Ada Lovelace Day 2026⤴

from @ Melissa Highton

Booking is now open for the University’s Ada Lovelace Day celebrations on Tuesday 13 October, with a programme of workshops, talks and activities celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

Ada Lovelace Day is our annual celebration of the achievements of women in STEM and an opportunity to highlight the contributions of women whose work has helped shape science, technology and society.

This year, #ALD2026 has a particular focus on women in medical sciences, inspired by Edinburgh Medical School’s celebration of 300 Years of Medicine.

A day of activities 

The programme begins at 10.30am in the Main Library with an interactive anatomy workshop led by Dr Jennifer Paxton. Participants will explore the use of 3D modelling and scanning in anatomy and medicine, offering an insight into how digital technologies are changing approaches to teaching, learning and research.

From 11.30am, attendees can enjoy lunch alongside a series of lightning talks from inspiring women working in STEM, sharing their experiences, careers and insights.

The afternoon will feature Visible WikiWomen in STEM, a hands-on Wikipedia Edit-a-thon. Participants will learn how easy and impactful it can be to edit Wikipedia and will have the opportunity to research and create new pages highlighting women in STEM.

Whether you are interested in medicine, digital technologies, Wikipedia, STEM careers or simply want to discover more about the achievements of women in science, there will be something to get involved with. 

Ada Lovelace Day 2026 
Tuesday 13 October 2026 
Main Library 

Find out more about the programme and book your place 

The future classroom is a conversation and it can be extraordinary⤴

from

The future classroom is a conversation and it can be a conversation: Learning now unfolds in dialogue: between teachers and students, people and systems, questions, and responses. The challenge is not control but balance and allowing technology to contribute without letting it speak for us.

This is one of the statements in the Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education which has just launched it’s book project. In the book, a range of international authors have responded to each of the manifesto statements, with their own reflections, experiences, views and provocations. The brainchild of Hazel Farrell and Ken McCarthy, the manifesto and now the book have been deliberately designed as a “living reflection” in the every evolving context of GenAI in higher education (and beyond).

I am delighted to be one of the authors included in the book. Along with my “writing buddies” Bill Johnston and Keith  we have addressed statement 30 of the manifesto “the future classroom is a conversation, and it can be extraordinary”  which sits within Theme 3 of the book  – Imagination, Humanity, and the Future.

In the chapter we take the stance that manifestos are in themselves a call to challenge the status quo. We use Freire’s definition of education praxis – “reflection and action directed at the structures to be transformed? “ (Freire, 1970) to discuss how classroom conversations could be structured to challenge the structures surrounding GenAI.  We believe that these types of conversations could be extraordinary and as well as  necessary.  We propose that these conversations  would “require the development of a collective understanding, between learners and educators, of how GenAI systems encode, produce, or reinforce bias, and must include measures to redress imbalances relating to under-represented voices.”

You can access the full chapter directly here, and the whole book is openly licensed , and it is well worth exploring and seeing what conversations and reflections it can stimulate for you, your colleagues and students.

Reflections on 25 Years of the SCQF #scqf25years⤴

from @ Experimental Blog

In 2001, I was leading a range of sector-wide projects across Scottish Further Education for the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU). Across colleges, there was a  buzz surrounding the arrival of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). For those of us working on the ground, news of a unified national framework was warmly welcomed.

Before joining SFEU, I had spent 15 years as a Course Team Leader in the college sector. My colleagues and I hit the same wall: a system of fragmented, siloed qualifications that created friction for learners trying to progress. We watched capable students pass college units linked to occupational standards with distinction, only to be told by universities or by professional bodies that their learning "didn't count" or that they had to start from scratch. The lack of proper, systemic recognition was frustrating and unfair. It wasn't just administrative red tape; it was actively hampering human potential. 

One year we lost an established articulation route simply as the academic course team leader who was the gatekeeper at a local university changed and their successor decided to block the articulation pathway. It could be a real lottery. 

So, when the SCQF Arrived in 2001 promising a single, common language for all learning built on the sensible view  that a unit of effort in a college held equal weight to one in a university it felt like a long-overdue revolution.

By 2003, my perspective shifted from curriculum support to national delivery when I moved to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), looking after half of all vocational awards in Scotland. The nascent SCQF team were along the corridor from me. 

Sitting at the SQA during those formative years was exhilarating we were doing the heavy lifting to make the SCQF work. We undertook the massive task of updating, reviewing, leveling, and credit-rating thousands of vocational awards, Higher National Certificates (HNCs), Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), and SVQs. We were creating the architecture for true "parity of esteem."

Since then, I have worked closely with the SCQF team members over the years (always a pleasure), spent time on the board of SCQF partnership and worked as an auditor for credit and levellng organisations.  

Looking back now, over two decades later, I ask myself: Did the SCQF live up to the promise we felt in 2001?

The answer is a nuanced yes, but.

Where it succeeded:

The SCQF created a transparent, world-leading infrastructure. It allowed colleges to build direct articulation routes into modern universities, saving thousands of students time and money. It gave non-traditional learners a way to see their worth, and it allows workplace learning to be formally valued alongside traditional academic degrees. It's been great to see professional bodies, community learning and other public bodies coming on board. 

 Where the battle continues:

The friction I fought as a Course Team Leader in the 1990s hasn't  disappeared. While the framework provided the language for seamless progression, it couldn't forcibly dismantle institutional culture. We still see universities guarding their gates, forcing HND graduates to repeat learning levels, and public perception clinging to traditional school-exam "gold standards."  

The funding system I think is the only lever left and that should be used very bluntly, to change some behaviours here. Public money should mean national standards. 

It's been a bumpy ride, during College restructuring a lot of experienced credit and levellers left the sector, though capacity is building up again. Universities tend to only credit and level their own provision, and there can still be some confusion in the system around the value of credit and levelling an award and or an awarding body seeking accreditation from the SQA. 

In 2001, we really hoped the SCQF would be a silver bullet. Today, I see it as an essential foundation. It didn't instantly solve every barrier to progression, but it gave us the blueprint to keep fighting for a fairer, more open education system in Scotland. #OpenScot  

In the School sector many of the benefits have still to be cultivated where -  academic subjects, vocational learning, and personal achievements could form an SCQF-levelled profile. We could  eliminate the high-stakes exam treadmill in favor of a balanced, credit-based portrait of a young person’s capabilitities - but that still seems out of reach. 

It is a key part of the Scottish educational landscape that needs to be better understood by everyone across the system. It is still the envy of many global education systems.  

Collectively we can all do more to make the SCQF Framework work for all. 

Happy Birthday SCQF and team members past and present. 

A Track for Olive to Play Rhythm⤴

from

Today’s TDC says

Here’s an image of actress Olive Thomas likely pretending to be a jazz drummer. Share an unlikely song you can imagine her laying down the drum beats too.

Olive Thomas (LOC)
Olive Thomas (LOC) flickr photo by The Library of Congress shared with no copyright restriction (Flickr Commons)

I think this track by AC/DC would be a good one for her to try, actually.

Accidental Photo Art⤴

from

Today’s TDC says

Invariably I take unintended photos when grabbing my phone or those weird compositions featuring a blurred thumb selfie. Can you make/shae art from an accidental or unntended photo?

I usually delete any blurry pics I take, but here’s a long exposure one I took at the weekend by mistake. It was very windy!

Windy Findhorn
Windy Findhorn flickr photo by NomadWarMachine shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license

I headed over to Lunapic to artify it

Artified Findhorn
Artified Findhorn flickr photo by NomadWarMachine shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license

Lasts⤴

from

Today’s TDC says:

“Lasts: The last trip to the pool. Or the lake. The last hike. The last popsicle. Capture your warm weather favorites before it really cools down!” Lisa Truesdell

This week we’re up in Findhorn on what will be our last seaside holiday of the year. On Saturday I took this photo as we walked along the sea front.

Sunset at Findhorn
Sunset at Findhorn flickr photo by NomadWarMachine shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license

Generative AI and the Changing Nature of Assessment for DataLab Education Community⤴

from @ Experimental Blog

 


I enjoyed co presenting with Daire Maria Ni Uanachain . Daire's presentation and recording of session is now available on the Data Lab Education  Community Page 
If you are not a member of this community you should join. ( probably most relevant to folks in Scotland)   My own presentation is at foot of this blog post and I think complemented Daire's approach. 

I don't think we are at an inflection point yet. Changes to learning and assessment should have arrived when the internet and search engines became ubiquitous. 

Generative AI poses less of a threat to vocational training than to traditional academic sectors because vocational education relies on authentic assessment where learners must physically demonstrate practical capabilities rather than simply writing essays for these areas.  Digital evidence capture, such as video recording practical assessments (e.g. solar panel installation or working at height), work really well for verification and quality sampling.  Alternative assessments work in every other subject area too.   

To be clear, educational AI isn't about experimental frontier systems, it's about the accessible, everyday tools already at our students' fingertips. Keeping our focus on practical applications helps demystify the technology and prevents unnecessary anxiety from stalling essential digital skills development  (though the danger of armageddon will be this year's excuse for avoidance of any digital skills development) 

The truth is  getting teaching staff to change assessments rather than rely on 'AI Detection Engines' which don't work,  is massively challenging. Bad practice is deeply entrenched. We still have academic staff who ask generations of students the same questions and that should have changed long before the advent of AI.
Overcoming resistance to change is all about having the right governance, time and support in place. 

Unlocking the potential of these tools locally hinges on closer collaboration between IT departments,  academic and support staff. Building trust and dialogue between teams ensures we fully leverage the native AI features already sitting in our VLEs (like Canvas) and the enterprise platforms Microsoft or Google accounts. 

This is essential to prevent growth of shadow IT etc.   

There is useful support from Qualifications Scotland and a host of other sources. I've listed some current ones in slide deck. 


CMALT reflections on strategic planning⤴

from @ Melissa Highton

I know how important it is , when you are writing or renewing your CMALT portfolio, to be able to evidence the contribution you have made to the technology context in the university in which you work.

As part of my own reflection and as part of the support we provide to CMALTers, I make sure that the learning technologists who are part of our major projects and initiatives are supported to gather this evidence.

At Edinburgh we are currently developing a major capital plan for the Digital Estate over the next 10 years.   I am pleased to be able to offer a specific session for the Edinburgh CMALTers to feed into this plan, thinking about their own professional practice and the ways in which the context is shaped.

“All staff are invited to have a say on the future of the technology we use across the University.  As someone we have identified as either currently holding or working towards achieving CMALT accreditation, we would like to invite you to this session focusing more specifically on the digital learning & teaching portfolio.

The university is developing a 10-Year Digital Estate Plan to help shape the future of the IT systems and IT platforms that underpin work across the University — from teaching and research to HR, Finance, Estates, Web, cyber security and more. 

The plan is currently a working draft, and we are interested in getting your input before it goes through University governance later this year. As someone working in learning technology we’re particularly keen to hear from you, thinking about how you use these systems and help others to do so. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, what’s missing, and where you think changes and improvements should be focused.

Attendance is optional though having the opportunity to participate in the event may also prove useful in relation to your CMALT portfolio, providing an opportunity to evidence and reflect on how you bring professional knowledge, experience, and CMALT values to strategic university work.”

I wrote a chapter abut having diverse voices in strategic thinking based on my research has now been published in the  Handbook of Digital Higher Education:

Chapter 28: The importance of diversity and digital leadership in education: a feminist perspective from higher education https://www.elgaronline.com/view/book/9781800888494/book-part-9781800888494-39.xml

“There are a number of areas in which the decisions made by digital leadership will shape the context for equality, diversity and inclusion across their wider university. Digital leaders in universities try to make sure that systems work well together (whether those systems are ‘home grown’, commercial, locally developed, closed or open source) and to ensure that they are configurable to local needs. In each university, decisions are made locally about what technology is needed. The nature of systemic bias and structural inequality in technology ‘products’ has been an area of concern for researchers for many years and it is vital that these biases do not become entrenched in universities too through the purchasing and configuration choices of IT leaders.”

The book was published in 2022 and I have contributed to an update, but I have’t seen that published yet.