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MONTHLY ALT NEWS - ISSUE 044, APRIL 2025

 

WELCOME TO YOUR MONTHLY NEWS UPDATE FROM THE LEADING PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR
LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN THE UK.

We support a collaborative community for individuals and organisations from
all sectors, and provide professional recognition and development. Each
month, we will update you on latest news and publications, events,
jobs, and calls for proposals from across the learning technology
community.   [...]

Our current Editor-in-Chief, Michael Flavin, will be stepping down after over 5 years as Editor-in-Chief of Research in Learning Technology (RLT). Michael’s involvement began in 2012 with the publication of his first article in the RLT journal. In 2018, Michael joined the RLT Editorial team before assuming the role of Editor-In-Chief in 2020.

Launched in December 2024 by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, the consultation set out the Government’s plan to deliver a copyright and AI framework. The application of copyright law to the training of AI models is a topic for debate. Rights holders are finding it difficult to exercise their rights and AI developers are finding it difficult to navigate copyright law.

ARLT SIG presents 'In Conversation' with Matthew Johnson.
Date: Tuesday 8th April 2025
Time: 4pm-5:30pm GMT (to be inclusive of our overseas members)
Format: Online Event
 
This online event is hosted by the antiracism and learning technology special interest group (ARLT SIG) as part of a series on ‘Tackling racism in the Education and EdTech sector’. Matthew Johnson, the CEO of Race on the Agenda, one of Britain's leading anti-racist change drivers, joins us to explore how we can tackle systemic racism in the Education and EdTech sector. We explore little changes and big changes required to ensure racially equitable and just technology-enabled education. Subsequently, questions and comments will be welcomed from the audience.

About the Speaker
Matthew Johnson is an experienced policy and research professional who has worked at both the grassroots (community and third sector) and structural levels (governmental and multilateral). He has gained extensive experience working with NGOs, government and academic institutions both in the UK and internationally. This includes supporting capacity development in parastatal organisations in areas of monitoring and evaluation; while advising on innovative programmes in partnership with multilateral institutions such as UNICEF.

The University of Edinburgh CMALT programme is a series of workshops to support staff who have learning technology or digital education as the main element of their role at The University of Edinburgh to gain an internationally recognised professional accreditation.  The programme lasts for 12 months and comprises of nine interactive workshops and writing retreats designed to support staff in preparing their CMALT portfolio.  A small amount of pre-workshop preparation is required and participants are supported by a dedicated SharePoint site, MS Teams channel and a dedicated mentor.  This webinar will take you through our journey from February 2024 to present day and will highlight key areas, successes and plans for the future

The countdown is on.

Join us as we launch our long awaited CMALT Candidate Course in partnership with King's College London. 

The 16th Annual Open Education and Research Conference (OER) ‘Speaking Truth to Power: Open Education and AI in the Age of Populism’, will be co-chaired by Sheila MacNeil and Louise Drumm.

• Gain insights from three keynote speakers as they explore digital accessibility from an organisational perspective

• Listen to a student panel sharing their lived experiences of digital accessibility in learning
• Engage with academics and professionals from across the sector as they discuss strategies for enhancing digital accessibility

 

13.00-13.05 Introductions

13.05 - 13.25 Keynote 1: Léon Consearo, Leeds Trinity University

13.25 - 13.45 Keynote 2: Lilian Joy and Richard Walker, University of York

13.45 - 13.50 Questions

13.50 - 14.30 Student Panel

14.30-14.45 Break

14.45 - 14.55 Lucy Thacker & Lucy Bird, The University of Leeds - Lightening the Load: The Course Accessibility Service

14.55 - 15.05 Alice Bennett, University of York - AI and accessibility: help or harm?

15.05 - 15.15 Dania Ghani, Sheffield Hallam University - Leveraging Early-adoption User Insights to Shape Digital Accessibility in Blackboard Ultra

15.15 - 15.25 Alice Clayton & Jo Law, University of Leeds - Inclusive design and illustration

15.25 - 15.35 Tom Tomlinson, University of Hull - From Afterthought to Action: Tackling Accessibility Barriers

15.35 - 16.00 Questions and Conclusion

Join Dr. Abbie Cairns, an artist-teacher with a passion for blending creativity and technology, for a session on AI and Creativity. In this webinar, Abbie will explore the evolving role of AI in art education, focusing on how AI tools can be integrated into creative practice to inspire and challenge learners. Discover how AI is transforming the landscape of art and design, offering new possibilities for digital art creation, design exploration, and innovative teaching methodologies. Abbie will share insights from her own teaching practice, where AI enhances student creativity and encourages experimentation with new media. This session will offer valuable ideas on how AI can unlock creativity

 

The Digital Badging Commission, established in 2024 by the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and Ufi VocTech Trust, aims to revolutionise the recognition of skills and learning in the UK. 

Considering digital badges are a promising tool for recognising and verifying skills, particularly those acquired outside traditional educational pathways, understanding the breadth of their adoption across a wide variety of settings, as well as their impact and potential, remains limited in the UK context. 

The Digital Badging Commission brings together senior leaders and experts from education, industry, technology and policy to address this gap and develop recommendations for a more effective digital badging ecosystem that supports progress and recognition of skills within lifelong learning. 

The session will present the key findings and progress of the commission so far, primarily focusing on challenges and opportunities identified through the available literature, through case study interviews with stakeholders, and from interactive stakeholder workshop sessions run by the commission. 

Presenter: Rebecca Purton 

This event is held in partnership with Ufi VocTech Trust. The strategic partnership between ALT and Ufi has been supporting professionals in Further and Vocational Education to connect, share, collaborate and learn through the AmplifyFE Community Space since 2020.

 

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SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL FOR OER25

 

We’re pleased to share that the Call for Proposals for the Open Education
Conference 2025 is now open. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to
showcase innovative practices, groundbreaking projects, and impactful
research exploring Open Education in a changing world.

[3]

OER25 - SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER: OPEN EDUCATION AND AI IN THE AGE OF
POPULISM [4]
DATE: 23-24 June
LOCATION: Resource for London  [...]

We’re pleased to share that the Call for Proposals is now open for OER25 - Speaking Truth to Power: Open Education and AI in the Age of Populism

The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) is delighted to share the schedule of events for CMALT Week 2025, 28 April - 2 May, a week long event dedicated to celebrating the CMALT Accreditation Framework,  supporting CMALT candidates and assessors, and welcoming new certified members. 

 

Join us for the next ALT North West meeting, hosted at the University of Liverpool School of Dentistry. This event is a fantastic opportunity to network with peers, share insights, and explore the latest innovations in learning technology.

The session will feature engaging talks on topics such as:

• AI and its role in education
• Haptic simulation to support learning, with the opportunity to try the technology for yourself

A full agenda will be shared soon.

We look forward to welcoming you

Our call for Committee Members for the 2025 Open Education Conference is now open. This is a fantastic opportunity to help shape the programme and contribute to the success of the event. Being on the conference committee is a significant professional development opportunity, as well as evidence of ongoing development, which can contribute to CMALT, AdvanceHE Fellowship applications, and other certifications.

We're excited to invite you to our next meeting, taking place on May 22nd at Edge Hill University. This meeting is set to be a dynamic and informative session, with talks on a variety of topics.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s on the agenda:
1. Digital Assessments: Innovations and Challenges
• Discuss the challenges and best practices for implementing digital assessments in educational settings and learn from case studies.
• Interactive Q&A session with experts in the field.

2. Creating Custom GPT Models: An Educator’s Guide
• Introduction to Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) and their potential in education.
• Step-by-step guide on creating custom GPT models tailored for educational purposes.

3. Networking Sessions
• Opportunity to connect with fellow educators and technology enthusiasts.
• Share experiences, collaborate on projects, and discuss innovative ideas.
• A mix of structured and informal networking activities to maximize engagement.

This meeting promises to be a great platform for learning, sharing, and networking. We look forward to seeing you there and engaging in these exciting topics together!

 

The meeting will be in the Business School (Building 16, ref E4 on the map), room B005 (ground floor). Further information on travelling to campus can be found here, including free bus from Ormskirk Centre next to the train station. https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/locations/

Are you struggling to start your CMALT portfolio? Want to get suggestions or feedback from a wide network of other CMALT holders? Come along to The Coffee Break to talk through your CMALT challenges or simply to network. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved (or maybe solved.)

The Coffee Break launched in March, when we noticed that many ALT members engaging in its JiscMail groups were hitting blockers when trying to introduce new ways of working or different technologies.  Members reported challenges around engagement of colleagues, making the case for change and securing senior level buy-in. And so the idea for the Coffee Break was born. Join us for this CMALT Week special edition. 

This online panel event is hosted by the antiracism and learning technology special interest group (ARLT SIG) as part of a series on ‘antiracism in learning technology and design’. The panel will explore how learning design can be antiracist and address other diverse needs at the same time, followed by a series of questions exploring critical approaches to design for antiracism. Subsequently, questions and comments will be welcomed from the audience.

 

Meet our Panellists:

Esther Akinlabi
Esther Akinlabi is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, she is currently serving as the Deputy Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor (DFPVC) for Research and Knowledge Exchange, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK. In her role as the DFPVC, she is the custodian of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the Faculty and also serves as the Deputy Chair of the Northumbria University Gender Steering Committee. In her most recent role, she served as the Director of the African Union Commission - Pan African University for Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), Ibadan, Nigeria. Prior to joining PAULESI, she had a decade of meritorious service at the Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. At UJ, she served as the Head of Department of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Science and as the Vice Dean for Teaching and Learning of the Faculty. She has filed four patents, edited four books, published seven books, and authored/co-authored many peer reviewed publications.

 

Melissa Holt-Brewster
Melissa is a seasoned Organisational Development practitioner. She has over 20 years’ experience of working across Local Authorities and the NHS, where most recently she engaged in anti-racism work on a personal and organisational level, supporting the organisation to deliver on a public commitment to becoming an anti-racist organisation. She is a skilled consultant, facilitator, coach, coach supervisor and workplace mediator. She brings energy, empathy, passion for workplace equalities and practical experience of supporting and developing teams in complex services. She currently works as a Senior Teaching Fellow at Liverpool John Moores University and is the Programme Manager for the NHS Leadership Academy ‘Elizabeth Garrett Anderson’ Healthcare Leadership Masters programme. She is also a studying for a Doctorate in Business Administration- Thesis topic Anti-Racism, Allyship and Psychological Safety in the NHS.

 

ALT and Echo360 warmly invite you to join our upcoming webinar on leveraging digital technologies to transform learning. Dr. Richard Nelson will guide us through the University of Bradford’s transformative journey along their Digital Education Roadmap. This comprehensive roadmap focuses on the implementation and support of key digital education systems, with a strong emphasis on enhancing student engagement, inclusivity, and accessibility. Currently, the University is midway through its three-stage roadmap, which has involved a diverse range of stakeholders, including academic staff, professional services, and students. A pivotal element of the University's strategy and digital education roadmap is the integration of video capture technology and explorations into a range of polling and exam tools. Echo360 is proud to support the University of Bradford through this digital transformation, leveraging our innovative solutions to achieve their roadmap goals. Richard will provide an insightful and candid narrative on the successes, challenges, and human aspects of policy implementation, adoption, and the rollout of these systems. Join us for this engaging webinar where Richard and Echo360 colleagues will walk us through their journey, showcasing the impactful partnership between Echo360 and the University of Bradford.