Professor Annie Hughes
Faculties, departments and locations
- Non-faculty academics
- Across departments
- Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC)
- Kingston Hill
Head of Learning and Teaching Enhancement
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am a geographer by discipline. Through my classroom teaching and research, I developed an interest in inclusive academic practices in higher education. I am a professor in higher education pedagogy.
My current role is Head of Learning and Teaching Enhancement in Academic Services. I am responsible for ensuring that academic learning and teaching practices are effective and inclusive and ensure an equality of opportunity for all students. I lead the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre and have oversight over academic staff development, curriculum design and enhancement and technology enhanced learning.
I have held a number of roles at Kingston University, including Head of Academic Staff Development, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, School Director of Learning and Teaching and course director for geography programmes.
My research is focused on inclusive learning and teaching practices in higher education. Throughout my academic career I have been privileged to interact with inspiring students from a huge range of backgrounds who have taught me the inherent value of diversity. These interactions have driven my commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion as key considerations in higher education.
I have led several projects on HE pedagogy. I am currently leading on two projects:
- 2024: Exploring the opportunities that generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers for higher education has been successful. Successful QAA Collaborative Enhancement Bid to lead with 11 other Universities (University of Birmingham, University of Greenwich, University of Hertfordshire, Teesside University, Robert Gordon University, Leeds Beckett University, Middlesex University, University of the West of England, University of Brighton and Anglia Ruskin University Project Lead and PI
- 2024: Adapting institutional practice to most effectively support commuter students. The project, funded by the University Alliance, is led by Kingston University and partners include four other University Alliance Members: University of Hertfordshire, Robert Gordon University, University of West London and Oxford Brookes University. Project Lead and PI
I hold the role of EduExe Framework External Adviser at Exeter University (2025-2028) and I am a critical friend to the Bradford Fellowships Scheme at the University of Bradford (2025-2028).
I am the lead editor for Educational Developments - Seda, the quarterly magazine of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) and an Executive member, Director and a Trustee of Staff and Educational Development Association.
I co-chair Kingston's Race Equality Charter Mark and I am a member of the following University committees: Student Life Committee, TEF core writing group (TESG), University Ethics Committee (as SADRAS lead), APP Steering Group, University Education Committee, University Regulatory Committee and the Student Voice Committee
With Nona McDuff (OBE), I developed Kingston University's Inclusive Curriculum Framework which was awarded the Guardian Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017. My research has been supported by Kingston University, as well as AdvanceHE, the Office for Students (OfS), the Royal Geographical Society and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). I am a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a National Teaching Fellow and a member of the ESRC Peer Review College.
I have completed both the Advance HE Strategic Leadership (Research) Programme (September 2024) and the Advance HE Strategic Leadership Programme 15 (March to May 2023). I also completed the Leading Transformation in Learning and Teaching Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) Leadership Foundation Programme (2013–2014 - all modules).
Most recent blogs:
- Hughes, A. (2025, May) How to make field education in geography more anti-racist: seven key steps. Geography Directions.
- Hughes, A. and Linsey, T. (2025) How AI may make us rethink the purpose of HE
Qualifications
- 2018: Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA)
- 2017: Higher Education Academy, National Teaching Fellow (NTF)
- 2016: University Teaching Fellowship, Kingston University (UTF)
- 2015: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
- 2013: Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- 1997: PhD Human Geography (University of Bristol)
- 1992: BA (Hons) Geography (University of Wales)
- 1992: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Domains
Throughout my academic career I have been privileged to interact with inspiring students from a huge range of backgrounds who have taught me the inherent value of diversity. These interactions have driven my commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion as key considerations in higher education and academic teaching.
In my current role as Head of the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC) in the Education Directorate, I have been responsible for ensuring academic learning and teaching practices are inclusive and act to ensure an equality of opportunity for all students. Inclusive practice underlies the work of the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC) which also supports staff to gain Advance HE UKPSF accreditation through our Introduction to Learning and Teaching Programmes and Kingston's Academic Practice Scheme (KAPS). LTEC also runs extensive CPD for staff, supports the quality assurance and enhancement processes of our institution and the enhancement of Kingston courses through the Kingston Course Enhancement Programme. LTEC also encompasses technology-enhanced learning and enterprise education.
With Nona McDuff (OBE), I developed Kingston University's Inclusive Curriculum Framework which was awarded the Guardian Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017. This framework supports the inclusivity of Kingston's academic framework and is embedded in our quality assurance and enhancement processes.
Kingston's approach to tackling degree awarding gaps has been shared across the UK HE sector through various mechanisms including an Office for Students funded project to share our approach with five other UK institutions.
Qualifications
- 2018: Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA)
- 2017: Higher Education Academy, National Teaching Fellow (NTF)
- 2016: University Teaching Fellowship, Kingston University (UTF)
- 2015: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Relevant publications
- Hughes, A. (2022) "Unsettling fieldwork: Reflections of Whiteness and antiracist practice in the pedagogies of fieldwork" Area, DOI: 10.1111/AREA.
- McDuff, N. Hughes, A., Ross, F; Tatam, J. and Morrow, E. (2020) Improving equality of opportunity in higher education through the adoption of an Inclusive Curriculum Framework, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 28:2.
- Hughes, A. and McDuff, N. (2020) Inclusive teaching and learning practices in Geography in Walkington, H. Hill, J. and Dyer, S. (eds.) The Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Geography, London: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
- McDuff, N., Hughes, A. and Sharma, S. (2019) Chapter: Inclusive curricula. In: Marshall, S. (forthcoming) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Fifth edition. Routledge.
- Hughes, A., Mohamad, K., McDuff, N. and Michener, C. (2019) Curriculum co-creation as a transformative strategy to address differential student outcomes: the example of Kingston University's Student Curriculum Consultant Programme, Compass, Vol 12, No 1 (2019)
- Hughes, A, McDuff, N. and Beacock, O. (2019) Three unis discuss what they're doing about the attainment gap
- Balloo, K., Evans, C., Hughes, A, Zhu, X. and Winstone, N. (2018) Transparency isn't spoon-feeding: How a transformative approach to the use of explicit assessment criteria can support student self-regulation, Frontiers of Education, 3 (69): 1–-11.
- Ross, F; Tatam, J.; Hughes, A.; Beacock, O. and McDuff, N, (2018) The great unspoken shame of UK Higher Education: addressing inequalities of attainment. African Journal of Business Ethics, 12(1), ISSN (print) 1817-7417.
- Parker, H. Hughes, A., Marsh, C., Ahmed, S., Cannon, J., Taylor-Steeds, E. Jones, L. and Page, N, (2017) Understanding the different challenges facing students in transitioning to university particularly with a focus on ethnicity. New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences, 12, ISSN (online) 2051-3615.
- Hughes, A. (2016) Exploring normative whiteness: ensuring inclusive pedagogic practice in undergraduate fieldwork teaching and learning. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(3), pp. 460-477. ISSN (print) 0309-8265. DOI: 10.1080/03098265.2016.1155206.
Specialisms
- Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education
- Assessment and feedback practice in higher education
- Quality enhancement in higher education
I lead the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre at Kingston University reporting to the PVc (Education). The Centre has three key strands, each with its own academic lead – Academic Staff Development, Technology Enhanced Learning and Enterprise Education. The Centre also runs the Inclusive Curriculum Consultants Programme and has a focus on developing Inclusive Curriculum through the implementation of Kingston's Inclusive Curriculum Framework. This framework embeds inclusivity from concept to review to include inclusive course content, inclusive delivery (learning and teaching strategy), inclusive assessment, as well as accessible and inclusive feedback practices. We are achieving this through developing the knowledge and skills of our staff in culturally competent teaching and an understanding of critical pedagogies. We are also working closely with Planning and Data Insight to ensure that our course leaders and academic teachers understand the changing demographic of their student cohorts, as well as the diverse ways in which their students are doing university (e.g. commuting).
University responsibilities
- Head of the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre
- Member of the Education Committee
- Member of the Regulatory Framework Committee
- Member of the Teaching Excellence Steering Group
Publications
Unsettling fieldwork: reflections of Whiteness and anti-racist practice in the pedagogies of fieldwork
Hughes, Annie, 2022, Area, E-pub ahead of print
Improving equality of opportunity in Higher Education through the adoption of an inclusive curriculum framework
McDuff, Nona, Hughes, Annie, Tatam, John, Morrow, Elizabeth and Ross, Fiona, 2020, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning (22), 2pp 83-121, Published
Curriculum co-creation as a transformative strategy to address differential student outcomes: the example of Kingston University's Student Curriculum Consultant Programme
Hughes, Annie Livingstone, Michener, Christina, Mohamed, Kamal and Mcduff, Nona, 2019, Compass (12), 1, Published
Transparency isn't spoon-feeding: how a transformative approach to the use of explicit assessment criteria can support student self-regulation
Balloo, Kieran, Evans, Carol, Hughes, Annie, Zhu, Xiaotong and Winstone, Naomi, 2018, Frontiers in Education (3), 69, Published
"The great unspoken shame of UK Higher Education": addressing inequalities of attainment
Tatam, John Christian, Hughes, Annie Livingstone, Beacock, Owen Paul, Mcduff, Nona and Ross, Fiona Mary, 2018, African Journal of Business Ethics (12), 1, Published
Understanding the different challenges facing students in transitioning to university particularly with a focus on ethnicity
Parker, Hannah, Hughes, Annie, Marsh, Caleb, Ahmed, Sadia, Cannon, James, Taylor-Steeds, Emma, Jones, Lucy and Page, Nigel, 2017, New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences (12), Published
Exploring normative whiteness: ensuring inclusive pedagogic practice in undergraduate fieldwork teaching and learning
Hughes, Annie, 2016, Journal of Geography in Higher Education (40), 3pp 460-477, Published
Violence against women in Pakistan: a case study of Cholistani women
Aziz, Samehia and Hughes, Annie, 2011, International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (5), 10pp 451-466, Published
Developing and delivering anti-racist approaches to field teaching
Hughes, Annie (2025). In: Hammett, Daniel, Holmes, Naomi, (eds.), Abingdon, U.K.:pp 103-110 [Published]
The inclusive curriculum
McDuff, Nona, Hughes, Annie and Sharma, Sonya (2020). In: Marshall, Stephanie, (eds.), Abingdon, U.K.:pp 106-122 [Published]
Inclusive teaching and learning practices in geography
Hughes, Annie and Mcduff, Nona (2019). In: Hill, Jennifer, Dyer, Sarah, Walkington, Helen, (eds.), Cheltenham, U.K.:pp 168-182 [Published]
Lone parents and paid work: evidence from rural England
Hughes, Annie and Nativel, Corinne (2005). In: Little, Jo, Morris, Carol, (eds.), Aldershot, UK: Ashgatepp 27-44 [Published]
Geographies of invisibility: the "hidden" lives of rural lone parents
Hughes, Annie (2004). In: Holloway, Lewis, Kneafsey, Moya, (eds.), Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing Ltdpp 126-144 [Published]
Creating curricula that support students' learning: the role of data as facilitator
Hughes, Annie, Constance, Suzanne, Islam, Syed, Page, Nigel, Reid, Tamara and Wason, Hilary(2023). [Published]
What does an inclusive and sustainable student centred timetable look like in the age of the commuting student?
Page, Nigel, Forster-Wilkins, Gary, Hughes, Anne and Bonetzky, Mark(2019). [Published]
What does an inclusive timetable look like in STEM?
Page, Nigel, Forster-Wilkins, Gary, Hughes, Anne and Bonetzky, Mark(2019). [Published]
Student expectations from on-line feedback: credibility, personalisation and exemplified feedback tools and techniques
Orwell, Suzan, Downward, Stuart, Hughes, Annie, Leiva Ponce De Leon, Andrea and Jameela, Aaliyah(2019). [Accepted/In press]
Creating inclusive assessment practices in the age of the commuting student
Page, Nigel, Hughes, Annie, Hill, Natasha and Denholm-Price, James(2018). [Published]
Exploring differential levels of confidence in assessment and feedback literacies amongst a diverse student body: a case-study of year 1 students at the start of their Higher Education experience in a post-1992 University
Hughes, Annie, Downward, Stuart, Kyei, Chantal and Michener, Christina(2018). [Published]
Curriculum co-creation: a transformative strategy to address differential student outcomes
Hughes, Annie, Mohamed, Kamal and Michener, Christina(2018). [Published]
Delivering an inclusive higher education: an inclusive curriculum framework from concept to review
McDuff, Nona and Hughes, Annie(2017). [Published]
Understanding the challenges facing students in transitioning to university
Parker, Hannah, Marsh, Caleb, Ahmed, Sadia, Cannon, James, Taylor-Steeds, Emma, Hughes, Annie, Jones, Lucy and Page, Nigel(2017). [Published]