The impact of digital

Digital learning and teaching | Digital transformation | Digital information and research

Digital transformation

Supporting a strategic approach to digital transformation

Assessing digital maturity

Helping you develop and refine strategies, assess digital maturity and develop a roadmap

Digital education

Improving digital learning and teaching

Enhancing the student experience

How digital impacts all aspects of the learner experience

Digital information

Research and synthesis

Information and knowledge management

Conducting research and synthesis in digital eductation

Digital wellbeing

Managing the way digital affects physical and mental health

Impact of digital on staff and students

Minimising negative impacts and the potential to improve wellbeing

Digital capability

Effective use of digital for work, learning and personal enjoyment

Building skills and confidence of staff and students

Taking a broad approach to supporting digital fluency and personal development

Equity, diversity and inclusion

Digital preferences and needs

Enhancing accessibility and widening participation

Recognising diverse needs and ensuring equitable approaches to support

Our consultancy service…

Our team has forty years experience working in higher, further and secondary education. We have working experience of curriculum development, teaching, learning technology, librarianship, information management, distance learning, service management and research projects. This gives us a broad range of expertise and understanding of different educational organisations. We have worked extensively in the UK as well as being involved in European research projects and working with international partners.

Established in 2012, Lou McGill Consultancy Ltd. has worked with a wide range of clients including Jisc, CETIS, Pebblepad, Commonwealth of Learning, Open University, MyScience, Scottish Autism, Scotlands Colleges and individual educational institutions such as Glasgow Caledonian University, Doncaster College and Coventry University.

Committed to open inclusive practice
Adopting collaborative approaches and practices
Supporting environmentally sustainable practice

Find out more about our recent consultancy work

Consultancy work

Meet the team

Lou McGillDirector

Lou originally qualified as a librarian in 1984 and managed both national special education libraries and academic library services. She moved into the field of educational technology in higher education in the early 2000s, working as a learning technologist, educational developer and programme manager. Lou has worked as an independent consultant in digital transformation and learning and teaching technologies since 2008. Her consultancy work has spanned a wide range of areas including curriculum design and delivery, online teaching and learning, digital capabilities of staff and students, digital wellbeing, accessibility and inclusion, digital transformation, digital repositories and open education, open badging and digital content management.

Tim GrayDirector

Tim Gray is an experienced senior lecturer and programme leader working in higher education within the arts sector. As an academic he has specialised in animation, photography, contemporary art, painting, art, and graphic design. He holds a Master’s Degree in Research Degree Supervision GSA, Design Manufacture (Animation) DMU, PGCE (Art & Design) DMU, BA in Fine Art Northumbria University. His work as a practicing academic in the UK sector, external examiner for several universities and work with CollArts (Australia Melbourne) developing online and blended animation courses provides valuable input to our work.

Laurie McGillAdministrative assistant

Laurie supports the team with administrative duties. He looks after the company website and websites that we have developed for our customers. He is our valued IT and AI expert.

Sheila MacNeillIndependent digital learning consultant

Sheila is an independent digital learning consultant with over 20 years of experience in higher education, specialising in strategy development, project evaluation, staff support, and curriculum design. Having worked as a researcher and senior lecturer, Sheila has contributed to various national and institutional innovation and strategic projects, including collaborations with us on CETIS initiatives and the Beyond Blended work focused on rethinking curriculum and learning design.
FRSA, FHEA, CMALT

Helen BeethamLecturer, researcher and consultant in digital education

Helen is an educational consultant and academic who works with a range of national education agencies and UK/international universities. She has expertise in digital futures, digital literacy, learning technologies, pedagogy and innovation. We have worked with Helen on a number of large scale programmes including Jisc digital capabilities framework, UKOER, online learners, digital transformation and recently the Beyond blended work on rethinking curriculum and learning design

Testimonial

Lisa Gray

Senior consultant (HE learning and teaching), Jisc

“Lou is a talented and dedicated consultant, who brings her many years of experience, and thorough approach to any consultancy work she undertakes. Her work with Jisc has been faultless, she operates with a level of professionalism that is exemplary.” October 2021

Testimonial

Andrew Law

Director, Open Media Unit, Open University

Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert

Lou undertook a consultancy which looked into both technical, operational and business challenges for the OU. She showed deep understanding not just of the subject domain – but dealt sensitively and effectively with a range of stakeholders. The report was developed quickly, was warmly welcomed and provided a practical but potentially game changing plan. September 20, 2012

Testimonial

Allison Littlejohn

Director of the UCL Knowledge Lab, University College London, UK

Over the past 10 years I have worked with Lou on several national and international projects funded by the EC, JISC, HEA, NSF and HEFCE. Lou, as consultant and project manager, has consistently acted as the key link, connecting people and resources to generate new ideas. At the same time she is a great organiser, making sure each project runs on budget and to time. Lou is a great facilitator, of both face-to-face and online events. She has the insight, experience and composure to make a success of any project. I highly recommend Lou as a consultant, collaborator and project manager.”