Stephanie Foley

Please tell us a bit about yourself, where you are from, your background etc?

I currently live in Cornwall and work as a university lecturer but I’m about to relocate and start a new role as an Academic Employability Consultant. My background is in career guidance and employability.

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

The University of Leeds has a strong reputation in regard to Digital Education and I was very keen to be a part of this community. Also, as I work within higher education, I wanted to develop my knowledge of the theories underpinning digital education and gain technical skills in relation to digital technologies that I could implement within my own practice. Practically speaking, I searched for a programme that would allow me to gain an MA whilst continuing to work full time.

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study?

I am passionate about providing opportunities for all students to reach their full potential and develop confidence through experiential learning. I am very interested in how digital technology can play a part in this.

What do you think of your course so far – what aspects of the course have you enjoyed the most or are looking forward to the most?

So far I have completed year one of the programme and undertaken the modules ‘Education in a Digital Society’ and ‘Digital Education in Practice’. I have really enjoyed challenging my perceptions of digital technology in relation to society and education, and have learned a lot about topics I hadn’t previously considered, such as data analytics and learning spaces.

As the course is distance learning we have students from around the world undertaking the programme, which enriches the learning experience for everybody involved as well as providing each of us with a far-reaching network.

What would you say about the online learning facilities at the University of Leeds? 

I have found learning online to be an enjoyable experience, as well as very insightful and useful, with the opportunity to experiment with various teaching and learning technologies. Access to support, be it academic skills or programme-specific, has been easy and efficient to source and the University of Leeds provides many useful online resources.

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course?

Join the programme webinar – I found this so insightful and it provided the opportunity to ask questions.

What do you plan to do once you’ve finished your course? What are you career aspirations?

As well as continuing in my new job role, I would very much like to undertake a part time PhD to further research in the area of digital education.