Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the end of a busy academic year, this is a moment not only to recognise what has been achieved, but also to reflect on how our collective work is shaping the University’s approach to learning, teaching, assessment and innovative practice.
A huge thank you to all academic colleagues for your continued engagement with CADI, and for the outstanding work of CADI colleagues, often behind the scenes, that enable and sustain the changes we are delivering together.
A significant milestone is the Advance HE reaccreditation of APEX (Descriptors 1-3, i.e., Associate Fellow, Fellow and Senior Fellow) alongside the accreditation of Teach Well: Principles to Practice as Module 1 of the PGCert. This is not just external validation. It reinforces the clear institutional proposition that excellent teaching is intentional, evidence-informed and professionally recognised. We support colleagues to develop and articulate that excellence with confidence and credibility.
At the heart of this proposition sits a premise: design well, teach well, assess well, support well. These are not discrete activities, but a connected ecosystem of practice. Through Teach Well and the PGCert, a shared pedagogic language enables colleagues across roles to engage critically with learning design, teaching practice and assessment, in ways that are inclusive, student-centred, reflective and impactful.
The migration of Moodle to the cloud has been a major institutional undertaking. It focused on resilience, sustainability, security and usability, while maintaining continuity of service. Around 3,000 modules and courses successfully migrated to our new cloud-based Moodle. Our operational work to strengthen Moodle support expectations and reduce manual processes is central to helping colleagues and students experience a smoother, more reliable digital learning environment.
In our work with Faculties and course teams on the Connected Curriculum, the emphasis is not only on redesign, but on alignment and consistency: outcomes, activities and assessments designed to make learning visible, meaningful and purposeful to students. The Learning Design section of CADI’s website contains a range of practical resources, guides and FAQs around areas including writing learning outcomes, SMART Capture and groupwork. Alongside this, initiatives such as addressing awarding gaps, introducing assessment choice and our AI guidance for staff and students reflect a growing institutional maturity in how we understand, support and evidence student learning, and of course how we design for it.
A critical dimension of our collaborative work is the role of peer observation. If we are serious about teaching well, consistently well, then structured, developmental peer dialogue and critique must sit at the centre of our practice. Our work in this space is helping reposition observation of teaching from compliance to collegial inquiry: a means of making practice visible, challenging assumptions and building a shared understanding of quality and pedagogic innovation – right from the recruitment and selection of new academic staff.
Our impact depends on sustained, relational partnerships with Faculties and with colleagues across the University, including Academic Services, Academic Registry, HR, Finance, Student Services, LIS and Estates. This is not simply collaboration: it is co-creation grounded in trust, responsiveness and shared ownership of the learning, teaching and assessment agenda. At this year’s in-person Learning and Teaching Conference (25 June) many of our colleagues’ initiatives will be showcased.
We remain focused on CPD as a strategic lever for change. This means not only refining and expanding the provision, but ensuring it is genuinely aligned with need and context. As part of this, we are developing new CPD opportunities in areas such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
CADI’s work reflects a clear direction of travel: towards a high-quality, connected, student-centred, evidence-informed and professionally confident teaching culture. One that is ambitious for our students and for each other.
Prof Alejandro Armellini
Dean of Education and Digital Innovation
Centre for Academic and Digital Innovation (CADI)