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About : Catherine McConnell

Catherine McConnell


Principal Lecturer

Telephone: 01273 643115

Email: C.McConnell@brighton.ac.uk

 

 About me

 
My role in the Centre for Learning and Teaching is leading the Student Academic Success and Partnership team. I currently hold the national role of Co-Chair for International Academic Peer Learning (IAPL) - a network of over 300 colleagues working in the field of peer learning in higher education. I am the institutional lead for a nationally funded HEFCE Catalyst project 'Changing Mindsets - Reducing Stereotype Threat as a Barrier to Student Success'.

As a Principal Lecturer focusing on students' learning development my role encompasses a range of research and practice, working directly with students, academic staff and central departments in the areas of developing academic skills, students’ transition to university, peer assisted learning and looking at ways to improve student engagement, employability and retention. In 2014 I was awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

I co-produce the Academic Study Kit website which is designed in partnership with students to familiarise them with the skills needed to achieve study success at university. This work is closely linked with the University’s former national membership of LearnHigher, and the work of the Association of Learning Developers in HE (ALDinHE).

I am also responsible for planning and implementing PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) a national peer learning programme at the university, which has been running since 2009. Each academic year we train a cohort of up to 150 PASS leaders, across 10 Schools within the university and at some of our partner colleges. For more details please visit the PASS website.
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 Some recent publications

 
​McConnell, C., Marquis, E. and Mercer-Mapstone, L. (2017) Collaborative Auto-ethnography: SOTL Methods Series #2. The SOTL Advocate, Illinois State University.

McConnell, C. (2017) Reflecting on Practice: Embedding Student Engagement Through Interdepartmental Partnership. Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change. Vol 3. No 1. 2017.

McConnell, C. (2016) Student Collaborators in Educational Development. Educational Developments Issue 17.2 - 2016. SEDA Publication, pp.22-23.

Gill, M. and McConnell, C. (2016) "What's in it for me?" - an investigation into the motivations, challenges and benefits of peer leadership in a School of Education. Student Engagement and Experience Journal. Vol 5, Issue 1.

McConnell, C. and Wisker, G. (2015) Case study: Practice examples of involving students with SoTL work. Defining and supporting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): a sector-wide study. York: Higher Education Academy.

McConnell, C. and Wisker, G. (2015) Case study: Student engagement in SoTL: Student engagement leaders’ perspectives. Defining and supporting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): a sector-wide study. York: Higher Education Academy.

McConnell, C. and Wisker, G. (2015) Case study: Student engagement in SoTL: Students’ perspectives. Defining and supporting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): a sector-wide study. York: Higher Education Academy.

McConnell, C. (2014) Insider perspectives: students working within the university community. Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges, eBook. Edited by Norman Jackson and Jenny Wills.

McConnell, C. and Chilvers, L. (2014) Developing and Implementing a Co-Curricular PASS Leadership Module at the University of Brighton. Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges, eBook. Edited by Norman Jackson and Jenny Wills.

McConnell, C. and Doust, M. (2012) Case Study: Enhancing transitions and retention for Top-up students. for Volume 2 - Recruiting and Supporting Diversity – a practical guide for universities and colleges. Edited by Michelle Morgan. pp.99-103.
 

 Some recent presentations

 
​McConnell, C. with Bryngfors, L., Hettrick, J., Pocklington, A., Schofield, O. and Scott, K. (2017) Engaging Students with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Through Peer Learning Programs. Paper presented at the EuroSoTL Conference, Lund University, Sweden, 7-9 June 2017.

McConnell, C. and Marquis, B. (2017) Transforming patterns through the scholarship of teaching and learning. Paper presented at the EuroSoTL Conference, Lund University, Sweden, 7-9 June 2017.

McConnell, C. and Bishop, D. (2017) Partnership through the lens of doctoral study. Workshop presented at the RAISE International Colloquium on Partnership, Brimingham City University, 23 June 2017.

McConnell, C. and Howells, S. (2017) Fostering student-initiated engagement with curriculum design. Paper presented at the Change Agents' Network Conference, University of Exeter, 21 April 2017.

'Student collaborators in Learning Development', paper presented at the 11th ALDinHE Conference: Learning Development Spaces and Places, University of Huddersfield, 14-16 April 2014.

'+Experience: an insider perspective, students working within the university community', paper presented at RAISE 3rd Annual Conference: The future of student engagement, partnerships, practices, policies and philosophies, Nottingham Trent University, 12-13 September 2013.

'Creative Endeavours: Using SI/ PASS in creative writing' (paper) and From Spark to Flame: Motivating and inspiring leaders through cross-institutional networking events (poster) presented at the 7th International Conference on Supplemental Instruction, San Diego, California, June 2012.

'Embedding study skills in a digital age - Exploring new possibilities, models and strategies', paper presented at ALDinHE Conference, University of Leeds, April 2012.

'Enhancing student transition from Foundation Degree to Top-Up', paper presented at the European and International First Year Experience Conference, University of Manchester, June 2011.

'Peer Assisted Study Sessions: Enhancing the Student Experience', paper presented at the European and International First Year Experience Conference, The University of Manchester, June 2011.
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