Dr Kara Johnson

Dr Kara Johnson is the Associate Dean for Learning & Teaching in the Faculty of Business & Law and a Senior Lecturer at the Open University Law School.

Kara joined the OU in 2020 with extensive experience of strategic academic leadership and online education. Previously, she had been Head of the School of Law and Criminology at Arden University and Senior Lecturer and Award Director at Staffordshire University. Kara holds an LLB in Law, French and German, an LLM in Commercial Law and has completed a Professional Doctorate in Education. Kara's work in education has predominantly been with adults entering HE through non-traditional routes. Her doctorate focuses on the liminal experiences of part-time adult learners as they embark on undergraduate online study and also explores how innovative online research tools can give educator-researchers new insights into participant stories.

Kara has also acted as a higher education consultant in digital learning, working with HEIs on embedding academic skills across the online curriculum, digital pedagogies, onboarding and innovation in online assessment. Her consultancy work has involved her in advising several institutions including the universities of Liverpool, Derby, Roehampton, and East London

Kara is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and sits on the Law Society's Digital Education Task Force, She also works as a Reviewer for the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme and an External Examiner for the Universities of Plymouth and Cardiff.