Lorna Linch is course leader for Geography BSc(Hons), in this post we find out more about what she teaches, how she likes to teach and her research interests.
As well as being course leader for Geography BSc(Hons) I am involved in teaching several modules for the Geography and Environment courses from Foundation through to Masters level. My main teaching interests are in glacial and periglacial processes and geomorphology; palaeoglaciology and reconstructing Quaternary environments; glacial pollutants and contaminants; and sedimentology and micromorphology. Examples of some undergraduate modules I teach on are Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Earth Surface Processes, Ice Age Earth and The Frozen Planet.
I have a lot of fieldwork experience, including winter field skills, for example – Arctic Russia, Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. I also enjoy teaching in the field where my students can get hands-on and see real world examples. Previously I have taught Geography and Environmental Science on student field trips to e.g. Hastings, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Pembrokeshire, Saltdean, Scotland, Spain and Yorkshire. Above all, it is my primary objective to engage with students, and I do this by using a variety of innovative, interactive, blended learning techniques in lectures and practical classes, such as virtual reality field trips, videos, Q&As, quizzes, pair/group work etc., as well as through personal tutorials.
There are two main things I enjoy most about teaching: (1) to inspire students to want to learn about the environment and to be curious about science; (2) to help students reach their full potential and achieve the best results they can – often this may require a little extra support or guidance, and that is what I am here to help with.
Students are supported in their learning by their Course Leader (me), their Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), their Module Leaders and also their Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT). There is also a wealth of support available to students through, for example, Learning Support Plans, Disability and Dyslexia Services, University Student Wellbeing Services, University of Brighton Study Skills and the University Careers and Employability Services.
I grew up in the British countryside (Kent) and have always enjoyed learning about the physical environment in which we live. This love of the outdoors slowly developed into a passion for remote mountainous and cold environments. Physical Geography was my favourite subject at school, so it was the obvious choice for me to study at University. I have a PhD (Queen Mary University of London) and BSc(Hons) (University of Reading) in Physical Geography. I have a long history of teaching (over 20 years), which first started when I qualified as a horse-riding instructor. I went on to Teach English as a Foreign Language in the Czech Republic, Spain and the UK. My love of teaching combined with a love of learning about, and researching, the physical environment is what led me into an academic career in Physical Geography, particularly glacial and periglacial environments.
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