Events

Theme: Making Digital Life Better for International Students

As international student populations continue to grow, so too does our responsibility to create more inclusive, supportive, and engaging digital learning experiences. This event explores how we can collectively improve the digital life of international students across the M25 region.

Join us online or face to face at the University of Stirling in the Jisc Interactive Classroom for our annual get-together. We'll hear updates from across the Scottish educator sector (ALT, Education Scotland, College Sector, Jisc, QAA Scotland), and there will be interactive sessions on blended learning, AI developments, and MOOCs and microcredentials. Those participating in person will get a demo of the Jisc learning lab and Stirling's approach to blended learning.

Join Constance Henry, a technology enhanced learning enthusiast, for a friendly and practical introduction to HeyZine flipbooks – a simple but effective way to bring your resources to life. This session will explore how flipbooks can be used across all ages and stages of education, from showcasing student work to creating interactive guides, handbooks, and learning materials. You'll see how easy it is to add videos, audio, links, and images, making your content more engaging and accessible. Whether you're supporting learners in the classroom, online, or in community settings, HeyZine offers a creative, user-friendly platform to enhance what you already do.

We are refreshing the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) East regional group, with a renewed focus is on building stronger regional connections. We are also collaborating with the East Midlands group to widen the opportunities for sharing and collaboration.

Our aim is to set up a regular series of collaborative online sessions. These sessions will provide a forum to discuss key issues, challenges, opportunities, and shared ambitions in technology-enhanced learning within our regional community.

This initial session is a crucial opportunity to gather interested individuals. We will discuss the direction and focus of the revitalised group, identify the most pressing needs and opportunities for our community, and begin building a supportive regional network. If you work (or live) in the East Midlands or East England we would be delighted if you would be involved. Please be prepared to bring any ideas for what you might like to see discussed in sessions, or how we might support each other going forward.

To mark the relaunch of ALT Cymru we will be having a virtual 'coffee and chat'. Our first order of business is to get to know our members and what it is you would like to get from this group. Please come along and say hello and have a virtual coffee. We hope to make these a regular event with a different theme for discussion. FOr this first one as well as a hello we thought it would be great to talk about AI and the Welsh Language! So any concerns, issues or ideas you've got about how AI is working (or not) in Welsh please come and share.

The next meeting of the ALT-ELESIG Scotland group is an excellent opportunity to share practice, evaluation and research into learners' experiences of technology enhanced learning and assessment. We have a great afternoon planned with a variety of presentations across the theme of 'Sustainability in Tertiary Education'.

Read the full programme and presenter biographies here.

Register Here,

Delivered by ALT CoOL SIG Chairs, Chris Morrison and Jane Secker, it is aimed at learning technologists and related staff in education.  No knowledge of copyright is assumed prior to the course. This half-day workshop uses Copyright the Card Game to establish a baseline level of knowledge and to give practical examples and scenarios about how copyright relates to the work of learning technologists and those in the field of digital education.
 
Learning outcomes

By the end of the afternoon, delegates will have:

• The ability to apply the basics of UK copyright law to the primary activities of learning technology
• An awareness and understanding of the main licences and copyright exceptions that are relevant to those working in this field
• An understanding of issues related to copyright and digital education / online learning including: digitising content for online, using born digital resources, using digital media and lecture recording and copyright in the connected environment.
   

Are you keen to engage in research but barriers prevent progress? Professional service staff possess unique perspectives that could transform educational practices, yet face significant hurdles when attempting to formalize, conduct, and share this valuable knowledge as research—even when its potential impact is substantial. ALT-ELESIG + the Heads of ELearning Forum are running this session to share the experience of barriers and enablers to doing research. email:j.c.turner@ljmu.ac.uk to attend.

Three academic years have passed since the release of the ChatGPT. In this workshop I share the lessons learnt over nearly 2 academic years of implementing a set of general guiding principles designed for life science students on the responsible use of generative AI. The guidance is modelled on existing approaches to research integrity and plagiarism, framed in a way to demonstrate how to generative AI can support learning without undermining it. The focus is on encouraging healthy, sustainable behaviours through practical advice tailored to different course components. The workshop includes an interactive session where attendees will discuss particular types of learning activities and consider what sort of student interactions with generative AI might be considered as good practice, poor practice or misconduct. 

Join us on Friday 25th April 2025 at 11.00 for the latest in our ongoing series of webinars on becoming a copyright expert. We are pleased to be joined by two experts and one enthusiastic amateur this time around. Christine Daouti and Irene Barranco Garcia will be jointly talking about their journey to becoming experts, while Kathryn Drumm will be explaining why she isn't an expert, and that's OK. Christine is the copyright support officer at University College London. She has a special interest in creating educational resources on copyright, including the UCL Copyright Essentials online module and the Copyright and your Teaching online module. Irene recently joined Imperial College as their Copyright and Scholarly Communications Librarian, having previously worked at the University of Greenwich as Collaboration, Compliance, and Copyright Manager. Kathryn is an educational technologist at City St George's, University of London. Before moving into higher education, she worked in broadcasting for almost 20 years.

This is the first meeting of the FELT Working Group. The Working Group seeks to gain feedback from the community to update ALT’s Framework for Ethical Learning Technology (FELT). The Working Group is chaired by ALT Trustees Natalie Lafferty and Sharon Flynn.

We are seeking diverse perspectives and encouraging representatives from all sectors and nations to join. You do not need to be an ALT Member to contribute.

When: Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October 2025  

Where: Glasgow Marriott Hotel, 500 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8RR  

Get ready for two incredible days of innovation, collaboration, and exploration in learning technology. From inspiring keynote sessions to engaging workshops and networking opportunities, ALTC 2025 is your chance to connect, share ideas, and shape the future of education.

ALT’s Annual Conference is recognised as one of the leading events in the UK for professionals working with learning technology. It is also among the largest gatherings of its kind, drawing up to 400 delegates each year.

We invite you to the “Managing Digital Assessments: Administration and Implementation”  webinar from The Digital Assessment Special Interest Group on 20th May 2025 at 11:00 am until 12:30 am. 3 speakers will share the conversations that are taking place at their institutions around the challenges and opportunities of managing digital assessments, under such themes as:

• Implementing a digital assessment
• Administration of digital assessments
• The life cycle of a digital assessment
• Converting an analog assessment into a digital assessment including lessons learned from this process.
• Using AI to support the administrative burden of digital assessments including feedback, automation of processes and question creation
• Strategies for ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in digital assessments
• Case studies of digital assessment implementation and change
• Use of digital tools to support digital assessment management

Following the presentations you are invited to stay to take part in an open discussion on this topic where you can share your thoughts, concerns and progress in the area of digital assessment creation.

This webinar is the second in a series that will explore the different parts of the assessment process including:

• Marking and feedback of digital assessments
• Digital exams
• Student voice and digital assessments

Calls for speakers for this session are still open, if you are interested in speaking at this event please complete the google form by the 2nd May 2025. 

Speakers will be announced shortly via the Digital Assessment SIG mailing list.

Join the mailing list to be kept up to date on this and other SIG events.

Dr Tadhg Blommerde, Assistant Professor at Northumbria University will lead the ALT South #TechThursday event on Thursday 24 April. Generative AI offers exciting possibilities for teaching and learning, but many academic staff are still unsure where to start. This session explores practical ways educators can begin using GenAI to enhance their teaching practice and better support students. Through real examples and reflections on experimentation, we’ll consider how AI tools can spark creativity, reduce workload, and open up new forms of assessment. Whether you're curious, cautious, or already experimenting, this session aims to inspire confidence and provide actionable ideas to take back to your own context. The talk is open to everyone. 

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

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

• 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.