Welcome to the CADI Connect newsletter

Your monthly update on all things learning, teaching and innovation at the University of Portsmouth

As we enter February, we extend a warm welcome back following the Christmas break. This edition highlights a range of opportunities to support learning, teaching and digital practice across the University.

You can now book onto a programme of CPD sessions with the CADI team, with all sessions listed below and direct booking available via Docebo. Please also save the date for the Learning and Teaching Conference in June, with submissions still open for colleagues wishing to contribute a paper.

This month’s edition also features free instructional membership with ALDinHE, the launch of new Moodle tools to support the Connected Curriculum, reflections on CADI’s academic and digital growth in 2025 and the celebration of our new Fellows recognised at the recent Celebration of Excellence.

Thank you for your continued engagement with CADI Connect. We look forward to sharing further updates and opportunities with you over the coming months.

Training and events

L&T Conference: save the date and call for papers


We would like to invite colleagues to save the date for our annual Learning and Teaching Conference which will take place on Thursday 25th June 2026.

 

We’re also delighted to announce that the call for submissions is now open. This year’s theme — “Teach Well, Consistently Well” — invites colleagues to share innovative, inclusive and student-focused approaches to learning and teaching. All staff and collaborative partners are encouraged to submit, with co-created contributions with students particularly welcome.

 

Deadline for submissions: 5.00pm, Tuesday 31st March 2026.

 

Read the full article for call for submissions and details on how to submit your proposal.

Read article
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Book on a CPD session


Discover our programme of tailored CPD sessions designed to support and inspire staff across the University. Covering topics such as AI in education, assessment and feedback, closing awarding gaps, learning design, student engagement and the Connected Curriculum, our workshops focus on the themes that matter most to teaching and learning today.

These interactive sessions offer practical tools, fresh ideas and opportunities to connect with colleagues. 

Our CPD sessions are open to internal University staff and can be booked via Docebo.

Please see a full list of sessions including dates below ...

AI in the Classroom: Foundations and First Steps

The pace in which AI is developing is faster than most could have projected and it’s easy to feel left behind. Focused on those new to AI, this interactive and collaborative session will explore what AI is and identify the AI tools that are available to you.  

Next session(s): 4th February, 16th February, 5th March, 17th March, 15th April, 12th May, 15th June, 13th July, 4th August.


Harnessing AI: Enhance Teaching, Empower Learning

In this session you will explore how generative AI tools can be meaningfully integrated into teaching practice to enhance engagement, personalise learning and streamline tasks. 

Next session(s): 3rd February, 16th February, 4th March, 19th March, 13th April, 12th May, 16th June, 14th July, 5th August


AI and Assessment - Academic Integrity and Innovation

In this session, you will explore how generative AI tools can be meaningfully integrated into assessment tasks to enhance student assessment literacy and alignment. 

Next session(s): 3rd February, 17th February, 4th March, 17th March, 7th April, 13th May, 17th June, 15th July, 5th August


From Outputs to Insight: Building Ethical and Critical AI Practice

As AI tools become increasingly embedded in higher education, the need to engage critically and ethically with their use has never been greater.

In this session, you will explore how to evaluate AI outputs, question their reliability, and understand the ethical principles that underpin responsible use in teaching, learning, and assessment. Drawing on current sector guidance and research, we will unpack issues of fairness, transparency, privacy, and academic integrity through collaborative activities.

Next session(s): 5th February, 10th March, 8th April, 14th May, 17th June, 17th July, 6th August

Feedback That Clicks: Empowering Students to Engage and Act

Tired of feeling like your carefully crafted feedback goes unnoticed or unused? Do students seem to treat feedback as a box to tick rather than a tool for growth? Join this collaborative and interactive workshop to explore how to write feedback that resonates with your students, inspires reflection and drives meaningful action.

Next session(s): 19th March, 30th April, 11th June


Revitalising Assessment and Feedback

If you’re looking to breathe new life into your assessment design and craft purposeful feedback while enhancing student engagement and success, this is the workshop for you.  Have you ever wondered if your students even read your feedback or if your assessments truly enhance the student experience and prepare them up for the world of work.

Next session(s): 18th March, 29th April, 8th June


Marking with Confidence: Using Categorical Marking and Assessment Criteria

Are you looking to enhance the transparency, consistency and fairness of your assessment processes? This interactive and practical workshop will equip you with strategies to apply categorical marking while linking to effective assessment criteria and rubrics. Whether you’re aiming to refine your marking practices, ensure alignment with the categorical scale, or better support student success, this session offers valuable insights and tools to elevate your approach.

Next session(s): 9th March, 16th April, 3rd June

Mind the Gap! Guidance and Tips for Tackling Awarding Gaps with Confidence

Do you want to ensure your students have an equitable opportunity to succeed? This practical workshop explores awarding gaps and what you can do in your day-to-day teaching to create a more inclusive learning environment.

Next session(s): 9th March, 2nd June, 3rd September, 3rd December


Access All Areas: Incorporating Inclusive Learning Design

Want to make your teaching more accessible and engaging for all students? Join our interactive CPD workshop where we’ll explore practical ways to create more equitable learning experiences that support the diverse needs of your learners. 

Next session(s): 26th February, 25th March, 30th April, 4th June


Fair, Flexible and Feasible: Inclusive Approaches to Assessment

How can we ensure that our assessments are fair, flexible, and feasible, both for our students and for us as educators? Join us for a hands-on, practical session on inclusive assessment, where we’ll explore how to design fair and supportive assessment experiences for all students.

Next session(s): 5th March, 9th April, 7th May, 3rd June

Mentimeter: an interactive tool to enhance engagement and interactive participation

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll experience the functionality of Mentimeter from both sides of the screen: first as a student, then as a creator/presenter. You’ll explore a wide range of interactive features, such as live polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A, and slide design tools including the PowerPoint add-in, and see how its AI features, such as grouping text responses, can enhance your sessions. We’ll also look at how Vevox question types can be recreated in Mentimeter to support transition between the two systems.

Next session(s): 16th March, 23rd April, 13th May, 11th June

The Enterprise Programme

This interactive workshop will explore what we mean by ‘being enterprising’ and put this into action. The research and academic environment offers many opportunities for enterprising individuals. You might be contemplating how you can build a business from your research using your researcher capabilities or perhaps you have never contemplated this. Whatever stage you are at, this workshop will help you analyse and develop your enterprising capabilities through self reflection and practical activities.

Next session(s): 11th March

Let's be reasonable: anticipating and integrating reasonable adjustments

This session will explore the statutory requirements for University of Portsmouth staff regarding reasonable adjustments, the role of anticipatory duties, and practical strategies for supporting diverse student needs.

Next session(s): More dates coming soon

Global Mindsets Academic Programme 1

The Global Mindsets Programme provides an informative and reflective space for participants to learn more about internationalisation, what that means for the University and how we can each contribute to creating a welcoming and supportive learning environment for our students and each other.

Please note this is a set of 3 sessions that are required to be completed to achieve programme 1:

  • Global mindsets academic - Session 1: Introduction to Internationalisation - 2nd March
  • Global mindset academic - Session 2: Internationalising teaching and learning - 12th March
  • Global mindsets academic - Session 3: Global Mindsets in International Research Collaboration - 16th March

Getting the Basics Right: Teaching Well, Consistently Well at Portsmouth

Are you new to Portsmouth or looking to refresh your approach to teaching and learning? Whether you’ve inherited a module, are navigating blended learning for the first time, or simply want a chance to review your learning and teaching strategy, this interactive and collaborative workshop is your starting point.

Next session(s): 13th March, 23rd April, 18th June


Engage to Learn: Design Context-Rich Activities for Active Blended Learning

Do you find it challenging to get students to engage in the classroom or participate in asynchronous activities? Are your teaching strategies feeling a bit stale, or are you unsure how to design learning experiences that truly resonate? This interactive and collaborative workshop is your chance to refresh your approach and create context-rich, sense-making activities that inspire engagement, foster belonging and enhance student understanding.

Next session(s): 20th March, 4th April


Discover your Teaching Identity: Professional Values & Personal Pedagogies

Are you considering applying for Fellowship or struggling to articulate your approach to Professional Values in your APEX claim? This interactive and collaborative workshop is designed to guide you through reflecting on your teaching identity and aligning it with the Professional Standards Framework 2023.

Next session(s): 5th February, 12th March, 13th April, 14th May, 8th June, 7th July

Behaviour Management to Relational Practice: Building Inclusive Learning Cultures in HE

This interactive workshop frames behaviour in higher education as linked to belonging, motivation and relational approaches to teaching. It builds on themes introduced at the Learning and Teaching Conference 2025 and invites colleagues to consider how assumptions, learning design and institutional culture influence student engagement.

Next session(s): 11th February, 18th February, 11th May


The Art of Noticing: Awareness, Capacity and Everyday Resilience

This session introduces a practical and relational approach to resilience in teaching by focusing on awareness, nervous-system literacy and presence. Instead of viewing resilience as “coping harder”, the workshop explores how teachers can notice their internal states, understand common stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn), and recognise how these influence their capacity to engage with students.

Next session(s): 24th February, 23rd March, 28th April

Enhance your learning and teaching with ALDinHE


CADI provides free institutional membership to the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) — offering resources, events, research insights and professional development opportunities for anyone involved in learning development.

 

Colleagues can register for free and join a supportive, practice-sharing community.

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Connected Curriculum

Moodle tools to support the Connected Curriculum


The CADI team has introduced new Moodle Module Design tools to help academics create clear, consistent and student-centred Connected Curriculum modules. These tools support both rolling over existing modules and designing new 120-credit modules from scratch.

 

Module Leaders are asked to complete a short spreadsheet by 20 February to request a rollover or redesign and choose a module layout. Requests will be processed between 23–27 February. Guidance and short introduction videos are available via the CADI website, with support from the CADI team throughout.

 

Read the full article for key details and deadlines and watch the videos to see the new tools in action.

Read article
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Reflecting on 2025: innovation, impact and progress

CADI 2025: a year of digital and academic growth


The 2025 CADI Impact Infographic provides an overview of the Centre for Academic and Digital Innovation’s work across the year, bringing together activity from Moodle, assessments, CPD workshops and our wider digital platforms. It highlights how the CADI team has supported teaching, learning and assessment while enabling effective and reliable digital delivery across the institution.

 

The infographic also reflects strong performance across all areas of CADI’s work, including successful digital marketing and communications. Through our website and social channels, CADI has effectively brought together the range of services and support the team offers, helping staff and students to discover, engage with and benefit from our academic and digital innovation activity.

View the full 2025 CADI Impact Infographic (PDF)
CADI 2025: A Year of Digital and Academic Growth - screengrab

Celebrations

Celebration of Excellence – honoring our new fellows


On Thursday, 15th January, we came together to celebrate excellence and recognise the outstanding achievements of those who have attained their fellowship through the CADI team.

 

Members were presented with certificates by Professor Anne Murphy, along with the distinguished fellowship pin - a symbol of their dedication, hard work and professional accomplishment.

 

Amongst those celebrated were valued members of the CADI team themselves. Congratulations to Hannah, Becky, Jamie, Shaun and Chris, who were also awarded their fellowships.

 

This event was a wonderful reminder of the talent, dedication and excellence that our team embodies. Well done to all our new fellows!

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Keep up-to-date with CADI

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Latest news

For all the latest news from the CADI team please follow us on LinkedIn and here on the CADI website - CADI News.


Contact us

Do you have a question or need some support with your teaching?

If you do, then please contact the CADI team who will be happy to advise you.

  • For technical queries relating to digital learning tools, please email: cadi-digital@port.ac.uk.
  • For questions relating to teaching practice or for one-to-one support, please email: cadi@port.ac.uk.