Digital Learning Team

Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your role in the Digital Learning team

My name is Paul Trimmer and I am an Educational Technologies Specialist and the manager of the Educational Technologies team. We support people to use digital learning tools such as Moodle, Mahara, and EchoVideo for teaching and learning. Our work ensures that staff and students can more effectively use these technologies to create engaging, accessible learning experiences across the university.

How did you come to work in DL? Have you always worked in this area?

Like many people who work in this area, getting here wasn't straightforward. I've been at Warwick since 1992, initially as a student, then as staff in 2000. I spent many years doing support on the IT Services Help Desk, with secondments to the Web Team and then Academic Technology where I was made permanent. Through organisational transformation, Academic Technology moved from IT Services, became part of the Education Group, and finally emerged as what is now Digital Learning. So, you could say that I didn't come to work in DL - DL formed around me, like the pearl around the grit in an oyster, maybe.

In summary - as of 2025 - I've been supporting people with technology for a quarter of a century, with the last 6 years specifically focused on digital learning.

What’s one thing you wish more people knew about the work your team does?

We really want to work with people to grow and improve our services. There is no better way to develop support for digital learning tools in our complex ecosystem than collaborating with the people who use them daily. Whether we're creating online guidance, training sessions, or providing one-to-one support, the solutions are always better when shaped by people's experiences. We need you!

How do you see the future of digital learning evolving, and what excites you most about it?

I take a pragmatic view of the future. I think we'll continue to see steady, incremental improvements in existing technologies while new innovations like AI trigger important conversations about new possibilities. What I find most valuable is how these developments challenge us to reconsider what effective digital learning looks like. For example, the emergence of AI tools is prompting many discussions about assessment design and academic integrity. These conversations help us refine our understanding of digital learning's purpose and potential, which is something I genuinely look forward to being part of.

What’s your favourite part of working in Digital Learning or at Warwick?

My favourite part of working in digital learning is never getting bored and never running out of new things to do, try, or build. It is the perfect place for a technical 'jack of all trades' who loves solving problems.. I've been at Warwick for quite a while, and I've had many opportunities to get involved in processes and services both in and outside my substantive roles and working DIgital Learning has formalised this in many ways. Indeed a couple of years ago now, I picked up an interesting project to develop some green screen studios, working with Estates and IDGs Audio Visual team to find spaces, manage the room refurbs with the contractors, and get these fully set up, which evolved further with the addition of podcast facilities. Not something I planned to be working on, but something deeply satisfying to see being used and that now helps our team support other people. Digital Learning touches on so much of what we do in the academy that each day brings new and interesting challenges and opportunities.