Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 4

FOREWORD | 5
4 | JADE
FOREWORD
I
am delighted to introduce this edition of JADE, and an exciting and
varied set of articles, testimony to the high quality educational
evaluation, reflection and scholarship nurtured by the journal. I’m
certain you will find plenty here to develop your educational practice,
and to stimulate reflection and debate. We are extremely privileged at
Keele University to have developed such a rigorous journal that reaches
an internal and (increasingly) external audience and develops significant
prestige in relation to academic development and learning & teaching. For
me, JADE was one of the first things that I noticed about Keele, and is one
of the key ways we must nurture a cross-campus community of education
scholarship and pedagogy. The editorial panel should be congratulated for
its work.
This is also a chance for me to say a bit about about KIITE (the Keele
Institute for Innovation & Teaching Excellence) which now hosts this
journal.
KIITE has been set up by the University to draw together four areas
of educational enhancement: Academic Development, Student
Learning, Employability & Employer Engagement and Learning
Technology are now situated within KIITE to maximise the cross-
cutting expertise we have in curricular and co-curricular design. I’m
really proud to be KIITE’s inaugural director, after having set up and
run a similar institute at the University of Leeds, where, over three
years, we developed a reputation for impactful pedagogical research
and teaching innovation.
KIITE will act first and foremost act as a community of educational
innovators. It will draw together the four expert educational teams,
our Keele teaching award holders, NTFs and our senior and principal
HEA fellows. Our Associate Deans L&T, School Learning & Teaching
Directors and Liaison Librarians will be closely affiliated with the
Institute, and Student Voice reps will always form part of our project
teams. KIITE will also be at the forefront of delivering the refreshed
education strand of the Keele strategy, working in constant dialogue
with our PVC Student Education, Helen O’Sullivan.
By setting up these cross-cutting relationships and supporting
institutional projects, we are here to help academic and professional
staff co-design a brilliant Keele curriculum and provide vibrant co-
curricular opportunities to our students. We expect KIITE members to
be regular contributors to JADE, and for JADE to be the mouthpiece
for many KIITE projects, as they reach stages of reflective delivery
and scholarly evaluation.
Soon, you will notice the development of the KIITE website, which
will profile Keele’s educational ethos and projects, broadcasting
our innovation to the sector. KIITE conferences, work-in-progress
seminars and masterclasses will be unveiled as the new year unfolds.
JADE will figure prominently as part of this digital presence, as it
goes from strength to strength
All the best,
Rafe Hallett
Director, KIITE