Mark Lawton

Biography

Mark joined the staff team in 2012 as a senior lecturer and has managed several u/g programmes including, FdA Outdoor Education, BA(Hons) Outdoor Leadership, BA(Hons) Outdoor and Experiential Learning (Top-up) and BA(Hons) Outdoor Education. Alongside this leadership role Mark lectures across of range of modules, focusing on group dynamics, education, event management, facilitation techniques and reflection.

Prior to working in Higher Education Mark worked in FE at Runshaw College and at Newton Rigg College.  Here, alongside managing programmes in sport, public services and outdoor education, he established a series of sports scholarships in both Rugby Union alongside the Newcastle Falcons and in Football together with Gretna FC.

Mark is a passionate outdoor practitioner and is particularly keen on journeying in a range of ways from sea kayak or canoe to walking and cycling. He has recently completed Lands’ End to John O’Groats and cycled France Coast to Coast through the Pyrenees.

Qualifications and memberships

• MA Outdoor and Experiential Learning
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy HEA
• BEd (Hons) Outdoor Education and Environmental Science
• Post Graduate Certificate, Academic Practice
• Post Graduate Certificate, Greening Outdoor Practice
• Mountain Leader (Winter)
• Mountain Leader (Summer)
• Rock Climbing Instructor

Academic and research interests

• Outdoor Learning as a pedagogical approach.
• Curiosity
• Social capital and trust

Publications

• Cunningham, S., Lawton, M., & Convery, I. (2020). Augmented reality forest soundscapes. The Ecologist.
• Ensoll, R, Towers, D, Lawton, M and Convery, I (2018) Paddle to the sea. In: Leather, Mark, (ed.) Atmospheres & Narratives EOE 2017 book of abstracts. Plymouth Marjon University, Plymouth, UK, pp. 44-51.
• Lawton, M. (2020, January). Acoustic Augmented Reality. In The Mediation of Experiences by Technology in the Outdoors Opening or Losing Connections with the World 17th EOE conference. University of Cumbria.
• Lawton, M., Cunningham, S., & Convery, I. (2020, September). Nature soundscapes: an audio augmented reality experience. In Proceedings of the 15th International Audio Mostly Conference (pp. 85-92).
• Lawton, M. (2017). ‘Employers’ perspectives on maximising undergraduate student learning from the outdoor education centre work placement. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 21, 1-12.

 

Recent external roles

• Undergraduate External Examiner: Teesside University
• Product design research: Lowe Alpine
• Sustainable Festival Management: Kendal Mountain Festival

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