Susan Canning

Interim Director of the Centre for Educational Development and Support, Education Directorate, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Tell me a little about your position and what you do on a day-to-day basis

My position is currently the interim director of CEDS (Centre for Educational Development and Support). I support academic colleagues with the use of technology within their teaching practice. This support has lately been focused on supporting Health modules to transpose a practical clinical assessment into an online version. I discuss with colleagues’ ways in which CEDS can create bespoke, high-quality, educational resources for subject specialisms within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. I am interested in the use of simulation within Higher Education and I am currently exploring the innovative use of simulation across the different subject areas with University of Liverpool.

What is the best thing about working at the University of Liverpool?

The best thing about working at the University of Liverpool is the infinite possibilities to broaden your skills and experiences.  There is a supportive community of people to support and guide me in the first few months of being in my role, which range from people in my own department and from across the university.

Describe UoL in three words

Cutting-Edge; Innovative; Community

Tell me a bit more about the people you work with across the institution

I could not do my job, were it not for the team of very skilled, creative and experienced developers that develop the technology resources for the academics. They translate academic requirements into a video, animation or e-learning resource which is often superior to what the academic requested. I liase with academic and professional services staff in many institutes within Health and Life Sciences and across the other facilities and every single person I have met has been very welcoming.

Which part of your role do you enjoy the most?

The part of my role that I most enjoy, is the interaction with academics who are also Clinical Practitioners. Therefore, they do not have a lot of experience with the academic underpinning of designing and implementing a higher education course. I am motivated within my role as I can provide the experience of being an experienced academic, alongside having the technical knowledge of educational software and applications to be able to blend those two key areas together to provide a better experience for both the students and the academic within their teaching practice. When I have seen a project move from being a concept into reality, I take a lot of pleasure from seeing the academic come to grips with how that technology can assist in the classroom but also the positive feedback from students when it has helped them to understand a course subject area. I'm especially interested in improving my knowledge of the use of simulations within higher education as I will be exploring the use of simulations across multiple subject areas to look at how they are used as part of my PhD thesis, that I am undertaking part time alongside my role.

How did your education or past experiences prepare you for this job?

I was previously an academic with 15yrs experience teaching Computing with a subject specialism of Digital Forensics and Cyber security.  I have developed and taught on several modules over my academic career, ranging from study skills in first year through to dissertation supervision at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I was the programme leader for the Computing pathway which gave me experience in curriculum design, assessment and feedback as well as having a student experience and widening participation focus. I have been a teaching and learning mentor for all new staff and graduate teaching assistants, I have been the outreach coordinator, continuing CPD coordinator as well as being personal tutor and dissertation supervisor. I have been a member of several University committees which has given me an insight into the management and key priorities of a University.  I am an advocate of Women in STEM and I undertake volunteer work to promote HE and STEM to underrepresented schools across the northwest area.