Rhodri Thomas

Professional biography

I undertook some early-career research in previous roles and posts at the OU. My main area of involvement has been in mobile technologies and learning in general, with a particular emphasis on the mobile web, analytics and demographics of use, later diversifying into augmented reality. Data-driven and user-influenced learning design and usability is also a key interrelated area.

A recurring interest when time allows is in practice-based learning and international development in education.

Some time ago, I designed and constructed the technical solution with Moodlerooms and PebblePad to deliver a learning platform for the first iteration of the Wellcome International Funders' Award, working closely with the Executive Education team in our Faculty of Business and Law. I have also been a Critical Reader and Learning Adviser for our Welsh Language non-accredited learning course LG001. Related to this, I undertook some translation and adaptation of our Moodle provision to assist in the creation of OpenLearn Cymru.

Previously, I worked on TeachandLearn.net in FELS – an online CPD service for schools, and I was responsible for web build and development work including new applications, content management and audio-visual work. I managed a Primary and Secondary subject Curriculum Adviser team providing content for the subject/phase homepages of the site and I was also the technical contact for site operation including subscription management. TeachandLearn is currently a Resource Bank offered as part of CPLD Education courses.

Earlier still, my main responsibilities were as Learning Schools Programme webmaster and FirstClass administrator, and before that for the QA analysis process for our teacher training, and for the ‘Celtic’ nations – Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The areas I have worked on with most strategic impact, and widest engagement internally and externally, have been in the realms of real-time collaboration. In addition to the most recent programme management, I have now led the technical strands, evaluation and procurement of this type of software for our tutorials and learning events three times in my career - thus far.

I have been on multiple secondments to take forward Learning Innovation – developments, policy and strategy; Mobile Learner Support (evangelising, Offline Moodle, Podcasting and RSS) and Online Collaboration and Communication strands of the OUVLE – in particular to manage the launch, early adoption and cross-faculty uptake of the Elluminate synchronous collaboration environment, then Blackboard Collaborate and Adobe Connect in turn.

In delivering our services, I have worked with a number of technical partners. Key supplier relations have been with Adobe Connect and Collab8 Ltd; Moodlerooms; PebblePad; Blackboard Collaborate, previously Elluminate; also Google Apps for Education and Google EMEA. Most recently we have been working closely with Amazon Web Services to deliver our UK private cloud hosting. I have an ongoing oversight role in our ePortfolio provision with MyKnowelgeMap.

Broader partnerships with more extensive interrelationships have been with BBC Worldwide; BBC World Service Trust; Research Machines in previous collaborations.

My initial substantive post was in the Faculty of Education and Language Studies [FELS], latterly to support online delivery, production and marketing for the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa [TESSA] Programme. I was also the Educational and Mobile Technologist for the Digital Education Enhancement Project [DEEP], responsible for mobile deployment of teaching resources (incl. eBooks) and training (laptops and PDAs). This rural development project was instrumental in securing the English in Action (Bangladesh) programme, and followed prior involvement with International Development. I was also involved in a UNESCO-funded project to enable teacher training in Iraq, primarily enabling audio-visual training.