Karen Fraser

Senior Educational Developer

• Email: k.fraser@qub.ac.uk
• Tel: 028 9097 5865

Background

Karen has 19 years' experience in pedagogic research and academic development. She started academic life as a Teaching Fellow in the School of Computing & Mathematics at the University of Ulster before moving in 2011 to the Higher Education Academy (HEA) as an Academic Consultant, STEM Lead, responsible for Strategic Projects.  She is currently a Senior Educational Developer at Queen's & the institutional lead for professional development and recognition for academic staff. Karen strives to raise the teaching profession's profile by supporting and mentoring colleagues to develop their teaching practice and enhance student learning. 

She has a research background in student engagement, student retention, assessment, and feedback.  She has extensive experience designing, developing, and delivering academic enhancement projects & workshops in assessment & feedback, students as partners, technology-enhanced learning and getting started in pedagogic research.  She also manages research projects and has a particular interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

External Recognition

Karen is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), a member of the Office for Students National Project Board for Academic Standards (External Examiners), a member of the Governing Body at South Eastern Regional Colleges and Vice-Chair of the audit committee, a professional member of the British Computer Society, a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association, a professional member of SIGCSE (Special Group Computer Science Education), a member of the JISC Learning and Teaching Practice Experts Group (Curriculum Design) and a past Member of Computing Science Graduate Employment Steering Group (HEFCE & BIS).

She is a nationally accredited external examiner trainer and an External Examiner at Swansea University and The University of Hong Kong. 

Education

She started her undergraduate degree in Interactive Multimedia Design in 2000, followed by a Master of Science by Research in Higher Education Practice, completing in 2007 and is currently studying for a part-time, PhD in Global Education, Coventry University.