Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
  1. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning /
  2. SoTL Spotlight Podcast /
  3. Season 4 /
  4. Episode 3 - Module Cocreation

Episode 3 - Module Cocreation

This episode was a live recording at the 2026 Teaching & Learning 2026 Conference.

The hosts are academics from Sheffield Business School (Ian Whiteside and Katrin Stefansdottir) and they are joined by their wonderful students (Frederick and Mia).
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Katrin Stefansdottir

I am an events researcher focusing on business events. My main areas of interest for research are within conferences; learning, and sharing of knowledge; career development; communities; event experience, design, and co-creation; and event impact, value, and outcomes. My main teaching areas are within business events; event strategy and operations; research and finance.

My research focus is within business events, with particular interest on conferences and their contribution towards career development opportunities and new learning. In my previous research I focused on the individual attendee’s conference journey, developing an understanding of the impacts it creates over a lifetime of multiple conference attendances. One of the research areas I am interested in exploring is the relationship between career progression/development and attendance at business events.

My teaching areas are greatly aligned with my research interest areas and previous industry experience. I teach across both undergraduate and postgraduate courses within event management, mostly within modules on business events, research, and finance. 

I am an experienced supervisor of undergraduate research projects and postgraduate dissertations on a variety of topics within events management. I also deliver workshops for doctoral students about the importance for academics to attend conferences and the impact the attendance can have on their research and career progression.

If you are an organisation, academic, or student interested in these areas, with or without links to business events, or any other aspects of business events, please get in touch - I am happy to discuss any ideas you have.

Ian Whiteside

I have 17 years of experience teaching Events Management as a Senior Lecturer, before this I spent 20 years working in Creative and Cultural Industries.

I have been a Senior Lecturer teaching Events Management at Sheffield Hallam University since 2010. Before this I had a career in the Creative and Cultural industries as a theatre manager, museum service manager, gallery curator and arts centre manager. I was very lucky to work with amazing artists and audiences creating some incredible experiences. I usually describe this work as connecting artists and audiences.

During my time at Sheffield Hallam University, I have been Course Leader for the BSc Events Management and module leader for a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

 My doctoral thesis researched the creation and management of visitor experience at National Trust properties.

My primary teaching and research interests are in the areas of event experience, event strategy and application of events theory.