On December 4th, 2012 the following winners were presented with a Digital Pracitioner Award by BBC Stargazing Live's Mark Thompson:

Outstanding Digital Practitioner Award (Sponsored by LSIS)

Mandy-Jayne Lace, Learning Societies

Mandy-Jayne has overcome many personal barriers in order to support learners with disabilities from accessing Higher Education.  No stranger to technology herself, Mandy-Jayne has made extensive use of accessibility software and the latest gadgets to ensure that education is accessible to all.

Carlotta Goulden-Allum, Hibiscus Project

Carlotta used technology to help female prisoners tell digital stories about their lives.  Her project was so successful, that she is now developing training for other prison staff, so that they too can use technology with learners.

Jane McFadzean, Wild Women's Hour

The Wild Women's Hour is a community radio broadcast on Radio St Austell Bay in Cornwall.  Working with women who have faced challenges throughout their life, Jane supported them in learning the technology, social and inspirational skills needed to progress not only in broadcasting, but in their day-to-day lives.

Outstanding Digital Practitioner Award (Sponsored by NIACE)

Steve Bellis, Yale College, Wrexham

Steve worked with thousands of learners to engage them in digital storytelling, helping them to not only engage in the learning process, but also learn valuable digital literacy skills along the way.  Steve work has also included supporting other tutors in understanding the technology they could use to enhance their teaching.

Outstanding Digital Practitioner in Offender Learning (Supported by the Virtual Campus)

James Briggs, HMP South East*

Enthused by the virtual campus, James has worked on creating content, engaging learners and mentoring other staff in making use of technology in offender learning.  As well as championing the technology, James has worked hard at inducting new staff to use it and making the content fun and engaging.

*Names and organisations have been changed for security reasons.

 The following nominations were also highly commended

• Mike Abel, Hull College
• Unnamed Prison Project
• Steve Stocks DAIN / WEA

All the award winners had to have:

• made learning more inclusive or
• widened participation in learning or
• made learning more engaging or
• delivered learning in a different way

Applications also needed to include inspirational stories of:

• how the teacher achieved this change or
• how a teacher went beyond the call of duty to implement innovation / technology or
• the positive and inspiring impact this had on learner(s) during or after their sessions