Event

Student experience experts meeting

The 57th meeting of the student experience experts group will bring together sector leaders, practitioners, and researchers to explore how digital transformation will shape and enhance the student experience across higher education.

One dayFree
  • 13 May 2026

    Jisc, Bristol
    09:30 – 15:45

About

The programme will focus on improving pre‑arrival transitions, supporting equitable transnational education, and raising the quality of teaching and learning through digital approaches.

Key themes of the event:

  • Understanding and improving the pre-arrival student experience
  • Enhancing equity for transnational education (TNE) students
  • Using beyond blended resources to improve teaching quality and student engagement
  • Encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing across the sector sharing

Throughout the day, the meeting will aim to:

  • Strengthen evidence-based approaches to improving the student journey from pre‑arrival to engagement
  • Share insights from sector research and pilot projects
  • Highlight the strategic role of digital in delivering high quality, equitable learning
  • Foster collaboration that will inform future policy and practice

With expert speakers, sector collaboration, and actionable insights, this meeting promises to be a rich opportunity for shaping the future of digital student experience - locally and globally.

Our student experience experts group continues to play a vital role in informing and influencing the direction of future Jisc student experience work, as well learning, teaching and assessment. For more information about the group or to find out how to become a member, visit https://www.jisc.ac.uk/get-involved/learning-and-teaching-experts-group.

Programme

Registration with tea, coffee and pastries

Welcome and introduction to the meeting

Speaker -

  • Sarah Knight, director of digital leadership and transformation, Jisc

How Jisc’s beyond blended resources can support the quality of teaching and learning

Hearing how our beyond blended pilots are using these materials to raise the quality of teaching and learning and supporting student engagement.

Institutional representatives from our Beyond Blended research pilot universities will demonstrate how these resources can be used to enhance teaching quality, strengthen curriculum design, and support student engagement.

Short presentations will be followed by group discussions, giving participants the opportunity to share their own approaches and consider how the materials could be embedded within their institutions.

Speakers:

  • Sarah Knight, director of digital leadership and transformation
  • Sheila MacNeill, beyond blended consultant
  • Dr Stacie Gray, academic practice lead (delivery & data), University of Northampton

How AI can support academics with their marking

Speaker:

  • Professor Helen King, director of learning innovation, development & skills, Bath Spa University

Lunch and networking time

Transforming the pre-arrival experience - How the first national pre-arrival academic questionnaire can shape and influence national policy, institutional practice and the student experience.

Transforming the pre-arrival experience - How the first national pre-arrival academic questionnaire can shape and influence national policy, institutional practice and the student experience.

An overview of the Office for Students-funded national project being delivered by the University of East London, Advance HE and Jisc, looking at the primary concerns of students, their experience of learning styles and technology use, and their study engagement challenges. We will discuss the origins of the work, the process of establishing the first pilot, participation so far, and how participating universities are using the insights from their data to inform their support for students.

Speakers:

  • Jonathan Neves, Head of Business Intelligence and Surveys at Advance HE
  • Carolyn Moir, Head of Performance and Insight, University of Worcester

With transnational education (TNE) growing in strategic importance across the HE sector, how are universities supporting an equitable experience for their students and what is the role of digital?

In this session we will hear from our research pilots who are using their data gathered through Jisc’s phase 3 of its TNE research programme, to enhance the provision for their TNE partnerships.

Speakers:

  • Elizabeth Newall, senior sector specialist, digital transformation
  • Dr Tabetha Newman, CEO Timmus Research

Members showcase sharing practice in digital learning, teaching and assessment

We will hear from colleagues across higher education who share their practice.

Chair:

  • Paola Marchionni, digital transformation - head of engagement, Jisc

Close of meeting

Who should attend

  • Leaders who are responsible for digital transformation of learning, teaching and assessment
  • Staff with a role of supporting the student experience within their college or university
  • Staff who have a role in supporting international and transnational education students
  • Open to staff and leaders with a role in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) or digital learning, teaching, and assessment

Contact

For further information, please contact events@jisc.ac.uk.