The LD Team Award 2025

Nomination 1: Student Learning Development Services Trinity College Dublin

Nominated by: Dr Maeve O’Regan, Trinity College Dublin

Team members:

Susan Kirwin – Student Learning and Development Services Manager

Dr Tamara O’Connor – Student Learning and Development Psychologist

Dr Maeve O’ Regan – Student Learning and Development Advisor

Caroline Forsyth – Student Learning and Development Advisor

Dr Grace Gaynor – Student Learning and Development Advisor

Nomination:

We are a team of Student Learning Development professionals who deliver in-person and online individual appointments and academic skills workshops to undergraduate and postgraduate students in Trinity College Dublin. Our core staff comprises of 5 part-time staff (2.5 FTE) and a team of PhD/postgraduate Academic Writing Centre tutors and volunteers (who are retired academic staff). We deliver services to approximately 5000 student contacts over each academic year. So, we pack quite a punch for a small team!

Our work embraces the ALDinHE values as follows:

1. Working in partnership with students and staff to make sense and get the most out of HE. We deliver academic skills and writing workshops and programmes jointly with academic staff, students and student support services. This includes an accredited research and personal development module for PhD students, a Postgraduate Summer School, exam clinics, drop-in services and supported writing groups for all students.

2. Embracing and respecting diverse learners through critical pedagogy and practice. We offer both online and in person support, including an online Blackboard module, with a range of accessible academic resources, in various formats, to support universal design principles for a diverse body of learners.

3. Adapting, sharing and advocating effective learning development practice to promote student learning We collaborate with staff and students and seek feedback to enhance and promote student learning development.

4. Commitment to a scholarly approach and research related to Learning Development. Our work is underpinned by research and evidence-based practices in psychology and education to promote student agency, wellbeing and academic success.

5. Critical self-reflection, on-going learning and a commitment to professional development. We have peer review meetings and are members of professional organisations in the field of education and psychology in Ireland and the UK.

Nomination 2: Rebecca Lindner and Martin Compton and their Editorial Team at King’s College London, for JLDHE Special Issue, Liberating Learning

Nominated by: Dr Katharine Jewitt, The Open University

Team members:

Rebecca Lindner, Martin Compton, Abbi Shaw, Barney Samson-Ledger, Cathy Elliott, Claudia Prieto Piastro, Haf Carney Rees, Jayne Pearson, Laurie Benson, Maria O’Hara, Rachel Morley, Saima Shah

Nomination:

JLDHE Liberating Learning Guest Editors, Rebecca Lindner’s and Martin Compton’s contribution to Learning Development (LD) is significant. Across the world, their impact is far reaching and long-lived. Creating a collective sense of difficulties we are facing in the sector; they offer an opportunity for us to find a way to sustain our participation and enjoyment of what we do. They created a set of themes and posed a series of questions to support authors in interpreting the themes in a variety of ways and to think through ideas with others and critically self-reflect their LD work. Rebecca and Martin developed a culture of positive learning experiences, which led to 99 authors writing 30 papers. Authors were supported, coached, guided, mentored; provided with clear expectations and a structure approach, which led to high quality contributions and peer reviewing, increased confidence and learning. Some authors had no experience of writing, editing or reviewing. Some have been introduced to co-writing as an introduction to educational scholarship. A breadth of different types of contributions were written, from imaginations of what could be in the classroom and university, to practical guidance and informed evidence and practice. There are speculative proposals, ideas, sets of recommendations, toolkits, experiments and collaborations that would not have been possible without their vision.

Papers are co-created and co-produced between students, professional services and academic staff through critical pedagogy and practice. Authors have written collaboratively with colleagues, with other institutions and across continents. In a world of chaos, Rebecca and Martin have brought together a diversity of ideas, new possibilities, inspiration, a renewed sense of hope and joy. As they say in the editorial, “Joy is a radical act of defiance”. Creating momentum, this issue is just the beginning of something much bigger. They might just have started an accidental revolution.

Nomination 3: The Guest Editors of the JLDHE Special Edition on Liberating Learning across various universities

Nominated by: Lisa Clughen, Nottingham Trent University

Team members:

Rebecca Lindner (KCL) Martin Compton (KCL) Alicja Syska (University of Plymouth) Maria O’Hara (KCL), Harriet Newnes (Lancaster University, Copy Editor)

Nomination:

I recently published an opinion piece in the JLDHE Special edition on Liberating Learning and have come away with the impression that the editors and all involved in this edition are outstanding. This is for several academic and professional reasons. The edition they put together was cutting-edge, both in its innovative theme and realisation (ALDinHE principles 2,35). The thinking behind the edition is exceptional – that others were talking about bringing freedom to an over-bureaucratised educational system in the ways you see in the Journal was a great relief when I read the call for papers. Their execution of their goal was innovative (thank goodness colleagues are loudly critiquing modern education and promoting practical techniques for redress via, eg, compassion and joyful education!): the edition is simply and inspired and the way forward it offers for student support wholly practical (ALDinHE principles 2,3,4,5). The editorial comments I received on my work were thorough, engaged and incisive. Beyond the academics of the edition, I would like to see the team recognised for their professional ethics. I went through a terrible period when I was about to upload my template to the system – in fact I suffered some very close deaths and was signed off work. The compassion and support I received from this team will stay with me forever. I thank, especially, Dr Maria O’Hara and Dr Harriet Newnes, my copy editor, who was exceptional and enabled me to contribute to this remarkable edition even at a very difficult time. They were the model of the compassion they were advocating in the special edition and the very model of ALDinHE values 1 &4. As outstanding representatives of Learning Development, I would love to see the entire team acknowledged and rewarded.

Nomination 4: Skills Team, University of Hull

Nominated by: Lee Fallin, University of Hull

Team members:

Sara Hastings

Jacqui Bartram

Kerry Dodd

Chris Skerrow

Matthew Crofts

Conor Start

Nomination:

The University of Hull’s Skills Team is a worthy nominee for the ALDinHE LD Team Award due to their demonstrable commitment to supporting student learning and their alignment with the ALDinHE values. The team actively works in partnership with students and staff to make sense and get the most out of HE. They offer a comprehensive hybrid service of on-campus and online support, including workshops, webinars, and appointments, ensuring accessibility for diverse learners. Their online SkillsGuides are the most comprehensive in the whole sector, and cover a wide range of crucial academic skills, from introductory study skills to dissertation support, empowering students to navigate their studies effectively. Their guidance is all fully publicly accessible, and I often hear how much their SkillsGuides are appreciated when attending ALDinHE events. As of 2025, the SkillsGuides address all main areas of learning and academic practice. For this reason alone, they deserve to win, as their work is a gift to the sector.

The Skills Team embraces and respects diverse learners through their varied support methods and specific provisions like PGT support and specific guidance for international students. This is represented throughout their SkillsGuides which are fully accessible, and help students of all needs access learning development resources. Their work with the Peer Assisted Student Success (PASS) scheme further exemplifies this value by fostering peer learning and community.

The team shows a commitment to a scholarly approach and research related to Learning Development, with several members holding advanced degrees, CeP and CeLP. The Team’s specialisms, such as Jacqui’s work on visual literacy and Sara’s leadership in information literacy, contribute to a deeper understanding of learning development, shared across numerous ALDinHE Conferences. Team members have contributed to ALDinHE, and over the years, Hull has been well represented at ALDcon, including hosting the conference in 2017.

Nomination 5: Camberwell, Chelsea, Wimbledon Academic Support, University of the Arts London (CCW AS, UAL)

Nominated by: Robert Ping-Nan Chang, University of the Arts London

Team members:

Cath Hawes

Tracey Ashmore

Omolara Obanishola

Sarah Laxton

Capella Buncher

Henrietta Simson

Robert Ping-Nan Chang

James Reynolds

Sharon Young

Eleonora Origo

Caroline King

Sidney Hope

Charlene Dobson

Lee Campbell l

Joshua Y’Barbo

Nomination:

I would like to nominate CCW Academic Support (AS) team at UAL for the LD Team Award. Headed by Cath Hawes, CCW AS team members, who possess extensive experience in art, design and/or EAP, are identified as creative learning developers, with creativity and critical reflection underlying much of practice. The team works in partnership with students from diverse backgrounds to make the most of their studies at the university from pre-arrival to graduation and supports them on various fronts: academic literacies and study skills, resilience and wellbeing and creative research and practice. Drawing on educational scholarship, e.g., compassionate pedagogy, critical pedagogy, and art and design practice, the team has implemented a range of innovative interventions to support students’ learning, including the OFF curriculum – off-site visits and off-topic reading sessions, Writing Advocates, Empathy project, and Unscripted: A Podcast from Academic Support, amongst others. The team has also shared research and practice through publications and conferences, including ALDCon. In addition to 1-2-1s and workshops open to all, the team has collaborated closely with subject courses and other university services to providing tailored support embedded within specific courses, aligning with each member’s expertise and interest. The team has further contributed to course development by means of reviewing briefs/handbooks, discussing with subject tutors about relevant interventions, and co-teaching. With the university’s priority on climate, social and racial justice (CSRJ), the team has been actively involved in relevant CPD and activities, e.g., Carbon Literacy Training, CCW Intent Competition, Camberwell AS Padlet project and Away Days on CSRJ principles, and has integrated related themes, topics or materials in teaching. There has been immense student engagement, with the total attendances of 10,367 from 1/9/2024 to 16/4/2025 across 1-2-1 and group sessions provided by CCW AS, contributing to improved student retention, attainment and satisfaction.

Nomination 6: Postgraduate Academic Tutor team (SBS), Salford University

Nominated by: Sami Safadi, Salford University

Team members:

Rebecca Lindner, Martin Compton, Abbi Shaw, Barney Samson-Ledger, Cathy Elliott, Claudia Prieto Piastro, Haf Carney Rees, Jayne Pearson, Laurie Benson, Maria O’Hara, Rachel Morley, Saima Shah

Nomination:

The team supports approximately 1,500 postgraduate students at any point during an academic year in transitioning to postgraduate study, enhancing writing and research skills, and developing as learners. We support students primarily through teaching on zero credit modules focusing on learner and professional development. These modules acknowledge the diverse learners which include students who have been out of education for many years and international students. The module reviews demonstrate a very high satisfaction consistently and the positive impact on learners’ journeys, from understanding academic integrity to navigating UK employability as Masters students.

We support learner development through numerous projects including digital literacy, academic language development, research skills, and creative approaches to learning. Team scholarship is encouraged including a current scholarship project focused on reading development to enhance wider learner success and sharing practice through learning festivals.

The team regularly engages in academic development through training and learning sessions from AI usage to inclusive education to enhance our practice. Members also engage in the PGCAP and obtaining recognition through fellowship of HEA. We focus on reflective practice around teaching and learning to ensure we are constantly improving. It is part of practice to evaluate each project to consider engagement, impact and enhancement.

Team members work with students to facilitate a student peer mentoring programme to ensure all new students get support from a peer in navigating the initial stages of transition. Also, the team supports a collaborative approach to student development by facilitating panel-based discussions on topics relevant to our learners and their development. Panels include staff and students, and students are invited to listen to the panel conversation and engage actively in the wider discussions.

The team works with staff to understand student needs, especially collaborating on delivering and supporting research methods so learners can engage their project successfully.

Nomination 7: Student Engagement, Edge Hill University

Nominated by: Adam Paxman, Edge Hill University

Team members:

Helen Jamieson, Julie Nolan, Helen Briscoe, Andrew Tomkins, Emily Pennington, Kat Molesworth, Claire Olson, Claire Swanwick, Adam Paxman, Maisie Prior (no longer employed by EHU).

Nomination:

I nominate Edge Hill University’s Student Engagement team, whose toolkits project engendered ALDinHE’s principles. Six new online toolkits support both undergraduate and taught postgraduate students’ autonomous learning on Academic Reading, Academic Writing, Finding Academic Information, Academic Presentations, Literature Reviews, and Dissertations and Research Projects. Since August 2024, they have been downloaded 9,464 times. Students’ feedback included: ‘easy to access and use […] very helpful’, ‘downloaded alternative formats were extremely useful’.

The project was planned by the Senior Academic Skills Advisor. Each Academic Skills Advisor (ASA) researched, benchmarked, designed and refined a toolkit in partnership with a colleague acting as critical friend, with input and feedback from line managers, ASA Community of Practice, Student Advisors (SAs), current students, Learning Design team (LDT), Learning Services Design, and academics.

Toolkits are freely available in accessible formats, represent diverse learners, use inclusive language, define academic skills and digital literacies terminology, provide examples of processes and strategies, reflect Widening Participation students’ needs, and promote autonomy and criticality through asynchronous learning and varied activities.

LDT provided initial training on Articulate Rise software, troubleshooting during the project, and hosted a Critical Reflection Workshop with self-reflection exercises and project evaluation through the Successive Approximation Model. LDT and Learning Services Design colleagues formatted bespoke assets.

Producing toolkits required critical reflection on pedagogies, user experience and how to gamify content to build effective, accessible interactive learning resources in initially unfamiliar software. Throughout, critical friends offered invaluable support on content and software. The review process challenged ASAs to refine toolkits, incorporating constructive feedback from academic staff, SAs, and other current students.

The project is an example of authentic partnership working, aligned with scholarly Learning Development (LD) principles. It offered structured opportunities for on-going learning, professional development, and critical reflection on LD practice.

Nomination 8: Intercultural Reflection Series Team at the University of Sussex

Nominated by: Chris Stocking, University of Sussex

Team members:

Chris Stocking

Jo Osborne

Précieux Rajaofera

Victoria Rodriquex Denyer

Eljee Javier

Gavin Mensah-Coker

Matt Platts

Lewis Alford

David Payne

Katie Barwick

Nomination:

The Intercultural Reflection Series is an initiative which provides international students at the University of Sussex with a student-led space to develop intercultural expertise, foster academic confidence, and claim a sense of belonging to the university. Grounded in the values of ALDinHE, the series promotes critical reflection, partnership, and student-centred learning. Comprising six hour-long sessions, the series is facilitated by student Intercultural Ambassadors who lead discussions around interculturality, academic and migratory adaptation, and lived experiences of studying in the UK. This peer-led space not only supports open dialogue but empowers learners to contribute to shaping the academic culture of the university.

During each session, participants are invited to reflect on their own intercultural experiences, build connections across disciplines, and impart strategies for navigating academic life in the UK. Promoting the exchange of such strategies offers a counterpoint to the depiction of international students as a ‘deficient, passive other,’ recognising instead their agency, autonomy, and the expertise they bring. A dedicated Canvas page supports learning beyond the sessions, providing accessible, research-informed resources and lectures that introduce key intercultural themes and concepts for reflection. This ensures that learning development remains rooted in critical pedagogy.

Regarding outcomes, students report that partaking in the series has helped them develop a sense of ownership towards their learning and the university by nurturing their capacity to “initiate change and make spaces safe for others.” Such evidence shows how the series aligns with ALDinHE’s commitment to equity, doing so in a way which celebrates the various cultural identities that comprise the academic culture at Sussex. Ultimately, the Intercultural Reflection Series has had a tangible impact on the student experience by bridging the gap between prior learning and UK HE expectations, demonstrating how reflective, interculturally informed, student-led initiatives can enhance learning development in novel and meaningful ways.

Nomination 9: Foundation Year Academic Development Redesign Team, University of Sussex

Nominated by: Gavin Mensah-Coker, University of Sussex

Team members:

Helen Morley

Dan Sumner

Chris Stocking

Gavin Mensah-Coker

Nomination:

The University of Sussex has been running a highly successful Foundation Year Programme since 2015. All Foundation Year students take an Academic Development course focusing on a process approach to academic writing. There are four, discipline specific strands (Humanities, Social Sciences, Psychology, and Business) which use a web resource (the Academic Writing Guide) designed by colleagues circa 2021 as we moved online in response to the pandemic. This resource sits outside of the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (Canvas) and by 2024 students and staff were finding it difficult to integrate it into their studies. It was particularly problematic moving between sites, especially as the markers on the AWG (e.g. “Stage 2 Part 1) did not correspond to more recognisable time periods and deadlines (e.g. “Week 4”). Additionally, it wasn’t explicit how many stages or parts there were without reading the whole site, making time management difficult.

Gavin, Helen, Dan, and Chris collaborated over summer 2024 to review and integrate all relevant content to the Canvas platforms, and to align the tasks to the assessment pieces more explicitly. We used clear sections on the weekly pages to direct students through the tasks, keeping the headings consistent; while this supports all learners, it is particularly useful and inclusive for neurodivergent learners. We moved away from “stages” and used the weekly structure instead, labelling compulsory tasks as “#x of #y” to support students in recognising their progress.

We drew on our individual expertise (neurodivergent and marginalised learners; accessing and navigating virtual sites; teacher training; and interculturality) to ensure that the sites and materials were fully accessible, making constant use of the digital accessibility checker to ensure good practice. Ultimately, the redesign of the Canvas module for accessibility has enabled all our students to engage better with the development of their academic writing skills.

Nomination 10: SSP Academic Mentor Team, London Metropolitan University

Nominated by: Sandra Sinfield, London Metropolitan University

Team members:

Jade Benn

Bernard Aidoo

Nahid Huda

Michael Skillen

Edith Boakye-Smith

Noemi Hrvatin

Mark Lane

Thomas Edwards

Nomination:

The School of Social Sciences and Professions (SSP) LD team is an inspiration and I am nominating them for the collaborative way they work together to support each other and their students. They act as a CoP, planning and delivering targeted SSP-relevant support, resources and workshops across this diverse School and across the academic year. Alongside podcasting with Success Coaches and the normal round of drop-ins and integrated support, outstanding aspects of their provision include:

As part of their contribution to the Student Success Strategy and addressing the degree awarding gap, the team developed the Dissertation Club series, collaboratively developing engaging resources and delivering sessions. Students reported feeling better able to understand and overcome the challenges they faced with their thesis writing.

LDs innovatively spearheaded a new approach to reassessment support. Committed to supporting as many students as possible, LDs independently developed an approach to outreach and support students with reassessment opportunities. As a result, mentors influenced School reassessment support provisions, collaborated with the University’s Continuation officer and reached thousands of students every summer.

To support their collaborative work, LDs engage twice perannum in a Development Day. Organised and curated collectively, this arena facilitates discourse and upskilling on salient topics such as AI and EAP, and provides professional development support. As a result, the whole team is working towards professional certification, banding together to establish ‘best practices’ and creating mutual support and feelings of confidence and comradeship.

LDs are research active in a student-centred way. This is reflected in their longitudinal research interests which focuses on evaluation metrics for measuring LDs impact on students’ key competencies. This reveals a commitment to their practice, and how they embrace the hybridity of their role as scholar-practitioners, taking work beyond the institution and working collaboratively in association with academics nationally and internationally.

Nomination 11: Lancaster University’s Learning Development Team

Nominated by: Gill Smith, Lancaster University

Team members:

Rebecca Beaumont ; Somayeh Bazin ;  Ruth Byrne ; Elizabeth Caldwell ;  Helen Hargreaves ; Louise Innes ; Anna Karapiperi ; Harriet Newnes ; Sarah Robin ; Carlos Rodriguez Calderon ;  Joanne Wood

Nomination:

As the newest team member, I would like to nominate my esteemed colleagues in the Learning Development team at Lancaster University, to recognise their consistent embodiment of key LD values, particularly partnership and scholarship.

They work hard to foster innovative and collaborative partnerships, with staff and students alike. The team employs over 100 student partners in a range of mentoring and tutoring roles, including language assistants, maths and statistics/writing tutors, and peer mentors. This allows students valuable insight and input into LD, benefiting their professional development, their peers’ experience and our LD practice. The team also work in partnership with colleagues, being a well-respected voice in important institutional initiatives. For example, members have been involved in Lancaster’s Curriculum Transformation Project, including working with library colleagues to create a sector-leading Information and Academic Literacies Toolkit to support academic staff embedding these skills into the curriculum.

Furthermore, the team make a significant contribution to LD scholarship. In the past 12 months alone, team members have worked on funded research projects exploring the experience of students with English as an additional language and those involved in peer mentoring, the role of LDers in supporting students with ADHD, and a reciprocal mentoring project focused on inclusive teaching practices. These projects have and will continue to expand pedagogic knowledge in the field and impact practices at LU and beyond. For example, the award-winning reciprocal mentoring project inspired enhancements to inclusive teaching practice, including a peer support scheme and changes to GTA training.

As our Head of LD proposed at a recent ALDinHE regional event, leadership in LD works best when we embody these values, and the Lancaster team’s success is testament to this. As they consistently embrace LD ethos, the team continues to thrive and create a culture of collaboration, scholarship and excellence.

Nomination 12: UCL-QMUL sustainability collaboration

Nominated by: Steph Fuller, Queen Mary University of London

Team members:

Dr Anne Preston

Dr Rehan Shah

Dr Steph Fuller

Elena Dimova (student partner)

 

Nomination:

We are a team of interdisciplinary educators and researchers who came together to work on a cross-institutional project for ALDinHE to understand how our universities can best support students to engage in education for sustainable development.

We have worked in partnership across institutions, and together with Elena our student co-researcher, to make sense of how existing community based learning provision enables students to engage with sustainability. Having Elena’s contribution to the team has been crucial in ensuring that student voices and perspectives are represented in our work.

The project also developed recommendations for institutions as to how sustainability education and community based learning approaches can be enhanced to ensure equity and inclusivity for students. At the heart of our concern was the need to address findings in previous literature that education for sustainable development is not always accessible or available to all students.

The process of working together on the project has been as valuable as undertaking the educational research. It has offered the staff and students alike the chance to enhance our professional development and to be better able to work in partnership to advance learning development in HE.

We have shared our findings and recommendations at the ALDinHE Conference, through the Journal for Learning Development in HE, LoveLD Magazine and on the LearnHigher resource bank. Through these clear recommendations and our ongoing work within our institutions, and with other partners, we are helping ensure equality of access and quality of educational experience for students. We believe sustainability is the most pressing issue of our time and that HE curricula needs to move quickly to position this at the heart of curricula and to ensure that all students have access to sustainability education.

Nomination 13: The Open Programme workshop team (Library Learning Services, De Montfort University)

Nominated by: Arina Cirstea, De Montfort University

Team members:

Learning Development Lecturers: Bev Hancock-Smith, Chris Wright, Emily Forster,  Jason Eyre, Kinga Bochenska-Colinet, Tracy Slawson, Zara Hooley, Arina Cirstea

Maths and Stats Lecturers: Karen Symons, Lorraine Curotto, Peter Norton

Academic Support Librarians: Beth Wyness, Carol Keddie, Ceri Laing, Charlotte Peeters, Elinor Cross, Joanna Dare, Louis Wassell, Marie Letzgus

Disability Officer: Teerth Ruprai

Nomination:

The Open Programme team at DMU, a collaboration between Learning Development Lecturers, Mathematics and Statistics Lecturers and Academic Support Librarians, have delivered over 200 workshops annually over the past 7 years, available to students at all levels. This co-curricular programme has been designed and regularly reviewed with input from students, faculty staff and student Frontrunners to support diverse student needs at key moments in the academic journey, from transition to university studies to graduation and beyond (Value 1). To illustrate, the programme incorporates sessions aimed at students new to university study, as well as a series of workshops tailored to the needs of international students attending a UK institution for the first time (Value 2). Concurrently, a session aimed to assist students with a disability or learning difference in navigating the DMU support offer is offered throughout the year (Value 2). The team’s core values are working in partnership with students and staff and continued professional development. For example, in March 2020, following the closure of the DMU campus, the team have rapidly upskilled to move from 95% in person delivery to 100% online delivery (Values 3 and 5). This change was positively rated in the post-workshop Feedback survey (April 2020-March 2021), with 95% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that the transition to online delivery was effectively managed. Further research and practical insights from this experience were shared with the wider community, including at ALDcon21 (Value 4). Post-pandemic, the team continued to adapt to students’ changing needs, currently offering approximately 25% in person events (96% current satisfaction with delivery mode). Recent impact can be illustrated by student feedback, with 90% of survey respondents agreeing/strongly agreeing that attending a workshop has improved their confidence and understanding of topic or skill. Further statistical research on impact will be shared at ALDCon25.

Nomination 14: Transforming Exam Accessibility at University of New England, Australia

Nominated by: Dr Kashmira Dave, University of New England, Australia

Team members:

Dr Kashmira Dave, Kylie Day and Jeanne Heath

Nomination:

The University of New England (UNE) has fundamentally reimagined exam delivery, embodying core learning development (LD) values through its innovative approach. By replacing rigid, venue-based exams with a flexible, student-centred online supervised model, UNE actively works in partnership with students and staff, empowering them with agency over their assessment timing and environment. This enhances their ability to make sense and get the most out of their Higher Education experience, reducing stress and boosting engagement, as evidenced by student feedback.

This initiative profoundly embraces and respects diverse learners. It dismantles barriers for students with disabilities, caring responsibilities, or geographic constraints, offering genuine flexibility and control over sensory or ergonomic needs, aligning with critical pedagogy and practice.

UNE demonstrates adapting, sharing, and advocating effective LD practice by moving beyond traditional constraints towards more authentic assessments using rich media and relevant software. Evaluation of this initiative confirms its success and underscores a commitment to a scholarly approach and research related to LD, measuring and sharing the positive impact on accessibility, integrity, and institutional resilience noting 85% of UNE students are online.

The phased implementation since 2017 reflects critical self-reflection and ongoing learning, leading to a robust, UDL-aligned model that ensures assessment continuity even during crises. This initiative not only enhances student inclusivity and institutional adaptability at UNE but also offers a scalable, future-proof model for the wider higher education sector grappling with evolving assessment challenges like GenAI, demonstrating a clear commitment to professional development and sector leadership.