Thank you for visiting my profile page. I am a Director of CHERE (Center for Higher Education Research and Evaluation) at Lancaster University. I am also a Director of a pioneering interdisciplinary network - Lancaster university's graphic novels and comics pedagogy, research and engagement network "ReOPeN" (web link: http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/reopen/). My service to university further includes being on the Engagement Committee and FASS-LUMS Ethics Committee. If you wonder how to pronounce my name, in the original spelling it is: Nataša (Lacković), the "s" pronounced just like in “Natasha”, similar to pronouncing Natasha Latzkovitch.

My research interest broadly explores educational futures via new approaches to knowledge, research, pedagogy and public engagement, including multimodality, visual and digital culture, semiotics, critical theory and media literacy.

This could involve external artefacts mediation (e.g. photography, any digital artefact and platform, 3D artefacts, videos, graphic novels, illustrations, material objects, space or place). I am interested how the mind, materiality and emotions are inter-linked, how they make meaning together, and how we can move beyond the illustrative and marginal role of images and multimodality in education (both HE and schools) and in the society, towards a more critical and informed engagement.

My interests also include critical approaches to graduate employability, digital university, and marginalised identity empowerment. I have a rich research experience working on projects funded by a range of funders: HEA (Higher Education Academy), EU/EC (Erasmus +, FP7, H2020, Erasmus Mundus), Esmée Fairbairn, National College for School Leadership, National Institute for Health Research, The British Council, 14-18 NOW, The University of Nottingham, and Lancaster University

I have developed an "Inquiry Graphics (IG)" approach to teaching and research across disciplines, which offers novel perspectives to visual and multimodal pedagogies as well as theorising learning and knowledge, with a monograph on this topic soon to be published by Palgrave McMillan.

In collaborative teams via ReOPeN, I have so far worked as academic lead and event organiser on an award winning project about pupils' comics creation (The Comic Project with a local artist and the local theatre The Dukes); contributed to NHS/NIHR funded graphic narratives of community well being and health inequalities; and developed a learning resource for English, History and Citizenship Key Stage 3 teachers to engage students creatively with graphic narratives. I chair and contribute to the academic sessions and programme sessions of the Lakes International Comics Art Festival (LICAF), and liaise with the festival and UK Comics Laureate to develop knowledge in the area of GNC (graphic novels and comics) in education.

I am interested in supervising PhD students with the interests aligned with the ones mentioned in this profile.

PhD module leader: I teach on the online Doctoral Programme in Higher Education Research, Evaluation and Enhancement (HEREE) and I lead the module ED.S842: "Enhancing Learning Teaching and Assessment" at University.

MA module leader: I lead a module Ed.S836 "Policies, Ideologies and Interventions in Education" for all students on the departmental online masters programmes.

I also teach face to face on all departmental residential programmes.

Before coming to Lancaster, I did my PhD at the University of Nottingham, exploring the role of digital pictures in HE teaching-learning applied via a design-based research approach. My PhD followed the completion of an international Erasmus Mundus awarded MA in Lifelong Learning at the Institute of Education, UCL. At Nottingham, I was also working as Teaching Assistant for master's degree courses and won university award for teaching, working part-time on various research projects to supplement my international fees. I began my career as an English teacher, having completed a BA in English Studies (Language and Literature) at the University of Belgrade.