Jim Bouw, Business Developer for UK&I at Portflow by Drieam reflects on his visit to the Advance HE Teaching & Learning Conference 2025.

Last week, I travelled across the Channel to attend the Advance HE Teaching & Learning Conference – my first time at this event and also my first visit to the city of Sheffield. I joined my Portflow colleagues Jas and Pieter for three days of engaging sessions and conversations focused on improving teaching and learning practices.

The conference theme, “Future-focused education: Ensuring successful student outcomes for all,” invited a wide range of interpretations, and, as expected, sparked diverse and insightful conversations.

This was reflected in the variety of sessions, workshops, posters, and panels across the three days. I had the chance to attend a number of them and hear from institutions in the UK, Australia, UAE, and Malaysia – each presenting their unique approach to supporting student success.

Meaningful AI in Education

The opening plenary on day one, delivered by Professor Philip Hanna of Queen’s University Belfast, was a standout. While it might be tempting to think, “Yet another session on AI,” Professor Hanna delivered an engaging and thought-provoking keynote on how AI can be meaningfully harnessed within education. He challenged the often dominant view of AI as a threat to teaching, learning, and assessment, refocusing the attention on what really matters: empowering students to succeed.

Across the sessions I attended, it was clear that institutions are rethinking their assessment strategies to be more resilient and meaningful in an AI-influenced landscape. For example, some highlighted the importance of formative assessment, providing learners with earlier opportunities to engage with feedback and develop skills throughout their learning journey, rather than waiting until the end of a course.

Employability Skills

In addition to evolving assessment practices, many institutions are placing a greater emphasis on graduate attributes and employability skills. Several showcased compelling frameworks that integrate these directly into their curricula, helping students connect their learning with future career success.

These themes aligned closely with conversations we had at our Portflow stand. Portflow, the learning experience portfolio, supports holistic assessment of programme-level competencies, skills, and graduate attributes. One point in particular resonated with most visitors to our stand: the growing need to track and assess the learning process, and not just the final product, to ensure authenticity in this age of AI.

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About the Author: Boy Janissen

Boy is a growth-minded marketeer who turns hard data into compelling stories. He likes to explain complex concepts and technical information in a clear and light-hearted manner. After reading one of his blog posts or case studies, you will be fully and accurately informed, and he has probably made you think (or laugh :)).