Section 5: Specialist Area(s)
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CMALT Guidance
As well as the core areas, candidates are required to demonstrate evidence of independent practice in one or more specialist areas. This reflects the fact that, although there are common areas of work for learning technologists, practice is extremely diverse and everyone specialises in something different.
Your specialist topic should reflect an area where you have particular expertise. This may be unique to you or common across your team, but goes beyond what would be expected of any learning technologist. Below are examples of specialist areas chosen by CMALT holders. You are free to choose from it, or to select a different area that reflects your expertise. It is recognised that practice is constantly evolving and that CMALT candidates come from very diverse contexts; this list of examples is neither comprehensive nor prescriptive.
- producing learning materials/content/courseware;
- project management, including resource management, in Learning Technology;
- training, mentoring and developing others;
- evaluation;
- research;
- management/administration of a sustainable e-learning process;
- supporting and tutoring learners;
- designing tools and systems;
- institutional development/strategic work;
- knowledge and application of emerging standards for Learning Technology;
- assistive technologies;
- VLE administration and maintenance;
- interface design;
- distance learning/blended learning;
- managing and sourcing content;
- copyright;
- learner support;
- accessibility;
- sustainability
- inclusive learning practice
- open education resources (OER)
- MOOCs.
Defining and evidencing your specialist area(s)
In describing your specialist area(s) you should refer to the core values listed at the top of these guidelines. Because these are specialist areas you should be clear what makes your work distinct from common practice; many people teach on online courses, but designing and delivering fully online courses requires specific skills and would be considered specialist. Similarly, many teachers provide blended learning, but developing and sharing guidelines for such practice or working with a distinctive blend of contexts might distinguish your work as specialist. It may be that your specialist area is common amongst the group that you work in as you all work in a similar area; that is perfectly acceptable.
Evidence for your specialist activity is likely to be very specific but could include: reports, papers or presentations you have written; this could be backed up by a job description plus written statements supporting your specialist knowledge from colleagues, clients or managers; active membership of professional or other bodies; certificates of completion of specialist training programmes or courses.
Description
This section describes my specialist area of full-stack JavaScript development, focusing on building and optimising GraphQL APIs and working with PostgreSQL databases. It highlights how I apply these technical skills within educational technology to enhance learner access, platform performance, and system reliability. The following subsection provides evidence of how my combined experience in education and development enables me to deliver efficient, user-centred solutions that support inclusive and scalable learning environments: