About Me

Deborah Baff MA ODE, MSc, BSc (Hons), PG Cert Mgt, COLF, FHEA,CMALT

Background

I’m a Certified Online Learning Facilitator (COLF) of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I am also a Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology and currently undertaking a part time PhD at Lancaster University in E-Research and Technology Enhanced Learning . My PhD research interest relates to social support online and how educators wellbeing can be enhanced through connecting in social network sites. I am a open education practitioner and a proud member of the Global OER Graduate Network.

LINKED IN

Subject Specialist in Digital Leadership and Culture

Jisc Profile

Jisc

I joined JISC in December 2021 as a Subject Specialist in Digital Leadership and Culture where my role focuses on the delivery and evolving design of the Digital Leaders Programme.

25+years experience in higher education focusing on the staff and student experience together.

Academic and Administrative Experience

I have worked across several institutions including the Open University, University of Wales Newport (now University of South Wales) and Swansea University.

Membership and Professional Development Manager ALT

Association for Learning Technology

I was employed as the Membership and Professional Development Manager for ALT Association for Learning Technology between 2019 and 2021. ALT’s activities are mostly focused online, supporting the work of and providing services to over 3500 members across the UK and internationally. I was responsible for developing and managing

ALT’s Membership services for individuals and organisations across all sectors. I also supported the work of Members and Special Interest Groups and governance through the ALT Assembly. I was responsible for the management and development of the CMALT Accreditation Framework. (The Framework provides pathways to peer-assessed accreditation for Learning Technology professionals in the UK and internationally. CMALT is for all professionals who are actively involved in understanding, managing, researching, supporting or enabling learning with the use of Learning Technology.)

Previous Roles
Google Doc Link

Other previous roles have included :-
Senior Academic Developer
Project Manager
Head of Student Registry
School Registrar
Acting Head of Admissions
Deputy Head of Admissions
Deputy IT Facilitator
Student Support Administrator
Associate Lecturer
Chartered Surveyor (see below)
I am also a fully qualified Chartered Surveyor, specialising in Estate Management. I was a Junior Surveyor for a firm of International Property Advisors in Cardiff called DTZ Debenham Thorpe and undertook my Surveying qualifications over four years part time while working full time. I was admitted as a Professional Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on completion of my Assessment of Professional Competence in 1995. I worked across all areas of Estate Management including commercial agency, residential land, valuation and rating, property management, receivership work, building surveying, rent reviews, and lease renewals.
I was subsequently made redundant during the property market downturn during the recession in 1996 and took this opportunity to change direction and having always loved learning, made the decision to pursue a career in education.

My name is Debbie Baff and I’m an Educator based in Wales, UK. This is my blog which I started back in 2014 as part of my MA in Online and Distance Education studies with the Open University. It has gone through multiple revamps and restarts including when I switched to Reclaim Hosting a couple of years ago. There may be some broken links hanging around in some of my earlier posts, in which case if you spot ’em please do let me know! I’m currently working at Jisc as a Subject Specialist in Digital Leadership and Culture where I focus mostly on the Digital Leaders Programme and managing the Digital Leadership and Culture Forum.

PhD Research

I am a part time PhD Student at Lancaster University. I take pride in being an open educator and member of the Global OER Graduate Network (GO_GN). GO_GN is global community of PhD candidates whose research projects focus on open education including Open Education Resources (OER) and Open Education Practice (OEP). My PhD research explores educators’ lived experiences of social support and wellbeing within private social network site channels, examining the behaviours and practices that occur in these spaces. I am using a Heuristic Inquiry approach and undertaking qualitative research within my own personal learning network.