Our Team
Enhancing Fieldwork Learning is shaped by an interdisciplinary team of educators and researchers who have collaborated across institutions to improve fieldwork teaching and learning.
Team History
A collaborative team
Professors Derek France, Julian Park, and Brian Whalley were awarded National Teaching Fellowships in 2008. Conversations following the awards led to the development of a three-year cross-disciplinary Higher Education Academy-funded project, Enhancing Fieldwork Learning, which ran from 2010 to 2013. Associate Professor Katharine Welsh joined as a full-time researcher in 2010, and Associate Professor Alice Mauchline joined in 2011.
Over time, the team expanded through contributions from fixed-term team members, student partners, collaborators, and colleagues who supported conferences, workshops, publications, and the annual Showcase. In 2018, the EFL team received an Advance HE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence recognising the impact of this multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Meet the people behind EFL
Our team brings together expertise in geography, environmental science, agricultural systems, ecology, educational innovation, digital learning, and fieldwork pedagogy.
Professor Derek France
Emeritus Professor of Pedagogy in Geographical Sciences, University of Chester. National Teaching Fellow and member of the EFL team recognised with an Advance HE CATE award in 2018.
Professor Julian Park
Professor of Agricultural Systems, University of Reading. His work focuses on sustainable agricultural systems, fieldwork education, and experiential learning.
Professor Brian Whalley
Retired academic associated with the University of Sheffield, formerly Queen’s University Belfast. His interests link geomorphology, student experience, practical learning, and technology in fieldwork.
Associate Professor Alice Mauchline
Associate Professor of Agricultural Ecology & Education, University of Reading. Her work focuses on sustainable farming, educational development, and equitable fieldwork teaching and learning.
Associate Professor Katharine Welsh
Associate Professor of Academic Innovation, University of Chester. Her interests include educational innovation, AI and education, technology-enhanced learning, and resilience in fieldwork contexts.
Professor Lesley Batty
Professor of Environmental Science Education, University of Birmingham. Her teaching work focuses on inclusivity, employability, and environmental science education.
Dr Trevor Collins
Senior Research Fellow, The Open University. His work centres on technology for teaching and learning, including remote access, practical distance learning, and immersive environments.
Dr Julia Cooke
Senior Lecturer in Ecology, The Open University. Her teaching and research focus on ecology, student-led learning, and innovative approaches to fieldwork.
Explore the wider EFL network
Learn more about the project, discover our supporters and partners, or explore the resources and case studies developed through the network.