Russell Smeaton

Russell has had a long relationship with Teesside University. He originally graduated in 1994, attained his Masters in 2011 and finally completed his PgC LTHE in 2016. At the same time as obtaining his PgCE he was also awarded Teaching Fellowship status.

After graduating in 1994, Russell worked in a variety of IT related jobs. He left England in 1998 to teach overseas, undertaking traditional classroom teaching, staff/curriculum development and the setting up of sustainable distance learning programmes in developing countries. Altogether, he has spent about ten years working in widely diverse countries such as Maldives, Guyana and China.

In 2008, Russell returned to his roots and came back to Teesside University where he is currently working in the Student Learning & Academic Registry as part of the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Team. With an outside interest in writing (Russell is a published author of several short stories), he is a regular contributor to the team’s online blogging platform.

Russell brings to the team a strong educational background backed by extensive international experience. This multi-cultural exposure provides insights into varied teaching techniques, different educational cultures and a wide range of technical solutions.

As part of the Digital Transformation team, Russell works across the University assisting academics with various pedagogic approaches, such as hybrid learning and future facing learning. He supports staff as they look to use technology via the University’s various platforms (Blackboard, ReView, WordPress, Mahara) to provide students with a rich and immersive experience.