Dr Hannah Lavery

Professional biography

I have worked at the Open University since 2005 as an Associate Lecturer, and as Staff Tutor since 2008. I completed my undergraduate degree at The University of Wales, Cardiff, before returning to my hometown of Sheffield to undertake postgraduate study. I received the Emily Ellen Decent Prize for my MA English Literature and went on to complete my PhD at Sheffield (in Early Modern erotic-satiric poetry) in 2008. I have worked in a number of senior leadership roles at the OU since 2015, most recently as Director of Teaching for the School of Arts and Humanities. I became a Principal Fellow of the HEA in 2024.

Research interests

Online pedagogies/ blended learning. Widening Participation. EDIA. Employability in the arts and humanities. Oracy and accessibility/inclusivity. 16c and 17c English and European literatures. Poetry (ancient to modern). Early modern erotic and satiric literatures. Manuscripts and archives.

Publications

Lavery, H, (2024), ‘Tis not true reason I despise, but yours’: the influence of the civil war ‘Satire against’ verse form (1640s) on the Restoration ‘pamphlet war’ of 1679-81’, Early Modern Literary Studies, Vol 23 No. 2 <Vol. 23 No. 2 (2024) | Early Modern Literary Studies (shu.ac.uk)>

Lavery, H, Parker Kinch, D, Trinidad Barrantes, E., (26 March 2024), ‘Fostering supportive student learning communities in an online, distance learning context’, Fostering supportive student learning communities in an online, distance learning context (qaa.ac.uk) (accessed 26^th March 2024)

Lavery, H., Parker Kinch, D. and Hillman, J. (October 2023), ‘Do live writing/study sessions for at-risk students, in an online, distance learning environment, demonstrate the same benefits as documented for face-to-face shared writing events?’ (EDEN Research Workshop proceedings, https://ubiquityproceedings.com/articles/10.5334/uproc.72 [accessed 10/04/24] ISSN: 2707-2819

Lavery, H and Padley, S. (Sept 2022), ‘Improving student success for global majority and low socio-economic status students through additional synchronous support and information embedded on a distance learning Access module’, In ed. Duart, Josep and Trepule, Elena, Toward a Smart and Inclusive Learning Ecosystem, EDEN Research Workshop proceedings, ISSN: 2707-2819)

Lavery, H., (Feb, 2019), ‘Using wikis for teaching and assessment at a distance learning institution’, Digital English, http://www.digitalenglish.com.au/2018/12/17/using-wikis-for-teaching-and-assessment-at-a-distance-learning-institution/

Lavery, H. (2014), The Impotency Poem from Ancient Latin to Restoration English Literature, (Ashgate)

Lavery, H., (Spring 2013), ‘The development of the later English Restoration impotency poems', Papers on Language and Literature, Vol. 50.1

Lavery, H., (2013), ‘From image to word: the making of Pietro Aretino’s satire in I sonetti lussoriosi (c. 1527)’, ‘Censorship and Cultural Practices’ Special edition, Genre 33, pp. 117–148.

Lavery, H.,  (June 2012), ‘Breaking down barriers with tablet technology for teaching’, Educause Review <https://er.educause.edu/articles/2012/6/breaking-down-barriers-with-tablet-technology-for-teaching>

Lavery, H., (July 2011), ‘Social and political satire in the impotency poems of Rémy Belleau and Thomas Nashe’  Early Modern Literary Studies, Vol 15.3.

Lavery, H., (May, 2008), ‘Exchange and Reciprocation in Nashe’s Choise of Valentines’, Appositions, <http://appositions.blogspot.com/> , Vol. 1

Teaching interests

Whilst working towards my PhD I taught on Foundation and Literature programmes at three institutions (the University of Sheffield, the OU, and Chesterfield College). As a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the OU I have taught on our interdisciplinary module at Level 1 since 2005; I have also completed direct teaching on Level 2-3 and MA modules in English. I contributed to the production of A334 (English Literature from Shakespeare to Austen), A233 (Telling Stories: The Novel and Beyond), and most recently I co-wrote a chapter on Sylvia Plath for the new module A240 (Literature Matters). I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education at Sheffield (2007), which initiatied a research interest into blended learning and learning technologies. I have recently been co-leading an APS Student Intern programme with a colleague based in WELS, researching into reciprocal mentoring.

Impact and engagement

Since 2008 I have been involved with outreach work involving art galleries and libraries. In my early career I worked with external partners to expand our widening participation offer in Yorkshire, including collaborations with OU/WEA, and OU/USDAW (to facilitate public access to OU short courses). In 2024 I organised for 4 workshops to be delivered in two Crewe primary and secondary schools based on Open Learn materials (The history of female protest and suffrage in the UK | OpenLearn - Open University), leading to a touring exhibition of student work (Crewe, 2024, ongoing). 

External collaborations

Cheshire Women's Collaboration (Women’s Collaboration | Kate Blakemore): The 'Crewe Factory Girl' project (Autumn 2022)

Cross-instituion collaboration with Rachael O'Connor (Leeds University) exploring reverse/ reciprocal mentoring involving students and academic staff members (current- 2024-5)