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I am currently a DLD within TEL and have experience working on both the production and pilot versions of ELE. This has allowed me to explore guiding academics on how to improve the student experience while also working on optimizing workload for staff. While studying for my Computer Science with TESOL bachelor's degree, I took the opportunity to explore how IT and pedagogy can be used together. I worked in partnership with academics to design, develop, and showcase a fully integrated system to streamline student peer review in group work. This project received positive feedback from stakeholders and has moved into further development as part of my new role. 

As part of a stage 2 module, I steered my group in building a web forum that integrated a clicker game functionality. We made use of open-source technologies and coded our own features as needed. We also gamified interactions with the forum to increase user retention over the long term. I also built a website from scratch as the school report and project demonstration for my first internship in a web development firm. 

I have extensive experience in multimedia and have been putting it into practice by supporting the Digital Maker Space at Exeter. I used that experience to advise on the use and purpose of the video production equipment already present in the DMS and recommend new purchases to complement the limitations of the current kit. My personal projects include archiving DV family tapes, processing and digitizing for film photography, editing down Hollywood films, optimizing and re-encoding media for my personal media centre server, repairing vintage lenses and cameras, and working as an event photographer. I also have experience in older media such as vinyls, magnetic tapes, and microfilms, and have a keen interest in media storage, file formats, optimizations, resolutions, and codecs and their impact on storage, delivery, and playback. 

I am also experienced in graphic design and have a keen eye for detail and consistency. I have regularly offered remastered logos to organizations or projects. I am familiar with vector drawing and photo processing workflows and have experience in video editing, both linear and non-linear. I prefer open-source software and technologies when dealing with multimedia projects but can adapt quickly to proprietary media editing suites like Adobe Creative Cloud. 

I have a keen interest in copyright matters and have fostered this interest through experiences such as being a member and president of my high school's debate society. I helped organize, assemble, and participate in teams that achieved high national rankings. 

As a volunteer translator and support advisor for a chat-based game with more than 1.5 million players, I moved up to head both the translation team (covering more than 20 languages, with multiple variants each) and the support team (sometimes handling high hundreds of messages a day). I also helped with server management, post-mortems, and acted as a public relations officer. This experience taught me the importance of time management, effective communication, and teamwork. My timetable flexibility and eagerness to learn during this period also helped shape my approach to challenges. I improved existing skills by offering them as solutions and discovered new ones by looking for answers to challenges. 

Juggling my final year of study with my internships and captaincy of the university’s archery club has taught me valuable time-management and multitasking skills, and I have developed a strong work ethic as a result. I am eager to keep developping these skills in a professional setting and continue to learn and grow in my field. 

In my role as a Digital Learning Developer, I have been advancing my group work peer review software. After a successful trial in Term 1 with an academic, I am now expanding the pilot to several more modules this term. By working closely with academics throughout the development process, I have been able to design a system that meets their needs and supports their pedagogical goals, while also ensuring security, reliability and resiliency practices that I have gained through my coursework and experiences. As a recent graduate, I have also been able to understand the student perspective.

I am also supporting academics with the Pilot ELE project by providing feedback and assistance, such as converting issue tracking from a spreadsheet to Trello, designing a custom banner for pilot modules, and providing technical feedback where relevant. Being part of the project has also allowed me to see that the Pilot ELE has the potential to implement features like the software I am trialling. I hope to showcase my implementation and findings to recommend a similar feature be built into ELE, further improving the student and academic experience.

In addition, I enjoy helping around the office and TQAE department by providing IT support and assistance to colleagues, suggesting ways to optimize their workflow, cleaning the office to make it a more pleasant work environment, disposing of equipment and generally offering to help wherever I can.

I am also very interested in exploring new technologies such as handheld 3D scanners, industrial 360 cameras, and designing tests to identify their limits and potential uses in teaching. I have also been exploring new technologies like OpenAI’s chatGPT. By learning about the benefits and limitations of such technology, I am able to identify aspects of teaching that may benefit from it. For example, I have been using and documenting my experience with ChatGPT as a reviewer for this very application.

In summary, my background in Computer Science with TESOL, experience as a Digital Learning Developer, and interest in new technologies, make me a suitable candidate for the position. I have a history of designing and developing systems that match the needs of academics. I also have experience providing feedback and assistance to projects and colleagues. I am eager to continue making meaningful contributions to the organization and take on new opportunities to learn and grow in my field.