Joanne Maddern
Dr. Joanne Maddern pursued a degree in geography and an ESRC funded PhD examining the construction of knowledge and popular pedagogies at Ellis Island Immigration Museum, New York from 2001 – 2004 and has given and published various papers on this topic at geography conferences and in journals. During 2001 she was a visiting fellow at the Graduate Centre of City University, New York. After this, she spent several years as a lecturer in Geography and American Studies at Dundee University, Scotland, before returning to Aberystwyth, Wales and entering the realms of educational development to take up her current role as Learning and Teaching Development Coordinator across the entire University. In 2010 she undertook a leadership development course and social action research project in, Pune, India and delivered a paper to the academic development centre at the University of Pune, India on ‘Welsh perspectives on Educational Development’. She found this trip life changing on many levels. She holds a postgraduate certificate in personal and business coaching and uses coaching with academic staff to enhance teaching. She is also a mentor on the WUMS programme (Welsh Universities Mentoring Scheme for Women) and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Joanne relishes traveling to new places and delivered a 2 day workshop to the Centre for Teaching and Learning Development, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on ‘Assessment for Learning’, in 2011. She also ran a 5 day summer school on ‘Teaching and Learning in Higher Education’ for delegates from the Centre for Teaching and Learning Development, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. In 2010 she was awarded a SEDA grant for evaluating the impact of the collaborative PGCTHE across Wales. In 2011 she was awarded an AU Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fund for Creating an Online Digital Archive of Teaching Innovation (with Dr. Nicky Chapman and Graham Lewis, AU). She is the Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in HE (PGCTHE) at Aberystwyth, and recently undertook a radical restructuring of the whole programme based on consultation across University faculties. She is interested in internationalisation and keen to explore and create cross-Atlantic networks as well as examine the differences and similarities between Welsh and Canadian teaching enhancement programmes and practices. She has a young toddler and 3 dogs who all enjoy getting out and exploring the Welsh landscape of beaches and mountains with her (when weather conditions permit). Her partner is a school teacher, a member of Borth Lifeboat and a keen kite-surfer, and will be accompanying her on the trip.