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News and opportunities
BILT Project Opportunities – 2026/27
Every year BILT provides staff with access to a range of opportunities, funding and support to engage in activities or projects related to teaching and learning priorities.
For 2026-27 this will include:
Education Development Projects – Provide funding of up to £1500 and critical friend support. Projects must align with at least one of BILT’s specified project themes for next year which include Future skills development, Assessment design in an AI world, Active and inclusive assessment.
Associate Projects – An opportunity for staff to work on specific projects funded by and defined by BILT and aligned to the University’s priorities. Interested parties can apply to be a part of an existing project team working on Pedagogic research and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) culture.
Further details will be made available on the BILT website’s Funding Opportunities pages later this week. Education Development Project applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a Project Proposals workshop on the Wednesday 10 June – sign up here.
BILT Conference 2026 Keynote interviews (part two)
Following on from Dr Susan Kenyon’s interview in the last edition of The Briefing, we’re now turning our attention to the morning keynote speaker for our 2026 Conference, Student-Centred By Design. University of Bristol’s Dr Jo Hartland will open the day, on 1 July at The Victoria Rooms with their presentation, Challenging Exclusion: a critical conversation about inclusion and its limitations.
Ahead of the conference, we had a chat with Jo about the inspirations they have drawn on for this keynote and their hopes for the future of learning and teaching in HE, among other topics.
We’re well on the way to selling out again at this year’s conference, so now’s the time to register if you haven’t already done so. It’s shaping up to be another great conference.
Links:
- Read a transcript of the interview here
- Read Jo’s mini-bio and abstract for the keynote here
- Find out more and register for the conference here
BILT Associate Project publishes paper
A BILT Associate project has recently published their first paper serialising the project’s findings. The paper, titled ‘How students perceive different types of assessments in terms of authenticity, inclusivity, and ability to demonstrate performance: Exploring the impact of disability’ has received glowing reviews.
You can read the publication here.
Programme Director induction training takes place next month
The annual Programme Director Induction is suitable for new Programme Directors or existing Programme Directors seeking a refresher. The workshops are collaboratively run by BILT, AQPO, and People Development with contributions from Faculty and experienced Programme Directors. This year we have combined the three modules into a single day-long event, taking place on Monday 8 June in The School of Education.
Here are two quotes from previous attendees of this induction
Marios Kremantzis:
“The Programme Director Induction was a valuable opportunity to step back and reflect on the full scope of the role. What I found particularly useful was the balance between practical guidance on day-to-day responsibilities and broader discussion of the more tactical decisions PDs need to make. The collective activities, including mapping and prioritising key tasks from September through to August, were especially helpful. It was also a great space to exchange insights with colleagues and learn from different experiences across programmes.”
Juan Carlos Mondragon Quintana:
“Stepping into my first programme directorship, I came with enthusiasm but significant gaps in knowledge. Being a programme director is a genuinely complex role, and one of the training’s quiet achievements is helping you understand that complexity honestly and giving you the attitude to navigate it. The induction, expertly organised by the BILT team, who are consistently ahead of pedagogic trends and genuinely committed to supporting teaching colleagues, gave me exactly what I needed. The programme is well designed, combining practical knowledge, an understanding of university structures and regulations, and concrete tools for leadership. The panels with acting programme directors were a particular highlight, offering frank and immediately useful advice. I still don’t have all the answers, but the training gave me the capacity to find them and introduced me to a cohort of colleagues who face the same challenges. That combination of capability and community is what makes this programme indispensable.”
Full details and link to register here.
Last minute reminder: Designing inclusive and active learning workshop tomorrow
The latest in our series of workshops primarily aimed at TQEC colleagues, but open to all, takes place tomorrow (20 May) in Howard House. The interactive workshop explores practical strategies for creating active learning environments that support the success of all learners, with a particular focus on international students.
More information and link to register here.
Blogs and resources
- An interview with Dr B Camminga
BILT Student Fellow, Elliot Green, recently interviewed Dr B Camminga, a lecturer in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies (SPAIS) for our Humans of Bristol Uni series. - “Why is another student lecturing me ?”: The importance of student-led learning, and Education as Liberation
Skye Backhouse and BILT Student Fellow, Elliot Green, second year undergraduate sociology students, reflect on their opportunity to prepare and present their own workshops in the SPAIS unit ‘The Sociology of Gender’.
Events
Visit the BILT events calendar for a full list of all our forthcoming events
Designing inclusive and active learning for all [in-person]
20 May @ 2:00 pm – 4.00 pm, Room 1.01 Howard House
Primarily aimed at Business School colleagues, but open to all. Through discussion, reflection, and hands-on activities, participants will:
Explore the principles of inclusive curriculum design and culturally responsive pedagogy. In today’s diverse higher education landscape, designing learning that is inclusive, engaging, and accessible to all students is more important than ever. This interactive workshop explores practical strategies for creating active learning environments that support the success of all learners, with a particular focus on international students.
Full details can be found on this page.
Education for Sustainability – End of Year Showcase [in-person]
27 May @ 12:30 pm – 2.00 pm, G1S Hepple Lecture Theatre
The Education for Sustainability team is excited to present this annual showcase, celebrating this years progress across the University.
We will share details of our successes and challenges over the past academic year. We also have presentations from our Student Sustainability Advocates about the exciting and varied projects they’ve been working on. Come join us to be inspired about Education for Sustainability and learn more about how to support your students with green careers.
Full details can be found on this page.
Programme Director Induction 2026
8 June @ 9:00 am – 5.00 pm, Room 4.10, 35 Berkeley Square
The Programme Director Induction is suitable for new Programme Directors or existing Programme Directors seeking a refresher. The workshops are collaboratively run by BILT, AQPO, and People Development with contributions from Faculty and experienced Programme Directors.
Full details can be found on this page.
Voice and Presence: skills for active and inclusive teaching [in-person]
9 June @10.00 am – 1.00 pm, Room G.12, Victoria Rooms
Following some hugely popular workshops earlier in the year, The Bristol Improv Theatre are back to repeat their Voice and Presence workshop, in June. They will explore tools from acting and public speaking to help practice engaging listeners. This includes practical techniques to train and strengthen your speaking voice, projection, warming-up, body language and using authenticity to tap into your inner charisma. Please note, these workshops are open to all but in the unlikely event they reach capacity, priority will be given to anyone teaching at TQEC.
Full details can be found on this page.
Show, Tell and Talk: Effective Practices in Blackboard Course Design [in-person]
10 June @10.00 am – 12.30 pm, Room 2.26, 35 Berkeley Square
This session is an opportunity to get a head start on preparing your 26/27 Blackboard unit courses, which will be released in early June. You’ll be able to see examples of well-designed unit courses from across the institution and review your course against the Baseline Course Standards – a set of effective practices in Blackboard course design co-created with students and staff at the University of Bristol.
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.
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