Megan became an NTF in 2017. In 2018 she was conferred a Professor of Learning and Teaching in Academic Practice. She is dyslexic and passionate about challenging traditional approaches to learning, teaching and assessment focusing on inclusive and affirming practices. She publishes on imposter syndrome, transnational education, flipped learning, staff development, neurodiversity, and visual research methodologies.
Dr Megan Lawton is the Senior Adviser, Academic Practice in the College of Learning and Teaching at the University of Wolverhampton, this role includes leading the institutional CPD scheme for HEA Fellowship. She has an eclectic background, qualifications and experiences. She identifies the following key themes in her work, enabling people to reach their potential, innovation and creativity and technology supported learning. She has published research on flipped learning, ePortfolio-based learning, patchwork text assessment, developmental mentoring and international and transnational education (TNE).
She is a member of the Art as Research for Learning and Teaching cluster currently investigating visual data collection methods. She started her teaching career in a boys school as a Craft, Design, Technology (CDT) teacher. Impact of work Her 26 year HE teaching career started when she was head-hunted to explore the use of video for CDT teacher training. In 1991 she set up the Visual Language Centre in the School of Languages proposing that British Sign Language (BSL) should be seen as a language in its own right. She created a Communication Support Unit which has since supported 244 Deaf students to gain HE qualifications, designed revolutionary new degrees including the first degree in Europe for Interpreting (BSL)/ English).
In 2000 she took up a new post in a central department for learning and teaching, leading student focused initiatives across the university. In 2004 she was a founding member of the European First Year Student Experience network leading to a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning based on the first year student experience. Plans for the future Megan has a great deal of experience teaching and supporting transnational education (TNE) partnerships and working with international students. For example, she designed an International Foundation Year, led staff development activities for TNE partners and mentored the first academic to gain a SFHEA in China. She currently teaches on the Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and Professional Practice, the MA in Education and supervises students on the Doctorate in Education. She is planning to develop examples of inclusive curriculum design for her institution's new VLE.