Positioning third space practitioners to co-create online education opportunities : Voices from the field

Author's Biography

Dr Steve Briggs is Director of Learning, Teaching and Libraries (LTL) at the University of Bedfordshire. He leads strategic and enhancement initiatives related to all areas of LTL (including educational development, academic development, learning development, digital learning, library provision, and pre-16 outreach). Steve was previously Co-Chair of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) where he led national work related to professional recognition and networking events. He is currently Diversity Officer for the Committee of the Association for National Teaching Fellows and an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education.

David Abdy has been the University Librarian at the University of Bedfordshire since November 2025, having previously worked at the same institution as Academic Liaison Librarian for Healthcare Practice between 2017 and 2022. He has also held roles as Library Education and Skills Support Manager at Cranfield University (2023–2025), Head of Library for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2022–2023), and as a Librarian at St Andrew’s Healthcare (2012–2017). He holds an MA in Information and Library Management from Northumbria University, a PGCE in Secondary English from Northampton Teacher Training Partnership, and a BA in English Literature and Drama, Film and television from the University College of Ripon and York St John. David’s primary professional interest is in information literacy, supporting widening participation, and non-traditional students in higher education.

Ralitsa Kantcheva is the Senior Learning Development Tutor at the University of Bedfordshire, UK. Ralitsa has experience supporting students both through subject-specific and generic provision of academic literacy and critical thinking skills. Ralitsa’s main research interests are students’ understanding of threshold concepts in academic writing and in scientific research procedures, and embedding sustainability in subject-specific teaching. Ralitsa is Co-Chair of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) Research Community of Practice, and she is currently co-leading on a research project about learning development practice and its connection with Academic Literacies theory. Ralitsa is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

Holly Loveday is a Learning Technologist at the University of Bedfordshire. She works alongside professional services and teaching staff to integrate technology with inclusive pedagogies, with a special interest in anti-racist and decolonial pedagogies. Prior to this, Holly worked as a sessional lecturer at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada in the Department of Fine Arts while completing her master’s degree in writing. Holly’s writing has been published in both Canada and Ireland, and she is a co-founder of the digital literary journal for experimental writing, Over/Exposed.

After studying English language learning at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Barry Poulter pivoted into a career in learning development. In his current role at the University of Bedfordshire, he contributes to a range of initiatives designed to support students across all courses, delivering in-person and online, group and one-to-one support in academic writing and its associated skills.

Habiba Salman is a Learning Technologist at the University of Bedfordshire where she acts as a bridge builder between pedagogical tradition and digital innovation. With over a decade of frontline experience in further education teaching English as a Second Language, functional, and digital skills, Habiba leverages a deep-rooted background in teaching and learning. Her current focus is on demystifying artificial intelligence (AI) for academics, optimising distance learning, and researching the impact of vivas on the staff experience. A dedicated polyglot fluent in four languages and currently learning Spanish, Habiba views technology through a linguistic lens: as a tool for connection.