ALT Events RSS

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Most Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland and the UK began engaging with MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) production in 2012&ndash;2013, driven by both experimentation and a desire to innovate in digital learning. Now, over a decade later, many institutions have refined their approaches and learned valuable lessons about how to manage MOOC production effectively both as a pedagogical endeavour and a strategic initiative.<br />
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This webinar will present insights from my PhD research, which explored MOOC production across eighteen HEIs in Ireland and the UK. The study focuses on three key stakeholder groups involved in the production process: learning designers, academic staff (lecturers), and senior managers. Each group brings a unique perspective to the challenges, opportunities, and institutional motivations behind MOOCs.<br />
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By bringing these voices together, the research uncovers a complex picture of how MOOC production is organised, who drives the process, and how decisions about platform, content, and pedagogy are made. More importantly, it reveals how MOOC production is increasingly being tied to broader institutional goals such as internationalisation, brand building, innovation and outreach.<br />
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This session will highlight key themes that emerged from the research, including tensions between academic autonomy and strategic alignment, the evolving role of learning designers, and the importance of sustainable production models. Whether your institution is experienced in MOOC production or just beginning the journey, the webinar will offer insights into the organisational dynamics at play and how MOOCs can be better integrated into institutional strategy.</p>

<p><strong>CPD Webinar Host:&nbsp;</strong>
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&nbsp;Louise Kearins</p>

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Reflection is widely used for professional recognition and also seen as valuable for professional development. Being able to reflect deeply requires skill to step back from what is occurring to consider beyond &lsquo;what&rsquo; happened to why it happened and in Senge&rsquo;s (2006) view develop the skills of a learning organisation. In this session we will share our experiences of Co-generative dialogues. In these structured conversations each participant has equal voice. Alternating between speaking, listening attentively to one another, and valuing diverse perspectives (Hsu, 2021). This type of reflection values the principles of equity, respect, and inclusion as foundational to sense making. We explore how these deeply reflective accounts come together in a democratic space softening the traditional hierarchies (Tobin, 2008). Working in groups, dyads or triads can foster collective responsibility for improvements (Martin, 2006). In this session, we will provide the opportunity to experience a co-generative dialogue to foster reflection that moves beyond what to why, and more importantly shape learning for the future.</p>

<p><strong>CPD Webinar Host:&nbsp;</strong>
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Lynn Gribble</p>

<p>This is the second in a series of four sessions throughout the 2025/26 academic year. These are designed as open forums for colleagues to share and get feedback in the East England and East Midlands region. The sessions are very informal and everyone is welcome, if you live and/or work in the regions. Further details to follow: The exact topic and discussion format has been determined in the 14 October 2025 session. We&#39;ll conclude the sharing 4:50 (at the latest). Following that, we&#39;ll dedicate 5-10 minutes to setting the agenda for our April meeting.&nbsp;
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Have you ever wondered how data science students approach learning analytics? In this session, we&rsquo;ll explore the unique perspectives of postgraduate students who analysed the Open University Learning Analytics Dataset (OULAD) as part of a four-week innovation project.<br />
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What makes this work especially interesting is the combination of methods used to capture the students perspectives. Alongside human-led content analysis, we used AI tools like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Large Language Models (LLMs). This blend provided a richer, more nuanced understanding of how data science students interpret and engage with learning analytics.<br />
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Join us as we share what we learned from these students&mdash;about their analytical approaches, the themes they explored, and what all of this means for designing better learning analytics in higher education. It&rsquo;s a conversation about how students see the role of data in their own learning journey and how their insights can shape the future of education.</p>

<p><strong>CPD Webinar Host:&nbsp;</strong>
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Raghda Marai Zahran, Newcastle University&nbsp;</p>