Richard Sober

After graduating in Architectural and Design History and completing post-graduate degrees in Urban Studies and Information Management, Richard worked for a number of years at Hull School of Architecture and Sunderland University before coming to Teesside where he spent ten years as Subject area leader for Spatial Design. His current role is as a University Teaching Fellow and Principal Lecturer in Spatial Design and his research interests relate to both art and design and learning and teaching.

During the last decade his research has included HEFCE-funded work into the use of innovative pedagogies in design, HEA funded research into peer support and mentoring and he has given over 20 conference papers nationally and internationally at both art and design and learning and teaching events and has presented and published most recently on aspects of student achievement and success, autonomous learning, peer learning and support and student led employability initiatives. Many of his innovations have since been taken up and written about across the sector and in 2009 Richard was awarded an Art, Design & Media Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy.

He is currently a  Director of The Three Rivers Learning and Teaching Consortium as well as producing a number of in-house university learning and teaching materials on subjects such as course leadership and student representation. More recent research has included designs for learning spaces and he has also contributed to conferences and books on the subject.

Richard has a broad interest in pedagogical debates and learning and teaching innovation, particularly in the art and design discipline. His current interests include: student engagement, achievement and success; autonomous learning, promoting employability in art and design; the HE learning environment, peer support and mentoring and working with students as partners and students as producers.