Our People
Karen Clark
Learning Development Advisor for Undergraduate (incl. Extended BA), Postgraduate & Distance Learning
<p dir="ltr">After many years of working in the financial sector, Karen’s career focus changed. Following eight years of part-time study she completed her Open University English Language and Literature degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), before progressing to a Masters degree in Education. She has achieved Certified Practitioner professional accreditation from the Association of Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) and has submitted her Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) application.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Passionate about helping students to become confident and autonomous learners she found her dream job working at Arts University Plymouth as a Learning Development Advisor. This partly involves breaking down previous educational barriers to learning and working in partnership with students to find individualised strategies that align with their specific requirements.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen is co-chair of the ALDinHE Neurodiversity and Inclusivity Community of Practice. Its 40-plus regular members meet bimonthly and are in the process of collating and producing good practice and institutional training material, Open Educational Resources (OERs), which will be of benefit to the wider educational community. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen provides academic support to students throughout the university via 1:1 and small group sessions. She delivers a variety of workshops to cohorts of students (including specific requests from academic staff) and also spends a proportion of her time embedded within the Extended BA, Distance Learning, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate programmes. She regularly co-delivers short courses on The Art of Writing, The Art of Research, </p>
<p dir="ltr">and The Art of Presenting.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen also has a keen interest in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); since completing a grammar course she delivers three six-week courses per academic year to assist students with their written communication. In collaboration with the Library, a Conversation Cub has also been established.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She is a member of the university’s Making Learning Research Group and Neurodiversity Action Group and has facilitated the Neurodivergent Staff Network and Dyslexic Students’ Community of Practice. She designed and co-authored the AUP Neurodiversity Guide in 2023 which received the Student Union Above and Beyond Award.</p>
<p>As part of her role, Karen provides academic support to students throughout the university via 1:1 and small group sessions. She delivers a variety of workshops to cohorts of students (including specific requests from academic staff) and also spends a proportion of her time embedded within the Extended BA, Distance Learning, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate programmes. She regularly co-delivers short courses on The Art of Writing, The Art of Research, and The Art of Presenting.<br /></p>
<ul><li>ALDinHE Certified Practitioner</li><li>HEA Online Professional Development Course for External Examiners</li><li>SFHEA</li></ul>
<p dir="ltr">ALDinHE Certified Practitioner<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen’s research interests span the topics of collaborative writing, third space professionals, neurodiversity and inclusivity and communities of practice.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Through autoethnographic and action research, she aims to change perceptions and foster equity; two key concepts underpinning her research publications. This, in part, is achieved via the exploration of lived experiences. Her work involves collaborating with colleagues at higher education universities and other industry professionals throughout the UK. </p>
<p><strong>PUBLICATIONS</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Book Chapters</strong></p>
<ul><li>Dettmer, J. and Welton, K. (2024) ‘Diversity in Our Expertise: Empowering Neurodivergent Students within Learning Development’, in Syska, A., & Buckley, C. (eds.) How to Be a Learning Developer in Higher Education Critical Perspectives, Community and Practice. Abingdon: Routledge, pp.62-70. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003433347" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li><li>Welton, K., et.al (2023) ‘Working Together: Reflections on a Non-hierarchical Approach to Collaborative Writing’, in Abegglen, S., Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (eds.) Collaboration in Higher Education. London: Bloomsbury Academic, pp.216-220. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350334083" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li></ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Journal Articles</strong></p>
<ul><li>Dettmer, J. and Welton, K. (2023) ‘Increasing neurodiversity awareness through a community of practice’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 29 (October). Available <a href="https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi29.1126" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</li><li>Welton, K. (2023) “Dyslexia in higher education: enhancing student belonging and overcoming barriers to achievement through communities of practice”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (26). <a href="https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi26.933" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a><br /></li><li>Johnson, I., et.al (2022) “Collaborative writing communities for Learning Development research and practice”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (25). <a href="https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi25.986" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li><li>Bickle, E., Bishopp-Martin, S., Canton, U., Chin, P., Johnson, I., Kantcheva, R., Nodder, J., Rafferty, V., Sum, K., & Welton, K. (2021). Emerging from the third space chrysalis: Experiences in a non-hierarchical, collaborative research community of practice. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 18(7), 135-158. <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol18/iss7/09/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li></ul>
<p><strong>Resource Banks</strong></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://aldinhe.ac.uk/resource-bank/neurodivergence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurodivergence Resource Bank</a>, (2023), ALDinHE.</li></ul>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Blog Posts</strong></p>
<ul><li>Dettmer, J and Welton, K. (2022) Enabling an equitable HE learning experience. Available <a href="https://lmutake5.wordpress.com/tag/take5-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</li></ul>
<p><strong>CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS</strong></p>
<p>Karen has presented at the TALON Take5 Symposium: Collaboration in Higher Education; the Liverpool Learning Summit 2022: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and the annual ALDinHE Conference in 2022, 2023 and 2024.</p>
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