Abstract

Educational Research has been conducted by colleagues at UAL for many years. This has been in the form of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, or as experimental approaches, or applying traditional methodologies. Findings have informed curriculum design, teaching methods, and UAL frameworks and policies. Since the introduction of the Learning and Teaching Directorate in the autumn of 2025, the Educational Research Team has been mapping past and current activities, looking for synergies and a common ethos and culture across the institution. This session will share an overview and introduce some of the practices and methods applied by colleagues.

Session and activities

This panel will bring together four UAL colleagues whose research themes include inclusive evaluative practices, decolonial design cultures, technologies of governance, and ethical considerations. The discussion will provide an overview of Educational Research at UAL, focusing on current themes and priorities explored by colleagues across the institution. Through introducing a variety of practices and methods applied to various aspects of education, including student learning, curriculum design, teaching methods, and interaction in our learning spaces, it will identify synergies between key themes, and highlight a common ‘educational research’ ethos and culture, across the institution. Panel members will share their experiences and perspectives on educational research – aspects of their practice so far and how these could benefit through a newly established dedicated space for support and exchange. The panel will discuss future possibilities for educational research and practice, and its connection to the Academic Pathway, specifically the Teaching Pathway. It will signpost resources available for all colleagues at UAL interested in this field and invite participants to openly share questions and comments.