Dr Punsisi Somaratne
(she/her)
Teams and roles for Punsisi Somaratne
Learning Designer
Education And Academic Development
Overview
Role responsibilities
- I am a Learning Designer in the Learning and Teaching Academy. My role is to support and provide guidance on learning & teaching practices, learning design practices, pedagogy and learning tools to academic and professional staff.
Key work/specialisms
- Make recommendations on learning designs and technology enhancements.
- Encourage digital engagement of the staff to provide a blended learning experience.
- Promote the development of accessible content to support learning and teaching.
Publication
2026
- Somaratne, P. 2026. Novice to leader: my beginner journey to designing escape rooms. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice 14 (3), pp.34-48. (10.56433/kxb55y68)
2025
- Somaratne, P. et al. 2025. Reflecting on our summer immersive learning event and community of practice insights. [Online].Cardiff Learning and Teaching Academy. Available at: https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/LTAcademy/reflecting-on-our-summer-immersive-learning-event-and-community-of-practice-insights/.
Articles
- Somaratne, P. 2026. Novice to leader: my beginner journey to designing escape rooms. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice 14 (3), pp.34-48. (10.56433/kxb55y68)
Websites
- Somaratne, P. et al. 2025. Reflecting on our summer immersive learning event and community of practice insights. [Online].Cardiff Learning and Teaching Academy. Available at: https://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/LTAcademy/reflecting-on-our-summer-immersive-learning-event-and-community-of-practice-insights/.
Research
Biography
I have been an academic for nearly ten years, contributing to undergraduate and postgraduate course delivery. After my PhD in technology-enhanced learning, I changed my career and entered digital education development.
In 2018, as an E-learning Developer at the University of Buckingham, I contributed to the design of an online BSc in Operation Excellence course for Boston Scientific. Then at the University of Manchester, I was the Learning Technologist for a project that designed a PGCert course for the NHS. In 2022, I joined the Cardiff Learning and Teaching Academy as a Learning Designer.
Professional memberships
Member of Association for Learning Technology
Supervisions
My research interests are:
- Digital Education
- Using Virtual Worlds for Active Learning
- Research Methods in Education
- Influence of Culture on Active Learning
- Game-based learning
- Playful learning