{"id":13322,"date":"2025-10-03T11:12:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T10:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=13322"},"modified":"2025-10-02T13:22:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:22:06","slug":"making-digital-life-better-for-international-students-highlights-from-the-m25-ltg-summer-meeting-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2025\/10\/making-digital-life-better-for-international-students-highlights-from-the-m25-ltg-summer-meeting-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Digital Life Better for International Students: Highlights from the M25 LTG Summer Meeting 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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 \u2014 our first in-person only event in quite some time. With the theme \u201cMaking Digital Life Better for International Students\u201d<\/em>, the afternoon focused on how learning technologies can create more inclusive, responsive, and culturally aware experiences for students arriving from across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here\u2019s a look back at the day\u2019s highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Students: Digital Access and Experiences in Social & Historical Sciences<\/strong>
(<\/em>Dr <\/em>Fiona Harvey, UCL)<\/em>
Fiona opened the event with a thoughtful exploration of digital access through the lens of UCL\u2019s Social & Historical Sciences faculty. She reminded us that access isn\u2019t just about infrastructure \u2014 it\u2019s also about confidence, familiarity with academic and cultural norms, and students\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applying Learning Technology Innovations for Global Online Programmes at Scale<\/strong>
(<\/em>Dionysis<\/em> Dimakopoulos, UCL)<\/em>
Dionysis took us into the design decisions behind UCL\u2019s 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\u2019t about \u201cone size fits all\u201d \u2014 it\u2019s about designing from the start with flexibility and inclusion in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See Dionysis\u2019 blogpost<\/a> which includes an expanded version of his talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FACILE: Faculty AI Conversation, Investigation and Learning Exchange<\/strong>
(Dr Tim Neumann, UCL, with student co-presenter Nick Wong and Fengyun Tang)<\/em>
Tim, Nick and Fengyun introduced FACILE<\/em>, 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\u2019s LinkedIn post.<\/a> This was a lively and open session that captured the spirit of co-creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onboarding: Preparing Students for Success<\/strong>
(Samuel Catterall-Young, RCA)<\/em>
Samuel\u2019s 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 \u2014 from VLE access to social disconnection \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s so important to build with \u2014 not just for \u2014 students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/a> Julie\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to everyone who joined us. We look forward to continuing the conversation at the Autumn Meeting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"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 \u2014 our first in-person only event in quite some time. 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