Mr Luke Searle
Learning Designer
Luke joined the Digital Learning team in 2021 supporting the deployment of Anthology Ally, an accessibility service embedded into Blackboard. This has led into developing his knowledge of accessibility with a focus on STEM accessibility. Since, Luke has led on other project including, the exploration for digital badges, developing scenario based learning training for the Univeristy Executive Board, supporting various software pilot projects and leading the Blackboard and VLE awards. Additionally, Luke has managed the summer internship provision within the team since joining in 2021, developing their programme of works and line-managing throughout their time with the Digital Learning team.
In previous workplaces, Luke is an experienced network manager providing services for secondary schools. Luke oversaw day-to-day operations of the department alongside a major infrastructure upgrade projects alongside a successful laptop scheme that provided all students in the school with a personal computing device. More recently, Luke provided technical and pedagogical support to a university deployment of online teaching delivery in support of their COVID 19 response.
Luke is engaged in the University's Social Mobility Network, which aims to raise the awareness of positives staff and student experiences from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds. Supporting the development of the a community podcast, The Class Ceiling . Additionally, Luke chairs the JISC Accessible-Maths working group, which shares and develops practices and technologies for improving the accessibility of maths content.
Awards and recognition
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
- Certified Membership of the Association of Learning Technology (CMALT).
- Nominated in the 2024 in the Community and Wellbeing and Social Mobility and Public Good award categories.
- Finalist in the 2023 Vice-Chancellor's Award in the Social Mobility and Public Good category.
- Recipient of the Thirty under 30 in Learning Technologies awarded by the Learning technologies conference.
- Recipient of the 2019 Undergraduate Research Award awarded by the British Computing Society.
- Nominated in the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Award in the Rising Star category.
- Recipient of the 2020 Team Leader of the Year award at Solent University.
- Recipient of a HWBOT world record for high-performance processor optimisation.
- Co-chair for the JISC Accessible Maths Working Group
External resources
- Improving the Student Experience Together: conference - The University of Queenland, 2024
- Grow your own Accessibility Allies: web article - THECampus, 2023
- A collaborative approach to maths accessibility: webinar - JISC, 2022
- Accessibility Allies at the Univeristy of Southampton. AbilityNet Webinar, 2022