We all know that sharing best practice is a great way to gather new ideas and connect through shared experiences. It’s especially important to stay aware of developments happening in comparable teams and programmes across different institutions. By doing so, we can spot where our practices overlap and identify ways of working unique to our own institutions.
While online communities of practice, blog posts, and webinars all provide valuable opportunities to learn from our peers, there is something distinctly special about in-person events. They enable us to get actively involved by creating deeper engagement, lively conversations, and meaningful connections.
Recently, the Digital Learning Team in the College of Health Science and Society (CHSS) has connected with the University of Worcester’s Technology Enhanced Learning Unit building on events with the wider HE community.
PebblePad user group at the University of Worcester
Back in June 2025, the University of Worcester hosted the Wales, South & West PebblePad User Group. The day consisted of a series of morning presentations followed by an afternoon workshop exploring (what else!) potential AI uses in PebblePad.
Morning speakers shared a wide range of perspectives and experiences from across the region:
- ‘Research impact through PebblePad: a case study’ – Dr Rebecca Pratchett, Associate Professor Digital Education, Swansea University/Prifysgol Abertawe
- ‘Shipshape and Bristol fashion: Structuring PebblePad use through Design Principles and Ways of Working’ – Robyn Weeks, Senior Digital Learning Designer, University of the West of England, Bristol
- ‘Implementing and Managing SaaS Systems in Higher Education’ – Peter Cresswell, College Education Information Systems Manager, Cardiff University/Prifysgol Caerdydd.
Beyond the presentations and workshop, the event gave teams the rare chance to finally put faces to the familiar email addresses. This led to lots of insightful conversations and helpful knowledge-sharing moments.
UWE Bristol hosts the University of Worcester
In February, the Digital Learning Team in CHSS returned the hospitality by hosting a visit for the University of Worcester’s TEL unit. The visit took place on the Glenside Campus and began with a tour of the Eye Clinic. Because Optometry uses PebblePad extensively, we were able to showcase their distinctive use of the platform – demonstrating both its front-end application within the clinic and the detailed back-end setup in PebblePad and ATLAS.
In the afternoon, our Immersive Learning Lead, Daf Rees, introduced our visitors to one of UWE’s Immersive Rooms at Glenside. Worcester colleagues had the chance to try out a range of learning activities developed for CHSS students and to explore how immersive environments can enhance teaching and learning.
Why in-person visits matter
What makes these events truly impactful isn’t just the opportunity to showcase interesting work. In person gatherings are a kernel for spontaneous, organic conversations and these moments are where the best practice sharing happens.
So, if you get the chance, try visiting another institution to see what your counterparts are working on. Better yet, consider hosting a small-scale visit or event yourself. It’s a great way to share something you’re proud of while learning some valuable insights from others.
Special thanks to Andrew Bright, Katie Gayton and Justine Walker from the University of Worcester. More thanks to Lewes Hambrey and Madeline Middleton from the UWE Eye Clinic.