Welcome to the CADI Connect newsletter
Your monthly update on all things learning, teaching and innovation at the University of Portsmouth
This edition is packed with opportunities to inspire and support your teaching as we look ahead to the new academic year. We're celebrating another fantastic Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, where colleagues came together to share ideas, showcase innovative practice and learn from one another. If you missed a session or would like to revisit the highlights, you'll find links to the conference resources throughout this edition.
You'll also discover our latest CPD opportunities, learn more about the refreshed Teach Well: Principles to Practice module, and find out how you can contribute to shaping the future of CPD at the University. We've included important updates on Moodle and digital learning technologies, guidance to help you prepare your modules for September, and opportunities to gain recognition for excellence in teaching. Don't forget to explore our latest CADI project spotlights and showreel for inspiration on how we can work together to enhance learning, teaching and assessment.
As we reach the end of another busy academic year, we'd like to thank everyone for your continued dedication to delivering an outstanding student experience. We hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable summer break and we look forward to welcoming you back in the new academic year. CADI Connect will return in September with the latest news, resources and opportunities to support learning, teaching and innovation across the University.
In this month's edition
- Annual Learning and Teaching Conference
- Book on a CPD session
- Discover Teach Well: Principles to Practice
- Help shape the future of CPD at the University of Portsmouth
- Could you be a National Teaching Fellow?
- Micro-teach supports recruitment and collaboration
- Academic Skills resources moving this September
- Preparing your module content for the new academic year
- Discover how CADI can support your teaching
- Get inspired by CADI Project Spotlights
- Keep up-to-date with CADI
Training and events
Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2026
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this year's Learning and Teaching Conference such a success. Across two days, colleagues shared inspiring practice, innovative ideas and valuable insights through a fantastic range of presentations, workshops, and keynote sessions.
Want to catch up on a session or explore the resources? Visit the Learning and Teaching Conference page to view the programme, presentation materials and conference resources.
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 new workshops and 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): 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): 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): 22nd July, 5th August
NEW - 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): 22nd July, 6th August
NEW - Beyond Words: AI, Creativity, and Multimodal Learning Design
As generative AI tools make it easier to create images, video, audio, and visual learning materials, academic staff are increasingly faced with questions about how to use these tools purposefully, inclusively, and responsibly.
In this session, you will explore how AI can support the design of multimodal teaching activities and resources that enhance student engagement, accessibility, and understanding. Through hands-on activities and examples from across higher education, you will consider how creative AI tools can be used to redesign learning tasks, support diverse learners, and offer students meaningful choices in how they engage with content and demonstrate learning.
Next session(s): 16th July, 6th August
APEX Orientation
The starting point for both the written route and professional conversation is attendance at an APEX orientation event. Orientation events run every two months to provide an overview of the APEX programme and to guide colleagues to the appropriate pathway for Fellowship. They provide an introduction to the UKPSF and detail the written and professional conversation routes to Fellowship.
Next session(s): 8th July
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): 9th July, 4th Aug, 2nd Sep, 7th Oct, 5th Nov, 7th Dec
Mind the Gap - Supporting Change to Reduce Awarding Gaps
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): 3rd September, 3rd December
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): 13th Aug, 10th Sept, 15th Oct, 18th Nov
NEW - 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): 14th July, 13th Aug, 3rd Sept, 15th Oct
NEW - Introduction to Mentimeter
In this online workshop led by our Mentimeter representative, you'll explore how to use Mentimeter to support active learning, participation and formative feedback in lectures, seminars and tutorials.
Next session(s): 12th Aug
NEW - Padlet Essentials: Creating, Connecting and Collaborating
Join this session for an exploration of Padlet as a flexible digital tool for supporting collaboration, engagement, and active learning. You’ll find out about core and new features of Padlet, enabling you to manage your content and create Boards to suit a range of contexts. Throughout the session, we will consider how Padlet can be used purposefully to enhance learning design, with opportunities to reflect on its pedagogical strengths and limitations.
Next session(s): 4th Aug, 1st Sept, 5th Oct, 4th Nov, 4th Dec
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): 1st Oct, 2nd Dec, 4th Feb, 10th June 2027
NEW - Free Speech in University Teaching
In this session, you will explore a practical decision-making framework for managing difficult issues of free speech and academic freedom in university teaching.
This interactive session focuses on how colleagues can make defensible, proportionate decisions when lawful free speech may be in tension with competing legitimate aims.
Next session(s): 8th July, 23rd July
Discover Teach Well: Principles to Practice
The refreshed Teach Well: Principles to Practice module is now live on the website. Free for University of Portsmouth staff, this 30-credit Level 7 module forms the first module of the PGCert HE and provides a practical, supportive introduction to teaching and learning in higher education. Participants explore the pillars of learning design, teaching practice, and assessment and feedback, while developing their professional practice through a new reflective sketchbook approach that captures learning and reflection throughout the module. Following successful accreditation by Advance HE, successful completion of Teach Well now leads directly to Descriptor 1 (Associate Fellowship). Enrolment for September 2026 is now open, with a single application route for both Teach Well and the full PGCert HE. Visit the website to find out more about the programme, assessment, progression opportunities and key dates.
Help shape the future of CPD at the University of Portsmouth
How do academic staff engage with Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and what difference does it make to teaching practice? We're inviting all academic staff to take part in a research study exploring experiences, perceptions and the impact of CPD.
You can participate in a short online survey (under 15 minutes), a semi-structured interview, or both. Your insights will help build a better understanding of how CPD supports academic practice across the University.
Teaching Excellence
Could you be a National Teaching Fellow?
Nominations are now open for the 2027 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). If you or your team have made a sustained impact on learning and teaching, this is your opportunity to gain national recognition. Staff from both academic and professional services are encouraged to apply, with expressions of interest due by 5pm on Friday 11 September.
Micro-teach supports recruitment and collaboration
Micro-teaches are now a standard part of recruitment for teaching roles, giving candidates the opportunity to demonstrate how they facilitate learning in practice. Already supporting recruitment in several Schools, the initiative is not only helping panels make more informed hiring decisions but is also strengthening collaboration between CADI and academic teams, creating new opportunities to share expertise and support teaching excellence.
Moodle
Academic Skills resources moving this September
From September, Academic Skills resources will move from Moodle and Google Sites to the Library website under a new Academic Development section. The move will improve accessibility, visibility and the student experience, with the existing Moodle and Google Sites no longer available.
Read the full article below to find out what’s changing and what it means for staff.
Digital Technologies
Preparing your module content for the new academic year
As the University's partnership with CEG comes to an end, the Cadi-Digital team has been working behind the scenes to preserve valuable learning content. Historical videos are being transferred and relinked to Moodle over the summer, while guidance and support are available for redesigning modules and creating new media where required. Find out what this means for your teaching materials and the support available to help you prepare for the year ahead.
Discover how CADI can support your teaching
Find out how the Centre for Academic Digital Innovation (CADI) supports academic colleagues in enhancing learning, teaching and assessment. Our short showreel showcases the expertise, resources and creative services available to help you develop your teaching practice, increase student engagement, and bring your learning content to life.
Get inspired by CADI Project Spotlights
Discover how colleagues from across the University have partnered with CADI to enhance learning, teaching and assessment. Our Project Spotlights showcase innovative, evidence-informed approaches that have improved student engagement, accessibility, collaboration and the overall learning experience.
Whether you're looking for fresh ideas or planning your next teaching enhancement, these real-world examples demonstrate what's possible when you collaborate with CADI.
Keep up-to-date with CADI
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.