CMALT 2026 Update
Welcome to the 2026 update of my CMALT portfolio. This update details the developments in my understanding and practice over the last three years. Below is an overview of my context and a summary of changes.
Summary of Recent Practice
New Places
Following my departure from Durham University International Study centre as outlined in the 2023 portfolio, from 2023 to June 2025, I worked as an English/EAP Tutor at OnCampus Loughborough University. This pre-university centre prepares domestic and international students and athletes to study at Loughborough University. My role included teaching Pre-Foundation (Extended), Foundation, and Pre-Master's English courses to multicultural and multilingual students. I also designed short bespoke courses for English for Life Sciences (biology and chemistry) and English for Physical Sciences (maths, physics and engineering).
Outside OnCampus Loughborough University with colleagues
New Roles
Whilst working at OnCampus Loughborough, in addition to teaching and curriculum development roles, I contributed to CPD training and became a mentor to less experienced staff. I helped colleagues develop their EAP practice, materials design skills, technical skills and behaviour management/classroom management skills. I have found mentoring very rewarding, and it pushed me to reflect even more deeply on my teaching and learning choices. More recently, I returned to Durham University as a Pre-sessional Coordinator, where I was responsible for managing a small team of teachers, contributing to quality assurance processes and helping to maintain the Pre-sessional Undergraduate Curriculum. This role helped me to develop my teamwork and communication skills.
New Technologies
Previously, in most of my work, I had used Blackboard LMS. Over the past few years, I have developed a good working knowledge of Canvas LMS, utilising HTML and CSS to design a simple VLE template that is now used by the English, Pre-master's and Life Sciences departments. I have continued to develop my skills in technologies I am familiar with, such as Genially, and am currently building a CPD course about neurodiversity in the classroom. I am also learning to use new and less familiar tools, including Excel and Generative AI. The development of my technical knowledge and abilities is discussed further in CPD1: Technical Knowledge and Abilities.
Me delivering a Canvas coding workshop
New Academic Fields
In the 2023 portfolio, I mentioned wanting to learn more about psychology and human-computer interaction. I also discussed wanting to learn from workplace learning, and was completing a CIPD qualification to be able to branch out into learning development and instructional design in the future. I successfully completed the CIPD course and have recently gained an MSc in Psychology. My learning from these courses and the impact on my personal learning and pedagogical practice are discussed more in CPD 2: Gamification.
CIPD Certificate
New Courses
Owing to my digital literacy and technical skills, in 2024, I was asked to take over teaching on the Pre-master's Research and Digital Literacy Skills module. I found the module lacked sufficient practical sessions that connected to the research methods modules. Thus, I balanced and streamlined the module to better scaffold the content within a shortened timeframe. I also successfully requested additional technologies alongside wider access permissions. The changes proved successful, with 88% of students progressing through the course. Surprisingly, this course lacked meaningful teaching on AI, an area of great significance in education and wider society, and which I have been learning more about as detailed in CPD3: Artificial Intelligence.
A Canvas page for the Research and Digital Literacy Skills Module