Professor Isabel Lucas

Dean of the Faculty of Education

I have been teaching in various ways for nearly 30 years, starting with teaching Principles of Flight to cadets, then teaching English to international learners at home and abroad and later teacher-training in ELT (English Language Teaching). Following a number of years working in academies, schools, universities and businesses in Spain, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand, I returned to the UK to work in Higher Education. Starting as an hourly-paid Lecturer in HE I worked my way up to a Dean (HE) and a Director (FE) gathering a broad range of experience at various levels in academic roles and within professional services. This experience spans undergraduate, postgraduate, commercial courses, apprenticeships, UK collaborative provision, international (Asia, Middle East, Europe), quality, business development, student experience and staff development. I draw on this bank of experience daily to support and work effectively with colleagues to develop themselves, their practice and in turn, the futures of their students.

I have always been committed to teaching as a way of empowering individuals and supporting them to make positive contributions to their families and in the communities in which they live and work. Please feel free to get in touch if you have similar interests!

My current research interests are within Academic Practice (the 'craft' of teaching and modified teacher discourse), and approaches to Curriculum Development. I am also interested in the development of 'expertise' from a novice base.

 

Further relevant expertise, professional memberships, awards

Vice-Chair / Executive Member of the Heads of Educational Development Group (HEDG)

QAA Reviwer (international)

Ofsted Inspector

Board Member (Academic Quality) of Northern Consortium UK (NCUK)

Independent Assessor for the Academic Professional Level 7 Apprenticeship with Advance HE

CATE reviewer, Advance HE

Selected publications

  • Lucas, I., Clay, J., & Witton, R. (2021) Supporting Student Transitions into HE from a COVID Context, national online resource disseminated via Jisc and Advance HE

    Lucas, I. & Chapman, A. (2021) forthcoming: Storyboarding and Suggestopedia for Curriculum Re-design, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, special edition

    White, A., Lucas, I. & Chapman, A. (2021) forthcoming: Digital Capabilities, from Niche to Normal, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, special edition

    Keynote Speaker: Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age, NCUK inaugural Global Conference; September 2021

    Conference: From Digital Resistance to Enhanced Capability: Negotiating a pathway of change; SEDA Summer Conference ‘Brighter Future – Opportunities for Educational Change’ (2021)

    Conference: Convenor and Session Lead, HEDG Members’ Conference: Planning the Future of Teaching and Learning (March 2021)

    Conference: Session Lead, HEDG Members’ Conference: Working Collaboratively as Educational Developer’s – stakeholder analysis session (June 2021)