Senior Learning Technologist 

Simon is Keeper of the Media Zoo. It is his job to maintain the Zoo in all its environments, and to ensure the animals are well cared for and amenable to visits from the public.

Simon also offers many hands-on opportunites for University staff and associates to engage with learning technologies.

With ten years experience as a freelance editor in academic publishing, Simon is a University of Leicester graduate with degrees in international relations.

Contact details

Direct line: + 44 (0)116 229 7549 
Email: simon.kear@le.ac.uk
Second Life: Johnson Zuta

Awards and Grants

• October 2011: Santander Travel Award to visit the eLearn Center of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, £500.
• October 2011, with Denise Sweeney (Academic Practice Unit), Teaching Enhancement Program funding to run internal pilot project in lecture capture £1010 
• November 2010: Media Zoo shortlisted for Times Higher Education Award Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year

Qualifications

• Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology (CMALT), 2010
• MA in Diplomatic Studies, University of Leicester, 1994 
• BSc Combined Studies, University of Leicester, 1992 

Publications

• Kear, S., 'Virtual learning environments and beyond'. In Curtis, S., and Rofe, J. Simon, (Eds), Does the Medium Matter? IT-Assisted Learning and Teaching in International Relations and Politics, Why Social Science Matters Issue 5, C-SAP, Birmingham, 2011
• Kear, S., The Media Zoo Approach: Promoting Learning Technologies at the University of Leicester'. In Pleschova, G. (ed.) IT in Action: Stimulating Quality Learning at Undergraduate Students, Budrich UniPress Ltd., 2010.

Selection of recent conference papers

2011

• Kear, S., 'Online conferencing in the era of the 24/7 global digital society', Online Educa Berlin (forthcoming)

2010

• Kear, S., 'Low Cost, High Impact: Delivering a Successful Global Online Conference', Online Educa Berlin (1-3 December)

2009

• Kear, S., 'Open Educational Resources: The Leicester Approach', Online Educa Berlin (2-4 December)

Zoo Tours (external presentations)

2011

• School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Ireland, 23 September 2011
• European Bioinformatics Institute, Genome Campus, UK, 27 June

2010

• School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, UK, 10 November (online)
• Educause Learning Initiative, USA, 12 July (online)
• Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK, 10 May
• Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia, 18-20 March (online)