Sue Purnell
I am an Academic Developer in the Educational Development Division at University of Liverpool. I have worked at the University of Liverpool, for the last 5 years, having worked in New Zealand Universities and Polytechnics for the past 15 years in the areas of learning and teaching in adult and higher education. I have a particular interest in working with new academic staff, and helping them develop learning and teaching skills and understanding. I contribute to:
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The Certificate in Professional Studies in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
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The Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
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Training for Graduate Teaching Assistants and university researcher staff.
I am involved in a range of educational development projects with members of staff around the university. I manage the University Peer Review of Teaching Programme, and run training for Peer reviewers- usually on a Departmental basis. I also organise the University’s annual Learning and Teaching Conference. I am interested in inclusive teaching, the evaluation of teaching and programme quality, small group work and innovative teaching strategies.
I am particularly interested in working to enhance the transition of students
into their first year in Higher Education and their subsequent engagement,
progression and retention.
I have had the opportunity to teach groups of
professionals in Syria and Tanzania, as well as working quite extensively with
colleagues in China at our sister university Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University
(XJLTU), and have run evaluation projects in Senegal and Ghana for the Liverpool
School of Tropical Medicine. I enjoy the challenges of teaching in new cultures
and environments. My experiences working with Maori (the indigenous people of
New Zealand) has been helpful in this regard.
In 2006 I worked with two colleagues in the development of a Quality Assurance handbook for educators in developing countries. Many educators in the UK have also felt that it was a useful straightforward guide. It can be accessed at 'Getting Education Right: First steps in Quality Assurance for Tutors and Students' .
I love walking, photography, classical music, the theatre, watching sport and learning about life in other countries!
I look forward to meeting and working with people at the University of Windsor.