Learning and Teaching Enhancement

Who we are

Learning and Teaching Enhancement is the centre for educational development and learning at SOAS.

Our team is comprised of Educational Developers and Learning Designers and Technologists.

Our services are divided into five strategic areas:

  • Professional Development for all staff and Graduate Teaching Assistants at SOAS
  • Assessment Review and Curriculum Design mentoring and guidance for academic departments at SOAS
  • Study skills Services for undergraduate and graduate students at SOAS
  • Learning technology support and guidance for all staff and students at SOAS
  • Pedagogical scholarship and Networks.    

We provide evidence-based approaches and employ the latest pedagogical advice to ensure SOAS educators develop best pedagogical practice. We promote decolonisation in the curriculum in partnership with academic departments, helping departments to build student-centred, accessible, and inclusive curricula and practices. 

Our work supports SOAS’s Education Strategy 2021-26 and its mission to transform the student experience by creating globally engaged and decolonised cultures of learning and teaching.

What we offer

Professional Development for all staff and Graduate Teaching Assistants at SOAS 

Staff with teaching responsibilities (academic and professional services departments) receive CPD training, mentoring, access to resources and guidance, and Communities of Practice to progress their teaching practice. Staff are mentored and guided by our Educational Developers to ensure the AdvanceHE Fellowship accreditation as part of their probation and promotion criteria. Graduate Teaching Assistants are offered Preparing to Teach - a development pathway that can also lead to the AdvanceHE Fellowship accreditation.  

If you are a member of staff or a Graduate Teaching Assistant, you can access more information on our internal pages.  

If you are a higher education institution and want to find out more about our work, or explore potential collaborations, email us on academicdevelopment@soas.ac.uk.

Assessment review and curriculum design mentoring and guidance for academic departments at SOAS 

Course teams in academic departments are mentored and supported to review and improve their curricula employing evidence-based approaches through Away Days, training and mentoring sessions. Advice is offered during validation for quality assurance purposes.  

If you are a member of staff, you can access more information on our internal pages.

If you are a higher education institution and want to find out more about our work, or explore potential collaborations, email us on academicdevelopment@soas.ac.uk.

Study skills services for undergraduate and graduate students at SOAS (Student Learning Centre)

Undergraduate and graduate students at SOAS receive study skills support (academic reading, writing, referencing, time management, wellbeing) through: 1:1 Tutorials, Study Skills workshops and asynchronous study skills resources.  

If you are a student or a member of staff, you can access more information on our internal Sharepoint pages.   

If you are a Higher Education Institution and want to find out more about our work and/or explore potential collaborations, email at lteinfo@soas.ac.uk

Learning technology support and guidance for all staff and students at SOAS 

Staff and students are supported by the Learning Design and Technology team in the use of learning technologies such as Moodle, Turnitin, Panopto and how they can be used to enhance learning, teaching, and assessment. We produce a portfolio of learning materials to support online and blended programmes and support staff with embedding learning technologies in the design of their modules, in an accessible and creative way, drawing on current pedagogical practice and research. We manage and plan exams and collaborate with both professional services and academic staff and students in the delivery of this, whether remote or in-person. 

If you are a student or a member of staff, you can access more information on our internal pages.

If you are a higher education institution and want to find out more about our work and/or explore potential collaborations, email us at ldt@soas.ac.uk

Pedagogical scholarship and networks   

Learning and Teaching Enhancement undertake pedagogical research to inform their mentoring and support as well as enrich pedagogical literature. We lead on national networks such as the UK Network on Service-Learning/Community Engaged Learning and we contribute to the Bloomsbury Consortium (servicelearning@jiscmail.ac.uk). 

If you are interested in partnerships in teaching and want to join the UK Network on Service-Learning, email Marie Xypaki at mx4@soas.ac.uk.