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 the 2025 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 event, organised jointly with KU Leuven’s Learning Lab, was 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 brought 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 was 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.
📑Reports and articles about the conference
Educational media that works: Report from the M&L25 conference by Zac Woolfitt, Inholland University, The Netherlands.
Terugblik Media & Learning Conference 2025, 18-19 juni 2025 by Leontien van Rossum
📃Themes
Choosing the right format
This theme explores the strategic and practical selection of media formats to optimise learning outcomes in educational settings based on research and evidence. Formats under consideration include podcasts, virtual tours, linear video, screencasts, and interactive content.
Learning through storytelling
Exploring how learning design can use storytelling and draw from the engagement strategies of sectors like gaming, advertising, and entertainment to create compelling media experiences in education.
Media-driven assessment
Investigating the use of multimedia tools in assessment strategies, including ePortfolios, and the impact of media-based assignments.
Communicating research
This theme explores the potential of media, including video, interactive content, and digital storytelling, as alternatives to traditional written theses. It also examines how these media forms can enhance the communication and dissemination of scientific research, making complex findings more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
Accessibility, digital inclusion and media formats
Addressing diversity, equity, inclusion and wellbeing in media based learning, including the value of AI based solutions like automated captioning, text-to-speech, and adaptive learning platforms. This theme includes formats and approaches to combat digital fatigue.
DIY media production training
This theme is focused on sharing best practices and experience on empowering academics to create impactful high-quality educational content and integrate media into their teaching practices.
Digital heritage, storage and ownership
Investigating how digital archives and storage facilities handle and preserve educational audio-visual content as well as exploring the challenges in creating, managing, and storing media assets, such as 3D assets for XR environments. How do intellectual property and ownership issues affect these processes? What is the role of open educational media resources (OEMR)?
Students as partners in media production
Analysing how student co-production, co-creation, and active engagement can be integrated into media-based learning experiences and production processes.
Ethical and innovative integration of AI in educational media production processes
Considering the challenges and benefits of using AI in educational media, such as in creating and powering virtual instructors and avatars. How can AI enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of media production? What impact does AI have on traditional teaching roles, and how can human creativity be balanced with AI capabilities?
Immersive Learning
Examining how extended reality (VR, AR, and MR) can create immersive learning environments that deepen student engagement, interaction, and/or practical skill development.
Enhancing hybrid learning with advanced lecture capture
This theme explores how hybrid classrooms can best blend in-person and online learning effectively. It will also explore the role of advanced lecture capture technologies in boosting engagement and accessibility for all students. How can we address the opt-in/opt-out debate and ensure a dynamic, inclusive learning environment?
Greening educational media technologies
Focusing on how to make audio-visual technologies more eco-friendly and sustainable, reducing their environmental impact while maintaining educational quality.
Management and operation of centres and service providers
This theme explores what organisational practices work best to support the sustainable educational media production needs of the institution in meeting its goals. It includes how best to set up and manage media production facilities and support learning spaces.
Exploring effective co-production and re-use practices
Investigating opportunities for co-production of open educational media resources (OEMR) amongst institutions. Is it possible to localise and reuse productions created outside of your institution?
🎤 Keynotes
Tine Baelmans, vice rector for Education Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
KU Leuven and GenAI: it takes many to tango
As we step into a future where GenAI has secured its spot on the dance floor, higher education institutions across the globe are determining how best to engage with this evolving technology. KU Leuven has chosen to embrace GenAI, recognizing the innovation and synergy it can bring to higher education, research and operations. At the same time, our university is leveraging partnerships to ensure we move forward in a safe, supported and sustainable way. Teams across different central KU Leuven services, faculties and departments have stepped up to lead this intricate dance, supported by collaborations with diverse international networks. Our resulting network-informed policy making has fostered university-wide support, led to new networking initiatives and the creation of a multi-stakeholder expert committee on GenAI. This committee advises policy-making bodies, services, faculties and departments on GenAI-related questions, provides updates on the latest GenAI developments, and evaluates GenAI guidelines and information. Strengthened by both its internal and external partnerships, KU Leuven continues to address its GenAI priorities to future-proof its ongoing dance of GenAI-related innovation.
Attention, Curiosity, and Memorability: Insights from Cognitive Science and AI
Why do some images, words, or experiences remain vivid in memory, while others vanish quickly? Cognitive science research reveals that attention, curiosity, and memory are shaped by the brain’s limited capacity and how it prioritizes information. Everyday experiences like inattentional blindness and divided attention show how easily we can overlook important details. Studies on memorability have uncovered consistent patterns in what people remember and forget. AI can now identify and enhance memorable content, opening new possibilities for optimizing learning and retention.
Maarten Francq, researcher at the Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound (RITCS) in Brussels, Belgium
Generative AI for audiovisual media and live entertainment – what will the next six weeks bring?
Daily new models and methods, agents, multimodality and an emerging new form of art. Impossible to predict what generative AI will be capable of next year. In this keynote session, Maarten tries to predict and show what we can expect in the coming six weeks, what is already available for end-users and what to look out for in the field of AI audio, video and 3D creation.
In conversation with Richard E. Mayer, University of California, USA
Moderator: Lucy Kendra, Heriot-Watt University, UK
World renowned educational psychologist Prof. Richard E. Mayer needs little introduction to the Media & Learning community given his major contribution to research into the role and design of video for learning. Mayer’s principles continue to form the basis for much of the work carried out in our sector. During this plenary session, Richard will join us live from his home in California and will begin with a talk on what makes multimedia instruction effective. We will then open up the discussion with Richard to include inputs from our panellists and conference attendees.
Panellists:
- Lana Scott, MIT, USA
- Elke Van Ael, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Zac Woolfitt, Inholland University f Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
*Prof. Richard E. Mayer joined us online
Thierry Koscielniak, President of France Immersive Learning / Executive Advisor, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, France
Looking for a media that works? Try Immersive Learning!
In a world where digital transformation reshapes education, Immersive Learning emerges as a game-changer. Combining the power of virtual, augmented, and mixed realities, it transcends traditional media, offering deeply engaging, experiential learning. But does it truly work? Drawing from research, industry trends, and real-world implementations, this keynote will showcase how immersive learning enhances retention and engagement. From engineering simulations to soft-skills training, discover why institutions and industries worldwide are adopting this mind blowing approach.
If you’re looking for a media that transforms learning, this is it!
Ivana Juraga, Team Leader for the Digital Education Ecosystem and Evidence, Digital Education Unit, DG EAC
European digital education policy – working towards a robust digital education ecosystem
Education, like all other sectors of activity, is affected by constant and rapid technological change. Since 2020, the European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan has supported the adaptation of European education and training systems to the digital age, with policy frameworks and practical tools to support teachers and learners. In this context, digital technology is a means to an end. The ultimate objective is not the use of technologies in education for their own sake, but using digital technologies to empower and support teachers and learners, and raise the quality and inclusiveness of education and training systems. Yet we are still lagging behind – only about half of the adults in the EU have attained basic digital skills. The 2030 Roadmap for the future of digital education and skills, which is currently under preparation, will reinforce the emphasis on equal access to digital education for all, through a robust EU digital education ecosystem, with long-term partnerships with EU-based EdTech and independently developed European solutions.
Nynke Kruiderink, Project Leader for the Centres for Teaching, Npuls, The Netherlands
Becoming a Learning Organization: The Rise of Centers for Teaching & Learning
In the face of accelerating technological and societal change, educational institutions are challenged to become learning organizations in their own right — yet many still lack the infrastructure to do so. This keynote explores the Netherlands’ national approach to strengthening professional learning through the development of Centres for Teaching & Learning (CTLs) in all tertiary institutions. These CTLs are designed to support five core functions: professional development, knowledge sharing, educational innovation, support, and research. Together, they form a collaborative network that empowers educators, strengthens institutional capacity, and fosters a more resilient and future-ready educational system.
🧑🏫Presentations
18 June
09:00-10:30
Tine Baelmans, KU Leuven, Belgium KU Leuven and GenAI: It takes many to tango [Auditorium]
Thomas Espeseth, University of Oslo, Norway Attention, Curiosity, and Memorability: Insights from Cognitive Science and AI [Auditorium]
Maarten Francq, Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound – RITCS, Belgium AI in Live Entertainment [Auditorium]
11:00-12:30
Sven Graindor, KU Leuven, Belgium Bringing 3D Simulations (on-screen and XR) to Campus: What We Learned Along the Way [Auditorium]
Diane Smits and Jeroen Kelder, Npuls, The Netherlands From chaos to quality: Sharing XR apps with impact via simulearn [Auditorium]
Vincent Vanrusselt, Research Group of the XR Action Plan Flanders, Belgium Integrating extended reality (XR) for sustainable growth and innovation: the Flanders XR action plan [Auditorium]
Praneet Khandal, Leiden University, The Netherlands, Learning Beyond Borders: Hybrid Education beyond the pandemic [Press]
Mart Mojet, RSG Magister Alvinus (Sneek), The Netherlands, Scalable Immersive Environments: Empowering Teachers to understand their Hybrid Learning Spaces [Press]
Laurie Peeters, KU Leuven, Belgium, Eye-tracking analysis of feedback for prospective students transitioning to higher STEM education [Press]
Laura Sloyan, Dublin City University/ St. Aidan’s Community School, Ireland, ‘Blooming Digital!’: Improving Post-Primary students’ digital competencies through the creation of digital media artefacts [Press]
Yasmine Wauthier, AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp, Belgium, The GLaDoS (Game-based Learning and Development of Skills) research project [Press]
Zeta Dooly, South East Technological University, Ireland, Assessment on-the-fly: How novel assessment such as real-time video creation is an authentic assessment tool that can be scaled across disciplines and programmes [Raadzaal]
Greet Leysens, KU Leuven, Belgium Video-based psychomotor skill assessment [Raadzaal]
John Walker, SURF, Npuls, The Netherlands, Let’s do Responsible XR through Play and Polder Perspectives XR [Zaal 4/5]
Wim Machiels, KU Leuven, Belgium and John Couperthwaite, Kaltura, USA, AI and the potential to transform personalised video-based learning [Zaal 6/7]
Olysha Magruder, Johns Hopkins University, USA and Yvonne Crotty, Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland, Hands-on with AI: Transforming Educational Media Production [Zaal 2/3]
14:00-15:30
Jella Bernaerts and Greet Leysens, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium, From paper to video: Collaborating with students to enhance nursing skills education through multimedia [Auditorium]
Marta Bustillo and Alexa MacDermot, University College Dublin, Ireland, Digital Skills for Success in the Workplace : a student-staff partnership for accessible course content creation [Auditorium]
Renee Beck, Walden University, USA, Counselling Skills Resource [Press]
Vanessa Meyer, Knowbody UG, Germany, Knowbody App [Press]
Markus Tischner, FAU, Germany, AI-Driven Video Production: The latest Advances and Use Cases in educational Media Production [Zaal 2/3]
Alejandro Carbonell, University of Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Spain, Promoting Open Science and Academic Knowledge through Institutional and Competitive Research Frameworks [Zaal 4/5]
Nynke Kruiderink, Npuls, The Netherlands, Management and operation of Centresof Teaching and Learning and other support services [Zaal 4/5]
Anders Nome, Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Norway, PedTek at Kristiainia: 15 years of supporting pedagogical development through learning technology [Zaal 4/5]
Stuart Perrin, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), China, Transforming Higher Education Management and Student Support through AI: Enhancing Efficiency, Empowering Staff, and Enriching the Student Experience [Zaal 4/5]
Julia Dawitz & Emma Wiersma, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Developing a Platform and Teacher Training for Ethical Use of Generative AI in Teaching and Learning [Zaal 6/7]
16:00-17:00
Katrien Dewaele, UCLL, Belgium, The AI Paradox in foreign language educationv [Auditorium]
Marco Toffanin, University of Padova, Italy, The impact of avatars in educational video: an experience [Auditorium]
Khanyisile Twabu, UNISA, South Africa, Enhancing the cognitive load theory and multimedia learning framework with AI insight [Auditorium]
Albert Segura, 3Cat – Contents, Programation and Cultural Area, Spain Supercampus [Press]
Myfanwy Howarth, University of Leeds, UK, Student Fraud Awareness: Fostering empathy and action through impactful storytelling [Raadzaal]
David Würdemann and Alina Liamzina, Constructor University, Germany, Streamlining Media Production: From Color-Coded Slides to Engaging Digital Learning [Zaal 2/3]
Ilaria Bucciarelli, INDIRE, Italy, Student as visual researcher: emotional and cognitive dimensions of visual and media literacy integration [Zaal 4/5]
Anouk den Hamer, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, When to choose podcasts or videos as student assignments – and when not? [Zaal 4/5]
17:10-18:00
Richard E. Mayer, University of California, USA What Works with Designing Effective Multimedia Instruction
19 June
9:00-10:30
Ivana Juraga, European Commission, European Digital Education Policy Working towards a robust digital education ecosystem [Auditorium]
Thierry Koscielniak, France Immersive Learning, France, Looking for a media that works? Try Immersive Learning! [Auditorium]
Nynke Kruiderink, Npuls, The Netherlands, Becoming a Learning Organisation: The Rise of Centers for Teaching & Learning [Auditorium]
11:00-12:30
Jorg Pareigis, Karlstad University, Sweden, Ten years of SPLOTs at Karlstad University [Raadzaal]
Stef Stes and Elke Van Ael, KU Leuven, Belgium, Once upon a time… The power of storytelling in instructional design [Zaal 2/3]
Barbara Gruber, DW Akademie, Germany, The Power of Listening: from field recordings to audio drama [Zaal 4/5]
Sébastien Schmitz, IHECS – VUB, Belgium, The Power of Listening: from field recordings to audio drama [Zaal 4/5]
Alexander Vanhulsel, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium, Exploring XR in Education: A Practical Guide for Educational Institutions [Zaal 6/7]
14:00-15:30
Alexander Piwowar, Universität Osnabrück, Germany, Lessons learned from 3 years of developing and implementing instructional media in a university makerspace [Auditorium]
Sofie Delansay, Ula Andrulyte, and Zsofia Egri, Leiden University, The Netherlands, Student centered research clinic on virtual reality for Global Challenges [Raadzaal]
Emerald Grimshaw, Durham University, UK, Immersive Virtual Reality as an educational tool: How do the multisensory and interactive capabilities of an educational IVR experience contribute to its success? [Raadzaal]
Florence Mei Kuen Tang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Health Professional Virtually Reality Simulation: Replacement of Manikin for the Digital Eva Education [Raadzaal]
Eline Wydooghe, VIVES University of Applied Sciences, Belgium, Modernising laboratory skills training: Student perceptions of XR-based simulations for mice drug administration [Raadzaal]
Raf Lehaen, Evert Binnard and Annelies Calmeyn, KU Leuven, Belgium, Should I really make that video? How format selection can save time, effort and lives [Zaal 2/3]
Frederic Senny, HELMo, Belgium, HELMotion, our optimised podcast experience [Zaal 4/5]
Carlos Turró Ribalta, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain, Making sure of excellent audio in lecture capture and other settings [Zaal 4/5]
Kara Johnston & Colin Morris, Heriot-Watt University, Global Resonances: Piloting a Media & Learning Community Sound Map [Zaal 4/5]
Markus Tischner, FAU, Germany, AI Driven Video Production [Zaal 6/7]
📸Photographs
Crediting photos from MLA
You are welcome to use the images from the conference on social media and on your website(s) as long as appropriate credit is given
What to include:
- Licence: CC BY-SA
- By: Arnaud Absil
- From: Media and Learning Association
Example:
“Photo by Arnaud Absil, MLA Conference 2025, CC BY-SA, Image from Media and Learning Association”
Placement of Credit:
Digital: Place the credit line (or footnote) near the image, either below, beside, or within the image itself (if it’s a full bleed).
Print: Credit should be clear and concise, often placed near the image or within a dedicated credit section.
When emailing include the following disclaimer text:
Photo Use Disclaimer
All photos provided by the Media and Learning Association are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) Licence. This means you are free to use, share, and adapt the images for any purpose, even commercially, provided that appropriate credit is given, any changes are indicated, and the resulting work is shared under the same licence.
Credit Requirements
Each image must be clearly credited as follows:
“Photo by Arnaud Absil, MLA Conference 2025, CC BY-SA, Image from Media and Learning Association”
For the conference photos of 2025 please use the following information:
“Photo by Arnaud Absil, MLA Conference 2025, CC BY-SA, Image from Media and Learning Association”
Placement of Credit
- Digital Use: Place the credit line near the image — either directly below, beside, or within the image itself (e.g., as an overlay on full-bleed visuals).
- Print Use: Include the credit near the image or in a designated image credit section that is clearly linked to the photo.
Failure to properly attribute images may be considered a violation of the licence terms.
For further inquiries or clarification regarding image use, please contact the Media and Learning Association.
18 June
📸Arnaud Absil ⤵️
19 June
📸Arnaud Absil ⤵️
Feedback shared by our attendees
Save the date !
Media & Learning 2026 will take place in Provinciehuis, Leuven, Belgium from Wednesday, 17th to Thursday, 18th June 2026. We hope to see you next year!
