Jump to:
News and opportunities
BILT Conference 2026: call for contributions now open
As previewed in our previous edition, we are excited to announce that this year’s BILT Conference is confirmed for Wednesday 1 July in The Victoria Rooms, and we are now accepting expressions of interest (EOIs) from staff and students across the University, interested in contributing to the conference.
Image: this year’s conference logo.
This year’s conference is titled Student-Centred By Design, and will examine how higher education can more meaningfully recognise and empower students as active partners in learning. It will explore practical approaches to valuing students’ prior experiences, their contributions to learning communities, and the creation of responsive learning environments that support diverse needs. The conference themes foreground student agency and choice, offering insights into what matters to students, what motivates them, and how learning can be designed to foster genuine ownership.
For more information, including the key themes of the conference and contribution formats, please visit the event page, where you will find a link to submit your EOI.
The deadline for submissions is midnight on Sunday 1 March. Decisions on the programme will be made by the end of March.
BILT Impact Survey
We are contacting staff who have engaged with BILT events and resources over the past few years, in order to explore what influence these activities have on staff teaching and student learning experiences.
We would be grateful if you could spend a few minutes reflecting on and providing feedback on your experience including anything you need moving forward to support you further in your teaching and learning role.
Complete the Impact Survey here.
Prize draw: From submitted responses, 5 will be selected at random to receive a £10 Source voucher.
Many thanks in advance for taking the time to complete this survey. We would be grateful if you could complete this before 2 March 2026.
Meet the BILT Student Fellows: Megan Stannett
BILT recently welcomed a new addition to the Student Fellow team. Megan Stannett will be working alongside Emma Segal to deliver this year’s Student Research Conference taking place next week (it’s not too late to grab a ticket!) and the seventh edition of the BILT Student Research Journal (SRJ) as its Co-Editor-in-Chief.
Megan has written a blog for BILT, introducing herself and her research work, reflecting on her professional development while at the University, as well as discussing her thoughts on this year’s Student Journal and Research Conference.
I am excited to support initiatives that encourage students to develop confidence in their academic work and engage with ideas across disciplines.
New CPD Course: AI in Education — practical guidance & insights for staff
A new self-paced course is now available for all staff involved in teaching or supporting education. The course offers practical guidance on inclusive pedagogy, AI-aware assessment design, and building AI literacy across programmes. You’ll also find case studies that showcase what colleagues are already doing across the institution.
Open to all staff and flexible to complete at any time.
Two active learning events tomorrow
A reminder that BILT are hosting two separate workshops tomorrow (11 Feb) primarily aimed at colleagues teaching at TQEC but open to all. The first is an introduction to basic improv skills, facilitated by the wonderful Bristol Improv Theatre, in The Victoria Rooms from 1.30 – 3 pm. This will be followed at 3.30 pm (until 5 pm), with a session in Howard House, examining how the use of tablets in your teaching can greatly enhance active learning.
BILT invites you to write for us
As mentioned in our last edition, we’re always looking for new blogs, and we’re currently looking for submissions that discuss the following questions:
- Does dialogic assessment solve the challenges of HE?
- Where do you see universities in the year 2050?
- Should we spend more time teaching about learning?
If you’d like to write a blog on one or more of these topics (or anything else you think our readers would be interested in), please check out our guidelines here, before submitting your blog.
Can you answer 2 very quick questions?
As a regular reader of the BILT Briefing, we’d love to know if anything you’ve read on our blogsite has influenced your approach to teaching, learning or assessment. If so, please take a minute to tell us about your experience(s).
Blogs and resources
- Some of the answers may actually be on a postcard? Feedback Engagement Fellows – in action
Joe Gould brings us an update on the BILT/SU collaboration project designed to promote a positive culture of feedback engagement. - What Lord of Rings teaches us about AI and technology adoption in education
Aisling Tierney looks at the possible futures of AI in society, drawing comparisons with the Hollywood film industry and what it could mean for higher education.
Events
Visit the BILT events calendar for a full list of all our forthcoming events
Principal Fellowships programme [online and in-person]
Various dates throughout the year, at multiple venues (including online options)
The Universities of Bristol, Bath Spa, Bath, and UWE Bristol have once again come together to offer prospective Principal Fellows a programme of workshops, writing retreats and opportunities for peer mentoring and buddying support.
This programme of events aims to support you in understanding the requirements of Principal Fellowship and help you develop your application.
Full details can be found on this page.
11 February @ 1:30 pm – 3 pm, Room G27, Victoria Rooms
Join experienced performer/facilitators from Bristol Improv Theatre for an interactive Plenary workshop. We’ll introduce core concepts from improvisation through interactive activities designed to build connection and rapport in an active learning environment. This includes the improvisation concept of ‘happy fail’ and ‘leap and discover’ as tools for building bravery and resilience for teachers and learners.
Full details can be found on this page.
Trying out tablets in active learning spaces [in-person]
11 February @ 1:30 pm – 3 pm, Room G27, Victoria Rooms
Effective and inclusive teaching – both in the round and in active learning spaces – involves moving around the classroom to observe, communicate with, and support different groups of students. Using a tablet can enable you to do this while sharing, annotating, or co-creating learning materials. This hands-on session is an opportunity to design, try out, and share approaches to using tablets in your teaching.
Full details can be found on this page.
Developing a pedagogic research proposal [in-person]
31 March @ 10:00 am – 12.00 pm, Room 1.20, 35 Berkeley Square
Bookings for the in-person workshop “Developing a Pedagogic Research Project” on March 31st 2026 are now open! As a continuation of the introductory course, during this workshop you will be able to draft or refine your own Pedagogic Research project proposal. Completion of the introductory course before the workshop is therefore required. Check out the workshop’s booking website for further details and for signing up!
The course “Developing Your Research Skills“, which follows on from and complements the introductory course is also now available on Develop! The purpose of this course is to provide you with further skills that will support you in carrying out your own pedagogical research.
Full details can be found on this page.
Show, Tell and Talk: Inclusive Assessment [in-person]
29 April @ 1:30 pm – 3.00 pm, Room 1.06, Queens Building
This sharing innovations workshop will provide an opportunity to hear from a range of colleagues about how inclusive assessment is being embedded at UoB, why it is important and what Inclusive Assessment projects, supported by BILT, are being undertaken at the University. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion with colleagues.
Full details can be found on this page.
The BILT Briefing is published and distributed fortnightly by The Bristol Institute of Learning and Teaching (BILT). If you no longer wish to receive a copy of The Briefing, please send an email to bilt-info@bristol.ac.uk from the address you are registered with, containing the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the title line.
Leave a Reply