Senior Learning and Teaching Fellows
Helen Jones
My research work has taken me to far-flung places such as Sweden, the USA and even Mongolia but I love being in Manchester and working with the brightest students in the land! I teach Criminology and have a particular focus on Gender and Justice (details of book on Rape Crisis) but I also love all things that enhance communication, so you’ll find me on Facebook, or studying the latest mobile technology and I have taught the Sociology of CyberSpace to students who thought they were ‘Digital Natives’!! Criminology has been called a rendezvous discipline, as it is a place where many other disciplines and perspectives meet. The QAA subject benchmark statement describes criminology as “a contested and often contentious discipline” (Quality Assurance Agency, 2007). Bringing students to competing perspectives and helping them to map the often contradictory understandings of complex issues is a core part of my work.
I’ve been a SLTF since 2005. Initially my role was to develop the use of the VLE (WebCT Vista) and to work on an international project which became known as the International E-communication Exchange. My current role within HLSS involves employability and a host of other things. Within the Sociology Department I support all aspects of e-learning, particularly in developing a blended learning approach across the curriculum. I am a member of C-SAP, as it is the HEA subject centre most closely aligned to criminology, but more broadly I raise awareness of HEA subject centres with colleagues in a number of ways. I am the C-SAP representative for the university and this gives me the opportunity to work strategically on developing teaching practice and supporting members of staff in their teaching on an individual basis, through the HEA accreditation process and in the PGC-AP programme within the university.
I am on the editorial board of the journal Enhancing Learning and Teaching in the Social Sciences and I’m a member of the British Society of Criminology and the American Society of Criminology.
If you like the sound of what I’m up to and want to know more either check out my website or feel free to get in touch.