Dr Karen Campbell (formerly MacFarlane)
Research Fellow
Academic Development and Student Learning
Karen’s background in educational research and development spans more than 30 years. As part of the Educational Research and Evaluation team, Karen initiates, co-ordinates and carries out research and evaluation activity in collaboration with research colleagues across the University in the areas of widening participation, academic practice development and the student experience. This includes leading and engaging in educational research and impact evaluation and producing research publications of national and international quality. As well as enhancing the University’s national and international profile in relation to educational research, Karen’s work provides an evidence base for policy and practice in learning and teaching across GCU through institutional research aligned to key institutional priorities and impact evaluation.
A specialist in widening participation, in 2020 Karen completed her PhD by publication entitled, ‘Widening participation in Higher Education: Immersion as an enabler.’ Karen’s paper ‘How can universities contribute to the common good?’ won the Association of University Administrators writing prize in 2019. Karen’s research projects have included an evaluation of the first two years of the Advanced Higher Hub and an evaluation of GCU’s Common Good Curriculum and the Common Good Award. The outcomes of two research studies on the Advanced Higher Hub has informed the Commission’s Framework for Fair Access, CoWA’s Recommendations for fair access and Universities’ Scotland’s Learner Journey Review, 2017 and was discussed by Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, in the Scottish Parliament. My report, ‘An Evaluation of the Advanced Higher Hub: The Learner Perspective’ is available as an example of good practice from both the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament’s websites: https://www.parliament.scot/S5_Education/Inquiries/20190311GCU_AdvancedHigherHub.pdf
Karen provides analysis of the National Student Survey data. Karen also led the HEA project, ‘Students in transition: a lifecycle approach in Scottish Higher Education: A review of research, policy and practice.’ Karen is also the University’s representative on the Scottish Community of Access and Participation Practitioners’ (SCAPP) Research and Evaluation Group. Karen is also a SCAPP mentor, a new to GCU staff mentor and a PhD supervisor.
Areas of Interest/Expertise
* Higher Education research, evaluation and development
* Widening participation; transition, progression and retention; articulation; student experience and engagement; age; gender; disability; care experienced and estranged student experience; widening access measures
* The Common Good Curriculum; Student Experience; Diversifying the Curriculum; BAME student experience
* Providing evidence of impact
* Research and evaluation methodologies; quantitative and qualitative research
* Research ethics in educational research
Twitter: @karencampbellWP
Karen is located in Room B124 at the Britannia Building.