Co-creating the future of learning
Leuven, Belgium | 17-18 June 2026
More and more the question posed to all members of the Media & Learning community is whether the media supported resources and learning opportunities that they create really make a difference when it comes to learning. What if there were more immersive elements? A stronger focus on story-telling? More involvement of students? More and better production techniques supported by AI? In an environment where dwindling resources are increasingly the norm, knowing how to make the very most of every opportunity to improve learning is, for all of us, a very real priority.
This is why the organisers of this year’s Media & Learning conference have opted for the tagline Educational media that works as we believe it points to the importance of making the best-informed choices that we can when it comes to choosing and using media. This year’s event, organised jointly with KU Leuven’s Learning Lab, will be jam-packed with opportunities to share and learn from colleagues. Taking place in the historic city of Leuven in Belgium on 18-19 June 2025, this event will bring together a vibrant community of educators, researchers, and innovators from different parts of Europe and beyond who are equally passionate about leveraging media in support of learning in higher education.
This conference is aimed at all staff working in centres for teaching and learning, educational media production centres, learning innovation departments, educational departments, audiovisual services as well as researchers and policy-makers keen to explore the added value of media in teaching and learning. At its heart is an exploration of the who, how, what, why and where of educational media production in higher as well as other associated educational sectors.
*Due to space limitations, registration will be necessary to attend some sessions taking place in smaller rooms at the upcoming conference. We’ll share the registration link one week before the event, on June 10th at 12:00 CEST, ensuring equal opportunity for all interested participants. Please note that there won’t be waiting lists, but in the event of no-shows on-site, available seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope that this approach will help us manage attendance efficiently and guarantee a comfortable experience for all attendees. Keep an eye out for the registration link, which will be shared via email, to secure your spot!
Keynotes
Keynote speakers @ Media & Learning 2026
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Multimodal learning: Where technology meets pedagogy
Dr. Sharon Klinkenberg will guide us through the transformative landscape of educational technology. Drawing from his research and experience, he will explore how personalized learning and media diversity can foster student engagement and success through multimodal learning materials and well designed educational pathways. The keynote will delve into the realm of emerging technologies and AI in education, where generative AI and learning analytics are reshaping the roles of learners and educators. Through real-world examples, Dr. Klinkenberg will examine innovative assessment methods that drive learning and promote critical thinking and self-regulated learning. Showcasing how authentic, multimedia-rich assessments can better foster the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Additionally, the discussion will highlight the importance of co-creation, emphasizing the power of open educational resources, and the benefits of collaborative practices. This keynote aims to inspire attendees to envision and implement impactful changes in higher education, fostering a future where technology and pedagogy co-create meaningful learning experiences.
King’s College London & Playlines, UK
The Age of "Reality Literacy": XR, AI and Reskinnable Realities
As XR and augmented reality technologies move out of sci-fi and into the mainstream, reality is becoming increasingly entwined with digital media. Accelerated by AI, these billion-dollar technologies ultimately promise to bring all the potential of the internet - and all its pitfalls - up off the screen and out into real classrooms.
Educators are already dealing with AI-driven un-reality: slop, perception alteration and even nudification all mediated via mobile screens. As smart glasses proliferate, AIs will become everyday assistants entwined with our everyday experience of reality - and will also increasingly allow users to radically reskin reality itself. And, potentially, allow giant platform-holders to curate versions of reality for their users.
It's not sci-fi anymore. Veteran XR experience designer and Visiting Fellow at King's College London Rob Morgan will present provocative questions about the huge potential learning value of these technologies - and the risks they could represent to the consensual foundations of our reality. Come be part of the discussion around media and learning in an era where navigating reality itself will require ever more media literacy - and ever more empathy.
In conversation with Stephen Downes
Stephen Downes' view on the impact of AI on higher education - As far more than the language models that have captured the attention of the world over the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) represents a significant increase in human capability, augmenting and sometimes exceeding our natural capacities to perceive, reason, create and remember. Ubiquitous access to these capabilities changes the definition of what it means to learn and to be educated. Skills once reserved to the domain of experts are now in the hands of everyday people, while most every discipline is devising new models, methods and pragmatics of work alongside, or teaming with, these new tools. This challenges educators along a number of fronts, impacting how they teach, what they teach, and even what it means to teach. Today's educator in a world of AI is responsible for far more than passing along knowledge (indeed, the machine can do most of that). We will be responsible for challenging students both young and old to find new ways of seeing and creating, leading them through demonstration of dedication, resilience and passion, and modeling for them the best values of civil and social responsibility, contribution and care.
We will then open up the discussion with Stephen to include inputs from our panellists and conference attendees.
*Stephen Downes will be joining us online
European Commission
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act and Its Implications for AI in Education
This presentation considers the impact of the EU AI Act on the growing use of AI in education, with particular attention to the AI Act’s risk-based approach to regulation. It addresses the prohibition of certain practices, including the use of AI systems to infer emotions in educational institutions, and explores the classification of specific applications used in the area of education as high-risk. Noting that AI systems used in education for admission, evaluation of learning outcomes, determining appropriate educational levels, and monitoring student behaviour during assessments are classified as high-risk under the EU AI Act, the presentation aims to clarify the scope of this classification and its implications for stakeholders operating in the educational sector.
UCLA, USA
Sound Architecture
Architecture has historically privileged sight over the other senses. In her Sound Architecture courses, students have aimed to shift the focus to the acoustical aspects of architectural space by considering sound as the design medium. Digital technology has provided new opportunities to explore the relationship between sound and space.
How can digital technology be used to influence space? How can sound contribute to the phenomenological experience of architecture? How can audio technology be employed to evoke emotions or memories associated with a place (or create new ones)? This coursework and research showcase the leaps in the perception of what design can be by asking participants to think beyond a retinal approach to architecture, inviting them to explore the aural dimensions of space.
Jean-François (Jeff) Van de Poël
University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland
The Augmented Teacher: Navigating AI as an instrument, not an oracle
Artificial intelligence is increasingly finding its way into higher education, yet most discourse oscillates between uncritical enthusiasm and defensive rejection. This talk proposes a third path: the augmented educator — a teacher who deliberately uses AI as an extension of professional expertise rather than a substitute for it.
Teachers today face well-documented pressures: cognitive overload from administrative and preparatory tasks, growing heterogeneity in student needs, the challenge of providing timely and personalised feedback, and mounting tensions around authentic assessment. When thoughtfully appropriated, AI holds genuine potential to address these challenges and restore space for what matters most: the pedagogical relationship.
Drawing on Rabardel's instrumental approach, we explore how generative AI tools become meaningful instruments only when teachers develop purposeful, scheme-driven uses aligned with their pedagogical intentions. Laurillard's Conversational Framework further provides a structured lens to map AI affordances onto the learning dialogue — between teacher and student, concept and context, design and reflection — ensuring that adoption remains pedagogically grounded rather than opportunistic.
Augmentation, however, demands critical agency. AI competency in higher education must include ethical reasoning — around bias, transparency, data governance, and the power dynamics embedded in algorithmic systems. Frameworks and ethics alone are not enough: what ultimately defines the augmented educator is the deliberate, informed choice to remain the driving force of their own pedagogical practice — curious, critical, and fully in control.
Testimonials
"The conference is always a delight, offering a warm and welcoming space to reconnect with colleagues from around the globe. Its low-threshold approach makes it accessible to everyone, fostering an inspiring exchange of both systematic research and practical ideas that can be immediately applied in higher education." Andy Thys, Instructional Designer KU Leuven, Belgium
"Media & Learning conferences have been an incredible experience for me. They bring together a great mix of passionate professionals from the media and education sectors. The event perfectly bridges these two worlds, fostering insightful conversations and inspiring collaborations. It’s the ideal space to exchange ideas and learn from innovative thinkers." Carlos Turro Ribalta, Head of Media Services department Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain
"Attending the Media & Learning conference was an invaluable experience. It offered a unique opportunity to connect with educators from around the world who share a passion for blending learning design and media to shape the future of online education. The insights, collaborations, and innovative ideas I gained have greatly enriched my perspective, while the relationships I’ve built are opening new doors to drive meaningful change in our work." Jeremy Nelson, Senior Director of XR, Media Design & Production University of Michigan, USA
"I look forward to the Media & Learning conference every year. An excellent opportunity to be updated on new developments about media in education, or to get a fresh perspective on things you thought were already crystallised. In addition, a great place to catch up with old acquaintances and make new friends." André Rosendaal, e-Learning Project Manager, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Speakers and moderators
Venue
This year’s Media & Learning Conference is being held in the splendid Provincie Vlaams-Brabant - Provinciehuis.
Provincie Vlaams-Brabant - Provinciehuis is about a 10 minute walk from the train station and an 20 minute walk from the city centre.
Take a look at our suggested accommodations and travel advice. Please note that we have no affiliation with any travel agency should you be contacted to arrange your stay.
Provincie Vlaams-Brabant - Provinciehuis
Provincieplein 1
3010 Leuven
Belgium
Thanks to our exhibitors and sponsoring members for their continued support.
