Learning Technology – The State of the Nation ALT ( Association for Learning Technology) Scottish Regional Special Interest Group

This is a part report on proceedings at Stirling and an annual report from the special interest group. The hybrid gathering at Stirling was our 2nd event of the academic year. 

In early May, we held an online 'Two Stars and a Wish' event looking at the broad trends within the Scottish learning technology landscape.  

At Stirling, we focused on public bodies, policy, and sector initiatives related to learning technology. 

The agenda and links to presentations are on the agenda and in the event Padlet. Special thanks to all who joined us at Stirling and or online. 

My own short takes on items. 

Forgive any of my own bias and dig into the links and notes for your own take on proceedings. 

• Jisc Innovation Hub is a great central venue - many thanks, Jason Miles-Campbell, for hosting us.  
• ALT - Looking forward to seeing the new version of CMALT, OER26, and ALTC in Cardiff. Great to have Susan Martin, CEO, along virtually and look forward to seeing her in Scotland at future events. 
• Education Scotland: Great updates on guidance and support going into schools to support digital learning and AI guardrails - learners will be arriving at Colleges and universities with ever-heightened expectations.  Still a challenge: national policy implemented with 32 different local authority flavours. 
• College Development Network - some really good work is going on developing staff skills around AI - overall sense that students, particularly, have been terrified by some institutional messaging and that AI use has not perhaps moved on from the assumption that it allows more than sophisticated web searches. 
• Jisc has so much great support, which is too often not being used or overlooked by the sector.  I particularly like the digital benchmarking surveys of institutional digital transformation. 
• Some great updates from Scotland's Tertiary Enhancement Projects delivered in conjunction by QAA and CDN. My view would be useful with a bit more focus on digital. 
• Lee Dunn, Head of Scottish Digital Academy, laid out Scotland's Digital strategy and the critical role that Colleges, Universities, and learning technologists have in delivering this.  They are, among other things, advocating an open educational approach to developing and sharing resources. There was also an open invitation

 "Anyone wishing to get involved in the discovery work and planning for OER and the Model of Professional Learning can email digitalacademy@gov.scot, and we will note their interest, reaching out to them once we’re ready to engage." 

• Theo from QS (Qualifications Scotland ). The consensus Policy needs to move fast, but it must remain equitable and grounded in what educators and learners actually experience. Guidance is basically sound, but still misinterpreted by teaching staff.  Qualifications Scotland cannot change the assessment landscape on its own. 
• Rosemarie gave a good update on SCAITEN - still looking for some institutional reps with focus on taking an ethical tertiary approach to AI .
• Caroline brought it back to practical application, showcasing "The Stirling Approach" to blended learning. Seeing how Stirling intentionally weaves these digital tools into curriculum design and delivery created a useful debate. 

Finally, my thanks to the ALT Scotland steering group.  We have been following a similar schedule for the last five years;  steering group meetings in autumn and spring, with events scheduled around March/ April and one in June. I've got some new volunteers for the steering group who I will introduce at first meeting in the autumn.