Alan is renowned for his transformational research-informed practice in fieldwork through the creation of affective learning spaces and applied student-led pedagogy. Trained as a teacher, he focuses on situating students at the centre of learning that is regarded as being innovative across the sector. Alan actively experiments with a range of learning and teaching strategies including problem-based and experiential learning as well as practical applications of co-production. He promotes the idea that learning is a process that is best achieved as a constructive dialogue empowering students to interact with staff and peers to create knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Teaching Events and Tourism Management, Alan places students at the centre of their learning, encouraging them to take responsibility for their development through experiential and authentic practices.
Alan works with local businesses and communities to deliver a connected learning experience for his students. He is also renowned for his innovative field-based teaching methods, through immersive in-situ experiences where students are challenged to peer teach and demonstrate scholarship. Alan has disseminated his ideas at numerous national and international conferences and in academic journals. He is an editorial board member of the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education and the Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Alan is a former Director and Trustee of the Geographical Association and former Vice Chair of the Post-16 and Higher Education Committee.
He is a Senior Fellow (SFHEA) and Fellow and Chartered Geographer of the Royal Geographical Society and an active member of the Geography and Education Research Group. Consequently, Alan has received numerous awards, including a University Teaching Fellowship for innovation, a national Wow! Award for outstanding student support and a Distinguished Service Award from the Geographical Association, in recognition of sustained advances in geographical education.