Dr Christina Preston, newly appointed as Professor of Educational Innovation at Bedfordshire University, advocates the application of digital technologies as a catalyst for enhancing teaching and learning. She is the managing director of the MirandaNet Consultancy which she established in 1992 as the trading arm of the professional organisation, the international MirandaNet Fellowship, which is a not-for-profit professional organisation. She is also Chair of Trustees of the World Ecitizens charity established by the MirandaNet Fellows in 2002 after the events of 9/11 in New York.
She designs and directs management of change projects with school clusters and region using digital technologies as a catalyst and designs and runs courses for teachers based on research findings about what works best for practitioners and senior managers.
As a result of on-going research into how teachers’ learn best about digital technologies she has, with her team, designed developed and delivered an innovative Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme called iCatalyst with associate members in Czech Republic, China, India, England, Mexico and South Africa. She has directed research projects funded by Becta, the TDA, the DfE and the EU, as well as international universities and governments that have been published widely. Key research successes have been: the development of innovative multimodal research methodologies using concept mapping; new designs for Masters modules and their multimodal accreditation; the development of new modes of knowledge sharing within the profession in communities of practice.
She has won four international awards for innovation in CPD programmes in digital technologies across professional networks: the Digital Inclusion award at the University of Jujuy; the European Union of Women, Humanitarian Award; the Trnkova medal in the Czech Republic and the World Academic Council Humanitarian Award. Professional memberships include the British Computer Society, the Society of Authors, the National Association of Advisers in Computers and Education (NAACE) and Information Technology Teachers in Education (ITTE). She is on the judging panel of the annual BETT exhibition education awards organised by EMAP and The British Education Suppliers Association (BESA).
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