Our People
Karen Clark
Learning Development Advisor
<table><tbody><tr><td rowspan="5"><p dir="ltr">After many years of working in the financial sector, Karen’s career focus changed. Following eight years of part-time study she completed her Open University English Language and Literature degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), before progressing to a Masters degree in Education. She has achieved Certified Practitioner professional accreditation from the Association of Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) and gained her Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) in 2024.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Passionate about helping students to become confident and autonomous learners she found her dream job working at Arts University Plymouth as a Learning Development Advisor. This partly involves breaking down previous educational barriers to learning and working in partnership with students to find individualised strategies that align with their specific requirements.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen is a co-facilitator of the ALDinHE Neurodiversity and Inclusivity Community of Practice. Its 40-plus regular members meet bimonthly and are in the process of collating and producing good practice and institutional training material to create Open Educational Resources (OERs) which will be of benefit to the wider educational community. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen provides academic support to students throughout the university via 1:1 and small group sessions. She delivers a variety of workshops to cohorts of students (including specific requests from academic staff) and also spends a proportion of her time embedded within the Extended BA, Distance Learning, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate programmes. She regularly co-delivers short courses on The Art of Writing, The Art of Research, and The Art of Presenting.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Karen also has a keen interest in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); since completing a grammar course she delivers three six-week courses per academic year to assist students with their written communication. In collaboration with the Library, a Conversation Cub has also been established.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She is a member of the university’s Making Learning Research Group and Neurodiversity Action Group and has facilitated the Neurodivergent Staff Network and Dyslexic Students’ Community of Practice.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<ul><li>ALDinHE Certified Practitioner</li><li>HEA Online Professional Development Course for External Examiners</li><li>SFHEA</li></ul>
<p dir="ltr">ALDinHE Certified Practitioner</p>
<p dir="ltr">HEA Online Professional Development Course for External Examiners<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Collaborative writing, Third space professionals, Neurodiversity and Inclusivity, Communities of Practice.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><br /></p>
<p><strong>PUBLICATIONS</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Book Chapters</p>
<ul><li>Dettmer, J. and Welton, K. (2024) ‘Diversity in Our Expertise: Empowering Neurodivergent Students within Learning Development’, in Syska, A., & Buckley, C. (eds.) How to Be a Learning Developer in Higher Education Critical Perspectives, Community and Practice. Abingdon: Routledge, pp.62-70. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003433347" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li><li>Welton, K., et.al (2023) ‘Working Together: Reflections on a Non-hierarchical Approach to Collaborative Writing’, in Abegglen, S., Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (eds.) Collaboration in Higher Education. London: Bloomsbury Academic, pp.216-220. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350334083" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li></ul>
<p dir="ltr">Journal Articles</p>
<ul><li>Dettmer, J. and Welton, K. (2023) ‘Increasing neurodiversity awareness through a community of practice’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 29 (October). Available <a href="https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi29.1126" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</li><li>Welton, K. (2023) “Dyslexia in higher education: enhancing student belonging and overcoming barriers to achievement through communities of practice”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (26). <a href="https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi26.933" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a><br /></li><li>Johnson, I., et.al (2022) “Collaborative writing communities for Learning Development research and practice”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (25). <a href="https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi25.986" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li><li>Bickle, E., Bishopp-Martin, S., Canton, U., Chin, P., Johnson, I., Kantcheva, R., Nodder, J., Rafferty, V., Sum, K., & Welton, K. (2021). Emerging from the third space chrysalis: Experiences in a non-hierarchical, collaborative research community of practice. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 18(7), 135-158. <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol18/iss7/09/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to read</a></li></ul>
<p>Resource Banks</p>
<ul><li><a href="https://aldinhe.ac.uk/resource-bank/neurodivergence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurodivergence Resource Bank</a>, (2023), ALDinHE.</li></ul>
<p dir="ltr">Blog Posts</p>
<ul><li>Dettmer, J and Welton, K. (2022) Enabling an equitable HE learning experience. Available <a href="https://lmutake5.wordpress.com/tag/take5-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</li></ul>
<p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS</strong></p>
<p>Karen has presented at the TALON Take5 Symposium: Collaboration in Higher Education; the Liverpool Learning Summit 2022: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and the annual ALDinHE Conference in 2022, 2023 and 2024.</p>
Similar Profiles
Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive, Professor of Fine Art
Professor Stephen Felmingham
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor of Artistic Research
Dr Robin Kirby
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Jacqueline Moore
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Director of External Relations
Richard Watson
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Chief Operating Officer
Associate Professor Stephanie Owens
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Dean of Arts, Design and Media
Mel Brown
Research
Assistant Dean
Tim Gundry
Governor
Assistant Dean (Student Experience), Staff Governor and Member of the Employment Committee