About Sophie Spencer 

Testament to my love of academic enquiry, critical thinking, and a desire to understand complex issues I started my academic journey studying Education and Religious Studies. Very quickly into my 16-year teaching career, I transitioned into teaching Art before being promoted to Head of Department and then Head of Faculty. In my spare time, I am a practising artist and have a passion for Abstract Mixed Media Art and Interior Design. 

I first fully appreciated the potential of digital learning during the pandemic when I was required to create digital learning experiences for the first time. Since then, I have been fascinated with how technology and quality graphic design can be harnessed to create memorable and effective learning experiences.

I’m deeply passionate about the role great education can play in transforming people’s lives and supporting people as they change and transition through life. What impresses me about digital learning is how accessible it can be despite, geographic, economic, or logistical barriers, how flexible, personalised, interactive, collaborative, and data-driven it can be. 

The online learning industry is growing 15% annually, so it’s an exciting time for educators, especially since we have seen the emergence and power of AI technology.  However, technology is not a silver bullet. It’s only as good as the educators using it. While traditional face-to-face instruction will continue to play a vital role in education, digital learning offers innovative solutions to meet the diverse needs and challenges of learners in the 21st century and I'm excited to explore these solutions to solve new problems. 

I make a great Digital Instructor because I am a deep thinker drawn to creative endeavours and solving problems. I love exploring, adventures, and learning new things. I have a lot to offer as throughout my career have fine-tuned my skills to be able to sequence curricula effectively to support the building of schemata and concisely, select material to reduce cognitive load and design assessments to meet a range of assessment needs. Thanks to my qualifications and experience I have deep pedagogical knowledge. To keep my knowledge fresh, I enjoy attending Educational Conferences and keeping up to date with the latest research in effective educational practice. In support of my transition into digital instruction, I am currently completing a Diploma in Instructional Design through the Digital Learning Institute.