Andrew Middleton

Andrew Middleton is Professor of Active Learning and Deputy Head of Anglia Learning & Teaching at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), renowned as a National Teaching Fellow for advancing academic innovation in student-centered learning. He spearheads ARU's Active Curriculum development and leads cross-institutional collaborations on strategic educational initiatives including Active Learning, Design for Life, Simulation-based Learning, and Digital Fluency.

His educational credentials feature a PhD completed between 2017-2022 on The situated agency of studio learning and its value for non-studio disciplines. This foundational work informs his research trajectory exploring the interplay between physical and digital environments in education.

Middleton's scholarly focus centers on transforming higher education through active learning frameworks, spatial fluency concepts, and digital pedagogy. He pioneers approaches like Studio for All for cooperative learning and Design for Life for graduate capital development, emphasizing authentic challenges, intrinsic feedback, and multimodal learning spaces. His work bridges theoretical innovation with practical toolkits for curriculum enhancement across disciplines.

Analysis of his 2013-2021 publications reveals an evolving emphasis from foundational mobile learning and audio feedback research toward integrated spatial-digital frameworks and employability-focused curriculum design. His recent work demonstrates increasing sophistication in connecting physical learning environments with digital fluency, while maintaining consistent focus on student agency and inclusive pedagogical practices across all output.

His distinguished recognition includes the prestigious National Teaching Fellowship.

• National Teaching Fellowship

As Deputy Head of Anglia Learning & Teaching, Middleton actively supervises research while leading institution-wide projects including OfS-funded simulation facilities across three campuses. His grant-funded initiatives span curriculum transformation, digital fluency implementation, and employability integration, often developed through collaborative networks involving faculty, Student Life Services, and external partners. He champions staff-student co-creation in educational development.

He directs ARU's Active Learning Network, co-hosts the Exquisite Corpse podcast exploring innovative teaching, and chairs the UK Media-Enhanced Learning Special Interest Group (MELSIG) – organizing over 30 national events. These platforms foster communities of practice for pedagogical innovation, connecting educators across institutional boundaries to advance media-enhanced and spatially-aware teaching methodologies.