UoM Personal Page

Stephen Wheeler | eLearning Technologist

Curriculum Vitae

Career Summary

I am an eLearning professional with twenty-five years of work experience in the education sector, first as a graphic designer developing printed learning resources before developing my pedagogical understanding, my technical skills, and gaining the relevant qualifications to move into the online environment to design and deliver online and distance education.

As someone who uses technology for work and play, I’m a strong advocate of Free and Open Source Software. As well as using this software as much a possible, the philosophy and principles behind its creation and development greatly influences my work and how I approach the development of online and distance education.

Key Skills

  • Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, with the ability to make technical and pedagogical issues clear to a variety of audiences
  • A good understanding of the current issues in online and distance education, including the issues involved with the mass transfer of courses to online delivery during the COVID 19 pandemic and lockdown.
  • Seasoned project management, time management and organisational skills in the context of practical higher education projects working with academics and external organisations such as JISC, HEA and Coursera.
  • Accomplished IT skills, including office, graphics and video editing applications such as Adobe Creative Suit for graphics and web development, and Final Cut Pro for video editing, plus a range of Free and Open Source Software such as Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP and Emacs.

Qualifications

2016-2019 MRes in eResearch and Technology Enhanced Learning

Lancaster University

Research

Peer assisted study, networked learning and the development of critical consciousness

Comment

I’m currently taking an intercalation from my PhD, but having completed stage one of the programme I was awarded the degree of Master of Research.

2007-2010 Masters in Online and Distance Education

The Open University (Part-Time)

Modules:

  • Technology-enhanced learning: practices and debates
  • Innovations in eLearning
  • The eLearning professional
  • Practice-based research in educational technology (The introduction of eLearning into practice based arts higher education)
  • Accessible online learning: supporting disabled students

2000-2001 BA (Hons) History (2:1)

The University of Central Lancashire (Part-Time)

Modules:

  • Education, Society and Culture in England
  • Student Initiated Course in History (Double Module)
  • History Dissertation (The influence of Darwin’s evolutionary theory on late nineteenth century society)

1993-1998 BA Humanities

The University of Glamorgan (Part-Time)

(Now The University of South Wales)

Level 3 Modules:

  • American 1960s I: Writing in Context
  • American 1960s II: The Counter Culture
  • 19th Century Anglo-American Fiction
  • Modern European Thought
  • Modern Political Theory

1988-1990 HND Graphic Design

Falmouth School of Art and Design

(Now Falmouth University)

Career History

2022-present Fellow

The University of Manchester Institute of Teaching and Learning

2018-present eLearning Technologist

The University of Manchester, Transnational Education

Bringing knowledge, understanding and experience of technology enhanced learning and its associated pedagogies to bear when designing and building Masters level online courses in partnership with University of Manchester Schools and academics.

Duties

Working with subject experts to marry sound pedagogical theory with the appropriate technology to design and develop post-graduate online and distance learning programmes.

2011-2018 eLearning Support Officer

The University of Manchester, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Duties and achievements:

  • Redesign of course modules for eLearning in partnership with academics - first year Earth Resources module winning the Faculty of EPS “Best in eLearning” 2014
  • Design and production of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) with the Introduction to Physical Chemistry MOOC winning the Online and Distance Learning category at The Guardian University Awards 2015 and the Natural Sciences Discipline award in the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards 2015
  • Develop an Open Educational Resource (OER) strategy and policy, and promote OERs in the Faculty
  • Develop the use of augmented reality and its integration into the Faculty’s eLearning provision
  • Presented on augmented reality at Association of Learning Technologists Conference (ALT-C) 2014

2010-2011 Freelance Web Design

Duties:

The design, content development and production of websites for a range of small businesses.

2007-2010 eLearning Manager

The University of Cumbria

Duties:

  • Project lead on a number of externally funded eLearning projects:
    • JISC OER Project
    • JISC Pathfinder Project - Enhancing Practice-Led eLearning
    • HEA ePortfolio Project
    • JISC Benchmarking for eLearning
  • Work with academic staff to help them adopt a newly implemented virtual learning environment (VLE)
  • Redesign course modules for eLearning

2003-2007 Information and Learning Technology Officer

The Adult College, Lancaster (Lancashire County Council)

Duties:

  • Part of the team that introduced a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to Lancashire County Council’s Adult and Community Learning provision
  • Deliver training on the use of the VLE to teaching staff
  • Working with teaching staff to introduce eLearning into teaching and learning
  • Implement externally funded JISC and NIACE projects
  • Qualified as a “learndirect” tutor to deliver distance learning courses in web technologies

2001-2003 Freelance Web Design

Duties:

The design, content development and production of websites for a range of small businesses.

2000-2001 Graphic Designer

Thus (a subsidiary of Scottish Power)

Duties:

In-house design of promotional and marketing material

1990-2000 Graphic Designer

Welsh Joint Education Committee

Duties:

Working with subject specialists to illustrate exam papers and design-for-print learning resources

Additional Information

My personal interests and activities inevitably influence and are influenced by my work. I have a particular interest in education policies and how they are implemented at a national and local level. This interest has led me to becoming a governor of my local primary school which affords me a view of education that I would not otherwise have, to volunteer as a course developer for an innovative online university to expand my experience, and to research technology enhanced learning by embarking on a PhD.