Professor Sue Thompson

National Teaching Fellow 2008 I am Professor of Academic Development in Higher Education and Director of Teaching and Learning Development at Liverpool John Moores University, the latest step in a 20 year career in higher education where I have worked as a teacher, teacher trainer, staff and educational developer and senior manager. Developing and implementing strategy: As Director of Teaching and Learning Development I have a university-wide remit to promote and support excellence in teaching and learning. This has involved leading the development of learning and teaching strategy that received early national recognition for its innovative approaches. I work with my team, the Learning Development Unit (LDU), to provide support for all aspects of learning, teaching and assessment. For more details, see the University's Learning and Teaching website http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/lid/ltweb. Employability: As Co-Director of the University's Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) I lead the CETLs co-ordination, research and evaluation work. The CETL spans two faculties, Science and Education, is sport-related and has a focus on employability http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/cetl. Teaching for Real World Complexity: A primary research focus is our National Teaching Fellow Project 'Developing Learning and Assessment Opportunities for a Complex World' where I am working with fellow NTFs Professors Tim Cable and Philip Vickerman to investigate aspects of dissonance and congruence in perceptions, understandings and expectations of staff, students and employers in relation to preparing students for employability in the 21st Century. As an outcome, we hope to establish how 'gaps' can be narrowed to produce authentic assessment strategies, new learning opportunities and more closely aligned learning and assessment models http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/ntf. Support for Professional Development: I have a long standing interest in supporting the professional development of colleagues. I led the development of one of the first Postgraduate Certificates in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in 1995 and LJMU's work on Professional Standards developments has been disseminated nationally http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/lid/ltweb/84007.htm. My most recent work is focusing on new research and development work, with senior managers, human resource personnel and our Centre for Excellence, to further develop our Continuing Professional Development framework and models that reward and recognise excellence.