Research About Learning in Higher Education (REAL-HE)
Source: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/units/hls/centres/real-he Parent: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/research/research-centres
Director(s): Professor Louise Taylor
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About us
Leadership
Membership
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About us Leadership Membership
About us
Research on learning and teaching in higher education is a diverse field, pertinent to all disciplines in higher education. It is critical for improving students’ learning, wellbeing, and outcomes.
Unfortunately, this research is often undervalued and goes unrecognised beyond an educators’ immediate context.
This Research Centre aims to increase the status of research relating to learning and teaching in higher education by increasing its quality and impact.
Primarily, it aims to create a supportive network of researchers, educators, practitioners, and leaders, which exceeds disciplinary and geographical borders.
Specifically it aims to:
- provide training and support to researchers to develop and conduct rigorous pedagogic research
- foster interdisciplinary and international collaborations to create a thriving global research community
- strengthen the impact of research for practice
Some of our members’ research projects and interests include:
- Academic integrity and inclusive educational practice involving Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Ethical approaches to student use of Artificial Intelligence
- How GenAI is affecting assessment and feedback processes
- Impact of students identifying as educational consumers on their learning
- Understanding students from marginalised backgrounds (including widening participation/non-traditional students, students with non-traditional qualifications such as B-TECS, ethnically diverse students, students from religious groups)
- How specialist mentoring impacts students with autism and mental health issues
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and developing SoTL identities
- Note-taking strategies, writing beliefs, and impacts on students’ writing quality
- Strategies for teaching research methods among health and social care students
- Psychometric measurement and evaluation of student engagement
- Exploring the purpose and possibility of HE education for significantly contributing to a more just, equitable and sustainable world.
- Transformative learning and hope based pedagogy.
Part of
Related courses
- Doctor of Education (EdD)
- Psychology (MPhil / PhD)
- Education (MA)
- Psychology (MSc / PGDip / PGCert)
- Psychology (BSc (Hons))
Leadership
Dr Laura Novo De Azevedo
Associate Professor in Urban Design and Planning, Subject Coordinator BA in Sustainable Urban Design and Planning
View profile for Laura Novo De Azevedo
Professor Louise Taylor
Professor of Education and Student Experience
View profile for Louise Taylor
Dr Karen Zhoc
Lecturer in Psychology
Membership
Staff members Research students
- Staff
- Students
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Staff
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Helen Aveyard | Associate Professor (Research Education) | haveyard@brookes.ac.uk |
| Cathy d’Abreu | Senior Lecturer Education for Sustainability | cdabreu@brookes.ac.uk |
| Professor Mary Davis | Professor (Education and Student Experience) | marydavis@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Samia Kamal | Associate Professor of Computer Science Education and Enterprise | skamal@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Andrea Macrae | Associate Professor of Narrative | andrea.macrae@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Charlie Simpson | Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science | charlessimpson@brookes.ac.uk |
| Dr Chengbo Wang | Senior Lecturer in Operations Management | chengbowang@brookes.ac.uk |
Events
For the Midday Mindshare events, a Zoom link will be sent to your subscription email nearer the event date.
Inaugural REAL-HE Midday Mindshare
Topic: GenAI and Feedback
Speaker: Prof. Louise Taylor
Date: Monday, 13 October 2025
Time: 12:10 - 12:55 pm
The session will focus on how generative AI can transform the delivery and experience of feedback in higher education.
Midday Mindshare - 4 November 2025
Topic: Developing evidence-based guidance for the IDEAS Sustainability Mindset tool kit: Transdisciplinary Life Centred Design Thinking for wicked problems in TDE
Speaker: Dr Laura Novo De Azevedo
Date: Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Time: 12:10 - 12:55 pm
The session will discuss how to turn an educational innovation from a pilot study to a full project.
Midday Mindshare - 1 December 2025
Topic: The Higher Education Student Engagement Scale (HESES): Measuring Student Engagement from a Psychological Perspective
Speaker: Dr Karen Zhoc
Date: Monday, 1 December 2025
Time: 12.10 - 12.55pm
The session will introduce the Higher Education Student Engagement Scale (HESES) and examine how psychological perspectives can enhance the measurement of student engagement.
REAL-HE Launch (Hybrid Event)
Date: Tuesday, 20 Jan 2026
Time: 10.00am - 1.00pm
Venue: TBC (Oxford Brookes University, Headington campus)
A morning packed full of talks from experts and emerging researchers, with a focus on how to conduct good quality research in higher education.