From Star Wars to staff awards: the 2026 Learning & Teaching Conference | News

September 2026

From Star Wars to staff awards: University College Birmingham’s 2026 Learning and Teaching Conference opens in dramatic style

By Claire Huggins

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Personalisation in Higher Education takes centre stage at our annual conference.

The University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Poole, welcomed colleagues from across the institution for the 2026 Learning and Teaching Conference, a full-day event dedicated to exploring ‘Personalisation in Higher Education’, one of the University’s strategic pillars and a growing area of focus across the sector.

The day opened in dramatic fashion, with a playful homage to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, setting the tone for a conference built around imagination, innovation and student-centred practice. Professor Helen Poole, Pro Vice Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), introduced this year’s theme by reaffirming the University’s commitment to ‘meeting students where they are’ and tailoring learning experiences to support individual success, to stretch and challenge, and foster a strong sense of belonging.

Keynote: rising above AI and academic integrity

The morning keynote was delivered by Professor Tim Fawns (Monash University, Australia), dialling in from Australia, his talk, “What’s the Point? Rising above Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity”, encouraged colleagues to rethink the purpose of assessment and learning design in an era shaped by AI. His session set the tone for a day of discussion about authenticity, personalisation and the human dimensions of learning.

Professor Tim Fawns

A diverse programme of workshops, provocations and practice showcases

Across three parallel sessions, colleagues shared a wide range of workshops, provocations and practice showcases that reflected the breadth of teaching and support at UCB. The programme offered insights into:

student partnership working
reasonable adjustments and inclusive practice
AI‑supported reflection and digital learning tools
personalised session design and character development
media‑rich teaching and industry‑focused learning
co‑designing personal tutoring and personalised engineering education.

The variety of sessions demonstrated how personalisation is being embedded across disciplines, with colleagues exploring new ways to support engagement, confidence and progression.

“A highlight for me was the keynote speaker, Tim Fawns,” said Richard Behan, Deputy Dean for Curriculum Development and Student Recruitment.

“AI is something that can scare a lot of lecturers, including myself, as students are often using AI without knowing what is right or wrong. It is therefore something we need to embrace within our teaching, so we can develop students' knowledge and understanding of how to use AI in an ethical way.

“It was insightful to hear Tim’s experiences of using AI to evolve assessments in higher education that reflect both the diversity of the student community and how individuals are using AI.”

"What stood out most was the enthusiastic collaboration across our teaching community. The creativity, generosity and shared purpose in every session showed exactly what makes the University such a special place to learn and work."

Professor Helen Poole Pro Vice Chancellor (HE Quality)

Lunchtime highlights: cheese tasting and Culinary World Cup previews

The lunchtime marketplace brought two unexpected treats to the programme.

Tracey Colley, Founding Director of the Academy of Cheese, joined the event to share tasting notes, pairing insights and samples of artisan cheese and biscuits. The Academy is positioning itself as a leading training resource for cheese education - a natural complement to UCB’s food and hospitality expertise.

Attendees also enjoyed a preview from junior members of the England national team (pictured below) ahead of their appearance at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg (21–25 November). The team used the conference as an opportunity to test elements of their cold table submission, ahead of the competition that will see them compete alongside 14 other teams from around the world.

L-R: Jennifer Whitty, Luke Jeffs and Jude Hemming

Posters, immersive sessions and collaborative practice

The Moss House Clinical Skills Centre hosted a vibrant poster display and immersive sessions, featuring work on:

embedding student voice in programme revalidation
working effectively with Graduate Teaching Assistants
entrepreneurship education
co‑created digital learning tools in physiotherapy.

These contributions showcased how personalisation is being woven into curriculum design, student partnership and professional practice.

“I’m new in post so I came along to find out more about the inner workings of the university from the academic side,” said Ceadi Carter, Business Development Executive.

“The Business Engagement Team is looking to connect employers with students; my academic colleagues will have more of an insight into what’s working, what isn’t and how we can help each other get the best outcomes for students.”

Panel discussion: rethinking personalisation in HE

The afternoon panel brought together sector experts Dr Syra Shakir (Strategic Lead on Race Equity and an Associate Professor at Leeds Trinity University), Dr Emily McIntosh (Chief Student Officer at Harper Adams University) and Holly Bateman practitioner with Open Theatre) to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of personalisation across higher education. Chaired by Professor Helen Poole, the discussion centred on the key questions coming out of the day’s event.

Celebrating staff achievement

The conference closed with several staff being awarded their AdvanceHE fellowships.

Providing “individuals with professional recognition of their practice, impact and leadership of teaching and learning”, fellowship status recognises colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to student experience, innovation and inclusive practice.