Pedagogy Reimagined: Building from Excellence for Student Success

Location: WPT002 & Online

Each presenter will have a maximum of 12 minutes to deliver their talk, offering a snapshot into their work. There will be an opportunity to ask initial questions which can be followed up during the networking breaks

Lightning talks 1: AI and Technology Enhanced Learning

Implementing AI feedback system on Learn
Firat Batmaz, Gary Storey and Charlotte Barnessi

In this lightning session, we will present the outcomes of our project focused on the technical implementation of AI-powered feedback within Learn quizzes. This initiative, the result of a Talent Match internship and an EPSRC summer internship, explored the development and integration of AI-driven tools to provide personalised and timely feedback for students. We will cover the technical methodologies and the implementation process in detail. This session is aimed at those interested in the technical aspects of embedding AI solutions into VLEs and will provide practical insights for adopting similar approaches to enhance student learning and engagement through AI-powered feedback.

Enhancing Learning Through AI-Powered Feedback on Learn Quiz
Yanning Yang

In this lightning talk, we will present the outcome of the TIA project: Enhancing Learning Through AI-Powered Feedback on Learn Quiz. The presentation will show how AI-powered Learn Quiz was integrated in different academic modules, to provide students with personalised and timely feedback on formative assessments. Ethical considerations, such as trust, privacy, and liability, will be addressed. The outcomes of evaluation, based on students' interactions with the AI-powered Learn Quiz and feedback from both students and staff, will be shared. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of the potential benefits of using AI-powered Learn Quiz, along with practical guidance on how to adopt it responsibly and effectively.

Keeping up with the Jones': Applying old principles to new technologies.
Nathan Rush

Keeping up to date with the vast range of new hardware and software that students, researchers and staff use can be challenging. As Librarians we ask ourselves: what role, if any, do we have in helping users decide which new technology could be utilised in their research? Do we always have to prioritise our subscribed content? Do we take a proactive rather than a reactive role? What impact is this having on Librarians’ responsibilities? We consider these questions within the context of how we support users in their adoption of AI. We highlight how well-established critical evaluation frameworks can be used to help users assess the quality of outputs generated by AI tools. Further, we consider how new technologies can be both an aid and a threat to traditional pedagogies and what strategies can be implemented to ensure learning still takes place within modules. Finally, we reflect on how the Library can help support transitions to new technologies.

Empowering academics to deploy immersive learning in the curriculum
Gary Burnett

There are many established advantages to the use of immersive technologies (such as VR, AR and hologram displays) in Higher Education, grounded in enhanced experiential, social and contextual learning – which ultimately can lead to significantly improved engagement from students. Effectively, this technology allows teachers to create novel learning activities that otherwise would be dangerous, impossible, counter-productive and/or expensive in the real world – the so-called DICE criteria for the most promising use-cases with immersive learning. Nevertheless, it is challenging to empower academics to utilise the required hardware and software within their teaching practice – partly due to a lack of awareness of the possibilities, but predominately because of the learning curve that academics and supporting staff must overcome to become proficient in the use of the technology within their specific domain. In this talk, I will describe several case studies where VR/AR and hologram technology has already been used successfully across the University for enhancing the student experience – reflecting on the difficulties encountered and how they were addressed. Specifically, I will use these examples to showcase the potential of the DigiLabs initiative in the long-term to ultimately provide a working ‘system’ (including hardware, software and staff support) for the use of immersive learning as ‘business as usual’ teaching.

EDI Training Through AI-Generated Scenario Simulations
Sara Saravi 

This lightning talk presents a novel approach to enhancing EDI training through AI-generated videos. Developed in collaboration with the Organisational Development team and funded by EDI Services, the project integrates AI into Unconscious Bias training for university staff to create immersive, real-world learning scenarios for recognising and addressing unconscious bias. We will showcase how these videos were developed, how they were received by both workshop participants and facilitators, and what we learned from their implementation. Finally, we’ll explore how this AI-enhanced method could be scaled or adapted for future EDI initiatives.

Location: WPT003 & Online

Each presenter will have a maximum of 12 minutes to deliver their talk, offering a snapshot into their work. There will be an opportunity to ask initial questions which can be followed up during the networking breaks. 

Lightning talks 1: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Student Success

Widening participation and social justice: International comparison of first-generation student experiences
Marta Ulanicka

Student access to and experience in Higher Education remain subject to multiple inequalities worldwide. This presentation reports on research carried out for a PhD study into widening participation and social justice in England and Poland, which sought to answer the question: What can be learned from the comparison between the academic and social experiences of first-generation students attending high-prestige universities in both countries? The project involved semi-structured interviews with fourteen students, studying mostly social science subjects, at two case study institutions. Student experiences were conceptualised using the Capabilities Approach, utilising Wilson-Strydom’s (2016) Capabilities list for equitable transitions to university. While all participants achieved the functioning of accessing a prestigious HE institution, variations in their resources and available conversion factors played significant roles in shaping their experiences and orientations. In particular, relationships with teaching staff and peers in the teaching and learning spaces, and external social support networks, were central to the students’ flourishing.  Institutional, and thereby national differences were noted. Students at the English institution reported a greater degree of mismatch between their background and the prevailing socio-economic and educational context of the university, in comparison to their Polish peers. This ‘Widening Participation identity’ appeared to have the potential to impact on their wellbeing in significant ways. The presentation will consider the implications of this finding for pedagogical approaches and mechanisms of student support. Wilson-Strydom, M. (2016) A Capabilities List for Equitable Transitions to University: A Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approach. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 17 (2): 145-160.

EDI(T) in action: Making teaching more inclusive, one step at a time
Mhairi Morris, Oli Hooper, Nik Dickerson, Ash Casey, Adam Pryor, Emily Hansell, Soukaina Bahsoun, Julie Stirrup, Jai Poria (student), Isabelle Robertshaw (student)

How can we transform our teaching practices to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive learning environment that makes everyone feel welcome and part of a community? In this lightning talk, the SSEHS Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Teaching Advisory Group (EDIT-AG) will share our journey toward fostering inclusivity within our school. Building on a collaborative consensus study involving staff (professional services and academic at varying levels) and students (across multiple programmes and parts), we identified four key priority areas to focus on making improvements: 1) to improve the inclusion and belonging of international students; 2) to raise the profile of diverse role models across staff and students; 3) to bravely challenge curriculum content and assessment; and 4) to ensure staff feel equipped to change their pedagogy to be more inclusive.  We will provide an overview of our actions to date and share insights into how we are embedding targeted initiatives to drive meaningful change. Attendees will leave with practical ideas that they can adapt and adopt into their own teaching practices, ranging from quick, accessible wins to more transformative strategies.  Join this student-staff team to explore how thoughtful, intentional actions can make a real difference in fostering EDI in higher education and work towards building a learning environment where every student and educator feels valued, seen and equipped to thrive.

Unlocking Potential: A co-creation approach to facilitate inclusion and empower international postgraduate students in SSEHS.
Emily Hansell

International students face unique challenges when undertaking vocational and applied postgraduate programmes in sport and exercise. These challenges often stem from differences in cultural and educational backgrounds, varying levels of foundational knowledge, and a potentially hidden curriculum, which can be exacerbated by variable transitions to the UK Higher Education environment and the impact of visa restrictions on securing internship and voluntary opportunities in these disciplines. Current programme structures often presume prior knowledge and experience, leaving gaps in support for these students and potentially impacting their success both during their studies and in their future careers as practitioners. This Teaching Innovation Award project investigates the barriers faced by international students and identifies the skills required for success through a co-creation approach. Through insights gathered from students and staff, the project aims to establish a student-informed understanding of the academic, vocational, and soft skills needed for these programmes, in addition to the efficacy of our resources and inductions. The findings of the project inform the development of student-centred resources and workshops designed to support international students’ transitions and enhance their learning experience. This presentation will share the preliminary findings of the project, including key challenges identified, strategies to address these, and the implementation of inclusive resources to meet the needs of diverse learners. Attendees will gain practical insights into fostering inclusivity and supporting the success of international students in applied postgraduate programmes, with application to the co-creation and evaluation of resources.

Demystifying the hidden curriculum at Loughborough University
Laura Crawford, Matt McCullock and Brad Page

In this lightning talk, we will share the results of our Teaching Innovation Award: Demystifying the Hidden Curriculum at Loughborough University. The hidden curriculum is a topical concept within the broader context of equity, diversity, and inclusion, referring to the untaught and assumed aspects of studying for a university degree, which can have a differential impact on different learners. Our project adopted an inclusive approach, focusing on institutional changes to help all students navigate the often-bewildering aspects of a university degree and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to thrive. Following a survey of the wider literature, our Student Investigator led a series of focus groups with students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The findings revealed themes related to students’ sense of belonging and their awareness of the unspoken rules of the academic environment. Some of the findings relate to assumptions made about students’ prior skills and knowledge and a lack of student clarity around the function of different academic roles, such as Personal Tutors. We will illustrate the wider applications of this work to demystify the tacit assumptions about academic success and create a more inclusive environment for all students.

Applying the theory of inventive problem-solving to inclusive assessment
Dr Yvonne Cornejo

One of the barriers to developing inclusive assessments is the series of inherent contradictions experienced by teachers: for example, if assessments become more progressive (good), integrity suffers (bad). As such, fully inclusive assessment is often experienced as a positive objective, but elusive in reality.  In this talk, I will describe how we applied the theory of inventive problem-solving, developed for complex engineering problems, to address barriers to making language assessment processes more inclusive. We will share our experience of drawing on an extended internal and external network of partners – employers, teachers, educators, and students – to help us collectively come up with solutions in a context with multiple complex variables.

Location: WPT 005

This workshop in not available online

Workshop: Professor Sam Grogan – Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow- why bother and why it matters?

Join Sam Grogan and Lucy Madahar (Advance HE) for an insightful session on the importance of Senior and Principal Fellowship in recognising and celebrating leadership in teaching and learning. You will be taken on a journey to explore how these categories of Fellowship can enhance your professional impact, shape educational practice and contribute to a culture of learning and teaching excellence at Loughborough University. This is a great opportunity to explore the benefits, pathways and support available to you should you wish to make an application. You will also hear from existing Senior and Principal Fellows who will provide top tips on what you should consider as you develop your own applications. 

Location: WPT002 & Online

Each presenter will have a maximum of 12 minutes to deliver their talk, offering a snapshot into their work. There will be an opportunity to ask initial questions which can be followed up during the networking breaks. 

Lightning talks: Student Engagement

Assignments in LEARN: The ‘Comparative Judgement’ option
Ian Jones

The little-known ‘Comparative Judgement’ option when setting up an ‘assignment’ in LEARN enables lecturers across university subjects to provide innovative and engaging teaching and assessment activities to students. These activities centre around students submitting work and then making pairwise evaluations, known as ‘comparative judgements’, of one another’s submissions. Such activities can be done as in-person sessions thereby promoting discussion and collaboration amongst students, or remotely for private study and reflection. Crucially, the comparative judgement approach to assessment produces scores that can be easily and quickly moderated by a lecturer and used for grading purposes. These scores are easily generated because they harness the students’ own evaluations, and yet have been shown time and again to be reliable and valid across university subjects in numerous research studies over the past decade. In this talk I will provide a brief overview of the ways comparative judgement has been used and researched in higher education teaching and assessment. I will also provide a walk-through of how a wide range of comparative judgement-based learning activities can be readily integrated as part of LEARN’s ‘assignment’ activity.

Quick practical tricks to introduce and frame your own teaching, or that of your teaching assistants.
Georgios Thoma

With all the modules students need to attend, their lecture hours, seminars and workshops, how to quickly communicate key information, facilitate discussions or show necessary steps for late-commers? In this lightning talk I present quick practical tips that you can adopt (or advise your teaching assistants to follow) towards increasing student engagement, participation and focus. It can even help towards your next AdvanceHE descriptor award!  Having worked as a university teaching assistant for three modules and a secondary school teacher for three years, I share a) the practicality of metaphors to communicate your aims for each session, b) how to quickly plan and create the “first slide they see” and “slide they ALWAYS see”, c) general practices for quick and effective planning, that is meaningful to the students.

Using game-based teaching to improve student learning, engagement and social interaction.
Elaine Conway

The aim of this research is to explore the social and pedagogical impacts of game-based teaching. A sample of 106 students were taught a range of business metrics followed by a card game to reinforce learning. The sample consisted of students across a range of disciplines and stages of study. Students were taught in groups, playing the game in pairs against other pairs.  They completed pre and post questionnaires including an assessment of motivation, based on the Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction (ARCS) research methodology. These questionnaires assessed their motivation, knowledge, understanding and experience of using games to support learning. This yielded quantitative and qualitative responses, supplemented by group observations and interviews. Emerging Findings: There was an improvement in knowledge and understanding of business metrics, following the teaching and the game. Learning improved across all participants, particularly in the non-business specialists. The results indicated that the students valued the social aspects of using games to reinforce learning, discuss issues in depth, improve peer-to-peer learning, team building, problem solving, communication skills and cohort identity. Research limitations/implications: Although the study to date was based on a relatively small sample of 106 participants, there are positive practical and social implications to using game-based learning to support deeper learning across all disciplines and educational stages. The use of game-based learning to supplement standard pedagogic methods appeals to a wider range of learning styles and improves motivation, engagement, and social interaction, particularly in Generation Z students.

It's all in the warm-up: Soft start activities in lectures
John Warren

I have recently changed the traditional warm-up section of my lectures. Previously I would start each week with a re-cap of the content in the previous lecture, I would have a re-cap slide and might utilise vevox and/or open questioning to try and engage students in the re-cap. Recently I attended a workshop in SSEHS on learning through play, my biggest takeaway was the way that the instructor started the session. They had some engaging activities left out and circulated the space creating a more informal "soft start" to the session. I have recently tried incorporating an approach based on this into my lectures, with positive feedback from students. I have set them challenges, provided online quizzes, created custom wordle and connections challenges, and “blown up” some pairing activities that they have to complete as a group.  I have also set them tasks to contribute to the creation of soft start activities which has led to some really fun and engaging starts to lectures, for example I challenge them to create a meme that conveys one of the concepts that we have covered in the previous week and use this to shape the lecture warm-up. I have found that in doing this I can make us of the 5-10mins pre-lecture time to circulate the room and discuss the activities with students and then can transition appropriately into the main lecture content.

Engaging students by using coaching questions in large student lectures
Amanda Harrington

Coaching is usually employed as a 1-2-1 process, sometimes as a small team process. However, the use of coaching questions helps a group of any size to think their own thoughts and to engage with their own reviews and plans. This session briefly outlines the GROW model of coaching.  Participants will then work on a topic of their choice through writing / thinking about / drawing or doodling their answers to coaching questions, presented by the session facilitator. This approach has been used in undergraduate lectures of 200 students, encouraging active thinking by all those in the room. Participants (and students) are invited to work in whatever way is best for them: writing, drawing etc. The needs of neurodiverse students are discussed to identify a range of methods of engaging with coaching questions, delivered by the lecturer. The session ends with participants reflecting on this coaching tool, using timed paired listening – another method of engaging large student cohorts.

Location: WPT 008 
This workshop in not available online

Workshop 1: A sneak peek at new Learn

Matt Aldred, Rich Goodman, Greg Milsted, Lee Barnett, Matt Hope, Meg Stafford

Join us for a hands-on opportunity to experience the new version of Learn. In this session, you can explore the new features which we hope will dramatically improve the editing and overall experience. This session is open to anyone that interacts with Learn. Please bring a device to the session as we will give you access to the beta version on the day.

Location: WPT005 & Online

Workshop 2: Diverse sources and your reading list: a hybrid practical session

Kat Halliday, Catherine Shipley & Louise Ashton

The session will expose participants to new ways of working and thinking, looking to showcase diverse sources and how they can complement an academic reading list and increase its inclusivity. Participants will be given the opportunity to learn why and how to put into practice the process of locating and selecting diverse and inclusive sources in this hands-on Hybrid session. Participants are welcome in person at the conference venue; online and we would like to extend a special welcome to those joining us from the London campus where our Academic Librarian Louise Ashton will be providing a physical and online presence to make the event truly inclusive to all at Loughborough. Key areas covered. Information on why employing a diverse range of sources is important for fostering an inclusive learning journey and environment. Short overview on different source types and how they make learning inclusive to all students. Demonstration on how to locate a diverse sources; including those of marginalised or underrepresented groups through academic databases and open access sources. Time to put the learning into practice with Library staff on hand to assist with questions and queries . 

Location: WPT002 & Online

AI in Education Community of practice

Sara Saravi, Firat Batmaz, Yanning Yang, Mohamad Saada, Gary Storey, Parisa Derakhshan, Hui Fang, Hossein Nevisi

We invite you to join the AIED group for a Community of Practice session. This session will focus on sharing the ongoing work of the AIED group, providing updates on AI technologies, and facilitating discussions around the use of artificial intelligence in education. The session will include:  An overview of recent developments in AI technologies relevant to teaching and learning. Updates on current AIED projects and activities within the university. Interactive discussions to exchange ideas, ask questions, and explore the potential and considerations of AI tools in education. This session is designed as a space for open dialogue and collaboration. Our aim is to share information and create opportunities for engagement, allowing participants to reflect on and discuss the role of AI in their contexts. We look forward to welcoming you to this session and contributing to thoughtful conversations on the future of education.

Location:  WPT003
This workshop in not available online

ESD building on excellence

Nik Hunt

The session will begin with one of the APVC's introducing Sustainability in the Strategy and the importance of ESD. There will then be lightening presentations to provide examples of the excellent work already being done. These include: Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Materials Science, Department of Materials. Marianna Coulentianos (recorded presentation), Dr Imogen Heaton and Dr Eleanor Braithwaite (ESD in technical teaching) and Dr Richard Hodgkins, Carbon Literacy Training in Social Sciences. (other academics have also been approached / expressed an interest in presenting. Nik Hunt, Environmental Manager, will then chair a panel session where attendees can quiz a panel on ESD and how it is developing at LU. 

Location: WPT005 & Online

Shifting student perspectives and building excellence through multidimensional learning

Mhairi Morris

How can we reimagine teaching to inspire deeper understanding and equip students for success? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore a dynamic approach to pedagogy that encourages students to critically evaluate topics at multiple levels – taking them on a journey from the big picture to the smallest details to uncover deeper insights and connections.  Drawing from my cancer biology teaching where I have employed DigiLabs technologies (Anatomage and VR headsets) and bio lab technologies (3D tumour modelling using organoids), I’ll guide participants through a framework to identify and teach the “zoom levels” of a topic. This method fosters critical thinking, interdisciplinary connections, and a richer learning experience.  We will explore how this approach can be adopted across all disciplines, not just STEM subjects, and discuss how technologies such as virtual reality, 3D modelling and other visualisation tools can bring abstract concepts to life. Participants will have the opportunity to map out the macro-level (e.g., societal or systemic views), intermediate (e.g., mechanisms or processes) and micro-level (e.g., molecular, detailed or individual components) perspectives of a topic in their own discipline. They will then experiment with creative teaching strategies and digital tools to help students connect these levels in a meaningful way. Following this collaborative ideation session, participants will be invited to share their ideas and will leave the workshop with a flexible framework they can adapt to any topic in their field.   By reimagining how we present content, we can enhance student success by promoting deeper engagement, analytical thinking and a stronger grasp of complex concepts.

Location: WPT008 
This workshop in not available online

Decolonial dialogues - conversations on the curriculum

Cleveland Thompson and Laura Crawford

This interactive session aims to foster an inclusive and participatory dialogue inspired by decolonial scholarship. Special Guest Cleveland Thompson* (co-Chair of University of Derby Race Equality Network) and Laura Crawford (Enhanced Academic Practice) will facilitate a dynamic conversation, encouraging all audience members to share their perspectives and contribute to a collective exploration of decolonisation in the context of learning and teaching in higher education.  The session will begin with an introduction by the facilitators, sharing their own experiences and learnings from decolonisation initiatives. Attendees will be invited to share their perspectives, questions, and reflections in a structured yet open format. This session will seek to foster a community of practice and build connections with peers at different stages of exploring decolonisation in their context. We look forward to welcoming you to this session.

_{*Senior Lecturer in Social and Community Studies and Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) in Child and Family, Health and Well-being}