Teesside University hosts conference on the future of education
Leading figures from across the education sector have gathered at Teesside University to discuss the future of 21st century learning and teaching.
The University hosted its National Future Facing Learning Conference, which saw more than 100 industry leaders, researchers, and educators come together to share best practice and explore the future of Higher Education.
Teesside University has placed implementing innovation in learning as a core pillar of its corporate strategy.
The University was the first higher education provider in Europe to become an Adobe Creative Campus and has also been recognised as an Apple Distinguished School for its commitment to digital teaching and learning.
This pioneering approach has seen Teesside receive several awards for its Future Facing Learning programme and the conference builds upon the University’s international reputation in this regard.
It also received gold status across all categories in the recent Teaching Excellence Framework 2023.
The conference featured a day dedicated to "elevating the AI in learning and teaching" and another day dedicated to "preparing towards 2030" featuring how our professions, industries and sectors are changing in an AI-mediated world, and in turn what our curriculum, learning experiences and student support should look like to build confidence in students to live and thrive in a new world.
The conference programme saw representation from various professions, including Shoosmiths, South Wales Police and Policy Connect, as well as from Teesside’s EdTech partners Anthology and Microsoft.
Speakers and panellists also joined from institutions including Teesside University, Harper Adams University, Leeds Beckett University, the University of Cumbria and the University of East London, as well as opportunities for networking and an AI hackathon event.
Day two was kickstarted by a graduate panel, hosted by Jisc and Cornerstone Education Consulting, setting the scene for the day by discussing the question, ‘Did my university experience prepare me for what came next?’
There were also keynote speeches from Iain Standen, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, on the power of storytelling and Professor Caitlin Moon, Director of Innovation Design at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on curiosity and human-centred learning for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
If we are to deliver education which is truly future facing, it is absolutely vital that we gain a thorough understanding of the impact that technology is going to have on learning, teaching and the workplace.
Professor Mark Simpson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Teesside University, said: “Teesside University has been long been at the forefront of utilising advances in technology to improve learning and teaching.
“If we are to deliver education which is truly future facing, it is absolutely vital that we gain a thorough understanding of the impact that technology is going to have on learning, teaching and the workplace.
“Therefore, we are delighted to bring together colleagues from across the higher education sector and industry to share our learning, in order to ensure that we are delivering the skills and knowledge to enable our graduates to succeed and thrive in the workplace of the future.”
Dr Ann Thanaraj, Assistant Director of Digital Transformation at Teesside University, and Paul Durston, the University’s Digital Learning Manager, were the joint co-curators and co-hosts of the event.
They added: “It gave us great pleasure to organise and host this National Future Facing Learning Conference.
“It was fantastic to hear from such a diverse range of speakers on such an interesting array of topics and the knowledge gained and shared throughout this conference will be of enormous use to all of the delegates.
“The event was both a celebration of Teesside University's TEF gold status and the practices and innovations which led to our achievements, as well as bringing some of the best minds in the Higher Education sector and beyond to debate, challenge and collaborate on topical issues grappling universities and student achievements.”
Educational technology software provider, Anthology, was the platinum sponsor of the conference.
Martyn Rollason, Senior Account Executive at Anthology, said: “The conference proved to be a pivotal platform for educators and innovators to discuss the transformative potential of AI in education.
“Like our partner Teesside University, we are committed to driving forward-thinking discussions and initiatives that shape the future of learning.
“Anthology was honoured to sponsor the conference and advance the responsible and ethical use of AI within the higher education community.”