As chief executive of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) Maren believes strongly in that the intelligent use of Learning Technology can best be developed by working across schools, further and higher Education. Her vision is for Learning Technology to become an effective way for all to learn, teach and assess - informed by open practice, innovative research and global policy. Building on this vision Maren works closely with teachers, leaders, learning technology practitioners and researchers to support ALT’s members and contribute to the wider community.
Maren is particularly interested in innovation, for example having led the launch of ALT’s first MOOC, ocTEL. The Open Course in Technology Enhanced Learning has attracted over 2000 participants since 2012. Maren also led ALT’s contribution to the national Maths4Us campaign run by NIACE and Jisc’s Developing Digital Literacies programme, and was part of the development of the HEFCE-funded Changing the Learning Landscape programme led by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.
Maren continues to build ALT’s liaison with the government and education sector bodies in general. She was invited by the government to contribute to their Further Education Action Group (FELTAG) and the Education Technology Action Group (ETAG) and has represented ALTon a number of other policy consultations and advisory groups.
You can follow Maren on Twitter @marendeepwell and find out more about her work on her personal blog.
Original post, 2012:
Members will be interested to learn that the selection panel convened by ALT’s Trustees has appointed Dr Maren Deepwell to be ALT’s new Chief Executive. From 1 April Maren will be Chief Executive Designate, working in tandem with Seb Schmoller. She will be Chief Executive from 8 May, when Seb will stand down. Together with the rest of ALT’s Trustees, I am looking forward to working closely with Maren in her new role, and below is a brief profile of Maren so that members can find out more about the person who will be at the head of ALT from May onwards.
Martin Oliver, Chair of ALT (Chair's Report in the ALT Online Newsletter)
Maren Deepwell (BA, MA, PhD) joined ALT in early 2008, serving as Membership Services Manager from Autumn 2008 and then as Operations and Services Manager from April 2011.
In 2011 Maren was the driving force behind the successful organisation of the 2011 ALT Conference. She led the implementation of ALT’s new web site and membership management system, and the transition of ALT’s scholarly journal Research in Learning Technology to Open Access. Maren has played a key role in the consolidation of CMALT (ALT’s peer-based professional accreditation scheme), in the establishment of ALT’s Special Interest Groups, and in the implementation of the ALT Open Access Repository.
Unusually for a Learning Technologist, Maren has a background in material and visual culture. She developed her interest in learning technology while undertaking postgraduate studies at University College London, incorporating digital research methods into her research on cemetery development, including using an online community for collaborative dissemination of her research. During her studies Maren worked for the Department of Anthropology, implementing and maintaining the VLE, using her background in ethnography to help with decision-making.
Maren was born in Stuttgart. She left Germany when she was 16, moving alone to London and working part time throughout her studies at Westminster Kingsway College, Goldsmiths, and University College London, with a one year spell living in Greece where she undertook a Research Fellowship in sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Art.
Building on her four years at ALT and her experience in higher and further education, her vision for ALT includes
- Having the ability to scale ALT’s operations and activities effectively while significantly increasing the recruitment of members in the UK and internationally;
- Maximising the output and benefits of having an active membership community;
- Ensuring ALT’s influence as an independent membership organisation grows.
Maren now lives in Oxford with her husband who teaches mathematics. Alongside her 0.8 post for ALT Maren undertakes occasional consultancy, mainly as a project manager. Her leisure interests include tennis, gardening, and playing the piano, and flowing from her work on the ALT web site, Maren is active in the Drupal and CiviCRM software communities.
Maren’s personal blog is at at http://marendeepwell.net .