Role
Fiona's responsibilities include teaching and providing supervision on programmes at both undergraduate and postegraduate levels, utilising appropriate teaching, learning and support methods. This includes undertaking marking, assessment and examination work, and providing timely feedback to students.
Fiona is responsible for the design, delivery and assessment of the programmes, and is lead on two modules. She contributes to the accreditation and ongoing review and development of programmes within her subject area as necessary.
Fiona ensures that knowledge of the relevant subject area is fully up to date by actively engaging in continuous professional development and scholarly activity appropriate to her subject area, using the knowledge acquired to further develop both her teaching and external activities.
Fiona has the responsibility to motivate students, support them in learning and - on occasion - personal difficulties, ensuring that appropriate internal or external specialist support for the latter is sought.
Modules that Fiona delivers include:
Rsch Methods in Early Years
Research Dissertations
Working with Parents and Carers (module lead)
Learning and Motivation in Education
Learning and the Individual
Early Learning in Context
Career overview
Fiona started her career as a coordinator within a family centre supporting families, children and young people, with a key responsibility for safeguarding service users. She has worked in both pre- and primary education, and also in the community, as a family support worker. Following a traditional academic pathway, Fiona completed an undergraduate degree in Dance and Education at De Montfort University, followed by a PGCE at the University of Greenwich and then an MA in Childhood in Society at the University of Warwick in 2010.
As a qualified teacher in Further Education, Fiona’s role is wide and varied. For example, she has been a 2+2 BA coordinator for the Childhood, Education and Society undergraduate degree, a programme which works in partnership with the University of Warwick. She has also lectured for other partnership universities, such as The University of West London, on the FD in Hospital Play Specialist; and at De Montfort University, on the FD in Work with Communities and Young People.
Research areas
Fiona’s experience in research has always been driven by improving or making changes to teaching and learning. She completed across-college (NWHC) empirical research in ICT and pedagogy, which was published in 2010. In addition, she completed research in areas such as assessment for learning, specifically the feedback given to students; the use of study skills tools; and the use of blogs within a teaching and learning capacity.
Fiona’s PhD involves the use of on-line teaching resources as a pedagogical tool, specifically focusing on personality traits online.
External activity
Fiona is setting up an early years dance group club.
Publications
Fiona has completed across-college (NWHC) empirical research in ICT and pedagogy:
It is not the Tool, but Pedagogy that Matters, Investigation of ICT Use in Further Education. Casserley F, 2010, Lulu