Richard’s teaching philosophy is rooted in widening access to higher education. He transforms academic operations to become more inclusive for traditionally under-performing students, who need to feel confident about solving complex real-world problems, so that they can fulfil their potential. As Head of Department, Richard uses his formative experiences as a teaching academic to collectively build an inclusive learning environment. Richard’s impact both as an academic, and as a leader of academics, can be attributed to three key areas: curriculum innovation, changing the learning environment and inclusive technology.
Richard has developed inclusive learning activities that empower students to become agents of their own change. This work has successfully impacted upon the ethnic minority student differential attainment gap at national and international institutions. He also recognises the needs of a diverse student population that has to balance their education with other aspects of their lives. Flexible learning spaces that support the needs of ‘commuter students’ and those without personal study space have had a significant positive impact upon students who had traditionally been disadvantaged.
Richard has used technological innovations to actively reach-out to socially disadvantaged learners, and also to monitor, report and intervene to improve their performance and overall learning experience. Automating trends in application data has supported institutions to pro-actively make contact with applicants who can benefit from the university experience. Additionally, this organisational capability has enabled a more tailored allocation of support services to those students who need them most.
Richard is a prolific academic developer and has delivered workshops on inclusive teaching methods, academic writing, working with students as co-producers, academic performance management, reflective practice and technology-enhanced learning and teaching. Inclusive teaching requires inclusive leadership and management. The international recognition of Richard’s advocacy of values-based approaches to academic management, through the use of coaching techniques, is testament to the transferability of his methods across various academic functions. Known as ‘ADVANCE’, Richard’s framework for transformation is based on a holistic view of academic contributions to teaching and scholarship, empowering staff to act and promote an inclusive learning experience to enhance student outcomes.