The Call for Proposals for the 7th Learning and Teaching Conference is now open! Submissions will be organised around this year's conference title, ‘Transformative Assessment and Feedback’, and formats will include short paper or research presentations, panel discussions, demonstrations, and posters. Deadline for Proposals: 12pm, Wednesday 22 January. Accepted submissions will be presented in-person at the Nucleus Building on Tuesday 17 June 2025. What is transformative assessment and feedback? Engaging in transformative assessment and feedback practices shifts the paradigm from assessment and feedback as a one-way transmission model to a dynamic, ongoing process—one that is no longer something done to students, but something students actively engage with to deepen understanding, drive improvement, and continuously enhance their learning. Assessment and feedback practices become transformative when they are thoughtfully integrated into the learning process. These practices should aim to: Prioritise personal growth and self-reflection, which will empower students to take ownership of their learning journey; Emphasise student agency, allowing learners to actively shape their educational experiences; Foster a collaborative environment where staff and students co-create assessment strategies that enhance both teaching and learning; Act as catalysts for deep, sustained learning. Proposal Themes We invite all members of the University community to submit proposals relating to one or more of the following assessment and feedback themes. Please note that the accompanying prompt questions and suggestions are not exhaustive. They offer a flavour of some potential discussion points that may arise from presentations at the Conference: Programme-level assessment: How can programme-level assessment (PLA) break down learning silos and lead to new ways of working? How can PLA support students to undertake projects that resemble real-world challenges? (e.g., portfolio assessment; capstone projects; multi-stage and/or multi-modal assessments; practice-based assessment; simulations; PLA mapping and design workshops.) Authentic assessment: How is ‘authentic’ assessment conceptualised? How can assessment help students to learn by ‘doing’ and become skilled practitioners/ professionals in their field? How can we assess the more ‘messy’ elements of authentic work and learning (e.g., intercultural teamwork; reflection; engaging with stakeholders)? Assessment and feedback literacy (for educators and students): What strategies can enhance feedback literacy? (e.g., self and peer-assessment; dialogic feedback; technology-enhanced processes; over-coming barriers to feedback literacy). Compassionate assessment and feedback: How can student and staff wellbeing, and a sense of belonging, be achieved in the assessment and feedback process? How can staff and students acknowledge and reward ‘learning from failure’ (e.g., ungrading; pass/fail; embedding regular formative feedback opportunities). Co-creation and student voice: How can students, community organisations, industry members, and alumni be invited into co-creating the assessment design and process? How can co-creation promote common understanding and assessment literacy? How do we show that we have successfully listened, and acted upon, student voice? Innovation and technological opportunities: What opportunities are afforded to staff and students through innovation and technological advances in assessment and feedback processes? How might learning technology support interactive and engaging assessments, personalised learning paths, immediate and ongoing feedback? How might generative AI be used to enhance, or indeed undermine, assessment and feedback practices? Inclusive assessment and feedback: In what ways can assessment and feedback approaches and processes ensure an inclusive teaching and learning experience? (e.g., decolonising assessment tasks; diversifying assessment approaches; giving students choice in assessment options; ensuring transparency of rubrics). Proposal word count is approximately 300 words (max 2000 character). How to Submit We strongly encourage student submissions or submissions that are jointly-led by both staff and students. Please refer to the Submission Guidance for information on the presentation formats and review process and guidance. Document Submission guidance for Proposals (30.98 KB / DOCX) Document Privacy notice - Call for Proposals (15.25 KB / DOCX) Please also note the following: Please only submit one proposal per lead contributor/author. Whilst only University of Edinburgh staff and students may submit a proposal, the Conference is open to both internal and external delegates to attend. As the Conference is scheduled for one, in-person day (with no second day online), there will be fewer submissions accepted than in previous years. This has no reflection on the appreciation of the work submitted; it is purely a logistical decision. The Conference team will aim to curate a balanced day, with accepted submissions covering fair representation from the three Colleges, and the seven themes. The Conference design will prioritise opportunities for discussion, practice sharing and networking. The keynote talk and selected paper and panel sessions will be live-streamed and recorded via Teams. Deadline for Proposals: 12pm, Wednesday 22 January. Submit your Proposal Conference registration will open in April 2025. Another conference opportunity: If you are submitting a proposal to the Learning and Teaching Conference, you may also be interested in submitting to the Assessment in Higher Education Conference (19 & 20 June 2025 in Manchester). Deadline for proposals: 20 January 2025. This article was published on 2024-11-14