Bringing theory to practice: Dr Zohaib Akhtar awarded Imperial MEd degree

Congratulations to our Teaching Fellow Dr Zohaib Akhtar, who receives his Master of Education (MEd) degree at today's Graduation ceremony.

The three-year MEd in University Learning and Teaching, delivered by Imperial’s Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship (CHERS), is designed for university staff who want to deepen their knowledge of pedagogy and enhance their teaching practice.

This degree has helped me enormously by grounding my experience in pedagogy, learning theory, and effective feedback practices. Dr Zohaib Akhtar

“I pursued this qualification because, despite having taught at university level for over a decade, I had never received formal training in education.

Like many teachers, I studied engineering and then found myself teaching it – a bit like diving into the deep end and figuring out how to swim as I went along. Over the years, I picked up teaching strategies mostly through trial and error.

This degree has helped me enormously by grounding my experience in pedagogy, learning theory, and effective feedback practices.”

Zohaib’s research focused on digital assessments, in particular the growing presence of large language models (LLMs) in education. LLMs are machine learning models designed for natural language processing tasks, especially language generation, such as those used in tools like ChatGPT.

There's no substitute for one-to-one time with students — it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. Dr Zohaib Akhtar

"The flexibility of the course allowed me to focus on digital learning, an area that has become increasingly relevant in recent years with the emergence of LLMs and their growing use among students. The degree helped me better understand the opportunities and challenges in this space."

"If there’s one key takeaway I would highlight, it’s this: there's no substitute for one-to-one time with students. I genuinely enjoy spending time with them — it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of my role.”

Professor Christos Bouganis, EEE's Director of Undergraduate Studies, said:

Continued professional development in teaching is essential... ultimately leading to higher-quality teaching and learning outcomes. Professor Christos Bouganis Director of Undergraduate Studies

“We are delighted to celebrate Dr Zohaib Akhtar’s achievement, with its focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning within the university context. The use of digital tools to enhance the student learning experience is an area of increasing relevance and impact across higher education.

Continued professional development in teaching is essential for equipping staff with up-to-date pedagogical approaches, ultimately leading to higher-quality teaching and learning outcomes.

Our Department is proud to support such programmes, and Zohaib's exemplifies our committment to fostering excellence in education.”

Congratulations, Zohaib from all of us in EEE — and thank you for your continued contributions to teaching and learning in the Department.