Professor Emma Norling Inaugural Lecture: The Importance of Context in Education

What makes a good lecture? Is it the passion of the presenter for their subject? Is it their polished slides and supporting props? Their use of interactive tools?

All these things can contribute to a good lecture, but in this lecture, I will argue that the contextualisation of knowledge is probably the most important component in a good lecture. Good education though is not just about good lectures, these ideas need to be extended to the design of whole programmes, and I will explain how involving staff, students and external advisors in the development process is critical to the contextualisation of knowledge within and across programmes.

Emma Norling is a Professor of Engineering Education in the School of Computer Science. She joined the University of Sheffield in January 2018 as a senior university teacher, and was promoted on the teaching specialist pathway in January 2024. Prior to this she had multiple roles at Manchester Metropolitan University, and also at the University of Melbourne (where she also completed her PhD (on Modelling Human Behaviour with BDI Agents) and undergraduate degree. Emma is currently Director of Education in the School of Computer Science, and leads the Teaching eXpertise (TX) Group within the school. She is passionate about education and probably gets involved in too many related activities within and beyond the university.