Elizabeth (Liz) Bennett is Professor of Technology Enhanced Learning and Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield. She has pioneered technology enhanced learning techniques and led the MSc Technology Enhanced learning for 12 years. Her students, who are often teachers in colleges, schools and universities, have gone on to bring about change in their institutions.
Several have won national awards and several have published in peer reviewed journals from the work they developed while taking the MSc Technology Enhanced Learning. As Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education and Professional Development she has led a programme to reimagine how the VLE can more effectively support students. This has led to improvements in student satisfaction and engagement with the VLE and significantly improved accessibility.
Liz has been awarded a University of Huddersfield ‘Star of Covid’ award for the support and vision she showed colleagues to ensure that the trauma of lockdowns was well managed, and that students continued to have an excellent experience despite the challenges we were all experiencing.
Her award-winning work on students’ responses to learner dashboards focused on how designs could support students to be more active and engaged in their learning when they are provided with data about their progress. Her research indicates that these data dashboards are welcomed by most students, even those who are lower down the cohort, because they find this information motivating. It has influenced practices at other institutions and within the field.