ALDcon25 Programme

Thursday 12 June 2025

TIME

15.00 – 16.30

ACTIVITY

AGM

AGM 15.00-16.30 open to all delegates and all members.

19.30 – 21.30

Virtual Quiz – hosted by Tom Perry, University of Greenwich

Open to all registered conference delegates.

Friday 13 June – Online

TIME

9.00 – 9.20

ACTIVITY

Registration

9.20 – 10.40

Welcome Keynote

Open to all registered conference delegates (online and in-person)

Welcome: ALDinHE SG Chair

Welcome Keynote: Dr Mark Carrigan

10.40- 11.00

Break

11.00 – 12.00

PARALLEL SESSIONS 1View session abstracts

PAPERS (20 minutes each)

11.00 – 11.25

Room 1

Professional development & recognition opportunities for learning development practitioners: International perspectives

Steve Briggs, Ralitsa Kancheva

University of Bedfordshire

Chair: TBA

11.35 – 12.00

Room 1

Methods in a place: bringing together language, ecology and geography for a final-year undergraduate field course

Hannah Mathers, Anna Mcgregor, Cara Captain, Millie Bompard and Natasha Walker-Milne

University of Glasgow

Chair: TBA

Room 2

HE Learning Development for Equity and Inclusion in Australia: An Altruistic Endeavour

Lucy Jellema

University of New South Wales, Australia

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Supporting the Implementation of an Inclusive Education Framework Through Interactive Toolkits

Frankie Morgan, Jason Balzarano

Keele University

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Building StudySkills@Sheffield through partnership: student-centred development of a university skills hub

Lynne Newcombe, Amy Haworth; Matthew Martin

University of Sheffield

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Exploring emotional responses to academic reading: a cross-discipline analysis of second-year students

Tasha Cooper

UWE Bristol

Chair: TBA

Room 4

Enhancing Prompt Literacy: Evaluating Student Proficiency and Confidence in Using GAI Tools

Bryony Parsons, Heather Johnston

University of Liverpool

Chair: TBA

Room 4

Data connections: A model for responding to student learning needs

Andrew Kitchenham; Debbie Holley; David Biggins

Bournemouth University

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Doctoral supervisors’ perceptions and responses to diversity in the doctoral candidate profile

Julia Everitt and Shaun Allen-Dooley

Birmingham City University

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Developing Resilience and Discernment to Feedback

Lovleen Kushwah; Geethanjali Selvaretnam

University of Glasgow

Chair: TBA

Room 6

Marketing approaches for learning development engagement: the importance of promotion to enhance students’ learning

Samantha Gridley

University of Surrey

Chair: TBA

12.00 – 13.00

Lunch

13.00 – 15.20

PARALLEL SESSIONS 2View session abstracts

PAPERS (20 minutes each)

13.00 – 13.25

Room 1

Learning outside campus – Academic Support OFF-SITE, Camberwell College of Arts,

Robert Ping-Nan Chang

University of the Arts London

Chair: TBA

13.35 – 14.00

Room 1

Embedded Teaching or Academic Skills Curriculum: Re-thinking how we teach academic skills at University

Tanja Tolar

University of Bradford

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Academic Literacies: Learning Developers’ perspectives on informing the curriculum

Emma Shackleton, Ralitsa Kantcheva; Ian Johnson, Ed Bickle, Paul Chin, Arina Cirstea, Kiu Sum, Victoria Rafferty

University of the Arts London

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Using the EAT (Equity, Agency, Transparency) framework to promote inclusive assessment practices

Catriona Johnson and Debora Catavello

University of Bristol

Chair: TBA

Room 3

International students’ experiences of interacting in English at university

Helen Hargreaves and Ruth Byrne

Lancaster University

Chair: TBA

Room 3

A Learning Strategist’s Impact: Veterinary Students’ Perceptions of Academic Support

Jackie Tuason

St. George’s University

Chair: TBA

LIGHTNING TALKS AND RESOURCE SHOWCASE (60 minutes)

Room 4

Enhancing belonging and vocabulary learning through an interactive engineering map

Samantha Wilson, Alister Drury, Costas Loizou (resource showcase)

University of Leeds

HOUSE: A transferrable and interactive resource for students that introduces them to digital accessibility

Trevor Boland ( 5 minute lightning talk) + poster

Dublin City University

What’s the deal with chickens? A flipped model of AI in education

Joshua Thorpe (5 minute lightning talk)

University Of Stirling

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes each)

Room 5

Quiet Spaces, Collective Voices: Creative Pedagogies for Reflection and Renewal

Sandra Sinfield, Sandra Abegglen, Debbie Holley

London Metropolitan University

Chair: TBA

Room 6

Integrating Generative AI into Undergraduate and Postgraduate Curricula: An interactive workshop

Lilian Schofield and Xue Zhou

Queen Mary University of London

Chair: TBA

14.00 – 14.20

Break

14.20 – 15.20

PARALLEL SESSIONS 3View session abstracts

PAPERS (25 minutes each)

14.20 – 14.45

Room 1

10 Years of Let’s Talk About [X]: Reflections on the U of Glasgow’s Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference

Aleix Tura VecinoMona O’Brien, Robyne Calvert, James Rowe

University of Glasgow
 
Chair: TBA

14.55 – 15.20

Room 1

Exploring Synchronous and Asynchronous Delivery of Revision Materials for Enhanced Student Learning in a CS Modul

Pinar Ozbeser Richard Lee and Gareth Woods

Aston University

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Including mature students: the creation of an online resource tailored to the mature student experience

Suzy Beck, Rachel Walls; Anthony Warde

University of Leeds 


Chair: TBA

Room 2

Presenting and publishing with personal tutees to empower international student voices: The tutor’s reflections

Elina Stylianou

University of Leeds

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Impact of Generative AI on student engagement in diverse groups

Yannis Tsafos; Sisir Ramanan, Gorana Misic, Wenya Cheng, Geethanjali Selvaretnam

University of Glasgow


Chair: TBA

Room 3

Practising What You Preach: How an evidence-based strategy enables the achievement of transparency in assessment and feedback.

Kimberly Davis; Errol Jones-Rivera; Daphne Nelissen; Ineke van Opheusden

University of Glasgow

Chair: TBA

Room 4

Exploring International Students’ Perspectives on AI Tools in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

Qian Zhang, Catherine Mitsaki and Hazel McAllister

University of Northampton


Chair: TBA

Room 4

Role of the Learning Developer in teaching responsible use of AI examples and challenges from embedded Social Sciences

Katie Winter and Samantha Gridley

University of Surrey

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Managing expectations: an online resource to support Health Sciences students with their dissertation

Charlotte Allen

University of Surrey


Chair: TBA

Room 5

Supporting Student Carers: Inclusive Learning Development in Higher Education

Marina De Almelda McLoughlin; Fabiana Fausto McCracken

Queen’s University Belfast

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOP (60 minutes)

Room 6

Tutor Training across Disciplines: Expanding Aid and Enabling Student Entrepreneurship

Jonathan Vandor

University of Toronto

15.20 – 15.50

Discussion and Posters

2-minute poster presentations followed by group discussion / questions

Room 1

‘Getting dissertation ready’ – taking a collaborative and innovative approach to events

Jennifer McLay, Heather Barker; Julie Lowe; Elizabeth Grant; Alice Batchelor

University of Surrey

Learning with students about academic integrity: A new LDer service to support students reported for academic misconduct

Lauren Cross

Mount Royal University

Teachers’ Vocal Behaviour and Its Impact on Learning

Potential trigger warning for those with vocal issues.

Guzal Sultanova; Rozaliya Ziryanova

Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT)

Identifying the digital skills needs of study skills teachers through empathy mapping activities.

David Busby

University of Bath

Enhancing Dissertation Supervision with Padlet: A Supportive Tool for Student Engagement and Success

Natalie Quinn Walker

Birmingham City University

Helping PhD students plan and manage their research process

Tamara O’Connor; Caroline Forsyth; Grace Gaynor

Trinity College Dublin

Developing Presentation Skills Through Non-Credit Learning

Maria Aleksyuk

QA Higher Education

Climate Change Education and Emotions

Lovleen Kushwah, Paulina Navrouzoglou, Geethanjali Selvaretnam

University of Glasgow

Chair: TBA

15.50 – 17.20

Exploring Learning Development: An Unconference Approach

Raghda Zahran

University of Newcastle

Tuesday 17 June – In-person at the University of Greenwich

TIME

8.00 – 9.00

ACTIVITY

Conference welcome breakfast

Registration

9.00 – 9.15

Welcome: ALDinHE Steering Group Chair

9.15 – 9.30

Mini keynote pitch – 15 minutes in the main lecture theatre

9.30 – 9:45

Move to classrooms – 10 min walk to classrooms

9.45 – 10:50

Practitioner Mini Keynotes

Choose three of the following:

15 mins for keynote 

5 mins moving

Room 1

Is this the hardest time to be a student at university?

 Rebecca Wilson

University of St Andrews

Chair: TBA

Room 2

What if misunderstood creativity in learning creates barriers to participation and impacts students’ sense of belonging

Ivelina Cramphorn

University of Northampton

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Starting from scratch – creating a new Learning Development provision.

Alexandra Weaver, Sara Jane Postill; Clare Bowden

BPP University

Chair: TBA

Room 4  

Advocating Learning Development

Sheryl Mansfield, Emma Kimberley

University of Northampton

Chair: TBA

Room 5

The use of student self-assessment questionnaires to inform practice

Jack Rundell

University Studies at West Suffolk College

Chair: TBA

Room – TBD

Is there more to learning than social constructivism?

Steve White

University of Southampton

Chair: TBA

Room: TBD

What do you want from ALDinHE?

Kate Coulson

Acting in the capacity of ALDinHE Chair

Chair: TBA

Room – TBD

Writing as a form of resistance and professional autonomy.

Alicja Syska and Carina Buckley 

University of Plymouth and Southampton Solent University

Chair: TBD

10.50 – 11.10

Break

11.10 – 12.10

PARALLEL SESSIONS 4View session abstracts

PAPERS (20 minutes each)

11.10 – 11.35

Room 1

Assignment briefings – a space for interdisciplinary collaborations

Silvina Bishopp-Martin

Canterbury Christ Church University

Chair: TBA

11.45 – 12.10

Room 1

Cultivating Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations to Enhance Student Outcomes: A Case Study from London Southbank University

Robert Toniolo Wood and Lenia Galata

London Metropolitan University and London South Bank University

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Education Without Boundaries; removing barriers to university transition through online pre-arrival activities

Sharon Perera, Amy Sampson

University of Greenwich

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Diverse Voices, Shared Vision: EDI Narratives and the Future of Higher Education

Kiu Sum, Bethany McCarthy (in absentia); Katie Winter; Rachel Stead; Jag Majithia

Southampton Solent University, Salford University, Surrey University, Surrey University and University of the West of England (UWE Bristol)

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Reviewing and optimising the impact of self-selecting Learning Development provision on Level 6 Undergraduates

Arina Cirstea, Peter Norton, Emily Forster De Montfort University

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Impact of Smart Revision on students’ experience and performance

 Naser Sedghi

University of Liverpool

Chair: TBA

Room 4

‘What if…’ A Playful Framework for AI Literacy

Ruth Powell

University of the Arts London

Chair: TBA

Room 4

Exploring the relationship between theology and learning through the lens of disruption

Jen Smith

Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes)

Room 5

Using Design Thinking for Learning Development: Problem-solving and Authentic Student Co-creation

Catherine Turton, Lee Fallin

Southampton Solent; University of Hull

Chair: TBA

Room 6

“I think I must have zigged when I should have zagged”: using institutional influence to values-driven LD practice.

Ian Johnson

University of Portsmouth

Chair: TBA

12.10 – 13.10

Lunch

13.10 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSIONS 5View session abstracts

PAPERS (20 minutes each)

13.10 – 13:35

Room 1

Designing an inclusive toolkit to empower Early Career Academics in their educational practice

Kiu Sum, Carina Buckley; Alicja Syska

Southampton Solent University

Chair: TBA

13.45 – 14.10

Room 1

Into the Inner Circle: A Case Study of Embedding Academic Skills into PGT Provision

James Lamont

The University of York

Chair: TBA

Room 2

‘59 Ways to Wellbeing’: enhancing personal resilience in students

Sarah Hack, Nayiri Keshishi; Hazel Williams; Laura Hamilton;

University of Surrey

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Developing Learning Developers: Lessons Learned from 10 Years of a Student-Led Academic Skills Project

Hannah Grenham, Eilidh Harris

Bishop Grosseteste University and University of St Andrews

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Exploring the impact of metaphor on the student experience of articulation

Deborah O’Neill

Glasgow Caledonian University

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Impact of Interactive Lecture Slides on students’ experience and performance

Naser Sedghi

University of Liverpool

Chair: TBA

Room 4

Exploring Student Perspectives on AI-Generated Feedback Using a Socratic Method Chatbot

Nurun Nahar

University of Greater Manchester

Chair: TBA

Room 4

Unveiling Higher education students’ experiences of using artificial intelligence: A cross-institutional qualitative study

Ina Stan, Araz Zirar, Jane McKay, Lina Petrakieva, Tribi Budhathoki, Pauldy Otermans and Charlotte Craig

Buckinghamshire New University

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes each)

Room 5

Conversations with Students on Self-Regulated Learning with GAI

Jovita Vytasek and Christina Page

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Chair: TBA

Room 6

Supporting Success: Leveraging Environmental Sensitivity to Empower Postsecondary Learners

Kaaryn Cater

Whitireia New Zealand

Chair: TBA

14.10 – 14.30

Break

14.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSIONS 6View session abstracts

PARALLEL SESSIONS 6

PAPERS (25 minutes each) & LIGHTNING TALKS (5 mins each)

14.30 – 14.55

Room 1

Evolution of the journal club: a creative approach to ever-changing student needs

Katie Winter, Jen McLay, Alice Batchelor

University of Surrey

Chair: TBA

15.05 – 15.30

Room 1

Sowing the seeds of student success: The power of learning development in foundation year programmes

Jen Hayes, Joanna Cooke, Bhupan Haria; John Clay

London Metropolitan University

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Visual and Creative Assessments: The Learning Developer Perspective

Carolyn Rickards

Bath Spa University

Chair: TBA

Room 2

The Essay Route Map: Helping students to navigate their academic writing

Angela Jayne Kilpatrick and Andrea Evans

University of Central Lancashire

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Vibrant Voices: Empowering Students to Communicate and Participate

Vienne Lin

University of Bath

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Developing pre-arrival resources to support student transition into higher education

Mirjana Sokolovic Perovic and Jayne Freeman

University of Reading

Chair: TBA

Room 4

AI guidance – a collaborative approach

Silvina Bishopp-Martin Claudia España

Canterbury Christ Church University

Chair: TBA

Room 4

What is 4IR or Industry 4.0, and how will it impact Learning Development?

Rebecca Wilson

University of St Andrews

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes each)

Room 5

The LearnHigher Resource-athon! Creative, Collective Contributions to the LearnHigher Resource Bank

Laura Key, Sumeetra Ramakrishnan, Clara Hiskey, Lee Fallin, Scott Ramsay, Karen Hudson, Laurence Morris

LearnHigher Working Group

Chair: TBA

Room 6

What should high-quality research look like in Learning Development?

Chad McDonald and Alicja Syska

Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Plymouth

15.30 – 15.50

Break

15.50 – 16.50

PARALLEL SESSIONS 7View session abstracts

POSTERS, LIGHTNING TALKS, PAPERS, (20 minutes each)

15.50 – 16:15

Room 1 – POSTERS

Developing Presentation Skills Through Non-Credit Learning

Maria Aleksyuk

QA Higher Education

Learning with students about academic integrity: A new LDer service to support students reported for academic misconduct

Lauren Cross

Mount Royal University

Climate Change Education and Emotions

Paulina Navrouzoglou,Lovleen Kushwah, Geethanjali Selvaretnam

University of Glasgow

Chair: TBA

16.25 – 16.50

Room 1 – LIGHTNING TALKS

Rethink Programme Design to enable Inclusive Assessments and Diverse Skill Development for a Variety of Students

Geethanjali Selvaretnam

University of Glasgow

Meet your new study buddy: Demystifying generative AI to a mystified student body

Joe Kneale

London South Bank University

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Stitching together research and data to create evidence for innovation

Emma Shackleton; Shahzeena Ahmad; Graham Barton; Jo Peel

University of the Arts London

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Using documentaries in the classroom to develop critical thinking skills

Daniel Pearce

University of Hertfordshire

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Mastering Scientific Writing: Weaving together established pedagogies to enhance learners’ skills and confidence

William Kay;Isaac Myers; Connie Pritchard

Cardiff University

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Are we missing ‘the single most important thing for teachers to know’? Cognitive Load Theory and Learning Development

Steven White

University of Southampton

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes each)

Room 4

Student empowerment and development through inclusive practices in one-to-one sessions

Heather Grierson and Joannah O’Hatnick (in absentia)

University of Guelph

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Co-creating and researching the appropriacy of a module of study for a community of higher-level students

Michael Harrison and Natasha Ingall

King’s College London

Chair: TBA

Room 6

AI Hackathon

The AI in Education Hackathon aims to bring together educators, technologists, and students to collaboratively develop innovative solutions that leverage artificial intelligence to enhance the learning experience. This one-hour event will encourage participants to brainstorm, design, and prototype AI-driven tools or approaches that can be integrated into educational settings.

Raghda Zahran

Newcastle University

Chair: TBA

16.50 – 17.20

Break leading into ALDinHE – Get Involved!

ALDinHE – Get Involved!

A marketplace event where you can make community connections, find opportunities to collaborate, find out about the professional development opportunities accredited by ALDinHE, and learn about all the ways you can get involved in AldinHE such as:

● Joining the conference committee to help organise next year’s conference
● Become a reviewer or a guest editor with the Journal of ALDHE
● Become a member of one of the many AlDinHE Communities of Practice

17.20 – 17.30

Day recap and closing

Wednesday 18 June In-person at the University of Greenwich

TIME

9.30 – 9.45

ACTIVITY

Registration and refreshments

9.45 – 10.55

10.55 – 11.15

Break

11.15 – 12.15

PARALLEL SESSIONS 8View session abstracts

PAPERS (25 minutes)

11.15 – 11:40

Room 1

Fostering staff engagement in investigating practice: A journey through pedagogic research

Vienne Lin and Paul Lam

Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Chair: TBA

11.50 – 12:15

Room 1

Transition Skills for University and Preparing Students for Professional Placement

Ciarán O’Neill

Queen’s University Belfast

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Graduate Teaching Assistants: What Training Do They Want?

Rachel Horrocks-Birss

University of Dundee

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Beyond the S**t Sandwich: Empowering Student Learning Through Action-Oriented Feedback

Bev Hancock-Smith

De Montfort University

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes)

Room 3

Advancing Assessment in Co-design with Students – an evidence-informed approach to enhancing practice.

Claire Hughes, Simon Walker, Bobbi Moore, Amy Wallington, Declan Doyle, Suzanne Albary, Louise Squire

University of Southampton

Chair: TBA

Room 4

What is lazy metacognition and what can we do about it?

Samantha Ahern

UCL

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Mitigating Writing Anxiety Through Creative Practices and Community Building

Felicity Flynn and Alice Stinetorf

Southampton University

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Developing LDers: a spotlight on resources and framework for the ALDinHE Continuing Professional Development project

Amy West, Sam Thomas and Kate Coulson

University of Northampton Arden University; BPP University

Chair: TBA

12.15 – 13.30

Lunch

13.30 – 14.30

PARALLEL SESSIONS 9View session abstracts

PAPERS (25 minutes each)

13.30 – 13.55

Room 1

Shut Up and Write, but What? Scaffolding Writing for Publication Using a Community of Practice Approach

Paula Villegas and Lucy Hall

University of St Andrews and Heriot-Watt University

Chair: TBA

14.05 – 14.30

Room 1

The Leeds Capabilities Framework: collaboration in integrating skills teaching in curriculum design

Maddy Mossman

University of Leeds

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Do diagnostics and/or confidence-reflection tools help LD teams to personalise learning development for students?

Zara Hooley and Rachel Horrocks Birss

De Montfort University

Chair: TBA

Room 2

Enhancing Active Learning through Gamification: Developing Research Skills with an Escape Room Experience

Jiani Liu and Xiaowen Liu

University of Leeds and University of York

Chair: TBA

Room 3

LD Superpowers: An appreciative inquiry (Ai) into the skills and contribution of LDers from minoritised group

Jen Hayes

Lancaster University

Chair: TBA

Room 3

Reviewing our Asynchronous Resources (The ROAR Project): Using Student Voice to Inform LD Support.

Hannah Awcock and Lorrae Fox

Edinburgh Napier University

Chair: TBA

WORKSHOPS (60 minutes each)

Room 4

The Radical Pedagogies Project: Creating Inclusive Learning Development Materials

Helena Walsh and Sarah Macdonald (room arrangement requested)

London College of Communication, University of the Arts London

Chair: TBA

Room 5

Working beyond the core – influencing up and out through staff development

Alison McKay and Tom Edge

University of the West of England (UWE Bristol)

Chair: TBA

14.30 – 14.50

Break

14.50 – 15.30

Conference Delegate Reflections, Photos and Conference Closing

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