Research
Viv Palmer |
Vivienne Palmer began teaching in Higher Education in January 1998, focussing primarily on teacher education and the appropriate use of ICT to enhance learning and teaching. She initially worked in Southampton and moved to the Bognor Regis campus in September 2001, developing and co-ordinating a special IT route as part of a four year teaching degree programme. This involved the development of 12 IT subject study modules. The recognition from local industry that there was growing need for IT graduates in the workplace prompted an exciting development for a new BA (Hons) IT Management and Organisations Degree. This has been developed within a Business and Management programme at Chichester and was validated in July 2001. This year we have just opened a new IT Centre with modern equipment and facilities. This is a fantastic resource for all our students and provides us with a corporate base. Vivienne has been developing the focus upon learning and teaching throughout this degree route which has a strong emphasis upon developing student’s study skills to meet the requirements of each year of study in Higher Education. She is particularly interested in the developing the use of virtual environments as an effective information and communication tool in education and business. Recent Publications: 1994 “The Playbox Project” – structured thematic play as a key to learning and the wider world of work. Published through Dorset LEA. 1995 Dorset County Careers Document – “Careers Education for the Primary School.” 1996 “Programmable Robots in the Primary Classroom” – Co-authored with LEA Mathematics Advisor with constructive ideas and lesson plans. 1999-0 Software reviews for MicroMath magazine (Spring 99 and Spring 00). 2001 “ICT Numeracy Link” Heinemann. 6 books with a CD Rom that employ ICT to enhance Primary Maths KS 1 and 2. Co-authored. Research and Scholarship: 1998: Distance and Flexible Learning, including the effective use of the World Wide Web in the teaching of computing. Representative for Education in the University’s development project for a learner-centred environment. 2000:MEd Networked Collaborative Learning – Online with University of Sheffield. Completed September 2002. An Introduction to Online Learning – Cooperative project exploring the many uses of Intranets· The Internet as a Learning tool – Collaborative project looking at staff readiness to work online· 2001-2002: Feasibility study about how research project might be conducted. Final Dissertation: Can the Collaborative use of a Virtual Learning Environment provide quality support for initial teacher trainees on school placements and encourage reflective inquiry? Research conducted into use of a virtual online environment to develop partnership and support trainee teachers in the workplace. |
Dr Andrew Clegg |
Andy Clegg started his academic career in 1989, registering for a BSc (Hons) Geography degree at the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Plymouth. After graduating in 1992, Andrew spent a year working in the Department of Geography and Geology at the Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education, as an open learning facilitator, where he was responsible for developing a wide range of flexible learning materials. In 1993, Andrew returned to the University of Plymouth to start his PhD, looking at the 'Recession as an Agent in the Restructuring of Tourist Accommodation in Torbay'. In addition to this PhD, Andrew also supported the development of flexible learning initiatives within the Department of Geographical Sciences and at the wider University level. Andrew joined the School of Geography in 1996 and finished his PhD in February 1998. Andrew took over the running of the Geography Department in 2003, and also lead the development of the Tourism Management programme at the University. Andrew's key areas of teaching include: key skills, tourism management, sustainability, destination management and customer service. In addition to his work in the department, Andrew is also an external trainer for the Visit Britain, and is national master trainer for Welcome Management. Andrew has developed strong links with the public and private sector in the local area, and is currently working on a range of tourism projects, including Arun District Council's Holiday at Home Initiative. Over the summer Andrew undertook an economic impact assessment of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, for the Goodwood Road Racing Company. He is also currently working with a Level 3 Tourism Management student, who is undertaking a survey of community attitudes towards tourism, again for Arun District Council. Andrew has also worked with Tourism South East on developing the rural tourism project in the region. In particular, Andrew has helped to develop training and awareness days highlighting the value of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Andrew is also the national master trainer Welcome Walker and Cyclist. Elsewhere, Andrew is also a member of the Tourism Management Institute, and is currently sitting on the national CPD advisory group. Research: GOODWOOD ROAD RACING COMPANY [2006] - ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE FESTIVAL OF SPEED - Recent Training and Consultancy: ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL [2002-]: WELCOME TO SUSSEX BY THE SEA INITIATIVE - Chichester and ADC Initiative supported by ESF Quality Edge Funding to improve quality and competitiveness in the Arun District. SOUTHERN TOURIST BOARD [2002-]: SOUTH EAST ANOB SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PROJECT - Project designed to help tourism businesses maxmise the benefits of operating within AONBs, working with the Regional Co-ordinator for Sustainable Tourism in the South East Region. SOUTH EAST ENGLAND TOURIST BOARD/SOUTH EAST WALKS PARTNERSHIP [2001-]: Development of Welcome Walker and Cyclist. A one-day training course focusing on raising awareness of the expectations of walkers and cyclists and marketing to maximise profitability. QUALITY EDGE [2001]: ESF funded project aimed at improving tourism skills across Sussex. Involved in Training Needs Analysis and training delivery. ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL [2000-]: Supporting the implementation of the Arun Tourism Strategy 2000-2005. Recent Publications CLEGG, A. (2002), Green Audit Kit and Green Advantage, Heartbeat Magazine, Summer Edition, Heart of England Tourist Board, Worcestershire. ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL, CLEGG, A. AND GRAINGER, J. (2000): Arun District Council Tourism Strategy 2000-2005, Arun District Council. CLEGG, A. AND ESSEX, S. (2000): Restructuring in Tourism - The Accommodation Sector in a Major British Coastal Resort, International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 2, pp. 77-95. |
Chris Downs |
Chris Downs is an economist and has been teaching full-time in higher education since 1996. Prior to that, he was head of economics at the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in London. The ABI is the trade association representing most of the insurance companies operating in the UK and liaises with government over legislation affecting insurers. Chris was responsible for the economic analysis and research that informed ABI lobbying and negotiating, and took particular interest in issues where private insurance and the welfare state overlap, eg pensions, health insurance etc. At Chichester, Chris teaches economics, research skills and thinking skills, being especially interested in the ideas of Edward de Bono. He believes that learning is vitally important but is not a straightforwardly understandable process. He is interested in theories of learning and would agree with Nietzsche that “the surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." Chris is interested in exploiting developments in information and communications technology for educational purposes. In the period 2001 to 2003 Chris worked at the Open University (OU) designing a suite of e-learning material now being used every year by hundreds of OU students studying introductory economics. Click here to see a sample of the material. Chris is a member of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE) and of the Royal Economic Society. He is an Associate Lecturer at the Open University and an occasional visiting lecturer at the Fachhochschul-Studiengang Internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen in Eisenstadt, Austria. Chris has in the past carried out research for a local authority wishing to gain a better understanding of the needs of its local independent financial advisers. He was a member of pensions study group set up by the Citizens Income Trust. He has also contributed to training for managers at The Body Shop. Feel free to email Chris direct if you have consultancy work or a project to which he might be able to contribute. |
Jorge Gutic |
Originally an aquatic ecologist in his native Venezuela, Jorge became involved with tourism in 1989 while doing his Master degree in Sustainable Resource Management in the United Nations’ University for Peace in Costa Rica, a renowned ecotourism destination in Central America. Since then Jorge has been doing research and consultancy in different aspects of the tourism - environment interaction, including research on the economic value of wildlife to tourism, assessing the impacts of river tourism in indigenous communities of Venezuela’s Amazon rainforest, and the provision of training in interpretative and guiding skills for tourism guides and communities in national parks. During this period Jorge was involved with tourism and environmental management issues, both as a consultant and as a lecturer, in a number of Venezuelan institutions and universities. Jorge moved to the United Kingdom in 1998 to carry out his Ph.D. in the (formerly) School of Leisure and Food Management at Sheffield Hallam University, doing research on stakeholder identification and assessment for tourism management decision-making in developing countries. Before and after completing his Ph.D. in 2003 he contributed to the Tourism Department’s undergraduate and postgraduate teaching provision as a part-time lecturer, until coming to work with the University of Chichester in 2004. Jorge is the Tourism Department’s Placement Coordinator, which has helped him to create valuable links with the local tourism industry, and is the University’s internal trainer for Welcome All, a customer service training programme for customers with disabilities. His research interests include Adventure Tourism, particularly in relation to risk perception and risk management, Sustainable Tourism, Tourism Management in Fragile Environments, Stakeholder Identification and Assessment in Developing Countries, and Nature Interpretation for Tourism. Jorge’s outside interests will usually find him cycling or walking in the South Downs, kayaking or attempting to kitesurf in Bognor’s beachfront, and eventually skiing wherever snow is available. Some of the more unusual jobs that Jorge has held in the past include managing a marine research station, working in a commercial diving operation, and as a ski patroller and rescue-first aid team leader in an indoor ski centre. |