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Dr Barbara Vohmann

School Learning Lead

Chair of School Research Ethics Panel

Faculty:
Faculty of Science and Engineering
School:
Engineering and the Built Environment
Location:
Chelmsford
Areas of Expertise:
Built environment
Research Supervision:
Yes

Barbara is a Senior Lecturer and Learning Lead in the School of Engineering and the Built Environment. Her research interests include teaching, learning and assessment in higher education, particularly built environment courses and links between assessment and preparation of students as effective industry practitioners.

[email protected]

ResearchGate

Background

As an experienced education practitioner, Barbara integrates her pedagogic practice with her research interest in education. Her research began with an exploration of the use of buildings to foster a positive learning environment. More recently, Barbara’s research has been in the field of learning, teaching and assessment, having a particular focus on assessment in higher education to promote development of built environment students as effective industry practitioners.

Barbara teaches both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and also supervises DProf students. She is School Learning Lead for the surveying and construction courses. After graduating in economics, she taught in a diversity of London and Essex schools for five years before moving into higher education. Barbara has been an external examiner, external panel member on a number of course validation events including as subject specialist, and DProf examiner for the Confirmation of Upgrade assessment. She is a college governor.

Research interests

  • Assessment and assessment feedback for undergraduates
  • Academic assessment and undergraduates as effective industry practitioners
  • Mid-trimester reviews and the learning environment
  • Teaching, learning and social construct of space
  • Critical success factors for SMEs
  • Inclusivity and education

Areas of research supervision

Barbara is currently supervising a doctoral student in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She welcomes research proposals, in particular within the area of built environment education.

Teaching

BSc(Hons) Quantity Surveying and BSc(Hons) Construction Management

  • Law and Economics
  • Management
  • The Strategic Construction Entrepreneur
  • Planning for Dissertation
  • Dissertation

MSc Project Management

  • Management Practice
  • Management Theory
  • Supervision of MSc dissertation students

Qualifications

  • DProf Built Environment, Anglia Ruskin University
  • MA Independent Study, University of East London
  • PGCE, University of Birmingham

Memberships, editorial boards

  • Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
  • Incorporate member, Chartered Institute of Building (ICIOB)

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

  • External Examiner, the University of Central Lancashire, 2009-14
  • Member of the validation panel, franchise of MBA Business Administration, London School of Commerce, 2011

Selected recent publications

Thompson, A. and Vohmann, B., 2022. The perceptions of undergraduate surveying students of online learning during a pandemic and their preparation as industry practitioners. Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching, 15(1), pp.1-9.

Vohmann, B., 2019. Enhancing assessment to prepare undergraduates as effective built environment industry practitioners. In: Proceedings 35th Annual ARCOM conference.

Vohmann, B., Crabtree, P., Priddle, J., Frame, I., 2017. Mode of study influences built environment students' perception of their professional development. In: Proceedings 33rd Annual ARCOM Conference.