Jill Griffiths

Jill Griffiths is Head of the School of Digital Arts (SODA) and Reader in Pedagogical Innovation at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). In her leadership role, she provides strategic direction and operational management for the School. Previously, she held roles as Section Leader and Principal Lecturer at MMU’s iSchool, Research Fellow at CERLIM (Centre for Research in Libraries and Information Management), and Research & Project Manager at MDR Partners. Currently, she serves as External Examiner for Degree Apprenticeships at Kingston University, London.

Her academic expertise focuses on pedagogical innovation, curriculum design, and digital education models. A pioneer in degree apprenticeships, she co-developed MMU’s first such program in 2015—the BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions—and led the BSc (Hons) Digital User Experience apprenticeship. Her research explores user experience (UX), digital interaction in cultural collections, and academic/commercial sector behaviors. She has led over 20 nationally/internationally funded projects, including the EU FP7-funded PATHS project for personalized digital cultural heritage access.

Griffiths has published extensively in journals like the International Journal of Cultural Policy, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, and Library Trends. Her work spans book chapters in digital library development, information literacy, and e-learning. She has presented at conferences including the International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics and Museums and the Web.

Recent initiatives include UX consultancy for a global commercial organization and guidance on MMU’s BA (Hons) Creative Digital Design apprenticeship. Her research emphasizes cultural sustainability, digital pedagogy, and innovative educational delivery models.