibility for an Education Assistant. I often blog about aspects relevant to the role.

• Twentieth Century British History (1st year, compulsory, Joint-Lead)
• Landmarks (1st year, compulsory, Seminar Tutor)
• Creating and Consuming (1st year, compulsory, Team-Lead)
• Dreams and Nightmares (2nd year, optional, Sole tutor)

Teaching on the following modules, including lectures, seminars, tutorials and assessment:

• Intro to Media (1, 1st year, compulsory, Seminar Tutor)
• Intro to Media (2, 1st year, compulsory, Seminar Tutor)
• Researching Media Studies (1st year, compulsory, Seminar Tutor, including 2 lectures)
• Philosophy in Journalism (1st year, compulsory, Seminar Tutor)
• Film History (1st year, compuls0ry, Seminar Tutor, including 2 lectures)
• Design for Digital Media (1st year, compulsory, Seminar Tutor)
• Final Year Project Students (5)

A project which is working to bring together all currently available Study Skills information into one core area of the University website. Currently a concept site has been built, and students questioned within a forum, and funding obtained to develop the site through to publication by Summer 2010. I have responsibility for another content editor on this project.

• Editor, Capture Journal
• Editorial Team, Alfred Journal
• ‘Web Usability’ project.

See synopsis of courses taught. To be updated.

A new post in which I promoted cross-subject research and provide support for bids and grants within the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures.

• I continually worked with senior staff, including the Director of CIDRA (Professor Frank Mort), Director of Research (Professor Alison Sharrock), and Postgraduate Director (Professor Bertrand Taithe) and Head of School (Professor Penny Summerfield), along with the Research Development Manager on the development of CIDRA and interdisciplinary research activities, fitting with the School, Faculty and University aims.
• I looked to provide space for, and promote conversations amongst, staff and the postgraduate community, especially highlighting the interdisciplinary agenda, and providing the social spaces in which new ideas can flourish.
• In collaboration with Professor Frank Mort, for 2005/6, I have organised a successful lecture series, with accompanying graduate masterclasses, entitled “Doing Cultural History Now”, with a number of prestigious speakers, including: Professor Peter Burke (Cambridge); Professor Lynn Nead (Birkbeck), Professor Miri Rubin (Queen Mary), Professor Roy Foster (Oxford), Professor David Konstan ( Brown), Professor Gyan Prakash (Princeton). Within this theme, we have hosted Professor Alessandro Portelli (La Sapienza, Rome), Simon Visiting Professor 2005/6 for three visits. The above have all included a number of social duties alongside logistics arrangements.
• In 2006/7, CIDRA’s research theme was Visual Cultures, with an accompanying lecture series entitled “Visual Knowledges”, which I co-organised with Professor Janet Wolff, completing the logistic arrangements before leaving the post. Within this theme, we have successfully bid for University funding for a Visiting Professor, Professor Douglas Crimp (Rochester), for whom I made logistic arrangements, and helped to host for his first visit.
• I project managed a large international conference for July 2007, entitled “War and our World”, ensuring that this is explicitly interdisciplinary, to fit with CIDRA’s aims.
• In collaboration with the Director of CIDRA, I explored internal and external funding (and fundraising) opportunities for CIDRA’s work. I worked with other members of the Research Office team to populate a funding opportunities database, particularly with regard to European and interdisciplinary funding, and I provided support for a large AHRC grant.
• I liaised with colleagues in the School’s Postgraduate Office, External Relations team and relevant Faculty and Central Offices regarding interdisciplinary research activities in the School.
• I co-ordinated all aspects of the day-to-day running of CIDRA, managing four separate budgets. I acted as Secretary (where appropriate) to a number of related meetings, especially those with affiliated Research Centres (for which I have created a concise audit document to allow senior staff to reassess the policy towards such centres). I looked to create policy and ‘best practice’ documents where appropriate to ensure smooth running of CIDRA in the long-term.
• I created and maintained CIDRA’s website content (www.manchester.ac.uk/cidra), contributed to the Research Office newsletter and developed a mailing list for CIDRA’s activities, and ensured appropriate marketing and PR activities were carried out.
• I attended appropriate training opportunities, both for personal development, and for appropriate knowledge, including courses on project management, and developing expertise in funding applications and fEC.
• I provided sessions on ‘using visual materials in an interdisciplinary way’, and on ‘time management’ in association with the SAGE Graduate programme.

See CIDRA

Catalogue summary: ‘The module introduces students to a set of core debates and issues relating to the study of   advertising media. Case studies from print and broadcast media  will be examined in relation to issues of identity, representation and power. The module will draw on key readings and encourage students to engage in debates around the cultural critique of advertising.’ A first year module that I took over four weeks into the course.

• Through lectures, seminars, group and individual tutorials, I presented, and encouraged students to engage with, the semiotic approach to advertising.
• Elements I taught included advertising history, branding, regulation, race and ethnicity, gender, and celebrity.
• I assessed work through presentations and essays.

Introduction to handbook: ‘On the module you will engage with academic debates about representation and be introduced to methods and practices for media and film research. You will also select an area of media and (or) film representation for a 3,000-4,000 word research project. Tutorials and workshops ar e provided to support your independent work on the project. Upon successful completion of the module you will be able to drawn upon a range of concepts and theories in order to analyse representation in media and film texts.’ A second year team-taught module which I supported at short notice:

• Through seminars, tutorials, presentations, and assessment of written work, I supported students in an independent research project in an area of their own interest.
• I encouraged students in the use of theoretical approaches offered by Barthes (semiotics) and Foucault (discourse analysis).

I offered one week of a two week practical introductory course, in conjunction with the College IT Trainer.

• Using Dreamweaver, I encouraged students to think about issues regarding usability and effectiveness, with a particular focus on search strategies and structuring information online.

Indicative outline content: ‘This module introduces History as a discipline that makes sense of the past by analysing surviving evidence. It introduces students to the range of such evidence, from documentary to physical and visual, and to the libraries, record offices, museums, art galleries, and townscapes where it is to be found. It introduces students to the generic and specific skills required by the practice of History and to their transferability to other contexts, especially employment. Students use such evidence and skills to solve simple historical problems in case studies on particular topics both as teams in class and as individuals. They learn basic historical conventions and apply them to their own assignments.’ For three years I co-ordinated a 6-week team-taught first year case study.

• I annually updated the course outline and reading list.
• I prepared and presented lectures including the use of photography, propaganda films, feature films and posters as historical evidence.
• I wrote and assessed exam papers, ran revision sessions, and designed a website to accompany the course.

Catalogue summary: ‘This module takes as its theme the response that the British state and society made to the pressures created by industrialisation and urbanisation. It aims to elucidate change in social and political attitudes and structures in response to the criticism of the nature of modern society that emerged during the late nineteenth century and the First World War.’ An individual lecture presented to third year students:

• Selected elements of my research project, relevant to the issues under study within the module.
• A particular focus on posters relevant to the Beveridge Report (1942).

Catalogue summary: ‘The module investigates one of the most remarkable periods of national history. The changes in population and means of production and the rise of a middle class ethos will form a foundation for the examination of other aspects of the geographical and cultural landscape of Britain. These will include the economic, political and scientific theories that gave rise to distinctive practice in art, state intervention and social politics. The paradox of a Christianity which was both under threat and an apparent foundation for much of the philanthropic and cultural activity of the era will be examined.’ One year working on a team-taught module, aimed at first year students:

• Seminar preparation, particularly working with visual media (cartoons/maps).
• Tutorial support.
• Assessment via essays.

Catalogue summary: ‘This module examines the development of the professional practice of History in the 20th century. It  considers generally and through examples the extension of range, from political and constitutional history through economic history to a plethora of sub-disciplines, new  insights offered by History from Below and Gender History, the development of interdisciplinary connections (e.g. literature, sociology, archaeology), the exploitation of new sources, new techniques, and new technology.’ Two years spend supporting a second year module, particularly assessment elements:

• I took seminars, tutorials, and assessed work via essays and presentations.
• Presentations were focused upon assessment of historical journals.

Catalogue summary: ‘The module will begin with a brief overview of the period. It will move into a critical chronological survey of the political, social, and economic developments of the periods 1900-14; 1914-45; and 1945-present.’ An individual lecture presented to first year students:

• A summary of my research project, avoiding complex language.
• Audience specific preparation.

• This course provided an introduction to using Dreamweaver
• The course briefly addressed issues of usability and accessibility.

• Using PowerPoint, the course considered how to present PhD research without overloading the medium, including how to structure information.

• The course considered how to use PowerPoint to present PhD research through presentations.
• The course included the importance of concentrating on information rather than special effects

• I used the statistics package SPSS to enter quantitative and qualitative data, including adding new variables, from confidential questionnaires in a consistent manner.
• I ensured that the category definitions were accurately recorded, and discussed patterns and findings with other members of the team.

• Working to College formal outlines and deadlines, I wrote project proposals, produced regular reports for the supervisory team and degree committees
• I managed my research budget, and successfully applied for further funding.
• I attended relevant training sessions, including subject-based methodology, art and ideology, propaganda, and more practical courses on digitisation, copyright workshops, and databases.

Since 2001, a web developer for small businesses with www.digital-fingerprint.co.uk, now focusing more upon social media development.

• http://ncvo-rechord.co.uk/
  (content management: transfer/check of data, utilising Joomla)
• www.winchester-holistics.co.uk
  (practitioner in holistic therapy, Winchester). Discuss the needs of the site with the proprietor. Suggest options. Design, structure, build, provide content, including meta-content, as appropriate.

A free online adrenaline-directory, of over 2,000 UK companies, developed in 2008. I am developing and maintaining the social media strategy for SFDO, with a particular focus upon Twitter and Adrenablog, and also development of a Facebook Fan Page, YouTube, and Delicious bookmarking.

• Restructuring, updating and redevelopment of The Department of History for University of Winchester, website, launching Easter 2010.
• http://www.winchester.ac.uk/learning
  (site overhaul, and continued updates until 2009)
• http://www.winchester.ac.uk/education
  (brief ‘now-currency’ check, and data entry)

• Following discussions with David Chalk, I produced an online presence for the new law degree at the University of Winchester in under 10 hours, using information  prepared for print, re-purposing/structuring for the web, and uploading information using the University’s Content Management System. I suggested appropriate image types, which were then provided by the University marketing team.
• Further time was then spent investigating other University Law websites to look for other possibilities for web content, some of which was implemented. It was noted that few sites had an interactive element, so further time was spent investigating possible blogs to use, and researching types of questions which could usefully be used upon the website to engage potential students in legal debate, thus building a relationship with the University.
• The remaining time in the 40 hours allocate was spent providing  comprehensive document and training session for David Chalk to enablehim to keep the website updated, and particularly advice on what would usefully work for ‘Blawg’, and the extensive amount of offline work which would need to be done to encourage participation. It was noted that it would be best that blog content was best provided by David,as Head of Law.

• Following discussions with Alasdair Spark, Itook 40 hours to overhaul a site which had remained dormant, but popular, since the late 1990s. I restructured the information for the site, and ensured that all links were functional. I provided a new design and imagery for the site, based upon pre-existing imagery/fonts to provide consistency. I provided search functionality, optimised search meta-tags, and suggested appropriate domain names.
• I provided a document allowing Alasdair Spark to keep the site updated using Dreamweaver 4.0, alongside a brief training session, including advice on web usability and legal issues relating to web content.

IT Centre Advisor, University College Winchester, Winchester.

A part-time team-working post.

• I helped students and staff with any queries or problems they might have while using open access PCs at the College, particularly software queries. I wrote working procedures, student instructions and leaflets, and publicity materials.
• I continually learnt new software, being particularly strong on the Microsoft Office suite, through which I completed the Advanced ECDL syllabus.
• I was the resident ‘expert’ on Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and the internet
• I offered services such as colour printing, colour photocopying and laminating, sales of consumer goods, and organised loan stock including laptops, digital cameras and data projectors.

• Held meetings, and corresponded via e-mail, with relevant members of staff within the department to collate the relevant information.
• Structure the site in a user-friendly manner, using a design that would work in the new portal being developed by the College, so that information would easily export.
• Write relevant content, and source images, for use within the website.

• Contextualisation on original artwork for Second World War posters through image captioning.
• Artist biographies
• Content on the Ministry of Information and INF files to form the basis of the front page and press releases.

• Following positive feedback, I collated comprehensive information relating to the entire ITCS department, and reformulated it in a format suitable for the web.
• I redesigned the structure, design and layout of the internal ITCS website, and worked closely with the programmer to define a suitable content management system for the site.
• The new site utilises a database driven XML website designed by another member of the team to my specification, which was also to form the basis for a generic web style to be used College wide.

• I held discussions with members of the RIC to define the information needed.
• I redesigned and restructured the RIC website, working within constraints imposed by a corporate style.
• I produced appropriate content, and continued to support the site, and investigating and contributing postgraduate material.

Web Developer, Christ Church, Winchester

Voluntary work on the website for my local Anglican Church.

• I held discussions with several members of the congregation, and defined a three-fold audience: those interested in joining the church, those already members of the church, and those who wished to visit the church for marriages, etc.
• I structured and built the webpages, and converted what content I could find into web suitable form.
• My persistence paid off, and the webpages went live in March 2003.

Research Assistant, King Alfred’s College, Winchester

Research Assistant on a teaching and learning project addressing issues of effective and usable web design, entitled “Improving Student’s Web Design Skills by Providing them with a Repository of Web Designs”.

• A funded project to discover what defines usable and effective web design.
• I researched the subject through carefully identified texts, and a series of interviews.
• I produced a carefully targeted web site: http://www.winchester.ac.uk/designproject, designed to meet defined needs across the College.
• I defined the information structure of the site, wrote the majority of the content and guidelines for the project team.

• Working within guidelines from Southampton University, I scanned material using optical character recognition (OCR) software, and prepared material for the internet.

• As an optical advisor for Boots Opticians, I had to deal with sensitive personal information, aid customer choices, and carry out administrative tasks.
• Other short term and part time posts have included cleaning, catering, supermarket, and secretarial and administrative posts.
• Prior to the initial degree, I spent five months in Brazil, working as a volunteer within a family home, and in a home for rescued street children.