Dr Laurie Ann Campbell

Academy Tutor

Can you tell me about yourself?

I’m a small town girl – originally from Dumfries and Galloway but have resided in Ayrshire for the past 25 years (I claim dual nationality!)

I studied social sciences for my undergraduate and then went on to complete a masters in social research at Strathclyde University where I began my teaching career. I then moved to Glasgow Caledonian University where I completed my PhD in social research. My PhD contested the aspiration deficit model which was the main driver of widening participation policies at the time. It offered a more informed position around the link between what young people value and how HE institutions can effectively support the expansion of their capabilities.

I would say my main areas of expertise lies in teaching and research.  In the area of teaching,  design and delivery of modules at both undergraduate/postgraduate level, assessment and feedback and pastoral support. I’ve also delivered professional learning in the HE sector before crossing over to the public sector where I delivered training for the Regional Improvement Collaborative to support the upskilling of staff.

On the research side, good project management skills are a must, from initial design to data collection, analysis and dissemination.

Why did you become a lecturer?

The quick answer to this would be because I love stress!  All jokes aside, it is a valuable role that allows you to nurture and support others. Watching someone go through a learning process is truly transformative and not just for the student, it’s a commitment to lifelong learning as you are constantly monitoring change and developing new materials that are relevant to the current landscape.

What attracted you to the lecturer post with the Scotland Excel Academy?

Following on from the last point, the Scotland Excel Academy has excellent values and demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning. For me, this is again a transformative opportunity where I hope to share my expertise around learning, teaching, assessment and feedback to support the Academy with their future aspirations while further developing my skills.

What are your top tips for anyone thinking about developing their career through professional learning?

I’ll offer three:

  1. (In a time where change is at the forefront of all our lives, it’s really important for anyone looking to develop their career to consider the bigger picture and use professional learning to develop longer term goals. The pace of changes in technology, the labour market and society in general, have all recently have highlighted the importance of upskilling.
  2. Do your research – look for a provider who offers accredited programs that will add value to your current portfolio and progress your goals.
  3. Think about your learning style – how much time can you commit to studying. Think realistically about whether you can commit to full time, part time or work based learning.

The Academy delivers programmes through applied work-based-learning methodology, workshops and masterclasses. What are the advantages of this type of learning?

Again I’ll offer three:

  1. It’s the cognitive process. Being able to learn and apply what you have learned immediately to improve your practice means that approaches or tools adopted are more likely to be embedded in your memory quicker and your organisation will see quick gains.
  2. It’s collaborative, you get the opportunity to learn from, and share your practice with your peers.  In addition to gaining new knowledge, you also get the opportunity to enhance or develop soft skills, like communication, problem solving and critical/reflective thinking.
  3. It is supportive of work/life balance – you are learning while your work so it offers better protection of your personal time.

Complete our contact form to find out more about Scotland Excel Academy programmes or call us on 0141 488 8230