"Student voice” is a phrase that echoes across university strategies - but what does it really mean in practice? In this episode, we explore how one institution is moving beyond tick-box feedback to create genuine partnerships between staff and students. Nottingham Trent University's Jenny Sanders and Angie Bartoli discuss the importance of amplifying underrepresented voices, from neurodivergent and Black student leaders to those often left out of formal decision-making. We delve into the creation of specialist Student Executive roles, innovative mentoring schemes, and the challenges of embedding meaningful student influence in institutional culture. The conversation uncovers what true co-creation looks like, and why authentic student voice is key to building a more inclusive, connected learning community. Enjoy this great episode!
Angie Bartoli is a Student Experience Manager at Nottingham Trent University. She is the strategic lead across the School of Social Sciences in the areas of student voice and enhancing the student experience with a particular interest in the amplification of voices that are marginalised. Angie is a qualified and registered social worker with a particular research interest in transitions into management and the role of social workers in disasters. She is also an ILM qualified Executive Coach and a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE.
Jenny Sanders is a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences (Student Academic Experience) in the School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University. Alongside the Student Experience Manager, Jenny leads on student experiences projects across the School, with a particular focus on supporting the disabled student community and is an advocate of peer learning and support. She has experience of working in adult social care, is a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE and is completing her PhD in Psychology on the autistic sexual experience.
I’m still looking for guests for the Talking Learning & Teaching Podcast! If you have a story to share, I’d love to hear from you. I’m also curious about how you’re using the podcast and what topics or episodes you’d like to see in the future. Please take a moment to complete this short survey and let me know your thoughts.
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Exciting news from the UDL-UK & Ireland Network: we’re offering two upcoming courses at heavily discounted rates!
Designing Inclusive & Impactful Instruction – our flagship, highly popular 1-day instructional design course – will take place live via Zoom on October 15th, 10:00–17:00 UK time.
Universal Design for Leading – a brand-new half-day leadership development course – will be held live via Zoom on November 12th, 10:00–14:00 UK time.
As part of our autumn offer, you can get a single ticket for either course at around 50% off. We also offer bulk tickets for 5 or 10 participants (perfect for departmental teams) at around 60% off. Check out our latest special offers page for bulk discounts!
What role do everyday chats and spontaneous exchanges play in shaping research? In this episode, we explore how informal conversations - so often overlooked in methodological debates, can add nuance, authenticity, and depth to qualitative research. Our guest, Zachery Spire, shares insights into the ethical dilemmas these encounters raise, the ways they illuminate doctoral students’ experiences of research culture, and why they offer a richer picture than surveys alone. We also discuss how institutions might rethink doctoral engagement by valuing the hidden but powerful work of conversation.
Zachery Spire, PhD., is a public engagement research specialist currently based at Oregon State University. He has studied student, staff, and university-city engagement. His work highlights the multidimensional and relational nature of engagement and the importance of institutional policy, planning, and practice for students, staff, and their wider communities. Feel free to reach out to Zach to discuss universities, engagement, and research culture. His email is zachery.spire@oregonstate.edu.
What if assessment rubrics could be more than just grading tools? In this episode, we sit down with Gareth Kennard-Holden to explore the ambitious project of reimagining rubrics across healthcare subjects. From co-designing with students and staff, to crafting clearer language and a glossary, to creating a linked progression that spans levels 4 to 7, this new model is transforming how learners understand their academic journey. With over 1,000 pieces of feedback shaping the final design, we discuss the power of collaboration, the shift toward shared assessment literacy, and the potential ripple effects across disciplines and institutions.
Gareth Kennard-Holden is a lecturer in adult nursing at the University of South Wales (USW), having previously worked as a community nurse and research nurse for 15 years, his passion is student voice, empowerment and compassion in assessment and feedback as well as the wider field of education. He has led a group of staff and students to redesign the assessment marking rubrics across nursing and other healthcare courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. If you would like to get in touch with Gareth and learn more about the work, he and his colleagues at USW are doing his email address is gareth.kennard-holden@southwales.ac.uk.
What happens when statistics is taught not through formulas and abstract graphs, but through the lens of movie trailers, design projects, and student-led storytelling? In this episode, we sit down with Haseeb Shaikh who reimagined an introductory statistics course for students in the social sciences, humanities, and design. We explore the roots of math anxiety in non-STEM fields, the creative pivot from cricket scores to cinema, and the power of scaffolded, hands-on learning. Tune in to hear how this innovative approach turned fear into curiosity—and what lessons any educator can take away to make numbers less intimidating and far more engaging.
Haseeb Shaikh is an EdTech entrepreneur and a pre-doctoral learning sciences researcher from Pakistan. He is interested in designing both classroom and online learning experiences guided by the nature of human cognition. His ongoing work explores the role of visual context in conceptual cognition, working towards the development of a conceptual cognition model embodied in real-time. Haseeb can be connected with through his Gmail account at "haseebshaikh.pk", or via LinkedIn.
What happens when suspicion of AI use creeps into the marking process? In this episode, Daisy Bao reflects on their first-hand experience of assessing student work where AI may have been involved. We explore the ethical tensions, the emotional weight of navigating suspicion, and the role of policy—or lack thereof—in supporting educators. This candid conversation shines a light on how trust, fairness, and academic integrity are being redefined in the era of generative AI.
Daisy Bao is a PhD researcher in Higher Education at the University of Edinburgh, exploring student partnerships and how equity, diversity, and inclusion can shape fairer universities. Before starting her PhD, she worked as a higher education researcher at the Municipal Teacher Professional Education Centre and served on the committee for the municipal supervisor training scheme. She’s passionate about building learning environments where students and staff can thrive together.
In this brilliant episode, Damian Parry shares their lived experience of navigating academia with dyslexia. We explore how neurodivergence shapes scholarship, teaching, and community, while unpacking the stigma that still surrounds disclosure in higher education. From misconceptions to systemic gaps in support, this conversation highlights both the challenges and opportunities for creating a more inclusive academic world. Enjoy this thought provoking episode.
Damian Parry is a Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University’s School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Sciences, and a passionate advocate for inclusive education. Diagnosed with dyslexia later in life, Damian has come to embrace the unique strengths and resilience that dyslexia has helped him forge—alongside the innate problem-solving abilities that have always shaped his approach to learning, teaching, and leadership.
Damian’s journey as a dyslexic academic is one of empowerment and transformation. He believes in the power of community and the importance of creating spaces where diversity is not just accepted but celebrated. His work across the university reflects this ethos—from leading the expansion of the widening participation summer school Programme to a time as Faculty EDI Director and presently the co-chair of the university disability staff network.
As an educator, Damian is deeply invested in improving how students engage with feedback. He champions approaches that help learners truly receive feedback and apply it as feedforward, making assessment a more meaningful and rewarding experience for both students and educators.
Whether through his roles in curriculum design, student support, or institutional inclusion efforts, Damian brings authenticity, insight, and a deep commitment to equity. His story offers a compelling look at what it means to thrive as a dyslexic academic—and how embracing neurodiversity can transform higher education for everyone.
Join me for a special bonus episode as I celebrate the launch of my new book, Better Assessment in Higher Education! In this recording from our live online launch, I share a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the book, key insights on designing meaningful and equitable assessments, and a lively Q&A with educators and assessment leaders.
In Better Assessment in Higher Education, I explore how assessment can do more than measure student performance—it can inspire learning, support diverse learners, and align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. You’ll discover practical strategies for creating accessible, inclusive assessments, empowering students as partners in the process, and integrating assessment seamlessly into instruction to enhance metacognition and differentiated learning.
Whether you’re a faculty member, instructional designer, or administrator, this episode will give you actionable takeaways to make assessment more learner-centered, equitable, and impactful.
Tune in for insights, conversation, and inspiration straight from the launch of Better Assessment in Higher Education!
In this episode, Erik Brogt helps us explore Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) not just as a teaching concept, but as a transformative framework for academic development. Our guest takes us inside the “third space” between academic and professional roles, where collaboration, cultural respect, and distributed expertise come together to enhance teaching practice. From the influence of Māori values like mana and manaaki to real-world examples of co-constructive projects, we unpack how PCK can reshape the way universities think about identity, credibility, and peer partnership in education.
Erik Brogt is a consultant in educational, staff, and organisational development at E3 Consulting in Christchurch, New Zealand. He received his MSc in Astronomy from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands and a PhD in Teaching and Teacher Education from the University of Arizona, USA. He also holds postgraduate qualifications in Strategic Leadership and Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Erik worked as an academic in the field of Academic Development for over 15 years at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. As a scholar-practitioner he studied and taught about teaching and learning in higher education, and supported other academics with teaching, learning, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment design, and scholarship of teaching and learning projects. Erik's research interests are in the psychology of teaching and learning, leadership, and organisational development.
In this follow-up episode, we dive deeper into the complex world of student attendance with fresh insights from new research across post-92 universities. Our guest revisits themes of motivation, belonging, and institutional pressure, sharing powerful student voices that reveal the lived realities behind attendance patterns. We explore why the context of post-92 institutions uniquely shapes attendance decisions and unpack how specific teaching practices can either encourage or discourage students from showing up.
Is attendance simply a metric, or could it be a valuable form of feedback for educators? We discuss how universities’ attendance policies measure up and whether they truly influence behavior or miss the mark. Finally, we consider the vital role of community and belonging in attendance and highlight the critical conversations universities must have now—with students, staff, and leadership—to foster more meaningful engagement on campus.
Tune in for an enlightening conversation that challenges assumptions and invites us to rethink how we support student presence and participation.
Tom Lowe has researched and innovated in student engagement across diverse settings for over ten years, in areas such as student voice, retention, employability and student-staff partnership. Tom works at the University of Westminster as Assistant Head of School (Student Experience) in Finance and Accounting where he leads on student experience, outcomes and belonging. Tom is also the Chair of RAISE, a network for all stakeholders in higher education for researching, innovating and sharing best practice in student engagement. Prior to Westminster, Tom was a Senior Lecturer in Higher Education at the University of Portsmouth, and previously held leadership positions for engagement and employability at the University of Winchester. Tom has published two books on student engagement with Routledge; ‘A Handbook for Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theory into Practice’ in 2020 and ‘Advancing Student Engagement in Higher Education: Reflection, Critique and Challenge’ in 2023, and has supported over 40 institutions in consultancy and advisory roles internationally.
In this brand new episode, Carys Kennedy shares reflections on a professional journey from Student Disability Services into academia. Drawing on a background in student support, Carys explores how prior experience continues to shape her identity and practice as an academic - from teaching and course design to student relationships and institutional insight. The conversation considers the challenges and opportunities that come with transitioning between professional and academic roles, and what this movement reveals about the structures and assumptions within higher education. Carys invites us to reimagine the boundaries between academic and professional domains, and what it means to carry one role into the other. Enjoy!
Carys Kennedy is an educator, coach, and mentor specialising in disability equity and social justice in Higher Education. Carys works as a Senior Lecturer in Creative Education at University of the Arts London, and is a PhD student at the Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds.
Talking Learning and Teaching returns with a brand-new season, and host Kevin Merry kicks things off with big updates and even bigger opportunities. In this episode, Kevin shares what’s been brewing during the break — including the launch of his new book Better Assessment in Higher Education, a series of new live CPD courses, and the brand-new UDL Night School for busy educators.
You’ll also hear about some great limited-time offers, including:
✅ Free toolkits with course registration
✅ Free paperback books for early sign-ups
✅ A free online book launch event coming soon
Plus, Kevin puts out an open call for new podcast guests — so if you’ve got an idea or story worth sharing, he wants to hear from you.
Exciting News Update! 🎉 In this jam-packed episode, we’ve got some big announcements you won’t want to miss! First up, we’re celebrating a new milestone for the podcast with some incredible accolades that reflect the amazing support from all of you. Thank you for being part of this journey!
But that’s not all! I’m thrilled to announce the release of my brand new book, and in this episode, I’ll be sharing all the exciting details about the upcoming online book launch event! This is an exclusive opportunity to join me live, get a sneak peek at the book’s content, and even grab some special bonuses!
As if that wasn't enough, I’ve got a special offer on some of my teacher training resources that will help you level up your skills and bring even more value to your students. You won’t want to miss out on this limited-time deal.
Finally, I’m beyond excited to give you a sneak peek at the brand new Better Assessment in Higher Education course launching this spring! This online course will take your assessment strategies to the next level—whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or educator looking to make an impact.
Stay tuned, because there’s so much more to come, and I can’t wait to share it all with you!
For teacher training resources: https://drkevinl.wixsite.com/drkevinlmerry/about-5-1
Contact me at drkevinl@icloud.com
Follow me @kevinudlmerry
In this lovely episode we discuss the route taken into Educational Development with Aaron Thom from the University of Aberdeen. Most of us working in Ed Dev got here in a weird and wonderful way and Aaron's story is no different! Aaron talks to us about his academic life before becoming an educational developer. He discusses the key strengths and skills that he brought into his educational development role which helped him transition, as well as discussing the key challenges he faced too. Aaron provides some great reflections on how his view of learning and teaching have changed as a result of his journey. Sit back, relax and listen to Aaron tell his fascinating story about his route into Educational Development.
Aaron's academic background is as an art historian, who specialises in the art of Caravaggio and his followers. He graduated with my PhD from the University of Aberdeen in 2015, which was supervised by John Gash. Aaron is interested in all matters of Connoisseurship, not just from the seventeenth century. He has published articles about Tommaso Salini and Battistello Caracciolo, as well as appearing in a short film about the authorship of the Perth Museum and Art Gallery's Baroque Christ displaying his wounds.
Before transferring to Educational Development in the Centre for Academic Development (CAD) in 2021, Aaron worked as a Teaching Fellow in History of Art. He taught at all undergraduate levels and ultimately co-ordinated the Master's programme in Art and Business, as well as running fieldtrips. Aaron has also worked in CAD as an Academic Skills Adviser for Academic Writing.
Currently, Aaron co-ordinates the Principles of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education course (PLTHE), which sits within the School of Education. This course is popular with final year Postgraduate Research Students who teach or demonstrate, as well as early-career staff. Furthermore, he co-ordinates many staff development sessions around teaching, namely the Introduction to Teaching sessions for doctoral students, the Micro-credential short courses in Enhancing your Teaching, and the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education course for new academic staff at the University of Aberdeen.
Aaron is interested in inclusive learning environments (online and in-person), Decolonising learning, and presentation skills.
In this episode, we dive into the world of HyFlex learning with Professor Brian Beatty, the visionary behind the HyFlex model. We explore the pedagogical principles that guided its creation and how it meets the diverse needs of today's learners. Professor Beatty shares insights on learning outcomes across in-person, synchronous online, and asynchronous participation, revealing the factors that shape student success in this flexible approach.
We also tackle the practical side of HyFlex teaching - how educators can manage the complexities of course design and delivery, and strategies to ensure equity and access for all learners, especially those facing technological or connectivity challenges. Finally, we look to the future: how will HyFlex evolve in response to new technologies and shifting landscapes? Whether you're an educator, administrator or curious learner, this episode offers a thought provoking exploration of the HyFlex model and its potential to transform learning and teaching.
Dr. Brian Beatty is Professor of Instructional Design and Technology in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University. Brian’s primary areas of interest and research include social interaction in online learning, flipped classroom implementation, and developing instructional design theory for Hybrid-Flexible learning environments. At SFSU, Dr. Beatty pioneered the development and evaluation of the HyFlex course design model for blended learning environments, implementing a “student-directed-hybrid” approach to better support student learning.
In this episode of the Talking, Learning, and Teaching Podcast, we dive into the future of inclusive education with assistive technology expert Chris Bugaj. From captions that keep students engaged to AI tools that personalize learning, Chris explains how assistive tech is evolving to benefit all learners—not just those with disabilities. Discover practical tips on using tools like speech-to-text, visual aids, and even generative AI to make classrooms more adaptable and engaging. Whether you’re an educator, student, or tech enthusiast, this conversation will change the way you think about learning.
Chris Bugaj is an assistive technology specialist and self-described "inclusive design facilitator" for Loudoun County Public Schools in Northern Virginia. With years of experience in assistive technology, Chris focuses on transforming educational environments to make them more inclusive and accessible for all learners. He has authored multiple books, including The New Assistive Tech: Make Learning Awesome for All and Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year, both published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). A seasoned podcaster, Chris co-hosts Talking with Tech, where he explores augmentative and alternative communication, advocating for tech innovations that often originate for accessibility but benefit everyone.
In this thought-provoking episode, we dive into the fast-evolving world of AI and digital literacies with Dr Ann Thanaraj, unpacking why these are must-have skills for today’s higher education students. We start by defining what AI and digital literacies really mean and explore why they’re critical for navigating our digital age. Ann shares insights into how universities are embedding these skills into their curricula, despite facing significant challenges, and highlights some cutting-edge teaching methods and frameworks making waves across diverse disciplines.
But we go deeper - beyond digital fluency - into the power of interdisciplinary opportunities. Why is blending knowledge from different fields increasingly vital for students’ academic and career success? How are these cross-disciplinary pathways reshaping the student experience and enhancing career readiness? Ann shares what the future might hold for interdisciplinary education and how it’s set to transform higher education over the next decade. Whether you’re an educator, student, or just curious about the future of learning, this episode offers a roadmap for navigating and thriving in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
Dr Ann Thanaraj is an Associate Professor and Assistant Director of Digital Transformation at Teesside University, as well as a National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of Advance HE. Ann is also the Chair of the University's AI Operations Group who is doing some tremendously innovative work around reimagining what an AI fuelled digitally empowered curricula looks like. Her practical and research work intersects between AI and digital both in Higher Education Learning, Teaching, and Assessments, as well as in Legal Education and practice. Ann’s work has contributed enormously to the national conversation on digital literacies in the curriculum, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to train students in research. I am very excited to be speaking to Ann today. Ann Welcome to the show.
In this episode, we dive deep into the growing importance of student belonging in higher education with Professor Rebecca Hodgson. We explore why this concept has become a central focus today, examining what's missing in current discussions and how changes in the socio-economic landscape, like the rise of commuting students, are reshaping the sense of community on campuses. Rebecca shares practical strategies universities can adopt to foster belonging in academic spaces like lectures, seminars, and workshops. We also discuss the evolving role of technology—its potential to both enhance and challenge student connections—and the critical skills academics need to build inclusive communities. Finally, we consider the long-term impacts of embedding belonging into the student experience amid financial constraints and evolving demands in higher education. Tune in to discover how institutions can create environments where all students feel seen, supported, and connected.
Rebecca Hodgson is Professor of Higher Education in the Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester. With a background in adult and community learning and development, followed by post-16 teacher education, she has developed her career in teaching and learning leadership across a diversity of settings in UK higher education. Her values are grounded in her practitioner background, and centre on the provision of an excellent student experience via authentic leadership, the support and development of academic staff, and effective partnership working with all stakeholders in the exchange that is education. Her research interests include professional identity in academics and higher education staff more broadly, exploring belonging, mattering, and self-efficacy, and the intersection of this with the student experience and student outcomes.
In this awesome episode, Professor of Compassion-Focused Pedagogy, Theo Gilbert focuses on supporting the sector's move towards teaching, learning and credit-bearing assessment of cognitive compassion as in effective team meeting/discussion management. Examples at University of Hertfordshire are seen in Law, Engineering, Computer Science, History and Business. This is done via filmed, research-driven, student team/groupwork discussions where criticality is key.
But what do the verbal and non-verbal micro skills of cognitive (not 'emotion-based') compassionate communications in student team/group work actually mean and how do they motivate and equip students to build the psychological safety and space for each other to think at their best - resourcefully and innovatively. Here is what this authentic ('research + criticality + effective group management') assessment addresses as seen in studies so far: students' inappropriate use of AI; employers' stated needs for good graduate team and communication skills; indefensible awarding gaps; unnecessarily heavy marking workloads on staff; and student-reported enhancements to engagement and interculturalisation with 'others' in studies so far across disciplines and compared to controls.
Universities across the sector are accessing and deploying new evidence - from the neurosciences, anthropology, psychology - on the nature of cognitive compassion not just into their classrooms but into their five-year strategic plans too. In this episode, Theo shows in very practical terms, how any teacher can legitimise their students' appetites to help dismantle the destructive types of competitive individualism on which current HE is too much based, and so help us stem the waste of staff and student belonging and achievement potentials. A truly fabulous episode!
Based at University of Hertfordshire's Centre for Learning, Access and Student Success, and Business School. He is creator of the Compassion in HE Network with its website of free, practical resources for any compassion-curious educator:
https://compassioninhe.wordpress.com/. The network is of staff from, so far, 90 universities across 12 countries to help each other get the science of cognitive compassion onto the curricula, in almost any discipline that assesses team/group work. He is very keen to support and link staff with others in their disciplines and/or beyond, and has supported effective teamwork at, e.g., the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, The Food Standard’s agency. He’s the 2018 Advance HE's/Times Higher's Most Innovative Teacher of the Year and a keynote speaker at the Annual National Teaching Fellow/CATE Symposium (2020). He has a strong presence on You Tube and is published in a number of journals and book chapters. Contact: T.1.gilbert@herts.ac.uk for help or support.
Dive into this episode with Dr. Tadhg Blommerde from Northumbria University as he shares how he’s been harnessing the power of Generative AI to supercharge his students' learning in Research Methods modules. Tadhg breaks down practical ways to integrate GenAI in the classroom, from teaching core research concepts to highlighting its limitations and promoting academic integrity. His approach? It’s been so effective that he’s had zero cases of GenAI-related misconduct! Perfect for educators, learners, and anyone curious about using GenAI as a dynamic teaching tool. Tune in and get inspired! Tadhg Blommerde is an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University. He completed his PhD in Ireland before coming to the UK, where he completed a postdoc at the University of Sheffield on the adoption of sophisticated emerging technologies, like GenAI, in the legal sector, whilst teaching at Oxford Brookes University. Tadhg is interested in teaching students the effective, critical, ethical, and responsible use of GenAI as it is important to their studies and future careers, which he has achieved through active and experiential learning, using students as partners, where they contributed to curriculum design and specified what they wanted to learn. Tadhg has his own YouTube Channel dedicated to the use of AI in Higher Education - check it out!
