Mr Colm Gregory

I joined CCCU in 2019 from UEL, and was recruited to design, validate and accredit (BASRaT) our BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy and rehabilitation, which I am now Course Director.

Coming to Canterbury was an opportunity too good to miss. I wanted to marry my years of industry experience as small business owner, with my academic experience, to design and implement a course of study in the musculoskeletal (MSK) rehabilitation field that would graduate industry ready MSK professionals. My teaching focus is functional anatomy, MSK examination and assessment and clinical education. I have a special interest in technology enhanced and simulation learning. I like building learning communities of practice with a common goal of co-collaboration.

In terms of my future career development, at the appropriate time, I would like to undertake a PhD by portfolio seeking to enhance the learning journeys of future students in the MSK rehabilitation field of study and application. I’m currently looking to upskill to MSK diagnostic sonography to support anatomy teaching.

I've enjoyed having dual roles as a practitioner and business owner and teacher for over 30yrs now. I’ve been privileged to work in a number of roles, at various universities in and around London, (European School of Osteopathy, London School of Osteopathy, Health Sciences University, University of Kent, University of Essex and University of East London).

I lead on the functional anatomy and MSK injuries modules at level 4 (year 1), laying the foundation for a number of linked modules at level 5. At level 5 (year 2) I teach on the Examination, Assessment and Treatment of the Spine. I examine across the course on all modules.

I’ve been teaching for over 30 years, firstly as a assistant pre school teacher to children with specific learning needs, then when I was a social worker in adolescent services and then in a variety of roles and institutions ever since. I’ve always wanted to marry industrial experience with academic practice and worked part time in both throughout my working career, eventually moving full time to education 8yrs ago.

I’ve always been an early adopter of technology and experimenting with how it could make learning firstly more fun, engaging, more realistic and related. I love the use of media to tell a story and demonstrate a skill base acquired. Since 2020 I’ve been working hard co-collaborating with students to build a learning community in MS Teams. We have now been developing communities of practice in Sports Rehabilitation on Teams for 4 yrs and we are pushing the technology to it’s limit and have a vibrant community on line.

I withdrew from practice life a number of yrs ago, selling my business interests to focus on my teaching career. I still keep a hand (forgive the pun) in practice life, working at a Gravesend based multidisciplinary practice. I have worked as an external examiner for a London based Osteopathic university, but my focus now is on developing elements of our own course and refining our degree. I’m currently working with a number of charities locally and UK based where we take teams of students to events to cover first aid and post event soft tissue services. My team and I are proud to be associated with Pilgrims Hospice, Alzheimer’s UK, Children with Cancer, and the Teenage Cancer Trust to mention a few.