Day one opens - registration and exhibition 

Start your day in hall 3, with an orientation of Digifest for first-time participants and a chance to meet others.

An introduction to Digifest for first-time delegates

Start your day in hall 3, with an orientation of Digifest for first-time participants and a chance to meet others.

Our chief executive officer Heidi Fraser-Krauss welcomes delegates to this year's Digifest.

Welcome to Digifest

Our chief executive officer Heidi Fraser-Krauss welcomes delegates to this year's Digifest.

Melati Wijsen shares a decade of youth activism, revealing lessons in courage, clarity, and community shaping ethical futures together.Melati will reflect on her decade-long journey from launching Bye Bye Plastic Bags at age 12 to building a global learning platform that empowers young changemakers worldwide.She will share the key lessons youth activism has taught her about clarity of purpose, courage in complexity, and the power of community-led action.This session explores what young people can reveal about navigating disruption with optimism, creativity, and urgency. Melati will challenge us to rethink how we listen to, learn from, and collaborate with the next generation. Together, we’ll explore what authentic intergenerational partnership looks like in shaping responsible, ethical, and impactful futures.

A decade of doing: lessons on youth leadership

Melati Wijsen shares a decade of youth activism, revealing lessons in courage, clarity, and community shaping ethical futures together.

Morning break

This session considers how today meets tomorrow in the Northern Irish FE and HE context, with a chance for NI-based delegates to come together.This session offers delegates from Northern Ireland, or with an interest in Northern Ireland to meet up, make new contacts, compare notes, and discuss the Digifest 2026 themes in the Irish context. The format will be small group informal discussion, with Jisc staff connected with Northern Ireland on hand to facilitate introductions and encourage conversation. It'll also be an opportunity to feed back to our director for Northern Ireland comments and queries about our work in Northern Ireland.

Community meet-up: Northern Ireland

This session considers how today meets tomorrow in the Northern Irish FE and HE context, with a chance for NI-based delegates to come together.

Join us in our first morning break to play and create. Meet people from across the Digifest community to share experiences and spark ideas that help us thrive in our ever-evolving digital world.There will be a few different activites to participate in so bring your refreshments and get ready to create.

Community meet up: connection, creativity and community

Join us in our first morning break to play and create. 

Examining digital innovation and tools for new programme development, focusing on how institutions can bring skills and labour market aligned programmes to market at pace. Competition for both students and faculty is increasingly intense across higher education, particularly in the online degree space. While institutions are not traditionally known for agility in new programme launches, the effective use of emerging tools and techniques available to programme leaders and learning designers can significantly accelerate time to market once institutional approval is secured, without compromising quality. This session will explore new approaches to launching compelling, high-quality programmes that are positioned to succeed in a highly competitive landscape.

Ready, set, go! Launching new degree programmes at pace in a highly competitive marketplace

Examining digital innovation and tools for new programme development, focusing on how institutions can bring skills and labour market aligned programmes to market at pace. 

Session TBC

A practical session exploring how AI literacy can support effective teaching, learning, academic integrity, and responsible AI use across institutions.This session is designed for practitioners who want practical, realistic approaches to AI in teaching and learning.The session begins with a short taster of our AI literacy training, focusing on effective uses of AI to support teaching practice, assessment design, feedback, and staff productivity. We will address common concerns raised by staff, including academic integrity, ethical use, bias, and data protection.Building on this, participants will be introduced to our AI Literacy Curriculum and its three core areas: foundations, applied skills, and ethical and responsible use. We will explore how these elements can be delivered through live training, self paced modules, and in house workshops, and embedded across programmes rather than treated as one off training.The session includes discussion and light co design activities, enabling attendees to leave with clear, practical ideas they can apply within their own institution.

Unlocking AI in practice: building AI literacy for effective, ethical teaching and learning across colleges and universities

A practical session exploring how AI literacy can support effective teaching, learning, academic integrity, and responsible AI use across institutions.

Three of our beyond blended pilot universities will share findings from their research on how curriculum teams are designing for different modes and learning needs.Over the past year, 15 UK universities and two international universities have been working with a set of resources developed to extend and augment existing curriculum and learning design frameworks. Building on research findings and extensive community involvement, these resources support coherent approaches to blended learning in the post-pandemic educational landscape.Starting from the assumption that all learning is potentially blended, and with a focus on student engagement, the pilots have produced further insights into students’ changing relationships to place and platform. The initiatives they have undertaken link the student experience, curriculum design, and organisational support structures. Through local and cross-organisational dialogue, the pilots now have a better understanding of the choices available in design, and are better able to create blends and pathways that enhance student engagement and ensure an equitable experience for all. This session will share the work of three of our beyond blended pilots.

Taking learning beyond blended: integrating place, platform and pace in curriculum design

Three of our beyond blended pilot universities will share findings from their research on how curriculum teams are designing for different modes and learning needs.

Join with senior leaders to discuss and envision the purpose of digital transformation for your organisation's future in relation to civic engagement, sustainability, and inclusivity. In a volatile and uncertain world its easy for digital transformation to be yet another change initiative for those experiencing significant change fatigue or a flash in the pan experience as enthusiasts seek the latest technological change. Join with other executive and senior leaders to discuss and reenvision the purpose of digital transformation for your organisation's future civic engagement, sustainability, and inclusivity. Consider together how digital transformation has the potential to changes the constraints in how you operate and better fulfil your organisation's purpose.

What's digital transformation for?

Join with senior leaders to discuss and envision the purpose of digital transformation for your organisation's future in relation to civic engagement, sustainability, and inclusivity. 

Can AI really help students build human skills? Can AI really help students build human skills? Bodyswaps has been working with a select group of Jisc member institutions to monitor and analyse the impact of AI soft skills training on students' future readiness. With in-progress results from HE and FE institutions, discover the real-world effects of AI soft skills training. With speakers Christophe Mallet (Bodyswaps CEO) and a selection of our pilot institutions, hear how the project has been impacting institutions just like yours.

Building human skills with AI - what we’re learning with Bodyswaps

Can AI really help students build human skills? 

A hands-on FE Library LRC community-led workshop to discover, explore and celebrate the often hidden effort and skills which can help to sustain digital transformation. This workshop invites further education library and learning resources staff to lift the lid on “glue work” – the unseen effort that can help to sustain digital learning, teaching and transformation. Where is “glue work” happening and who needs to know about it? How can we make glue work more visible and valued? In a small group activity we'll be sharing our thinking and experiences of ‘glue work’, adding community voices to our understanding of effective collaboration and cooperation between roles to enable digital transformation. This workshop is hosted by and for the FE Library and learning resources community. We also welcome allies of library and learning resources teams in IT, digital and other roles who are interested in building connections with this community to support learning and teaching.

Community workshop: are you the glue in your college’s digital transformation?

A hands-on FE Library LRC community-led workshop to discover, explore and celebrate the often hidden effort and skills which can help to sustain digital transformation. 

Digital technology empowers learning but lack of devices, skills, or connectivity can exclude. We’ll explore the impact of digital poverty and provider actions for equity.Use of digital technologies is embedded within the UK education experience and can empower students/learners by providing engaging learning, easy access to information and networks, and enable flexible learning at times and spaces that meet employment, caring or other needs. But without the right devices, skills or connectivity, students/learners can be severely disadvantaged or even locked out.Using data from 2024/25 digital experience insights surveys, we will explore what our data reveals about the impact of digital poverty and the steps we can take to ensure an equitable experience and prevent digital exclusion. We'll look at how digital poverty manifests itself in terms of the devices students/learners have access to, the ways they experience the learning environment, the impact on their taught experience and the skills and support they need to participate equitably. We’ll close by identifying some of the steps providers can take to address these issues.

Identifying the impact of digital poverty on the learning experience: challenges and strategies

Digital technology empowers learning but lack of devices, skills, or connectivity can exclude. We’ll explore the impact of digital poverty and provider actions for equity.

Learning communities for staff to develop their digital skills provide efficiencies of scale and increase engagement with learners, supporting your organisation's transformation journey.This panel have all had experience of building learning communites, in FE and HE, and will share their experiences and tips.This session is for those interested in taking a fresh approach to building staff digital skills across a wide range of topics, including AI. You will also have the opportunity to start using the tools developed from the collaborative community project we've been working on together, that are aimed at helping others create or enhance communities for peer-support and recognition.

Developing digital skills through peer-support and recognition

Learning communities for staff to develop their digital skills provide efficiencies of scale and increase engagement with learners, supporting your organisation's transformation journey.

Explore who truly shapes AI, beyond technology. Compare ethics, policies, and practices influencing education, ensuring fairness, accountability, and trust in AI adoption.This session goes beyond the functionality of AI services to focus on the ethics that shape their design, deployment, and impact. We will examine how different players — from global technology companies to national governments — frame and apply ethical principles, and how these approaches to influence the tools we use every day.Participants will compare policies, guidelines, and corporate practices, and reflect on what they mean in an educational context. By building this awareness, we can strengthen our ability to make informed, values-driven decisions and ensure that AI adoption supports fairness, accountability, and long-term institutional trust.

The power and the principles: who’s really shaping AI?

Explore who truly shapes AI, beyond technology. Compare ethics, policies, and practices influencing education, ensuring fairness, accountability, and trust in AI adoption.

In this workshop, we will be exploring digital innovation in teaching and learning and sharing how we foster collaboration and share practical insights on integrating digital technologies—especially AI and immersive learning tools—into teaching and learning.

Community workshop: the elephant in the room with the North Region Teaching and Learning forum

In this workshop, we will be exploring digital innovation in teaching and learning and sharing how we foster collaboration and share practical insights on integrating digital technologies—especially AI and immersive learning tools—into teaching and learning.

Lunch

Learn how institutions use AI to personalise learning and improve support, driving measurable gains in student experience and outcomes while reducing staff workload.The Office for Students’ Strategy 2025–30 highlights what students value: high-quality teaching, strong academic resources and support, tailored learning, and supportive environments. Institutions will increasingly need to evidence continuous improvement against these priorities within emerging quality frameworks.In this talk, LearnWise AI shows how generative AI can strengthen teaching and personalised learning while complementing academic expertise. We’ll share practical ways institutions can:<ul><li>Enhance teaching quality with AI-assisted explanations and on-demand, course-aligned resources</li><li>Enrich academic support by tailoring materials to common misunderstandings and knowledge gaps</li><li>Deliver personalised learning journeys through adaptive tutoring and feedback</li><li>Build supportive, equitable environments by embedding AI guidance in the VLE students already use, reducing barriers to help</li></ul>We’ll highlight measurable gains in satisfaction, engagement, and outcomes across partner institutions, and how this approach reduces workload for teaching and support teams.

From quality to impact: AI for better learning, support and student outcomes

Learn how institutions use AI to personalise learning and improve support, driving measurable gains in student experience and outcomes while reducing staff workload.

In this session we will take some common curriculum and organisational scenarios and discuss how using digital creation tools can help bring about digital transformation at scale.There will be chance to collaborate and share ideas with others and find inspiration to take back to your own settings.

Community meet up: digital creativity as a spark for transformation

In this session we will take some common curriculum and organisational scenarios and discuss how using digital creation tools can help bring about digital transformation at scale.

Discover how Anglia Ruskin University leverages Canvas to drive social mobility, enhancing flexible, inclusive learning while saving 200,000 hours through streamlined digital assessments and automation.How can we bridge the gap between physical and digital campuses to better support social mobility?This lightning talk explores how Anglia Ruskin University redesigned its digital environment to champion "non-traditional" students - those balancing education with work and family.By shifting the focus from administration to pedagogy, ARU transformed its learning workflows. We will dive into how they:<ul><li> Foster inclusivity: creating flexible, accessible pathways for a diverse student body</li><li>Collaborate with industry: partnering with external organisations to ensure job-ready skills</li><li>Prioritise educators: reclaiming over 200,000 hours of staff time through smart automation and streamlined assessments</li></ul>

Discover how to strip away digital barriers and return the focus to what truly matters: human-led teaching.

Driving social mobility through flexible learning

Discover how Anglia Ruskin University leverages Canvas to drive social mobility, enhancing flexible, inclusive learning while saving 200,000 hours through streamlined digital assessments and automation.

Keynote session TBC

How could smart glasses change the way students access teaching and learning? Could real-time captions, visual prompts or hands-free interaction make education more inclusive? And what about the challenges (cost and privacy)? Join the UK XR Community and the Assistive Technology Network for a collaborative workshop where we’ll explore these questions together. This is your chance to learn about emerging uses of smart glasses, share perspectives, and discuss what opportunities and concerns they could bring for the future.

Community workshop: smart glasses in education, what’s possible? - with the UK XR Community & Assistive Technology Network

How could smart glasses change the way students access teaching and learning? 

Hear from HE executive leaders on how they are developing their own digital leadership capability and what this means for their leadership teams.Digital has the potential to affect every area of a university and so it’s increasingly important that all executive leaders are empowered to lead digital change in their area of responsibility regardless of whether they are notionally responsible for it.In this panel discussion, you’ll hear from four different executive leaders from UK universities with different portfolios as they consider what digital means for them and their role in their organisation.You'll hear how they have developed their own leadership and take away insights about how to develop your own as well as understanding the difference that empowered digital leadership has made for their organisations.

Empowered digital executives

Hear from HE executive leaders on how they are developing their own digital leadership capability and what this means for their leadership teams.

How can we best investigate and centre the lived experiences of disabled students to ensure our materials, processes, and campuses are optimally accessible for all?How might be move beyond the bare minimum of consulting with students to foster meaningful change through co-production, co-creation, and co-design? Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with lots of practical and applicable insights. Panellists will also answer your burning questions in a friendly, non-judgmental space.

Authentic inclusion: working with students to create accessible learning experiences

How can we best investigate and centre the lived experiences of disabled students to ensure our materials, processes, and campuses are optimally accessible for all? 

A workshop to consider the lived digital experiences of transnational education (TNE) students and staff, and the implications for your institution’s delivery of global education.Working with 19 UK higher education providers in 2025, we gathered data on the lived digital experiences of 4,802 students and 471 staff in 51 different instances of TNE across more than 30 countries. The four digital challenges to the effective delivery of TNE originally identified from a UK perspective and described in our first ‘Global education and technology’ report were not only confirmed, but illuminated through the collective, global student and staff voice.Starting with an overview of key findings from our second report on TNE student and staff digital experience, this workshop will introduce you to these key digital challenges in the delivery of UK HE overseas. Engagement with student and staff voice will prompt discussions on your own experience of teaching and/or supporting students in TNE, before reviewing the report’s recommendations and thinking about which to take back to your institution for further consideration.

"I can't afford Wi-Fi and mobile connection is bad": insights into transnational student and staff digital experiences

A workshop to consider the lived digital experiences of transnational education (TNE) students and staff, and the implications for your institution’s delivery of global education.

Exploring AI in the marking and feedback pilots, reducing feedback burdens, addressing student concerns, and sharing insights on assessment quality and pedagogy.Our AI in marking and feedback pilots aim to explore how AI can support both formative and summative assessment, with a particular focus on reducing the marking and feedback burden without compromising quality. We recognise that the use of AI in assessment raises important questions for both staff and students. This project is as much about understanding the human and pedagogical implications as it is about testing new technologies. While students have expressed reservations about automation in education (as highlighted in recent HEPI research), the National Student Survey consistently shows dissatisfaction with marking and feedback—highlighting a clear opportunity for improvement.In this session you will gain an understand of the pilots, and hear initial findings from pilot participants.

Implementing AI: stories from the marking and feedback pilots

Exploring AI in the marking and feedback pilots, reducing feedback burdens, addressing student concerns, and sharing insights on assessment quality and pedagogy.

Afternoon break

Consider how today meets tomorrow in the Scottish tertiary education context, with a chance for Scotland-based delegates to come together. This session offers delegates from Scotland, or with an interest in Scotland, to meet up, make new contacts, compare notes, and discuss the Digifest 2026 themes in the Scottish context. The format will be small group informal discussion, with Jisc staff connected with Scotland on hand to facilitate introductions and encourage conversation. It'll also be an opportunity to feed back to our director for Scotland comments and queries about our work in Scotland.

Community meet-up: Scotland

Consider how today meets tomorrow in the Scottish tertiary education context, with a chance for Scotland-based delegates to come together. 

Join us for an informal community meet-up hosted by the Digital Leadership and Culture Forum.This session is all about conversation, connection, and collaboration. Hear from forum members about their experiences, share your own thoughts on digital leadership, and help identify the key challenges facing the sector.Together, we’ll explore how the forum can best support its members and foster a culture of sharing and collaboration. Whether you’re curious about digital leadership or passionate about shaping its future, this is your chance to network, share ideas, and contribute to a growing community.

Community meet-up: digital leadership unplugged. Building connections and sharing challenges 

Join us for an informal community meet-up hosted by the Digital Leadership and Culture Forum. 

What if exams finally evolved? BetterExaminations powers hybrid assessment, bringing paper and digital together in one platform to simplify delivery and reduce risk. Exams and assessments have remained largely unchanged for over 200 years - even as higher education has embraced digital transformation everywhere else.BetterExaminations is changing that with a truly hybrid approach to assessment that treats paper and digital as equals, not trade-offs. In this session, discover how universities worldwide are modernising exam delivery without abandoning familiar paper-based processes. Learn how institutions are combining paper, digital, in-person and remote exams within one end-to-end platform, while reducing reliance on spreadsheets, minimising risk and cutting down manual effort across the entire exam lifecycle. From exam creation and delivery to marking, moderation and feedback, BetterExaminations enables a flexible, scalable and future-ready assessment model. Whether your institution is fully digital, paper-first or somewhere in between, this session will show how a hybrid approach can simplify operations, increase resilience and make exams far less stressful for everyone involved.

Beyond eAssessment: transforming exam management for a smarter future

What if exams finally evolved? BetterExaminations powers hybrid assessment, bringing paper and digital together in one platform to simplify delivery and reduce risk. 

Join us as Liam Earney, our managing director of higher education and research offers closing thoughts from day one of the event, before opening the networking drinks reception in hall 3.

Closing thoughts

Join us as Liam Earney, our managing director of higher education and research offers closing thoughts from day one of the event, before opening the networking drinks reception in hall 3.

Join us for a networking drinks reception, taking place in hall 3 to close the first day of the conference.

Networking drinks reception

Join us for a networking drinks reception, taking place in hall 3 to close the first day of the conference.

Day one closes

Day two opens - registration and exhibition 

Our community champions cohorts will share how their communities have been supporting education and what leads to their success.

Community workshop: how our champions of community are creating and nurturing their spaces

Our community champions cohorts will share how their communities have been supporting education and what leads to their success.  

Robin Ghurbhurun, UK Managing director further education and skills, welcomes you to the second day of Digifest 2026 and provides an overview of what you can expect from the day.

Welcome to day two of Digifest

Robin Ghurbhurun, UK Managing director further education and skills, welcomes you to the second day of Digifest 2026 and provides an overview of what you can expect from the day.

After years of campaigning from bodies like Jisc and others in the digital inclusion space, the UK Government introduced a Digital Inclusion Action Plan which sets out a bold agenda to tackle digital poverty, improve access to devices and data, and close the digital skills gap. But what does this mean for colleges and universities already grappling with digital inequality?This keynote panel debate brings together policymakers and sector leaders to explore how the plan’s ambitions such as device donation schemes, innovation funding, and the new Digital Inclusion Action Committee can be translated into meaningful change in HE and FE. We’ll examine the barriers still facing learners and staff, and share practical strategies for building more inclusive digital environments.

The Digital Inclusion Action Plan: what does it mean for the tertiary education sector?

After years of campaigning from bodies like Jisc and others in the digital inclusion space, the UK Government introduced a Digital Inclusion Action Plan which sets out a bold agenda to tackle digital poverty, improve access to devices and data, and close the digital skills gap. But what does this mean for colleges and universities already grappling with digital inequality?

This session invites participants to reflect on their experiences with their learners' digital wellbeing using the Rose, Thorn, Bud activity. Participants will work in small groups to identify their successes, challenges and ideas and sharing these insights with the group. The Wales online Digital Wellbeing Community of Practice (COP) has been running for two years and would like to extend the COP across the UK. This will be an opportunity to meet others discuss digital wellbeing matters and tap into expertise across the sector.

Community meet up: how do we make our students bloom with the wellbeing community

This session invites participants to reflect on their experiences with their learners' digital wellbeing using the Rose, Thorn, Bud activity.

This fast-paced lightning talk explores the most powerful findings from our 2024/25 student digital experience insights and AppsAnywhere’s exclusive research into generation alpha.Our latest learner’s digital experience survey highlights a clear message: students value flexibility, accessibility, and seamless digital experiences, but still face avoidable barriers - unreliable Wi-Fi, outdated devices, inconsistent software access, and unclear guidance.At the same time, gen alpha’s expectations will raise the stakes further. With low tolerance for underperforming technology, a preference for frictionless interactions, and rapid adoption of AI-powered tools, they will arrive expecting instant performance, device freedom, and easy access to the software they need to succeed. This focused session challenges institutions to ask a crucial question: are the digital decisions being made today truly future-proof? Drawing on evidence from both datasets and wider sector trends, the talk highlights how even small digital obstacles disproportionately affect students with fewer resources, and offers practical, sustainable steps institutions can take to remove friction, improve access, and build flexible digital ecosystems that support all learners.

From insight to action: preparing to meet gen alpha’s digital expectations

This fast-paced lightning talk explores the most powerful findings from our 2024/25 student digital experience insights and AppsAnywhere’s exclusive research into generation alpha.

Library leaders discuss how they are taking forward digital transformation using the Jisc library lens framework to support research, digital skills and digitally enhanced spaces.Academic libraries are key players in supporting digital transformation in their universities. Their contribution, however, is not always as visible or recognised across their institutions. You’ll hear from a panel of library leaders on how they are taking forward digital transformation programmes and advancing priorities such as supporting research and non-traditional research outputs, enhancing digital skills provision for staff and students and developing digitally enabled spaces.The panellists are part of the Jisc digital transformation library lens pilot programme and will share how they are using the new library lens framework to support their endeavours.

 

The digital transformation library lens was co-created with the higher education library community building on the existing Jisc framework for digital transformation in higher education.

 

Delegates will find out more about the framework and how it can help in amplifying, enhancing and evidencing libraries’ role in and impact in digital transformation."

A seat at the table: placing libraries at the centre of digital transformation

Library leaders discuss how they are taking forward digital transformation using the Jisc library lens framework to support research, digital skills and digitally enhanced spaces.

This engaging workshop, based on our own approach to exploring AI in practice, invites educators and institutional leaders to take a people-first view of AI integration. We’ll reflect on everyday work to uncover time-intensive tasks, explore why they’re so demanding, and identify practical points where AI could help — or where human judgment remains essential. Through interactive discussion and collaborative mapping, participants will highlight effort hotspots, spot bottlenecks, and surface openness to AI support. This method shifts the question from “What can AI do?” to “Where could it make a difference?” and helps shape practical strategies for meaningful, sustainable adoption.

Work smarter: spotting AI’s role in everyday practice

This engaging workshop, based on Jisc’s own approach to exploring AI in practice, invites educators and institutional leaders to take a people-first view of AI integration. 

Airships XR transforms aviation learning through immersive storytelling, AR/VR gameplay, and history—creating deep play that inspires empathy, innovation, and change.Airships XR is a project with the objective of disrupting how aviation engineering principles are taught. They aspire to present multi-perspectival insights into engineering, history and innovation. They use AR cards, VR and MR (mixed reality) experience and real-world gameplay to build more story-based understandings of engineering principles within the context of the British Imperial fleet of Airships, and the crash of the R101 in October 1930. By using storytelling and immersive content delivery — their ambition has been to present engineering principles into immersive, emotionally resonant experiences. They see this approach, as a form of “Deep Play,” where empathy, learning and behavioural change emerge through character and presence.

Airships XR: a form of “deep play”

Airships XR transforms aviation learning through immersive storytelling, AR/VR gameplay, and history—creating deep play that inspires empathy, innovation, and change.

This session investigates how higher education institutions are building digital confidence and capability among their staff and students in the face of sector-wide turbulence.Drawing on case studies—such as Southampton’s data-driven approach to digital skills development, alongside insights from Cumbria and Oxford—we will explore strategic and practical pathways to embedding digital agility, nurturing resilience, and leveraging technology for meaningful transformation. Attendees will gain an overview of models for fostering a culture of innovation and lifelong digital learning, as well as discover how data can inform tailored interventions that empower individuals across diverse educational settings. This session is designed for educators and leaders seeking inspiration and actionable strategies to support digital transformation within their own institutions.

Developing digital mindset: lessons from the frontlines

This session investigates how higher education institutions are building digital confidence and capability among their staff and students in the face of sector-wide turbulence.

Calderdale College shows how our tools support a people-centred digital strategy: digital champions, digital literacy packages and progress tracking—balancing accountability with responsive support, proving impact. Calderdale College will share how our tools have supported a people-centred approach to digital transformation. The session will explore how digital champions and digital literacy packages have been used to build staff confidence, embed consistent practice, and provide the right support at the right time. It will also look at how the tools help monitor progress, identify needs, and evidence impact across teams. Alongside this, the presentation will revisit staff accountability—how expectations are set and followed through—while ensuring the strategy remains responsive to real staff experience. Attendees will leave with practical insights into combining support, structure and data to drive meaningful change.

Digital transformation strategy for empowering people in the age of complexity 

Calderdale College shows how our tools support a people-centred digital strategy: digital champions, digital literacy packages and progress tracking—balancing accountability with responsive support, proving impact. 

Navigate the transition from GenAI experiments to a governed, equitable service. Explore Edinburgh’s ELM journey, addressing risk, cost, and culture change for successful institutional adoption.Universities face the shared dilemma of moving from scattered GenAI experiments to a governed, equitable, and sustainable campus-wide service. This session takes delegates through Edinburgh’s journey, sharing the practical lessons learned as they tackled the major challenges: risk, cost, academic integrity, and culture change. We will map the decision points that every university must address: build vs. buy vs. license, the necessity of always-on, role-based training. The ethical guardrails (privacy, integrity, accessibility) that are required for responsible scaling. The focus is on the 'how' and 'why' of institution-wide adoption. They conclude by illustrating how these sector-agreed principles are fully operationalised in practice. Edinburgh’s service, ELM, demonstrates the rapid, low-risk benefits of licensing a trusted, sector-built platform over building bespoke solutions or partnering with generic commercial vendors—making a clear case for why a shared, EDINA-supported solution is the most strategic path forward for all universities now.

ELM from dilemma to direction: how institution-wide, equitable GenAl is essential for all

Navigate the transition from GenAI experiments to a governed, equitable service. Explore Edinburgh’s ELM journey, addressing risk, cost, and culture change for successful institutional adoption.

Discover how curriculum-embedded library sessions and innovative projects, like podcasts and ethical AI use, empower learners and staff to thrive in today’s digital-first education landscape. Libraries are evolving into dynamic, student-centred spaces that blend physical and digital experiences to support learning and wellbeing. At NPTC Group of Colleges, Library Services help FE and HE learners build independent learning skills, digital confidence, and academic success. In this 30-minute presentation, you’ll gain practical ideas to make your library a hub for innovation and collaboration, including: <ul><li>working with teaching staff to embed library-led sessions into the curriculum</li><li>delivering a structured information literacy programme that promotes ethical and responsible AI use</li><li>creating podcasts with students to support exam revision and develop digital skills</li></ul>

From books to bytes: how libraries drive digital confidence and academic success 

Discover how curriculum-embedded library sessions and innovative projects, like podcasts and ethical AI use, empower learners and staff to thrive in today’s digital-first education landscape. 

We want to explore how embedding digital storytelling into curriculum design can impact the development of core employability skills in FE and HE.In this session, hosted by the Digital Storytelling Community, we will explore how embedding digital storytelling into curriculum design can impact the development of core employability skills in FE and HE, regardless of the subject being studied. We'll use a visual activity that allows you to define core and peripheral skills and hopefully surface some existing good practice.

Community workshop: digital storytelling for employability

We want to explore how embedding digital storytelling into curriculum design can impact the development of core employability skills in FE and HE.

Lunch break

Early insights from StudyStash's AI EdTech implementation at the University of Birmingham. We explore student engagement, study behaviours, and responsible deployment of AI-supported learning tools. We will discuss the strategy and process behind the tool’s introduction, sharing what we have observed in terms of student engagement, confidence, and study behaviours, as well as its impact on academic support.This session is designed to offer honest reflections and open a vital discussion around responsible innovation, academic integrity, and the effective deployment of AI in higher education.

Five takeaways from implementing AI learning technology at University of Birmingham

Early insights from StudyStash's AI EdTech implementation at the University of Birmingham. We explore student engagement, study behaviours, and responsible deployment of AI-supported learning tools. 

Learn to design inclusive digital spaces using accessibility automation. This session explores scalable remediation workflows integrated into your virtual learning environment.Accessibility is a foundational best practice for student success.This session examines how institutions can apply accessibility automation strategies to design inclusive digital learning spaces.Nannette will explore an accessibility-first approach to content creation through document remediation and alternative formats.The session highlights accessibility workflows that are practical, scalable and deeply integrate with your virtual learning environment (VLE).

Best practices for accessibility in your virtual learning environment

Learn to design inclusive digital spaces using accessibility automation. This session explores scalable remediation workflows integrated into your virtual learning environment.

Drop in over lunch to discuss all things accessibility and assistive technology with the community and our subject specialists.

Community meet up: accessibility and assistive technology

Drop in over lunch to discuss all things accessibility and assistive technology with the community and our subject specialists.

An informal space for Welsh tertiary education colleagues to reflect on Digifest, share insights, build connections, and explore the future of digital transformation in Wales Join us in the Jisc community area for a session designed for delegates from across the Welsh tertiary education sector. This is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and collaborate. Take a moment to share insights from Digifest, exchange ideas with peers, and explore how we can shape the future of digital transformation in Wales. This informal gathering is a chance to strengthen networks, spark new collaborations, and meet Jisc colleagues supporting your digital journey.

Community meet up: Cymru connected - a Welsh tertiary Digifest community session 

An informal space for Welsh tertiary education colleagues to reflect on Digifest, share insights, build connections, and explore the future of digital transformation in Wales 

In this talk, Echo360 showcases how authentic, multimodal assessment empowers learners to create, perform, reflect, and gain feedback, building real‑world capability and confidence for future.As industries evolve, assessment must evolve with them. This lightning talk highlights how Echo360’s solutions are helping institutions design assessments that are authentic, multimodal, and aligned with real‑world expectations. By empowering learners to create, perform, reflect, and receive dialogic feedback, Echo360 tools nurture judgement, agency, and confidence, helping students to demonstrate what they can do, not just what they know.

Capability over compliance: how Echo360 helps to build real‑world skills for a changing future

In this talk, Echo360 showcases how authentic, multimodal assessment empowers learners to create, perform, reflect, and gain feedback, building real‑world capability and confidence for future.

Generative AI is reshaping education, are we asking the right questions to protect values and humanity?With the world and AI changing so quickly, it can be tempting to look to the immediate challenges that need fixing, while missing the far horizon issues that will be here sooner than we think. In this keynote session, we’ll explore the questions that we may need to be asking now in and around AI so that we can help our students, colleagues, and institutions look further ahead. We’ll examine what we value and whether it shows, the rush towards efficiency, what we might be losing, how educational experiences might honour both humanity and technology.

Are we asking the right questions in the age of generative AI?

Generative AI is reshaping education, are we asking the right questions to protect values and humanity?

This workshop explores how AI-powered tutors and adaptive video can personalise learning, enhance inclusion, and support student success while complementing human teaching in higher education.Artificial intelligence is enabling a new era of personalised, engaging, and supportive learning in higher education. This workshop explores how emerging AI technologies, such as digital tutors, conversational agents, and adaptive video, can enhance teaching, learning, and student support.We examine how AI-enhanced video can move learning beyond one-size-fits-all delivery toward responsive, student-centred pathways. Examples include interactive videos that guide learners step by step, AI tutors that demonstrate processes on screen, and personalised learning companions that adapt explanations to individual pace, language, and confidence. These approaches support formative feedback, practice-based learning, scaffolding of complex concepts, and help-seeking for students.The workshop will highlight inclusive design opportunities, showing how AI can improve access for diverse learners and provide 24/7 support for skills development, assessment preparation, and retention. Participants will discuss how to embed AI thoughtfully to enhance, not replace, human teaching and mentorship.

Transforming the student experience with conversational AI and real-time learning avatars

This workshop explores how AI-powered tutors and adaptive video can personalise learning, enhance inclusion, and support student success while complementing human teaching in higher education.

Closed Jisc‑member session to share negotiation experiences, compare strategies, gain licensing insights, and strengthen approaches to handling edtech vendor discussions effectively.This closed-door discussion for Jisc members only creates a safe space for FE and HE colleagues to share candid experiences of negotiating with edtech vendors. Participants will compare approaches to managing price rises, handling difficult renewal conversations and securing better value. Our licensing team will contribute insight from sector-wide negotiations – including what we look for in vendor engagement, key licensing terms and red flags – while recognising that many institutions also negotiate directly. The session will focus on sharing practical negotiation tips, questions to ask vendors, and strategies for protecting budget.

Are we getting a good deal for EdTech? Value and transparency in tough times

Closed Jisc‑member session to share negotiation experiences, compare strategies, gain licensing insights, and strengthen approaches to handling edtech vendor discussions effectively.

This panel brings together students from FE and HE to share their experiences of navigating a rapidly changing world. They will reflect on the academic, social, and personal challenges shaping their journeys, from adapting to new learning environments to balancing wellbeing, identity, and ambition.The session invites attendees to hear directly from young people about what motivates them, what barriers they continue to face, and how they envision a more supportive and empowering future. Their insights offer a grounded, authentic look at how institutions, educators, and communities can better understand and respond to the needs of today’s learners. By centring student voices, this discussion aims to spark meaningful conversation about change, resilience, and the aspirations that will define the next generation.

Inside the student experience: change, challenges and future hopes

This panel brings together students from FE and HE to share their experiences of navigating a rapidly changing world. 

Global education panel exploring digital challenges, collaboration, and equitable transnational student experiences through technology.A panel discussion on strategic importance of TNE to sector and how the major sector bodies are working collaboratively to support institutions in providing an equitable student experience, globally, with digital at the heart.

Global education and technology: delivering digital equity in transnational education (TNE) 

Global education panel exploring digital challenges, collaboration, and equitable transnational student experiences through technology.

How we can create ethical, inclusive systems that truly effectively support student wellbeing.In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the roles and responsibilities across institutions, how students with low wellbeing are identified, and how systems and structures enable—or hinder—the triage and delivery of support.Participants are invited to imagine bold and practical solutions to make supporting student wellbeing easier.

Community workshop: delivering ethical and inclusive tools to support student wellbeing with the learning analytics community

How we can create ethical, inclusive systems that truly effectively support student wellbeing. 

Join us as Heidi Fraser-Krauss, our CEO, offers closing thoughts from this year's Digifest.

Join us as Heidi Fraser-Krauss, our CEO, offers closing thoughts from this year's Digifest.

Day two closes

Digifest 2026 programme

About Digifest 2026

Digifest 2026 tickets and booking information

Accommodation for Digifest 2026

Please check back regularly, as additional sessions will be added to the programme over time.

Digifest's programme will feature over 60 sessions including keynote speakers, panels, workshops and breakout sessions looking at the future landscape of the education sector.