In this episode we chat with Simon Hayhoe, Digifest speaker and author of six books on disability and the arts.

We chat about his presentation at Digifest next week: accessible technology 4.0, inclusion 2.0 - what next?, as well as where his passion for the subject comes from, how to embrace accessibility on a budget, and what the future holds when making sure technology works for everyone.

We chatted to Hannah Mathias, e-learning manager at Cardiff and Vale College, where they’ve created a personalised learning bot for GCSE Maths and English.

Hannah runs through how the bot can be used by students, how it’s programmed by staff, and how it can be used to support students to complete their work. Embedded into Microsoft Teams, teachers can easily add and tag up resources and assignments for students.

Our guest for this episode is Professor Parama Chaudhury, professor in the department of economics at University College London.

Edtech fanatic, and departmental e-learning champion, Parama’s enthusiasm about using technology to support teaching and learning is infectious. She shares an abundance of tips, as well as stories from her time teaching in America and the UK, and what she’s learned along the way.

This week we speak to Hayley Mulenda, all about student mental health. Hayley is an award winning international speaker, author and change agent, who speaks openly about her struggles with mental health as a student, and how best to support students who need help.

In this episode we go on a guided tour of a virtual world for students, created by Itzel Lopez, an international officer from Cardiff and Vale college.

Itzel’s students use the bespoke online environment to benefit both their education and mental wellbeing. The platform is complete with beach-side wellness centre and spaces to socialise. Students can also travel to art galleries and countries all around the world.

Our guest this week is Jamie Giarraputo, a teaching and learning coach from South Thames College Group.

Initially self-isolating during lockdown, Jamie turned to Instagram to share quick, informative and accessible updates to support staff with remote teaching.

Jamie explains the benefits of using social media to support staff to upskill, and the positive impact that such social media accounts can have on staff wellbeing.

This week our guest is Dr Chris Bonfield, a technology-enhanced learning manager from the University of Bath. Chris is a once medical medieval historian-turned future gazer, who’s research explores education 4.0 around the globe.

Chris’s experience gives him a unique perspective about the potential that technology has to enrich the educational experience. We chat all about his findings and what the UK can learn from the rest of the world.

This week we chat to Daniel Dybowski Bryant, an English language and Virtual Reality Lecturer from Coleg Menai.

Daniel uses virtual reality (VR) to create immersive and engaging learning environments for his English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) students. He explains how the technology can be used to support student and staff wellbeing, and why it’s such a good fit for the current national climate, as well as sharing numerous interesting and practical examples of how to use VR in the classroom

We chat to Luke Rudderham-Cozier, a learning technologist from Barnet and Southgate College, all about online assessment. During lockdown, Luke worked closely with his team to successfully coordinate 17 A level exams over Microsoft Teams. We cover plagiarism, preparing students and staff for online assessment, the human side of implementing technology, and how assessment might change in the future (and much more). Luke also shares a helpful list about where to start when considering online assessment.

This week, we chat with Professor Helen James, deputy vice chancellor at Canterbury Christ Church University, about her work around inclusivity, in particular for women in STEM. We also talk about how the university has coped with the pandemic during lockdown, Helen also shares her perspective on how education may change post-covid.