Professor Mark Schofield

National Teaching Fellow 2011 Mark Schofield is Professor and Dean of Learning and Teaching. He leads on teaching and learning development and associated research and contributes to curriculum design and teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Education, Health, Higher Education, and Teaching in Clinical Practice. He leads on practice based research development for the University's education and health professionals. Mark is also the Academic Director of the SOLSTICE Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and chair of the Edge Hill University Centre for Learning and Teaching Research. He sat on the national HEFCE/HEA/JISC Joint E-Learning Partnership Board and was critical friend to the JISC Users and Innovations Programme. He has acted as an expert advisor to the HEA eLearning Observatory initiative (now EvidenceNet), to government groups envisioning technological support for learning in the future and was a member of the HEA eLearning 'Think Tank.' Mark's innovative work in technology enhanced learning is the prime focus of his visiting professorships at Leeds Metropolitan and Northampton Universities. He is concerned to promote deployment of technologies which is learning-led, so getting the best out of existing software and free-ware, making a difference to classroom teaching in a way that is accessible and practicable. This is underpinned by novel strategies for extending interactions with media to promote deeper learning. His work on research, curriculum design and eLearning has cemented firm international partnerships including the University of Johannesburg, the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association South Africa, the United States Air Force Academy and the international DLAC (Distance Learning and Collaboration) group. He recently engaged as a Senior Fellow in Educational Development at the University of Windsor, Ontario. He sits on the editorial board of the Innovations in Education and Teaching International Journal. Mark was born in Liverpool and educated in the suburb of Kirkby. He graduated with a BSc in Physiology from the University of Leeds and then worked for 17 years in the school and LEA advisory services in Lancashire and Knowsley. He entered the Faculty of Education at Edge Hill in 1997 and became Dean of Learning and Teaching in 2003.