TLC Europe Online 2020

Conference Sessions

Continuity of Education in Disruptive Times

Date: Tuesday, May 19
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread, having a plan in place to ensure continuity in delivering teaching and learning is essential. Being prepared to scale your connectivity to your learners is a multi-faceted endeavour - from including assurance that content is online and accessible, to providing your instructors and academic staff with the right support to reach their learners.

Learn how institutions are evaluating and taking steps to transition to a fully online status and ensure operational continuity. Hear best practices on how to ensure content is online and accessible for learners and examples on how quickly and effectively institutions have transitioned online.

Panel Sessions

• Student Panel: During this session we will hear from students and listen to their insights on the impact of COVID-19 on their wellbeing and studies. They will share their views on online learning.
  
  This session will begin with Piers Wilkinson, National Union of Students' Disabled Students' Officer and the Student Voice Commissioner, from the Disabled Students' Commission. You'll also hear from a number of students from around Europe who will share insights into how COVID-19 has impacted their learning.


• Client Panel: Has COVID-19 fundamentally changed teaching and learning in higher education? Hear from our panellists about how institutions are adapting to handle the ongoing interruption of the teaching of students around Europe, coinciding with key assessment periods and student recruitment for the next academic year.
  
  This session will begin with Antoine Salliot from Galileo Global Education, France, on 'Deploying Collaborate in time of crisis' and will be supported with views from Katie Stripe, Imperial College London, Lillian Soon, The University of York, and Giuliano Pozza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy.

---

Fostering Inclusive Education and Accessibility

Date: Thursday, May 21
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST

Emerging technologies continue to change how we support all learners regardless of learning style. Explore methods for ensuring you are building an inclusive learning environment, and that pedagogy, content, technology, and services are accessible for everyone.

Presenters

• Sandra Stevenson-Revill, University of Derby | Making a Statement about Accessibility
• Matthew Deeprose, University of Southampton | The Bluffer’s Guide to Blackboard Theme Accessibility
• Lilian Soon, University of York | Shifting Digital Accessibility Practice
• John Scott, Blackboard | An Impact on Inclusive Education Across the United Kingdom: Accessibility Trends and Ally Usage

Download the synopses for this session

---

Implementing Innovation and Change

Date: Tuesday, May 26
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST

Institutions can approach change management in many ways, and we want to hear what your approach to innovation and change is. Upgrading institution systems, adopting new technologies, or moving to the cloud can be a daunting task as you think about change management for educators and students.

Many institutions have recently upgraded to SaaS or have transitioned to Learn Ultra and now have learnings to share. Hear best practices and tips about how they approached these initiatives and improved the teaching and learning experience for their faculty, students, and staff.

Presenters

• Tom Hey, Leeds Beckett University | Set Sail for SaaS with Leeds Beckett University
• Sandra Stevenson-Revill, University of Derby | False Value - Can Magic Return
• Dixie Matre, NTNU | Webinars: Upskilling, Sharing Experiences, Connecting Campuses, Saving Time
• Rob Howe, The University of Northampton | From Dandelion to Lion King – A Transformational Journey
• Katie Stripe, Imperial College London | TDM – Trials, Demos and More Features Please

Download the synopses for this session

---

Enhancing the Teaching and Learning Journey

Date: Thursday, May 28
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST

Learners’ expectations are ever-evolving as the world and learning opportunities continue to change rapidly. Find out how leading academics, learning designers and administrators across the region are approaching teaching and learning at their institutions. Our community is eager to hear from you about pedagogies underpinning Technology Enhanced Learning: From Problem Based Learning to gamification, including microlearning or digital storytelling… Come and share your experience.

By optimising people and process, institutions can better identify students at risk, increase enrolment, improve retention, and enhance the overall educational journey. During these TLC sessions, learn how institutions are easing the student’s responsibilities outside of the classroom through process re-engineering, integrated technology systems, and nurturing faculty and staff interactions.

Presenters

• Henrika Florén, Dalarna University | Digital Storytelling to Document Learning in Higher Education: Examples from a Swedish Context
• Rasha Almalik and Abeer Alhattami, Dar Al-Hekma University | Perceptions of Faculty Regarding Use of Mobile Apps as a Learning Tool for Blackboard Best Practices
• Adam Bailey and Vicki Holmes, University of Reading | Tackling The Curriculum Design Conundrum: Integrating Technology Enhanced Learning Into Undergraduate Programmes
• Matthew Deeprose, University of Southampton | Better Blackboard Help: Where Your Users Need It, When They Want It
• Sophia Hutchinson, University of West London | How Ultra Enabled Pedagogical Reform at UWL

Download the synopses for this session

---

Effective and Efficient Assessment Practices

Date: Tuesday, June 2
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST

Academics are continuously looking at ways to design and deliver their assessments that are closely aligned to their learning outcomes in a manner that enables them to mark and grade efficiently.  The most recent need to move assessments online due to the current COVID-19 crisis has sparked much discussion on what successful online strategies and the learnings gained.

Hear best practices and tips from other academics about their approaches to online assessment design, grading and marking. During the TLC sessions, hear about how institutions are incorporating authentic and work integrated assessment practices, aligning assessment with future work practices, using technologies to gain efficiencies in the assessment and grading workflow or how to design active and collaborative assessment practices.

Presenters

• Bart Barnard, Hanze UAS | Learning by Doing – Using Blackboard and CodeGrade to Enhance the Student's Journey in Programming Education
• Emmanuel Zilberberg, ESCP | Organizing Asynchronous Dynamic Assessments Combining A Survey, A Forum And A Quiz
• Andrew Yule, University of Aberdeen | Ultra's Gradebook and Thoughts on Managing Assessments
• Andrew Ramsden, Blackboard | Lessons and Observations from Transitioning to Remote, Proctored Examinations

Download the synopses for this session

---

Using Data and Analytics to Drive Learner Success

Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST

The student experience is at the core of your mission and the centre of our solutions, and you make institutional choices every day that may change the course of a learner’s life. Find out how to make data-informed decisions to close achievement gaps and improve student learning outcomes. Learn how institutions are leveraging data to support student engagement and co-creation.

Share you experiences on how you are using data to address critical educational challenges. Share your experiences on how data is informing course design through data insights, discover how institutions are identifying and addressing learners’ achievement gaps by drawing on data from other systems to create a fuller picture or even how data is informing pedagogy.

Presenters

• Emma Mayhew, University of Reading | We Have Your Number: The Impact of A New Assessment Analytics Dashboard On Student Behaviour, Learning And Satisfaction
• Bob Schoonbeek, Hanzehogeschool Groningen | Learning Analytics & Students Engagement
• Paul Smyth, University of Edinburgh | How Student Involvement is Influencing our Learning Platform
• Steve Bailey, Blackboard | Blackboard’s Data & Analytics Evolution

Download the synopses for this session

Office Hours

Stop by our virtual meeting, networking space and office hours

With just a few clicks, you can collaborate with your peers, ask questions in real-time to Blackboard experts and visit exhibitor areas, via web chat, video & audio conversation – all from the comfort of your office or home.

All of our virtual office hours will consist of dedicated breakout groups where you can:

• Continue discussion on the topic from the day's session
• Engage with us about current projects
• Exchange ideas and ask challenging questions to our Blackboard solution experts
• Find out about the many ways to connect with the community
• Interact with exhibitors and learn what’s new
• Learn more about the latest solutions from Blackboard
• Virtually interact and catch up with your peers

Closing Keynote

UNESCO New Partnership Announcement

During this period of sudden and unprecedented educational disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that institutions have a plan to facilitate student learning that ensures continuity, inclusion, and equity for all students.

In this closing keynote, hear from Borhene Chakroun, Director of Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems Division, at UNESCO HQ who will discuss how UNESCO are partnering with Blackboard as part of a global coalition by providing appropriate distance education for all learners.

Catalyst Awards Winners 2020

Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards recognise and honour innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology.

Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts. Honourees from across Europe will be recognised during this closing session in recognition of their achievements.

With TLC Europe Online coming to a close, please join us to reflect on the key takeaways and how you can continue the conversation with your peers to help you plan for the next academic year and beyond.