I left the traditional university I was pushed to go to by my school after 3 short months, and began working at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in Milton Keynes, UK. Starting as Chief Photocopier of the Marking Keys (or admin assistant, as they insisted I use on my email footer), I was fortunate to have a line manager who supported and encouraged my progression. Over the next 10 years I completed my BSc Psychology with the Open University, and achieved promotion 3 times to become Deputy Assessment Manager in the Learning and Professional Development department.
My responsibilities are detailed on my LinkedIn profile, but the key relationship formed over that time was with the Case Study Senior Examiner. In 2010 we left together to set up Training-by-Eos; an ICAEW Partner-in-Learning that specialises in the exam that he led the development of, and that I led the marking and results determination of, for so many years.
Our tuition delivery moved from classroom, to blended learning and flipped learning and eventually to online in 2020. We proved ourselves as Case Study specialists, and built relationships supporting other tuition providers both in the UK and internationally.
As our teaching methods evolved I came to realise that the world of accountancy tuition is small, and that there was much more to know. I started my MA in Online and Distance Education with the Open University in 2019 and discovered a passion for academic research and writing. In a moment of strength against ever-present impostor syndrome, I spent January 2021 writing a PhD research proposal based on my experiences working with my students and my MA studies. After a few agonising months I was offered a place to study, starting October 2021.
My starting title for the research proposal is: Data driven reflection in professional learning: Learning design to engage final year student Chartered Accountants in learning analytics.
Sarah Alcock 