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“More than their course content”: Exploring education for transformation at the Education Conference
16 April 2026
Held on 15 April, sessions explored how we design and deliver higher education experiences that create meaningful transformation.
The annual UCL Education Conference brought together more than 300 colleagues and students at the UCL Institute of Education on Wednesday 15 April.
Through a mix of keynote panels, workshops and reflective discussion groups, delegates addressed the following sub-themes around education for transformation:
inclusive engagement and co-creation
assessment for belonging and growth
teaching and learning for equity
partnership and impact beyond the institution.
Perspectives on transformative education
After welcoming attendees, Professor Jennie Shaw, Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience), joined our first keynote panel alongside Education Officer Sarah Jilani, Dr Kenisha Linton-Williams from the University of Greenwich and Professor Sue Rigby from Edinburgh Napier University.
The panel discussed the meaning of a transformative education, the importance of student voice and partnership, and ways to embed inclusivity throughout modules and courses.
“Are we talking about how we transform systems for students? Are we talking about how education transforms the world around us? Or are we talking about the transformation students themselves go through? I think it’s all of these, and they are all interconnected.” - Sarah Jilani, Education Officer for Students' Union UCL, 2025-26 and 2026-27
“We do wonderful things for our students, staff, our local communities and the wider world. Here, students learn more than their course content – they develop social and communication skills, the ability to discuss different ideas and disagree well, and maturity through that process.” - Professor Jennie Shaw, Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience)
Later in the day, UCL students and alumni took to the stage for a second keynote. Amelia Page, Cole Ricketts, Alexander Varni, Geneva Virasami, Jadesola Adesola and Stevie Barnes shared their educational journeys and what has made a difference to their experiences, such as participatory teaching approaches and shared spaces enhancing a sense of belonging. Many spoke of the value they felt from taking part in the Community Research Initiative, run by Students’ Union UCL’s Social Impact team.
UCL education priorities, plans and progress
In the afternoon, senior education leaders shared updates on recent progress and future plans around education at UCL.
Professor Kathryn Woods, Pro-Vice-Provost (Education - Student Academic Engagement), spoke about the ongoing Programme Excellence Project, improvements to systems and platforms such as Moodle and SITS, and expanding student opportunities, including through the ExtendED Learning programme and the Student Life Strategy.
Professor Parama Chaudhury, Pro-Vice-Provost (Education - Student Academic Experience), who continues to teach in the Department of Economics, thanked all colleagues who support students’ learning and day-to-day experience of UCL. She touched upon the risks and opportunities posed by the wider environment the university is operating within, including the state of higher education funding and the future of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
Parama explained some of the ways in which UCL is navigating this context - for example, through the Feedback & Assessment programme (which has led to targeted initiatives like the feedback tracker in Moodle and the new mid-year assessment period) and the What Works programme (using statistical data modelling techniques to better understand whether such initiatives are having the desired impact).
Karen Barnard, Director of UCL’s Higher Education Development & Support Institute (HEDS), expanded on what HEDS (Arena and Careers) offers to support education and professional development across UCL faculties and departments. Find out more about the resources and opportunities staff can benefit from below.
Throughout the day, sessions also covered topics such as staff-student relationships in the evolving AI environment, embedding climate crisis education across the curriculum, assessment through an intercultural lens and supporting student transitions.
Further support for your education practice and development
The conference was organised by HEDS, with a committee of staff from across UCL. Explore the following links to see how HEDS can continue to support you and your colleagues:
Professional Development pages for staff who teach and support teaching, including, for example:
Toolkits, case studies and MicroCPD (resources under review this academic year)
UCL Careers, supporting student employability and graduate futures