Portsmouth, on the south coast of England, is the UK’s only island city and as a result is more densely populated than London. Regardless, it managed to find room for the 170 Learning Developers who descended upon the town for two warm and sunny days in June.
Fresh from a hugely successful online day the previous week, which featured poster presentations, lightning talks, papers and workshops, the face to face element was characterised by plenty of opportunities for sharing practice. The tone for this was set by an innovative keynote featuring a panel of Portsmouth University students, who went head to head against a panel drawn from the audience in exploring what LD means for staff and students, how it can be provided most effectively, what students are most likely to take from it, and how it might evolve in the future.
The packed programme that followed engaged delegates in issues around the awarding gap (between White and BAME students); inclusion, belonging, and accessibility; threshold concepts for LD; the impact of artificial intelligence; and collaborative partnerships with students. The day ended with the option of professional development sessions from ALDinHE, before delegates dressed in their finery for a celebratory, if very warm, dinner at the top of the Spinnaker Tower, doubling as a greenhouse in the late evening sun.
The second day was just as varied and enjoyable as the first, kicking off this time with a series of mini keynotes, where ten practitioners led groups of delegates in three rounds of discussion on their chosen topics, including embedding sustainability into the curriculum, writing and professional identity, and working inclusively with disabled students. Paper presentations finished off the morning session, with workshops following up after lunch.
Despite the demands of the full timetable – or perhaps because of it – the plenary session to close the conference (cake and prosecco included) was high in energy and enthusiasm. Next year we will meet again in Glasgow, the conference split across three institutions, and already we are planning for it to be even bigger and better. We’d love it if you joined us!
How many Learning Developers can you fit in one elevator?