Dr Patrina Law joined the Cumberland Lodge Board of Trustees in July 2024. In her work, she aims to deliver award-winning, creative learning experiences, based on evidence-driven policy and design. With over 20 years’ experience in educational technology in Higher Education, she is focused on open access to learning and generating significant social impact and as such, co-authored the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring report 2023.
Patrina specialises in e-learning strategy and policy for outreach, researching, and commissioning impactful free learning for millions of adult learners across multiple platforms (OpenLearn.com, YouTube, Amazon). She brings experience of digital badging technology to the RSA and managed the UK Digital Badging Commission to build a new consensus around the development and deployment of digital badges to recognise learning and skills development.
Her research focus has been to understand the motivations of non-formal learners, business models associated with online learning, and the impact and application of digital badging, particularly how to deliver meaningful digital credentials to support learners in low socio economic groups. Her PhD is in this area.
In 2023, she was awarded lifelong Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. In the same year, she was awarded Open Education Global’s Leadership Award for ‘significant leadership and longstanding involvement with Open Education’.
Patrina is a Fellow of the RSA (thersa.org) and serves on the Editorial Board for the RSA’s Journal. She also serves on the 1EdTech Digital Credentials Product Steering Committee. (1EdTech is the not-for-profit that leads and develops international technical open standards for education.)
She was a volunteer vaccinator for St John Ambulance during the pandemic, and is a fund-raiser for CICRA (Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association) and the HOPE Foundation.