About the author and contributors
Dr Radhika Borde (FHEA) is a Lecturer in Sustainability Transitions and Social Justice at the School of Geography, University of Leeds. She is also a steering committee member of an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) specialist group on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas and has helped develop a set of IUCN guidelines. She has a PhD from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Radhika has worked as an activist and social entrepreneur in India. Her research is concerned with Indigenous ecological movements, religion and nature conservation, conservation of religious sites, traditional ecological knowledge, public health and waste management. She has received several research grants. She is also a published author of short fiction and poetry.
Dr John Hammersley (FHEA) is a Lecturer in Design Studies, Curriculum Redefined Transformational Educator and Leader of the Pedagogic Research Group within the School of Design at the University of Leeds. John’s research is focused on applying dialogue as a framework for practice and understanding within art and design, demonstrating dialogical praxis as the enfolding and performance of knowledge in a manner intended to offset essentialist interpretations of design, art and dialogue.
Robert Jackson is a Course Design Manager from the University of Leeds Digital Education Service. He works with subject matter experts to develop high-quality online learning content, applying instructional design principles and pedagogical good practice.
Iria Lopez is a senior People Centred Design consultant. She has been collaborating with Leeds University for more than three years, supporting the institution in setting up a design sprint model, and using design tools to influence curriculum design and learning experiences. She has also supported the creation of the Design Thinking community and remains curious and interested in supporting organisations that want to generate cultural change through design. She believes that design-led organisations require an environment that nurtures empathy and creativity. You can find more about her on her Linkedin profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/iria-lopez-51b1975/
Nathan Loynes is a programme manager and lecturer in Child and Family Studies at the University of Leeds, where he has worked for over ten years. Nathan is a qualified teacher. He has led the Life-Long Learning Centre’s Child and Family Studies degree programme for the past eight years. With 25 years of experience as a qualified Social Worker within Children and Families, Nathan is passionate about principled social work and pedagogies that address social inequalities through strengths-based and solution-focused practice. His teaching interests focus on inclusive learning design, particularly in adult experiential learning and widening participation in the lifelong learning sector. Nathan is also committed to synthesising humanistic approaches to practice. and exploring the intersections of technology, culture, and education, with a particular interest in ‘remix’ theory. Outside of academia, Nathan enjoys sound design, sound engineering, and writing and producing short films.
Dr Vasiliki Kioupi (FHEA) is Lecturer in Sustainable Curriculum at the Sustainability Research Institute of the University of Leeds and is involved in the implementation of the sustainable curriculum principle of the university’s Climate Plan. She holds a doctoral degree in Education for Sustainable Development from the Centre for Environmental Policy of Imperial College London for which she received a highly prestigious and competitive President’s PhD Scholarship. Her research investigates sustainability transitions in Higher Education and the role of sustainability competences in empowering young people to act for the climate and sustainability. She has published her research in journals, books, and conferences.
Kirstine McDermid is an Open Educational Resources Adviser at the University of Leeds of Leeds Libraries, dedicated to fostering inclusive and equitable learning pathways through open education. With expertise in Pressbooks, accessibility, copyright and licensing and learning and user experience she supports educators in adapting and creating open educational resources.
Dr Damian Mcdonald (FHEA) has spent almost two decades in digital education, working with students and academics to improve the student learning experience using digital pedagogies and technologies. With a PhD in e-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning, Damian’s research interests lie in the space where humans and technologies meet, and the study and improvement of their interactions. Recent work has focussed on the educational use of Artificial Intelligence and reflective poetry, and supporting the innovations of the academic community.
Dr Dimitra Mitsa (FHEA) is a Lecturer in Biotechnology at the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. With over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, she led the development and implementation of novel analytical methods for characterising protein therapeutics. Wishing to utilise her skills and expertise to train the next generation of analytical scientists, she returned to academia, where she is currently focusing on developing industry – informed curricula, with an emphasis on internationalisation and digitally enhanced teaching.
Dr Luke Mawer (FHEA) is a Learning Designer at the University of Leeds, digital education consultant, and researcher. He currently working with the Digital Education Service, School of Medicine, and Faculty of Biological Sciences to design an online MSc and postgraduate courses in Genomic Medicine with Data Science. He has over 14 years’ previous experience as a lecturer in Asia and the Middle East in which he has sought to implement student-centred, accessible, and inclusive online learning and digital education experiences.
Dr Chrissi Nerantzi (NTF, CATE, PFHEA) is a Professor in Creative and Open Education in the School of Education, the Academic Lead for Discovery and a Senior Lead of the Knowledge Equity Network. Her innovative contributions, such as cross-boundary learning and open professional development, foster collaborative, creative and inclusive education. A National Teaching Fellow, multi-award-winning educator, and prolific researcher, Chrissi integrates creativity, playfulness, and openness to inspire transformative learning experiences across disciplines and communities. She is an internationally recognised leader in creative and open education, with a career spanning roles as a teacher, programmer, translator, academic developer, and education innovator in Greece, Slovenia, Germany, and the UK. Chrissi is a GO-GN alumna, the founder of the international open #creativeHE community and has co-created many OER and initiated a range of further open professional development courses, networks and communities that have been sustained over the years. Chrissi is the author of Part 1 of the book and the editor of Meraki. The invitation to submit thought-provoking contributions that align to Meraki is open to all.
Patricia Quinn (FHEA) is an experienced Digital Practice Adviser, Senior Learning Technologist and Education Developer with a track record in innovation, technology enabled support for teaching and learning, practitioner support in all education sectors (higher education, further education, community education, offender learning, private sector, Middle Eastern community education). A keen evangelist of new technologies and innovation and content development. An advocate for blended learning and supporting learners and peers at all levels.
Dr J Simon Rofe (FHEA) is a scholar of Diplomacy at the University of Leeds. He is dedicated to student centred co-creating of learning; appreciative of the value of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders; and a keen advocate of reflective practice. He held the role of Deputy Director of the Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE) at the University of London 2020-24, including time as Acting Director (2021-22 & 2023-24). Simon was the inaugural Programme Director for the MA Global Diplomacy at SOAS University of London, and was the institution’s head of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise (2020-22), and before then Head of Digital Learning between 2016 and 2020; devising the institution’s first Online Learning Strategy in 2018, and led in the strategic response to COVID 19. He has designed, developed and delivered (3Ds) numerous online and digital learning programmes under the aegis of the IR Model (Rofe, 2011) at a variety of HEIs, NGOs and other organisations including members of the UN family; he developed MOOCs in their first wave with Understanding Research Methods MOOC and then Global Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the Modern World and, having been widely published in the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching, has been at the forefront of digital learning for many years.
Simon Vallance (FHEA) is a Digital Education Manager within the Digital Education Service. He is an experienced learning designer having worked in a variety of educational settings in a long and varied career. Simon leads the Digital Learning Design team who support and enable academic colleagues to use technology to enhance the student experience at Leeds. He is particularly interested in exploring how digital tools can support the creation of active, learner-centred learning experiences.
