Dr. Maria Jackson

Dr Maria Jackson, Senior University Teacher in Medical Genetics

Dr Maria Jackson
Senior University Teacher in Medical Genetics
School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
Academic Medical Genetics & Pathology
Room L2/B/103, Laboratory Medicine Building
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

Tel: 0141 354 9435
email: Maria.Jackson@glasgow.ac.uk


Senior University Teacher in Medical Genetics 

I am Director of the MSc Medical Genetics, a long established and highly successful programme which attracts roughly 25-40 students per year from all over the world. My efforts are focussed on providing the best educational experience for students, to facilitate their development as scientists.

I also coordinate the biomedical input for our pre-sessional premasters summer programme aimed a t international students whose first language is not English; and design the scientific contributions to complement the language tuition provided by the English as a Foreign Language department.

In addition I am an advisor of studies for undergraduate medical students from years 1-5 of the MBChB.

Best Postgraduate Teaching Team Winners 2014

Prospects 2014 Winners Logo

The MSc in Medical Genetics Teaching Staff were winners in the 2014 UK-wide Prospects Postgraduate Awards for the category of Best Postgraduate Teaching Team (Science, Technology & Engineering), to recognise and reward excellence and good practice. This is the second year running that the team have reached the finals.

Recent educational research presentations (journal,oral and poster) are listed below.

Educational Research Presentations

May 2013

• Journal article published in HEA Bioscience Education Journal

Student Experience of Peer Assessment on an MSc Programme

(Leah Marks and Maria Jackson)

April 2013

• Poster Presentation: University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference

Student Experience of an MSc Course Assessed by Peer Review

(Leah Marks and Maria Jackson)

March 2011

• Oral Presentation: University of Glasgow MBChB Facilitators Meeting

Problem Based Learning: A different context

(Leah Marks & Maria Jackson)

June 2010

• Poster Presentation: University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference

Impact of an online tutorial on postgraduate students’ literature research skills

(Leah Marks, Maria Jackson, Douglas Marks and Douglas Wilcox)

April 2009

• Oral Presentation: University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference

Experiences in supporting international students during their studies in the UK

(Leah Marks & Maria Jackson)


Current Research Projects

 • ‘Student Expectations of MSc/PhD study’

(Leah Marks, Maria Jackson, Alison Parrett and Emilie Combet)

Summary of Study
We aim to investigate the expectations of students prior to beginning either a taught masters programme (MSc) in Medical Genetics or Human Nutrition or a PhD in the School of Medicine through asking them to complete an online questionnaire. This is a vital area to investigate as it is necessary to determine if there are differences between expectations and the actual experience in this group of students. Targeting areas where expectations and experience are inconsistent can only be possible once these are identified. The implications of this study relate not only to our own situation but much further afield, with postgraduate taught and research students likely to continue to constitute one of the largest growth areas of UK higher education in coming years. How we manage the expectations and experience of these students will remain one of our biggest challenges

Ongoing Studies

• ‘Does assessed reflection promote greater student engagement with feedback?’

(Leah Marks and Maria Jackson)

Summary of Study
Feedback on students’ work is an area which is increasingly highlighted in relation to student satisfaction. Feedback can take various forms, and can be either formative or summative. However it is not always clear what students actually do with the feedback they are given and how effective this is in helping them to improve their performance. t is important to gain insight into how students use feedback and whether there are any strategies that can be used to help them engage more effectively with the feedback that they are give.