As the world in which we work and study evolves, keeping pace with technology and its impacts can feel overwhelming. This year’s eCoffee speakers shared the various ways that they harness changing technology to enhance learning and engage audiences. Both big projects and small steps can make a difference, and as ever, the opportunity to hear from colleagues and students about their experiences has been hugely valuable. All are welcome to these informal discussion sessions, held on Teams. Dates for the 2026-27 academic year are available via the eCoffee homepage.
Blackboard and beyond: engaging learners across contexts
Thurs 6 Nov 2025
With a fresh Blackboard and new modules underway, we wanted to know what tools and techniques colleagues had tried to enhance learning, both within sessions and around them. What features and activities would they recommend to others?
With input from Robert Murray, Emily Swindle, Precious Assiak and Bernadette Fernandez, this session featured the learning opportunities offered by Kahoot quizzes, engaging and consistent Blackboard design, and the value of student co-design and peer support.
The session recording is: Blackboard and beyond: engaging learners across contexts
Interactive learning for all: creating open-access textbooks
Weds 11 Feb 2026
Ying Liu shared her experiences creating interactive textbooks using an open source platform, LibreTexts. As well as enhancing students’ learning through engaging activities online, these open up opportunities for a wider audience too.
Ying’s slides are at LibreTexts in Practice.pptx and the session recording is: Interactive learning for all: creating open-access textbooks.
Relevant links shared in the session include:
- University of Southampton Press: Information about the pilot open access project
- TUS Essay Builder: Open access learner success toolkit
- Smart Servier Medical Art has 3000 free medical images, so it might be of use to some colleagues
- H5P content type recommendations includes a table of what is accessible
Exploring GenAI and assessment
Tues 24 Mar 2026
GenAI has meant some challenges for assessment, but also some opportunities. Shmma Quraishe, Chris McCormick and Robert Murray led an absorbing session on ways GenAI can support the process of developing and formatting assessement questions. Sharing useful insight and practical advice, Medicine’s assessment leads also described how they facilitate collaborative working around this.
The session recording is: Exploring GenAI and assessment
Learning through podcasts
Weds 6 May 2026
Iain Beardsell led this session unpicking the potential of podcasts, and consider how to make the most of the learning opportunity they offer. Iain showcased an app he has developed to help learners get the most out of relevant podcasts, giving them various ways to interact and explore recommendations.
The session recording is: Learning through podcasts. The MedPod Learn app can be found at MedPod Learn for Android and MedPod Learn for Apple.
3D printing in anatomy
Tues 16 Jun 2026
In our final eCoffee of the academic year we took a step from digital to tangible. Edward Bennett and Hunter Auck opened up the world of 3D printing for us, sharing the ways this is enhancing students’ experiences learning Anatomy.
The session recording is: 3D printing in anatomy