ALT

We are currently collating responses from ALT Members in answer to the Government consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence. The consultation is open until Tuesday 25 February 2025 and we encourage our Members and Member Institutions from all sectors to respond.

Written by the Echo360 team

The FE sector, with its diverse range of learners and educational goals, requires innovative and flexible approaches to teaching and learning. Echo360’s e3 Tech Grant program offers FE practitioners and their institutions a unique opportunity to advance equity, engagement, and evidence-based practices using the powerful Echo360 technology platform.

The Echo360 platform offers four main tools that vitalize your teaching, learning, and assessment:

1 – EchoVideo

Create, capture, manage, store, and search video with Echo360’s video solution trusted around the world.

2 – EchoEngage

Elevate learning experiences with polling and gamification from Echo360’s PointSolutions and EchoPoll.

3 – EchoInk

Author, curate, personalize, and distribute interactive content and curricula optimized for mobile in the flow of learning.

4 – EchoExam

Create high-stakes exams in seconds with Echo360’s industry-leading summative assessment solution.

What is the e3 Tech Grant Program?

Echo360, a global leader in learning technologies, offers two distinct grants to support the transformation of FE teaching and learning:

• EchoImpact Grants provide up to £1,637 for research exploring how Echo360’s four Echosystem solutions can improve equity, engagement, and evidence-based teaching practices.
• EchoInnovation Grants offer in-kind support valued at £5,094, providing access to one of Echo360’s advanced tools like EchoInk, EchoVideo, EchoEngage, and EchoExam.

These grants allow FE institutions to integrate Echo360’s LTP — the Echosystem — into diverse learning contexts, enhancing learner engagement and outcomes, particularly in vocational training and adult education.

Why These Grants Matter for Further Education

The e3 Tech Grant program addresses key challenges within the UK FE sector:

• Advancing Equity: The grants support initiatives that break down barriers to accessing a quality education, such as digital disparities and accessibility issues, ensuring all learners have the opportunity to be equally successful in their education.
• Boosting Engagement: Echo360’s tools encourage interactive, video-based learning and adaptive assessments, making education more engaging and collaborative. This is crucial for FE environments where student engagement often directly correlates to success.
• Strengthening Evidence-Based Practices: The EchoImpact Grant enables research into how technology improves learning outcomes. FE educators and researchers can leverage this funding to gather data and contribute to the evidence base on effective teaching methods in the digital age.

How to Apply

FE institutions across the UK and Europe can apply for the e3 Tech Grant by aligning their proposals with their three core impact areas:

1. Equity: Ensure fair access to opportunities for all learners.
2. Engagement: Create strategies for meaningful student participation.
3. Evidence: Develop clear metrics to evaluate and improve teaching effectiveness.

The application process is straightforward, with no fees or purchase requirements. Echo360’s team also offers support and guidance for applicants and can be contacted by emailing grants@echo360.com.

Why Try Action Research with Echo360 Technology?

The e3 Tech Grant offers FE professionals an excellent opportunity to experiment with action research, using the Learning Transformation Platform to assess and improve teaching practices in real time. Whether you’re testing new pedagogical strategies or enhancing learner engagement, these grants provide the resources to drive meaningful change and improve educational outcomes.

If you’re new to practitioner action research, check out the ‘Doing Action Research’ guide written by FE practitioners for FE practitioners. Explore the possibilities today — the e3 Tech Grant program is your pathway to a more inclusive, engaging, and evidence-driven future in FE.

Thanks for reading this AmplifyFE post! AmplifyFE is a strategic partnership between ALT and the Ufi VocTech Trust. AmplifyFE connects over 3000 professionals in Further Education and Vocational Education, providing a strong networking community to share, collaborate and learn. We connect innovators, industry and educators, therefore, AmplifyFE posts may include contributions with a commercial focus. AmplifyFE’s posts are included on the #altc blog to support networking, collaboration and sharing. For more information, please check AmplifyFE’s dedicated submission guidelines.

The #altc blog submission guidelines detail who can post and the type of posts accepted to this blog.

Hello,

I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new Chair of ELESIG. My name is Jess Humphreys, and I am incredibly excited to take on this role within this supportive, collaborative community.

About ELESIG

ALT ELESIG is a community of researchers and practitioners dedicated to investigating learners’ experiences and uses of technology in learning across all education sectors. Originally established in 2008 as the Evaluating Learners Experiences of e-learning Special Interest Group, ELESIG has been advocating for the theory and practice of researching learners’ experiences in the context of technology-enhanced learning. In 2019, ELESIG became a special interest group of ALT, continuing its mission to support and advance this important field.

A Bit About Me

I am the Director of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA) and an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick. WIHEA is committed to leading educational excellence at Warwick by empowering staff and students to forge meaningful connections and vibrant communities. Our goal is to develop, recognise, and embed outstanding learning and teaching practices that enhance student opportunities to ‘learn beyond boundaries.’

Before joining WIHEA, I worked in Academic Development, where I led the institutional professional development of digital education and the Learning Design Consultancy Unit (LDCU) created during the pandemic. The LDCU brought colleagues together from across the institution to share practices and support around blended learning design. Our efforts were recognised with the Advance HE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) in 2022.

Throughout my career, the student voice has played a pivotal role in my work. I continually explore new ways to embed the student voice in design, particularly around digital education. I co-lead an initiative at Warwick called Designing Together, which brings staff and students together to design solutions to educational challenges. The Designing Together team was also recognised with the institutional Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence in 2024.

My research interests include student voice in design, the power of communities of practice in transforming education and creating safe collaborative spaces for innovation and scholarship.

My Journey with ELESIG

My journey with ELESIG began in 2010, when I was working in the Library sector. I attended meetings in the Midlands and shared my experiences with colleagues. A change in direction within my career meant that there was a break in my active engagement, but I continued to remain on the Ning group and stay connected with ELESIG. In 2019, I had the opportunity to work with and co-lead the West Midlands group. This included organising and hosting a regional symposium where colleagues gathered to share their experiences of evaluating student experiences of e-learning.

During the pandemic, my involvement in ELESIG changed once again, and I became more involved in the national committee, serving as the secretary for ALT ELESIG from 2020 to 2022. In this role, I supported the transition from Ning to ALT and co-led the pilot Scholar Scheme, providing support for colleagues’ scholarship of TEL.

As Vice-chair of ELESIG from 2022 to 2024, I continued to co-lead work in this area alongside colleagues from ELESIG and beyond. The Scholar Scheme has evolved, with a second iteration taking place in 2023, alongside a research project exploring the opportunities and challenges of the Scholar Scheme. Together with colleagues from ELESIG and beyond, we continue to explore how we can support and celebrate colleagues working in this area.

A New Chapter

It has certainly been a journey, and I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of previous chairs who continue to inspire me. Looking forward, I am excited about this new chapter for ELESIG. Working with Mary and fellow officers, I look forward to new opportunities for connection, collaboration, and conversations. We aim to continue developing opportunities for collaboration, connection, and scholarship around evaluating learners’ experiences of e-learning.

Join ELESIG

If you would like to know more and get involved in ELESIG, do get in touch. To join the Group and stay updated with the latest news and events, subscribe to the ALT ELESIG mailing list or join the conversation with @ELESIG on Twitter. If you would like to get involved in the organisation of the Group and its activities, please let us know by expressing your interest.

Looking forward to connecting with you!

The approval of institutional policies on how to use generative AI (GenAI) tools ethically to support learning, along with the publication of reference frameworks for developing the AI competencies and literacy of staff and students, is pushing the HE sector to rethink assessment strategies. These strategies aim to support the introduction of GenAI while fostering the development of new AI competencies and rethinking pivotal assessment concepts such as academic integrity, intellectual authorship, and the very purpose of assessment.

In this webinar, Mari Cruz García Vallejo explores various approaches to integrating GenAI into assessment. She also proposes a step-by-step design guide to effectively integrate GenAI into authentic assessment. This webinar primarily focuses on curriculum development and is aimed at teaching staff in the HE and FE sectors, as well as professional staff who support assessment and teaching.

During the webinar, participants will be introduced to key concepts such as:

What is AI literacy, and what are AI competencies?
The role of learners in assessment.
What is authentic assessment exactly?
A step-by-step method to design authentic assessment that integrates GenAI.
 

About the facilitator:
Mari Cruz García Vallejo (SFHEA, SCMALT, MSc, MEng, ITIL, Cllr) is a digital education consultant and a senior fellow at Advance HE. She researches and teaches on generative AI to support learning and teaching in higher education. As a digital education consultant, Mari Cruz has collaborated with several universities in Europe and the UK, including Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, Dundee Medical School, and Nicosia Medical School. She currently teaches Generative AI at the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) and is a contributor to the AI Pedagogy Project at metaLAB(at)Harvard. She blogs on Substack @maricruzgarciavallejo.

As part of Ufi’s Week of VocTech, join us for this #AmplifyFE webinar showcasing case studies of AI excellence in the sector. Chloë and Lynne will be discussing some amazing projects which have made innovative use of AI with a focus on learners who are impacted most by the digital divide. We will be highlighting work from our 2024/25 Insights research case studies, including:

• Deb Millar’s work at Hull College with the ‘AI Translate’ project for ESOL learners
• Pete Dunford’s action research encouraging Bridgend College learners to leverage AI
• Alison Brown’s innovative practice with Novus prison learners using AI prompt craft.
• We’ll also be inviting you to share your AI pedagogy success stories and explaining how you can use the #AmplifyFE community spaces to shout about your innovative practice.

By Caroline Bearpark, University of Sunderland in London

The Context

In this post, we’re going to introduce you to a project that the Digital Learning team at the University of Sunderland in London delivered to improve our student’s digital skills, both for study and employment.

Like many other universities, students at University of Sunderland in London often lack the digital skills required for study, and by extension, employment. This was observed and reported to the team by staff from both the academic and Student Services teams. It was often reported that students were unable to use the digital tools required to complete their studies, such as our virtual learning environment (VLE), Canvas, and Microsoft applications. 

In 2022, the Digital Learning team decided to assess and address the issue. The team was primarily staff facing at the time and mainly supported academics in using digital tools for teaching. They are also responsible for the administration of the university’s virtual learning environment (VLE), Canvas, providing training for academic and administrative staff on how to use Canvas, and ensuring the creation of student accounts and modules. The student facing side of the team consisted of employed student digital coaches. An initiative launched in August 2021 – the digital coaches provide support to students with their use of digital tools. 

To kickstart the project, the student digital coaches ran the university’s first ever digital skills survey. Using their first-hand experience with students, they first identified what we needed to know regarding our students’ digital skills. For example, they noticed our students were struggling to use Canvas and aimed to find out why – was it because of a lack of confidence or did they not know about the platform? They then created a questionnaire on Microsoft Forms and distributed this. 

10% of the current student population at the time completed the survey, and it provided us with insights into the digital skills gap for our students. The results of the survey showed that the biggest barriers to using technology for our students are: not having a sufficient internet connection (53%) and lacking the required digital skills (43%). We also found that 24% of respondents require assistance with technology. That is, they don’t know how to use technology or can’t use it with confidence. 

What this also highlighted is that some of our students not only lack the basic digital skills required for study, but also for employment. In the UK where 82% of job openings require basic digital skills (UK Government stats, 2019), this could mean our students would struggle to gain employment after graduation. The Digital Learning team decided that action was needed and proposed training be developed in some form for “all things digital” for our students.

The solution

Our original aim was to co-design an asynchronous module with current students, that prospective students could self-enrol onto and complete to improve their digital skills prior to starting university. The idea behind this was that it would be great if students arrived having already developed the digital skills required for study. We planned for students to complete the Jisc Discovery tool to identify what digital skills they needed to improve and then be offered content to complete based on this. There would be no set time frame as this would depend on the skill level of the student. For example, if they needed to improve their ‘digital wellbeing’ they would be directed to complete learning, such as how to protect your device, aimed at improving this.

We then put the call out for student volunteers to test the module and make suggestions, with the incentive of an Amazon voucher. There was a huge amount of interest and 20 volunteers were selected based on criteria such as how long they had left studying with us and whether they were an engaged student in general. We envisioned the project taking a minimum of 6 months so we wanted to ensure that the students would be at the university for the duration. We aimed to recruit students that were engaged with their studies as we hoped this would mean they were more likely to engage with the project. The volunteers were required to complete the online learning and attend 2 sessions to give feedback and suggestions. But, disappointingly, only 1 of the 20 completed the course.

It was clear to us from this experience that ‘optional’ wasn’t going to work. Based on the fact that we offered an incentive to complete the programme to our volunteers, we felt students wouldn’t engage with or complete the programme if offered as an addition to their academic programme with no incentive. So, we took a different approach: embedding sessions into the students’ timetables. 

We designed a 4-session programme focusing on key digital skills:  Canvas (our VLE), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, online communication tools (Teams and Outlook), and digital skills awareness (Jisc discovery tool, employability), with sessions typically lasting 90 minutes each. Due to the lack of engagement from students in the co-design process, we decided that we would not co-design these sessions. Instead we used the information gathered from the digital skills survey alongside feedback from our academic team and digital coaches in terms of what students struggle most with to design these sessions ourselves. Once designed, these sessions were then embedded into academic programmes in the first year of study. 

We liaised with 2 programmes initially to deliver this using 4 timetabled workshops. Each of the workshops are led by a member of the Digital Learning team, and for large cohorts the facilitator can enlist support from the student digital coaches. We aim to have 1 member of staff per 25 students. The sessions are delivered in person wherever possible so we can keep them very practical. When available, we use an IT lab for the sessions, and when we can’t use an IT lab, we request students bring their own devices. However, we also have a team laptop trolley which we bring along so students who can’t bring a device can borrow one. 

In the sessions we require students to complete tasks such as:

• Practicing submitting an assignment.
• Creating a PowerPoint presentation about themselves.
• Searching for jobs they’d be interested in applying for and identifying the digital skills and knowledge they’d need based on the job description.

The feedback from the initial sessions was overwhelmingly positive.

 “Overall this program is really fun and interesting as well as really helpful for me. After completely attending the class now I know about my digital proficiency, and I love the friendly environment you provided which makes learning really joyful.” – ACHIEVE Student participant.

In terms of how we could  improve, students suggested more time allocated to the programme. They also wanted the programme to be offered “at the beginning of any course in the university”. So, with this endorsement, we expanded the programme. Named ‘ACHIEVE Students’, it is now offered in just over half of our academic programmes. 

Managing the expanded programme

At the University of Sunderland each member of the Digital Learning team is responsible for a set of academic programmes. At the beginning of each intake, team members will email the academics leading their programmes to confirm which of their timetabled classes will be allocated to ACHIEVE Students. There is flexibility in the offer. The academic leading the programme can decide how many out of the 4 sessions we should deliver. Some programmes have 1 session, others have 4. We have compiled a range of content for the various topics that we can offer. Programme leaders can select content based on the requirements of their programme, for example, prioritising PowerPoint training if students are required to complete a group presentation as part of their assessment. 

Figure: In 2023/4, over 90% of students who complete the ACHIEVE Students programme agreed that all the learning outcomes were met.

The feedback from students who have undertaken the expanded programme has been very good with the learning experience rated 4.7 out of 5 on average. Most importantly, students reported that their digital skills and confidence had improved significantly. 

Figure: Students were asked to rate on a scale of 1 – 10 how much they felt their digital skills and confidence had improved since completing ACHIEVE Students. They rated this 8.3 on average.

What else?

There are a couple of challenges that remain. In terms of metrics, Student satisfaction, as shown on the feedback collected, is great, but is it enough?  One potential issue is that the skills improvement is self-reported. However, because of the practical nature and the design of the workshops,  the team can assess themselves in person the growth in students’ confidence with technology. The team is now looking for other ways to assess impact of the programme in other metrics, such as NSS results or submission rates.

Moreover, the digital skills support we are offering doesn’t address the gaps in access to technology and connectivity. Increasing the number of long-term laptop loans and other relevant initiatives that support access for students, in conjunction with the IT department, for example, will help ensure as a university we respond collectively to our students’ needs.

The Digital Learning Team’s aim is to continue expanding the programme. We hope that soon it will be a standard aspect of all academic programmes. 

With recent research indicating that over half (54%) of the UK labour force do not have essential digital skills (Future Dot Now, 2024, report available here: https://futuredotnow.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FutureDotNow-roadmap_final-digital.pdf) we feel programmes like this are vital. Not only for enabling students to be able to study effectively, but also in helping them to stand out when applying for jobs. We hope that they will proudly mention the digital skills they have gained on their CV and LinkedIn. And that this sets them apart from other candidates. 

Did you enjoy reading this? To become a member of our community, see Membership details here https://www.alt.ac.uk/membership

By Katie Stripe, Imperial College London.

This post is the fourth of a series based on the Animated Inclusive Personae (AIP) project which, at its heart, is about creating digital personae that genuinely represent the diversity of our students. The first post was about generating inclusive images, the second about the language that is used in the EDI space, and the third about how these characters can be used to represent disability, visible or otherwise. This post will be about how three new characters have been developed and deployed in a tool to help new students adapt to the high maths content of their STEM courses. 

As part of a partnership project between the AIP team, the maths department and three students representing Mathematics, Civil Engineering, and Life Sciences we have developed a catalogue that matches the maths curriculum of all year one programmes with a wide range of internet resources to help students fill in gaps, bridge language barriers, or find resources that might be better suited to their preferences or circumstances. The purpose of the project was ultimately to address the issue of prerequisite knowledge as we know that with such a diverse student body it is impossible to know what each individual student has been taught as part of their school maths curriculum. More information on the catalogue and its development can be found on the Animated Inclusive Personae webpages.

This catalogue used personae throughout the design and development phases to help present the information in a way that would meet the needs of the students and the final output has the characters which were created embedded in it, as well as then being part of the promotion and marketing of the tool. 

The process of developing personae for this catalogue very much mirrored the development of the AIP project as a whole, whereby personae started as a user experience tool for the development of Attributes and Aspirations and became integral to the programme and embedded throughout. 

Three-character outlines were developed to represent the major student ‘types’ that we believed the catalogue should target. Those were the international student who did not study A-levels and/or studied in another language, the neurodivergent student who may benefit from resources in multiple formats, and the student who does not have an A-level in Further Maths (Further Maths in only a requirement for our maths programmes; however, many programmes assume a higher level of knowledge than is typical in A-Level mathematics)  

With these student archetypes in mind the student partners developed a catalogue to present information that would be valuable to them. The use of the personae however did not stop there, using the resources of the AIP project the students developed these archetypes into full characters matching the other animated personae and they are now able to carry out a crucial role within the catalogue. Which is to explain to student users why they are using it, how they are using it, and what the benefits are for them in such a way as to normalize difficulties that they may have and, in effect, give our students permission to use this resource to help them in whatever way they need it to. 

These three personae were developed specifically for this project and were designed to meet the needs of the students who would be most likely to use it. However, they also present an excellent case study on how they can be developed to represent the depth of interest and intersectionality of students. As part of his biography Ahmir shares his work with a charity run through the student union and his persona is now being used to promote that charity and the work that they do. Elena has been used by the Careers Service to present information on part-time work and her biography was developed so she has two exemplar CVs to help students maximize their academic and work-based skills for job applications. The reverse is also possible, personae developed for other uses can be expanded and used for new projects. Rachel, originally developed for the Attributes and Aspirations programme, also features in the catalogue as a student partner. Her persona was further developed to help students applying for StudentShapers (the partnership programme that developed this catalogue) by providing an example application with feedback. Her narrative then sees her successful in applying for the team that developed this catalogue and she is now used to show a different aspect of the student experience within this project. 

These characters are continually developing and becoming involved in activities as part of their studies and beyond. Hopefully, they will also continue to do so and to help show our students as individuals with motivations, frustrations, and interests including and as well as their studies.

As the new year begins, many of us are setting professional development goals for 2025. To give you some inspiration and ideas, we’re excited to share our next profile series post, featuring Fiona Jones, ALT’s Professional Development Manager.

Fiona manages ALT’s growing professional development services, which enhance professional recognition for Members, including ALT’s Awards, accreditation scheme, and continuing professional development activities. In this interview, Fiona shares insights on how ALT’s resources can help you achieve your professional development resolutions this year.

How has ALT been important to your career? 

I am really lucky I stumbled across ALT all those years ago, and I am so grateful that I get to do the job I do, and work with the people I do. I started at ALT as an Administration Officer six years ago, and with ALT’s dedication to CPD and staff development, I now work as ALT’s Professional Development Manager. I love working with our Member community, who are always so friendly and welcoming. 

What do you find exciting about working with learning technology?

Working very closely with CMALT, I am very privileged to be able to get a really detailed look at what our Members are working on, and how they are applying new technologies into their current practice/workplace. It’s so insightful to see how current trends and topics develop, and bend and change the industry. 

What can current and potential CMALT holders look forward to in 2025? 

There is so much going on in the CMALT world for 2025! I am so excited that we will be celebrating our first CMALT week in just a few months.

CMALT Week will run from 28 April 2025 to 2 May 2025 and will feature a whole host of CMALT themed events and content. Highlights include one to one sessions with assessors for personalised portfolio support, various webinars that dive deep into different aspects of CMALT, and a plethora of blog posts and social content to keep you inspired and informed.

Additionally, we’ve revamped our CMALT submission process for 2025. We’re now accepting submissions year round as part of our pilot programme, and we’re eager to receive feedback from both assessors and candidates on this new approach.

Can you tell us more about the CPD that ALT offers and how it supports members’ professional growth?

ALT provides numerous CPD opportunities specifically designed to support members in setting and achieving their professional development goals. Here’s a breakdown:

CMALT: Our Certified Membership offers a structured framework to help members set clear goals for their professional development. By pursuing a CMALT certification, members can create and follow a personalised pathway for growth. For those looking to further enhance their CPD, becoming a CMALT assessor is a rewarding option. This role not only helps members gain deeper insights into best practices but also hones their evaluative and mentoring skills, supporting their own professional development.  A lot of our Certified Members find this a really worthwhile and rewarding activity.

Awards: Our longstanding ALT Awards showcase the excellent research and practice and outstanding achievement of our Members. The 2025 ALT Awards will be open for entries soon, so keep an eye out for more news. 

Monthly CPD Webinar Series: Our monthly webinars cover a wide range of relevant topics, providing members with ongoing learning opportunities. By participating in these webinars, members can stay updated on industry trends and continue to develop new skills and knowledge throughout the year. We have some really interesting topics coming up for 2025, and you can find out more here.

Other Activities: Engaging with our Member Groups, Special Interest Groups, Committees, and ALT Events offers endless opportunities for professional development. These platforms enable members to network, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects, fostering a community-driven approach to goal setting and achievement. 

These CPD opportunities are tailored to help members achieve continuous growth and advancement in their careers.

What makes the ALT Awards unique, and why should members consider entering them?

The ALT Awards have set a benchmark for outstanding achievement in Learning Technology on a national scale and attract competitive entries from the UK and internationally. All entries are reviewed by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners, partner organisations, and volunteer members. 

Often, Members who do exceptional things don’t take the time to reflect or celebrate them. This is one of the things the Awards are useful for, to reflect and acknowledge your achievements in your everyday. 

What was the last thing you read or watched?

The Traitors! I am a new convert to this, having had the first two series completely pass me by, but I am hooked. So much so, I may go and rewatch the first two series once this drama of series three is over.

If you were on a deserted island, what is the one thing you would take?

Assuming I didn’t need any survival/rescue equipment, I would take my collection of board games!

We hope you enjoyed hearing from one of our team members. If this post has inspired you to set new professional development goals, ALT’s resources are here to help you achieve them. Learn more about CMALT, our upcoming CPD Webinars, and explore our upcoming events.

Future profiles will feature colleagues involved with Special Interest and Members Groups, CMALT holders and assessors, apprentices and ALT staff. If you are a current member of ALT and would be interested in featuring in an upcoming post or want to recommend someone members would be interested in hearing from, please get in touch with us at blog@alt.ac.uk.

By Christophe Mallet (CEO and Co-founder of Bodyswaps) and Colin Smith (Bodyswaps user and FE practitioner at Cornwall College).

Have you ever thought about utilising immersive learning to bring your lessons to life? Bodyswaps interactive lessons and practice exercises with avatars offer a dynamic way to learn. These lessons simulate real-life scenarios sessions, enabling learners to apply their knowledge in a controlled environment. Engaging with avatars allows learners to practice their skills without the pressure of real-world consequences.

Bodyswaps provides a psychologically safe experience which is beneficial for meaningful learning. This way of working encourages learners to understand different viewpoints, promoting empathy and comprehension with their peers. 

By providing a secure space for exploration, learners are more inclined to take risks and fully engage with the content without the risk of triggering or offending any individual they interact within the VR space.

The AI-powered feedback and personalised improvement plans give the learner a personal and customised set of guidance so they can learn by their mistakes and improve the more they use the product. This technology evaluates performance data to offer precise, actionable feedback. Consequently, learners benefit from a tailored learning experience that meets their individual needs and supports their progress effectively.

Do’s and Don’ts of Deploying Immersive Learning 

Some tried and tested learning points from a practitioner who has utilised immersive learning (inc. BodySwaps) and supported teachers to use these technologies seamlessly within their learning spaces:

1. Immersive learning through VR can transform educational experiences, but it requires careful planning.

2. Start by identifying the key objectives and outcomes you want to achieve. Engage stakeholders early to gain their support and address concerns. Demonstrating VR’s potential benefits through pilot programs which can build buy-in. 

3. If this is not possible due to the college having multiple campuses, look to find staff who could become ambassadors and get them to help you move it forward a step at a time.

4. Ensure you have the necessary hardware, software, and technical support. 

5. Avoid common pitfalls like overestimating ease of integration or underestimating training time.  Training educators and staff on VR tools is essential, and maybe a VR Driving licence is something that can be explored as CPD.

6. Regularly assess VR’s impact on learning outcomes and be ready to adjust as needed.

Book onto Chris and Colin’s webinar on the 31st January 2025 to find out more. If you miss it, don’t worry! You can always watch it in your own time via the AmplifyFE Community Space playlist.

Throughout 2025, ALT is pleased to offer a lineup of exclusive CPD webinars for our members, which are free to attend.

 

ALT will be hosting our first ever CMALT Week in 2025, from Monday 28 April 2025 to Friday 2 May and will feature a whole host of CMALT themed events.

Highlights include one to one sessions with assessors for personalised portfolio support, various webinars that dive deep into different aspects of CMALT, and a plethora of blog posts and social content to keep you inspired and informed.

More details to be announced shortly.

 

By Denise Sweeney, University of Nottingham

What is great about working on international collaborative projects is firstly you get to meet new people from across the world, and secondly how you get to learn a lot from these new professional acquaintances and experiences which in turn enhances/influences your own professional practice way beyond the life of the project.

On the success of the ALT ELESIG Scholar Scheme, we were invited to become part of the Digi:Đổi Consortium a British Council funded project. Our participation in this project has been for nearly two years and in that time, I’ve been involved in supporting the group mentoring aspect of the project. What has been good about this was having the opportunity to meet Vietnamese higher education colleagues grappling with digital transformation both in person and online. This involved being part of synchronous MS Teams meetings where colleagues presented their digital transformation projects to seek advice and mentoring. We were very lucky to have simultaneous translation through these sessions which meant I was able to give both verbal and written feedback which was a great way for projects to further pursue their aims through this ‘just in time’ feedback.

This also involved in person/hybrid workshops where again feedback was provided through simultaneous translation and digital facilitators. These experiences culminated in my visit to Ho Chi Minh city for just over a week in late 2024 to participate in the two-day showcase event. What was lovely to see was the variety of projects that were presented and the experiences that people shared about their learnings. It was great to meet people that I had met online in person. I cannot fault the hospitality of the project team and their support and enthusiasm of helping the whole UK Digi:Đổi Consortium contingent to feel welcome. We were able to produce quality work during our visit as a result.

It was great to meet new colleagues whilst I was there and hopefully some of those relationships will continue and develop over time. Being part of this project has been such a great opportunity to see how we can improve the ALT-ELESIG Scholar Scheme going into 2025.

As being part of this project, I have had to reflect on how effective mentoring and group mentoring strategies might be and how this can be better supported for those who might struggle. It was something that some of the project colleagues in Vietnam grappled with and I think there is a cultural conceptual challenge around notions of expert and novice and the power dynamics. Can novices actually learn from each other through group mentoring? In the digital transformation context where we are all professionals with expertise but maybe novices in the digital landscape. How can we mutually support and mentor ourselves?

I was really impressed to see at the showcase a large number of women presenting on digital transformation and that was across a range of women from senior to junior academics and HE administrative and support staff. Also, the number of collaborative projects where people were helping each other solve their digital transformation challenges collaboratively. I was really impressed with the quality of the projects as well as diverse use of digital transformation resources that we had shared with them and how then they made those resources useful to their context. What is interesting around Vietnam from a higher education perspective is the fact that there a range of different HE providers. There are a number of private universities and foreign universities there as well and international partnerships with not only the UK but also Australia and the US. So, there is a real variance in the size and type of institutions. Then geography brings up lots of issues especially when you’re thinking of digital transformation there is a lot of unique features of particular geographical areas, and it goes beyond just reliable Wi-Fi access to unequal access to resources and funding due the variance in institutions. Thus, in this project, there was not a one-size-fits-all digital transformation approach.

Whilst I was in Ho Chi Minh city, I noticed that there was a real thirst for non-credit bearing digital transformation professional development experiences. I think there’s a gap in the market for ‘just in time’ professional development that might lead to a digital badge for example or some kind of recognition of participation. This was something that more than one colleague brought up

As someone who grew up in the antipodes where I worked quite closely with Vietnamese refugees in a previous career it was good to see Vietnam is open to all different types of pedagogical input beyond the Anglosphere. The fact that colleagues were working with Finnish or Hungarian academics or were working with other international aid organisations it was really encouraging to see and areas for new learning for us.

Being part of the Digi:Đổi Consortium project was a really wonderful experience for ELESIG members and I wish everyone that was part of the project good wishes in future projects and collaborations.

Did you enjoy reading this? To become a member of our community, see Membership details here https://www.alt.ac.uk/membership

Dr Manish Malik from Canterbury Christ Church University and Chair of the ALT South Group will lead the ALT South #TechThursday event on Thursday 30 January. He will present the results from an evaluation of a GenAI literacy session grounded in viewing GenAI as a “mind” (albeit without emotions and consciousness) and a tool in your hands at the same time (bit of balance is good here). The research identified metaphors such as mind-surfing, mind-mending, mind-bending, when using the tool in a specific or unexpected way. Everyone welcome to join.

In October 2024, the Association for Learning Technology partnered with the University of Northampton, an Organisational Member of ALT,  to collaborate on a student-centred project.

The ALT South group, your regional friendly network for the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) members and beyond, continues to champion the integration of cutting-edge technologies into higher and further education settings. Building on our commitment to exploring the evolving landscape of Generative (GenAI) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education, over the past year we have hosted some insightful webinars that focussed on the latest developments and practical applications of GenAI/AI tools in teaching and learning.

In May 2023, we ended the previous year with discussions on the impact of AI on education and this last year too the number of developments in this area mean we continue to focus on even more AI developments to meet the needs of our audience (you). Recognising the rapid advancements and growing interest in GenAI / AI technologies, we have dedicated ourselves to providing a platform for educators and technologists to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices. Let’s take a recap of what we did and also look into future events that we have planned for you. 

One of the sessions we organised was from Dr. Isabel Fischer, an advocate for ethical AI integration and  Dr. Niharika Gupta, a data scientist and software developer. Dr. Fischer has a wealth of experience in leading technology projects and focuses on promoting fairness and democratization in education through AI. Dr. Gupta offers practical insights into AI’s applications in education, emphasizing the enhancement of teaching practices through technology. The speakers introduced the concept of the “Pedagogic Paradigm 4.0,” highlighting AI’s potential to transform education by fostering partnerships between educators, students, and AI tools. They emphasized that AI can address perceived weaknesses in current educational practices, such as providing timely formative feedback and ensuring fairness in assessments. They stressed that AI should not be a standalone tool but embedded within existing pedagogical frameworks. By acknowledging students’ familiarity with technology and positioning educators as experts and facilitators, they can inspire students to explore AI’s potential responsibly. The webinar showcased various AI tools and their applications in teaching as a nice bonus. Dr. Gupta showcased the art of crafting effective prompts to obtain desired outputs from AI models like ChatGPT, emphasising that mastering this skill can lead to more meaningful and accurate results. The speakers acknowledged the limitations of AI, including biases in data, ethical considerations, and the need for equity and accessibility. They emphasised the importance of using AI ethically, particularly concerning academic integrity and data privacy. As always the webinar trigger some great discussion exploring AI Limitations and how to get GenAI to generates outputs to use it effectively through prompt-based inputs or conversational exchanges. Audience and presenters shared concerns about ensuring that all students should have equal access to GenAI tools.

Next it was Dr. Samantha Penrice and Tomasso Bendoni who provided a comprehensive overview of Natural Language Processing (NLP), and AI concept, explaining how it bridges the gap between human language and computer understanding. They shared a pioneering project on using NLP to detect gender bias in social media interactions, aligning with International Women’s Week themes. Our very own Lucinda also shared insights from her collaborative project on computer-assisted qualitative analysis, highlighting the synergy between human expertise and AI tools. Dr. Penrice explained the complexities of human language and how NLP enables computers to process and interpret linguistic data. Key concepts covered included word classification, stemming, and machine learning techniques used in NLP. Tomaso showcased his research on utilizing NLP techniques to identify and analyse gender bias on Twitter, focusing on interactions with male and female tennis players. His findings revealed subtle differences in sentiment and thematic content, offering insights into societal biases present in social media discourse. The webinar fostered engaging dialogues among participants, who raised pertinent questions and shared insights on the implications of using AI to analyze sensitive data and the potential for reinforcing biases and its accessibility.

In other news, the chair of the group, since becoming a visiting Professor at Faculty of Engineering, McGill University Canada, has been making connections with friends of the group working in learning design in Canada. We expect to bring their work to the group at a suitable point in time in near future. 

What lies ahead

These recent webinars underscore ALT South’s ongoing dedication to exploring emerging technologies and their role in education. The incessant developments within the field of GenAI and AI, means that we will be focussing on the effectiveness and trustworthiness of these technologies within contexts such as teaching, learning, assessments and research. We recognise the importance of staying abreast of new tools as well as focus on their efficacy and effectiveness. Our webinars will serve as a platform for educators to share experiences, challenges, and strategies for integrating GenAI / AI into their practice ethically and effectively alongside seeking opportunities to evaluate and generate evidence that sheds more light on the efficacy and effectiveness of the same. We are planning to offer a hands-on sessions to develop proficiency in using GenAI tools for teaching, research, and other administrative tasks within the context of higher and further education. Furthermore, we look forward to collaborating with you on systematic reviews and or research.

We invite all educators, technologists, and stakeholders to join us in this ongoing dialogue. By collaborating and sharing our collective expertise, we can harness GenAI / AI’s full potential to enrich educational experiences and outcomes.

Get Involved with ALT South

Email: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=ALTSOUTH

Website: https://www.alt.ac.uk/groups/members-groups/alt-south

Social Media: https://altc.alt.ac.uk/blog/#gref

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxoWy14N6f8suQUQ8eOSya2pgmSA4m1aS

This paper offers guidance on employing open and creative methods for co-designing critical data and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy spaces and learning activities, rooted in the principles of Data Justice. Through innovative approaches, we aim to enhance participation in learning, research and policymaking, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the impact of data and AI whilst promoting inclusivity in critical data and AI literacy. By reflecting on the Higher Education (HE) context, we advocate for active participation and co-creation within data ecosystems, amplifying the voices of educators and learners. Our methodology employs a triangulation model: initially, we conduct interpretative analyses of literature to gauge best practices for curriculum development in HE; then, we examine frameworks in data justice and ethics to identify principles and skills applicable to undergraduate, postgraduate and academic development programs; finally, we explore proposals for critical, creative, ethical, open and innovative ideas for educators to integrate data and AI into their practice.

2024 is ending on a high note for the White Rose Learning Technologists Forum (WRLTF), with two community-led events bringing together innovative ideas and collaborative discussions. These events highlighted the Forum’s commitment to fostering impactful practices in learning technology across the White Rose institutions.

Authentic Assessment Event

On 7th November, WRLTF co-chairs Johanna Fenton (University of Leeds) and Ruth Clark (Leeds Conservatoire) facilitated an online event centred on authentic assessment. This theme resonated deeply with participants as they explored ways to create meaningful assessments that prepare students for real-world challenges.

The session began with Eddie Cowling and Dr. Richard Cotterill (University of York International Pathway College) showcasing their use of asynchronous video interviews (AVI) to assess oral communication skills. They highlighted how AVI not only simulates real-world scenarios like job interviews but also supports broader applications such as reflective journals and case study analysis.

Next, Professor Neil Gordon (University of Hull) shared his insights into competency-based approaches within Computer Science. His presentation demonstrated how incorporating peer assessment and teamwork reflections fosters deeper engagement and satisfaction. Neil also illustrated how students are leveraging AI as a “teammate” to write code, underscoring the discipline’s alignment with cutting-edge technology.

The event continued with Dr. Gabriel Jones (University of Leeds), who presented a interprofessional approach to collaboratively designing portfolio-based assessments. Drawing on expertise from multiple university teams, Gabriel introduced an assessment model that integrates skills-based submissions and reflective practices, prompting a rethinking of the TPACK model to include ‘skills knowledge.’

Closing the session, Charlie James and Dr. Sarah Copeland (University of Leeds) discussed the affordances of e-portfolios within medicine and healthcare. They outlined how these can showcase competencies, encourage reflective practice, and maintain records of professional observations. Finally, Jessica Bruce (University of Leeds) introduced an innovative use of interactive narrative pathways through presentation software, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills for healthcare students.

The presentations sparked engaging Q&A discussions, with recurring themes around giving students greater agency in their assessments and enhancing real-world applicability across diverse disciplines.

The White Rose Unconference

On 6th December, the WRLTF held a participant-driven unconference hosted at the University of York. Facilitated by Emily Armstrong (University of Hull), William Heathcote (Leeds Trinity University), and Lilian Joy (University of York), the unconference provided an inclusive space for attendees to raise their own topics for discussion.

Morning sessions tackled issues such as digital accessibility and student upskilling. Participants shared strategies for training student ambassadors to promote accessibility and the challenges of gaining institutional buy-in to build a culture of inclusion. Another key topic was the use of technology in and outside of classrooms, with examples ranging from polling tools for anonymised real-time feedback to VLE-based escape rooms for engaging learning activities.

The afternoon discussions continued the conversation on authentic assessment, focusing on industry-aligned tools and alternatives to traditional essays and exams. Participants also explored the use of diverse course-authoring software and emerging productivity tools that could transform teaching and learning.

The event concluded with an opportunity for colleagues to round off a successful year for the WRLTF to celebrate in and around York’s beautiful Christmas markets.

Looking Ahead

As 2024 comes to an end, the WRLTF thanks its vibrant community for their engagement and contributions. We look forward to building on this year’s successes with an exciting schedule of events in 2025. Wishing everyone a joyful festive season and a productive new year!