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Professor Rhona Sharpe was appointed Director of the University of Oxford Centre for Teaching and Learning in December 2019 (Oxford University, n.d., para 1). To date, her contributions to the field of learning and technology are considerable. I chose to learn more about her work because I am struck by the broad range of stakeholders her contributions have and will continue to impact. With over 20 years of experience teaching in distance education, she has influenced and built the capacity of countless distance learners and developed a profound knowledge of technology-enhanced pedagogy.
Her prolific academic research and writing have added critical scholarship to areas such as pedagogy in higher education and educational technology (ResearchGate, n.d., para 1). Collaborating with peers, she has edited valuable books such as her most recent Handbook of Digital Higher Education and Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age. Turning theory into practical application, she also published a useful book for teachers, 53 Interesting Ways to Approach Online Learning.
In addition, through various professional roles and projects, such as SLiDA, she is an agent of change, building professional capacities and institutional cultures that leverage digital technologies to prepare learners for the digital age (Benfield & Sharpe, 2011). Over 10 years ago, she also co-founded ELESIG, “a community of researchers and practitioners involved in investigations of learners’ experiences and uses of technology in learning across all education sectors” (Association for Learning Technology, n.d., para 1 ). Her many initiatives, along with her measured and evidence-based approach continues to keep the learner experience at the centre of the discussion in EdTech.
In this recent YouTube Webinar: ChatGPT and the student digital learning experience, Dr. Sharpe continues to lead and contribute to discussions around the latest technological evolutions impacting education. With an eye on the future of technology in education and the best interest of learners at heart, she reaches back to the past to keep a measured perspective on the impact of technology in education.
References:
Association for Learning Technology. (n.d.). Special Interest and Member Groups: ELESIG. https://www.alt.ac.uk/groups/special-interest-groups/elesig
Benfield, G., & Sharpe, R. (2011). Supporting learners in a digital age (SLiDA): synthesis report. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rhona-Sharpe/publication/295400821_Supporting_learners_in_a_digital_age_synthesis_report_Final_report_of_the_JISC_SLiDA_project/links/56c9d33308ae5488f0d913a7/Supporting-learners-in-a-digital-age-synthesis-report-Final-report-of-the-JISC-SLiDA-project.pdf
Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R. (Eds.). (2019). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Principles and practices of design. Routledge.
Bennett, S., Sharpe, R., & Varga-Atkins, T. (Eds.). (2022). Handbook of Digital Higher Education. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Howe, R., Sharpe, R. (2023, February 23). ELESIG Webinar: ChatGPT and the student digital learning experience [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wka-xplsP1M&list=PLxoWy14N6f8vo-Zwbx5Wuf3ZO30TFT2BP&index=2
ResearchGate. (n.d.). Rhona J Sharpe. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rhona-Sharpe
Sharpe, R. (2016). 53 Interesting ways to support online learning (Ser. Professional and higher education, v. 7). Frontinus. Retrieved September 21, 2023, from https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=4714183.
University of Oxford. (n.d.). Center for Teaching and Learning. https://www.ctl.ox.ac.uk/ourteam/rhona-sharpe