The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance of ALT. Below are brief biographies of each member of the committee. In ALT's Constitution the Board of Trustees is also referred to as Central Executive Committee.
Keith Smyth
Chair
Keith Smyth is Dean of Learning and Teaching and Professor of Pedagogy at the University of the Highlands and Islands, where he leads the directorate responsible for learning and teaching strategy, professional development and recognition, academic standards and enhancement, curriculum innovation, and educational scholarship. Keith has particular interests in co-creative pedagogies and curriculum models, open education and scholarship, and digital educational strategy and policy. Keith developed the openly licensed 3E Framework for technology-enhanced learning which has been used extensively across FE and HE, and has been actively involved as a trustee and volunteer for several third sector education organisations and initiatives. Keith blogs (sporadically) at www.3eeducation.org.
Michael Day
Vice Chair
Michael James Day is an Associate Professor (Reader) of Higher Education and Institutional Lead for Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) at the University of Greenwich, UK. He leads education innovation and digital advocacy initiatives globally, working on projects transforming student experience in Myanmar, Thailand, and China. He is a Senior Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology (SCMALT) and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA). Beginning his career as one of the UK’s youngest qualified teachers, he later held senior secondary‑school leadership posts, including Head of History, Head of Humanities, and Director of Behaviour and Safety. Michael edited Palgrave’s 2025 volume Emancipatory Education Without Boundaries in the Age of Neoliberalism, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Learning Platforms. His research focuses on building the pro‑human web, student digital poverty, and international education, and his commentary on inclusive higher education and quality assurance has been featured widely in the media.
Matt Cornock
Trustee
Matt Cornock is Head of Online Learning at the University of Leeds, with 20 years experience in digital education in both higher education and professional development settings. He specialises in learning design and the use of learning technologies to support lifelong learning, open education and online learning at scale. Matt is a Senior CMALT holder and long-standing assessor, supporting the development of colleagues across the sector. He is a regular conference contributor and writes about learning design and digital education at mattcornock.co.uk.
Shonagh Douglas
Honorary Treasurer
Shonagh Douglas is an Accounting and Finance Lecturer at the Robert Gordon University. She has a number of years’ experience in delivering online courses and has a particular interest in the use of learning technology to create interactive online resources and improve the virtual student learning experience. Shonagh is a Chartered Accountant - she previously trained and worked as an auditor with KPMG and continues to be a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Shonagh has completed a PhD which focused on understanding the development of non-technical skills of trainee accountants.
Natalie Lafferty
Trustee
Natalie Lafferty is Head of Representation and Policy at UCISA and the former Head of the Centre for Technology and Innovation in Learning at the University of Dundee. Natalie has worked in higher education for 25 years and over 20 years of experience in digital education. Long standing interests include medical education, open education, working with students as partners and as co-creators of learning and interdisciplinary approaches to learning. More recently she has been involved in projects focusing on AI and education for sustainable development. Natalie blogs very intermittently at natalie-lafferty.net
David White
President
David White is Dean of Academic Practice (online) at University of the Arts London. He has worked at the intersection of teaching, research and digital for over 20 years. David is best known for the Digital Visitors and Residents idea which provides a framework to understand what motivates online engagement in different forms. He is a keen advocate for Open Educational Practices and a well-known thinker in digital and open online education.
Puiyin Wong
Trustee
Puiyin is Senior Advisor (Digital Pedagogy & Practice) at Buckinghamshire New University, where she leads the institution's strategic development of digital pedagogy and digital education, as well as the Digital Education team. She is also a PhD researcher at Lancaster University; her work explores the interplay between pedagogies and technology for learning and professional development. With nearly 20 years experience in HE and a keen interest in bringing people together, she is connected to colleagues in the UK and internationally. Importantly, as a person from the Global Majority, she empathises with her peers from underrepresented groups. Puiyin leads a multi award winning researchers community - #TELresearchers & #Heresearchers that connects educational researchers at different career stages, from around the world.
Owain Roberts
Trustee
Dr Owain Roberts is a Senior Lecturer in Undergraduate Medicine and is a Unit Lead in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buckingham Medical School. With a research background in Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, he has taught at several universities, where he has advanced curriculum development while championing the most appropriate use of various digital learning methodologies. He promotes the adoption of evidence-based best practices and innovative teaching methods that are focused on improving teaching quality, accessibility, fairness, and academic integrity. He has served as an External Advisor at various universities in the UK, and further afield. His current primary research focus is in optimising digital assessment methodologies and feedback mechanisms in Medical Education. As a trustee, he seeks to support the recognition of diverse roles in digital education and to champion ALT’s international collaborations.
Joe Wilson
Trustee
Joe is a former teacher, Community Education worker, FE lecturer, Project Manager, Senior Manager, Director, CEO of College Development Network, and Head of Digital Skills at City of Glasgow College. He has worked with QAA, SQA, SFC, SCQF, SDS, Jisc and Education Scotland, served on College Boards, and collaborated widely with agencies and employer bodies involved in adult and vocational learning across Scotland and the UK. He is Chair of the ALT Scotland Member Group, an advisor to the Scottish Government on information literacy, a contributor to the Goodison Group’s Future of Education Group, and co‑founder of Open Scotland, promoting Creative Commons licensing and collaborative approaches to developing and sharing learning materials. With long‑standing experience in learning technology, he has led policy, digital strategy and the implementation of national and institutional systems, including the staff development required for effective digital transformation. He is now an independent Education Consultant.