Ep36: Colin Simpson, Education Innovation Designer

Today my guest is Colin Simpson, an Education Innovation Designer with a background and expertise in education, video and multimedia production, and how technology is used in learning and teaching. In this episode we find out more about Colin’s current PhD research related to higher education workplaces, systems and university culture. Colin explains his approach and methodology, informed by social practice theory - that is, understanding what makes up a practice, how that practice evolves and is disseminated, and how this is tied to one’s professional identity. We explore a few specific job roles: Academic Developers - best represented in the published research in the field, Learning Designers - the largest part of the working population, and Educational Technologists - essentially the bridge between IT and teaching. Colin offers clarity on the fuzziness and overlap that often exists within and around these roles, as linked to an individual’s professional identity. We also explore the shifting dynamics when working within a central team, in contrast to closer working relationships within, say, a specific faculty or department. Colin is especially interested in how these potentially liminal roles relate, connect, and overlap, offering opportunities for collaboration with others including Academics, Educational Advisors, and institutional leaders. Colin outlines his fundamental research aim of strengthening the contribution and meaningful impact of Educational Advisors, raising pedagogical standards, and improving equitable learning and teaching practice in higher education, with lessons that can learned across educational sectors. Here’s my conversation with Colin Simpson. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-simpson-edtech/ https://www.screenface.net/ https://twitter.com/gamerlearner https://twitter.com/TELedvisors