--- title: Home url: 'https://jessica.digital/' markdown: 'https://jessica.digital/index.md' date: '2026-10-24' description: 'Dr Jessica Muirhead, Director of Academic Practice. Academic governance, quality and pedagogy for online higher education.' --- Dr Jessica Muirhead # Academic governance and pedagogy for online higher education I lead the design, quality and continuous improvement of online Master's degrees with university partners, bringing research on how people learn and how institutions are regulated to every decision. [Read my thinking ](https://jessica.digital/articles) Director of Academic Practice at CEG Digital ![Photo of Dr Jessica Muirhead](https://jessica.digital/user/pages/01.home/me_square_small.jpg) ## What I work on Four areas where evidence, practice and governance meet. ### Online pedagogy and student success Study skills, flexible study and engagement design that improve outcomes and retention for part-time postgraduates. [Articles on online education ](https://jessica.digital/articles/category:online-education) ### Assessment and generative AI Assessment design and academic integrity in a world where students and staff use generative AI. [Articles on assessment ](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:assessment) ### Leadership in the third space Working where academic strategy, digital technology and operations meet, and guiding institutions through change. [Articles on the third space ](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:third-space) ### Regulation, quality and partnerships Translating regulatory expectations and quality standards into workable online provision with university partners. [Articles on regulation ](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:regulation) ## Thought leadership [All articles ](https://jessica.digital/articles) 21 Jul 2026 [Leadership](https://jessica.digital/articles/category:leadership) ### [Navigating leadership, identity, and innovation in Higher Education's third space](https://jessica.digital/articles/third-space-leadership) Higher education’s 'third space' is the vital, hybrid intersection where academic strategy, digital technology, and operational infrastructure meet. Drawing on reflective frameworks and interdisciplinary leadership, this article examines how boundary-spanning practitioners navigate cultural friction, preserve pedagogical rigour, and guide institutions through digital transformation and Generative AI. [Third space](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:third-space) [Academic governance](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:academic-governance) [Generative AI](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:generative-ai) 26 Jun 2026 [Online education](https://jessica.digital/articles/category:online-education) ### [Beyond the "one-size-fits-all" model: Our new self-diagnostic study skills tool for online postgrads](https://jessica.digital/articles/beyond-one-size-fits-all) Balancing life and study is a major hurdle for online postgraduates. Previewing our upcoming University of Hull conference presentation, this post introduces a new digital tool built around an eight-domain framework. It provides personalised self-diagnostics and targeted interventions to boost academic confidence early on. Read more and share your feedback! [Self diagnostic tool](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:self-diagnostic-tool) [Study skills](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:study-skills) [Online postgraduate](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:online-postgraduate) 5 Nov 2024 [Online education](https://jessica.digital/articles/category:online-education) ### [How rising Undergraduate Tuition Fees could affect International Postgraduate recruitment for online degrees](https://jessica.digital/articles/tuition-fees-and-online-recruitment) The proposed rise in UK undergraduate tuition fees could have a significant impact on international recruitment for online postgraduate degrees. Higher costs may discourage students from choosing UK universities, shifting them to more affordable alternatives. UK institutions will need to adapt to remain competitive in the global education market. [Tuition fees](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:tuition-fees) [International students](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:international-students) [Online postgraduate](https://jessica.digital/articles/tag:online-postgraduate) ## Research and projects ### Academic Study Skills Supporting online part-time postgraduate students with Academic Study Skills development to improve outcomes and retention through interventionary approaches and 1-to-1 support. [Academic Study Skills ](https://jessica.digital/projects/academic-study-skills) ### IWCG My doctoral thesis focused on the identification of the Informative Web Content Guidelines (IWCG), an analogue to the WCAG focusing on how to ensure textual content is accessible to users online. [Learn more about IWCG ](https://jessica.digital/projects/iwcg) ### Age Assurance Current UK regulations and processes for online age restricted sales are ineffective: read more about my commissioned research on future technology applications in alcohol sales through e-commerce. [Age assurance research ](https://jessica.digital/articles/payment-card-age-checks) ## Professional standing Recognition for teaching leadership, educational development and management, alongside doctoral research. - PhD [Information Systems & Computer Science](https://jessica.digital/projects/iwcg) Doctoral research and an evidence base for academic decisions - SFHEA Senior Fellow of Advance HE Recognised leadership of teaching and learning - FSEDA [Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association](https://jessica.digital/articles/fseda-fellowship) Recognised contribution to educational development - CMgr FCMI [Chartered Manager and Fellow of the CMI](https://jessica.digital/articles/cmi-fellowship) Professional standards in management and leadership - FRSA Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Engagement with cross-sector ideas and civic purpose ## Mentoring I have mentored aspiring academic governance professionals, within my organisation and at other institutions, helping them understand process, policy and regulation in UK higher education. [Read more ](https://jessica.digital/about#mentoring) ## Let's work together Whether you are looking to collaborate on digital pedagogy research, discuss online degree portfolio scaling, or invite me to speak on the future of EdTech governance, I'd love to hear from you. [Get in touch](https://jessica.digital/get-in-touch) [About me](https://jessica.digital/about) --- ## Navigation - Next: [About Jess](https://jessica.digital/about.md)