Making Digital Life Better for International Students: Highlights from the M25 LTG Summer Meeting 2025
On 17 July 2025, colleagues from across the sector gathered at Chancellors Hall, Senate House, for the ALT M25 Learning Technology Group (LTG) Summer Meeting — our first in-person only event in quite some time. With the theme “Making Digital Life Better for International Students”, the afternoon focused on how learning technologies can create more inclusive, responsive, and culturally aware experiences for students arriving from across the globe.
Here’s a look back at the day’s highlights:
International Students: Digital Access and Experiences in Social & Historical Sciences
(Dr Fiona Harvey, UCL)
Fiona opened the event with a thoughtful exploration of digital access through the lens of UCL’s Social & Historical Sciences faculty. She reminded us that access isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s also about confidence, familiarity with academic and cultural norms, and students’ emotional comfort in digital spaces. She invited attendees to work through real student cases to challenge common assumptions, prompting us to reflect on the more subtle, often overlooked barriers that international students face.
Applying Learning Technology Innovations for Global Online Programmes at Scale
(Dionysis Dimakopoulos, UCL)
Dionysis took us into the design decisions behind UCL’s global online programmes, such as the MSc in Public Health. His session showed how backend systems, visual consistency, and pedagogical clarity come together to support diverse international cohorts. He emphasised that scaling isn’t about “one size fits all” — it’s about designing from the start with flexibility and inclusion in mind.
See Dionysis’ blogpost which includes an expanded version of his talk.
FACILE: Faculty AI Conversation, Investigation and Learning Exchange
(Dr Tim Neumann, UCL, with student co-presenter Nick Wong and Fengyun Tang)
Tim, Nick and Fengyun introduced FACILE, an innovative initiative that brings staff and students together to explore the role of generative AI in learning. Their presentation and panel discussion invited participants to reflect on the appropriate use of AI, transparency, and co-creation in using AI for learning and teaching. You can read more about the student perspective in Fengyun’s LinkedIn post. This was a lively and open session that captured the spirit of co-creation.
Onboarding: Preparing Students for Success
(Samuel Catterall-Young, RCA)
Samuel’s session took the form of an interactive group discussion, where participants explored key challenges international students face during their transition into UK higher education. Rather than presenting a fixed model, he encouraged attendees to collaboratively identify pain points — from VLE access to social disconnection — and suggest strategies to help mitigate them. The session surfaced practical ideas, such as more personalised communications, low-stakes onboarding modules, and early peer support. It was a powerful reminder that co-creating solutions with staff and students can lead to more engaging and meaningful onboarding experiences.
Throughout the day, we heard directly from international students, who generously shared reflections on their digital learning experiences. Their honest insights reminded us why it’s so important to build with — not just for — students.
We closed the event with a heartfelt moment, presenting a thank-you gift to Dr Julie Voce, who stepped down from the steering committee of the Association for Learning Technology M25 Learning Technology Group after 17 years. Julie’s leadership has been a driving force in creating the collaborative, open space we all value. Her contribution has left a lasting legacy, and she will be greatly missed.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. We look forward to continuing the conversation at the Autumn Meeting!