Kate Coulson

Kate Coulson (BSocSc, MSc, PGCTHE, SFHEA, CeLP, NTF) is the Head of Learning and Teaching Enhancement at the University of Northampton. 

The LTE team is a group of expert practitioners in academic integrity, academic practice, learning design, learning development and educational linguistics. During her tenure, as Head of Learning Development (2017-2021) Kate transformed the Learning Development provision at the University, into a well-respected team of experts who share their exemplary practice internally with colleagues and externally with peers through research dissemination. The LD team now offers sector leading provision whereby all students experience module embedded LD expertise throughout their degree programme. This work coupled with research projects to measure the impact of LD work upon student attainment and to ascertain why there is an award gap, have placed the LD provision at Northampton at the forefront of the LD sector within the UK and beyond.

Since 2019, Kate has been the Secretary of the Association for Learning Developers in Higher Education (ALDinHE). She is passionate about sharing exemplary practice and ideas within and beyond the LD sector and has encouraged the Association to enhance this approach through initiatives such as the annual conference, LD@3 and regular practitioner-led events. Her sharing ethos has also meant representing ALDinHE on the International Consortium of Academic Language and Learning Developers (ICALLD) Steering Group which enables Learning Development experts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and the UK to come together and work on projects and initiatives.  

Kate has an BSocSc in Sociology and an MSc in Information Science. After graduating she worked in the City of London and in 2006 moved into higher education. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and is a Certified Leading Practitioner in Learning Development. 

Learning Development; Student Experience; Academic Skills; Student Progression, Retention and Attainment; Third Space Expertise and Impact; Award Gaps.