SDF’s Festival of Learning & Development 2025

Synopsis: Mostly contained within the realm of learning content, the impact of AI on L&D has not been fully imagined and appreciated. From the pace of change in the workplace, the vast opportunity cost of inaction, to the possible wide-ranging effects of using AI early in the learning process, L&D is simultaneously deeply impacted by AI yet uniquely placed to be a transformative force in the business.

Where are we now? Where are we going? How will AI affect learning, skills, the workplace and, ultimately, the role of L&D in it? This session will explore the promise of AI, the reality on the ground, and the possible futures ahead of us.

Synopsis: This session will help you to discover your ‘leadership superpowers’ through the lens of your behavioural strengths, informed by internal and external feedback. You will gain an understanding of how to maximise your strengths and align the two sets of views into an authentic and coherent team leadership style.

Synopsis: Too many managers are avoiding the most important conversations. They’re afraid to ask, “How are you really doing?” – because they don’t know how to hold the space for the answer. They need confidence and courage.
This session shows how coaching-first leadership development builds the emotional courage and practical skill to show up, listen deeply, and lead change WITH people, not at them.

Synopsis: Discover two powerful, human-first tools – the Job Canvas and Conversation Canvas – that help employees personalise their roles and strengthen workplace relationships. In a world shaped by AI, this session champions connection, clarity, and conversation as essential ingredients for meaningful leadership and development.

Synopsis: In a sector defined by constant change—policy shifts, funding instability, technological disruption, and evolving student expectations—navigating uncertainty is now the norm in higher education. For organisational and academic development professionals, the challenge is to not only navigate this complexity but importantly to enable others to lead through it with clarity, courage, and care.

I explore what it means to lead adaptively in times of flux, drawing on principles from adaptive leadership, emotional intelligence, and futures thinking. I don’t believe there are any simple solutions – if only there were. Rather, it is important to think about how we move from stability-seeking to resilience building. We will examine the psychological and organisational dynamics of uncertainty and highlight the role of organisational and academic developers as sense makers, connectors, and culture-shapers within their institutions and so demonstrating how embracing change becomes a generative place for leadership and learning.

Synopsis: HE staff are used to change, but how do we support ourselves and others to remain resilient? This practical session offers models with which to understand and manage individual and team behaviour constructively. Includes complimentary 20+ page Team Management Profile, with 1-1 debrief, for every workshop participant post-conference.

Synopsis: Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a hyped hot topic. It’s a revolutionary force changing the way industries function. For learning professionals, understanding AI is a necessity. But what does it mean to be AI literate in the context of L&D? Why is this literacy crucial for the future? What areas do we need to focus on? One thing you can be sure of: begin adept with AI in the future is about a lot more than knowing how to use ChatGPT.

Stella Lee has been consulting in the learning technology space and developing digital literacies for over 20 years. Join her as she:

• Defines what it means to be AI-literate, not just AI-savvy
• Reveals why AI literacy is now an indispensable skill for L&D practitioners
• Introduces the comprehensive framework developed specifically for L&D
• Explores the eight key dimensions of AI literacy and associated competencies
• Discusses relevant use cases and applications

Synopsis: What do curiosity, learning and AI have to do with each other? Learning and curiosity go hand-in-hand, yet how much are the learning and development practices in our organisations driven by top-down compliance versus bottom-up exploration? In this session we will learn from emerging good practices and reflect on what L&D can do to embrace curiosity in order to better serve the people in their care.

The implications of the changing industrial and digital landscape, and consequently the way people grow and learn, are vast for L&D. L&D leaders and their teams have the opportunity to step up and embrace this concept and reinvent themselves. They can also embark on a journey to mobilize their leaders and employees to improve at curiosity with novel learning solutions. In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, what the data shows us, why it is important for the workplace, what the barriers are, and what L&D can do to strengthen and flex their curiosity muscles.

Synopsis: AI is reshaping the core of how people grow, learn, and lead. But here’s the truth: the future of coaching will not be written by algorithms, it will be shaped by those bold enough to lead with vision, values, and voice.

In this keynote, Rebecca Rutschmann, AI Coaching Innovator and Founder of Viva la Coaching Academy, calls learning professionals and coaching leaders to the frontlines of transformation.
No hype. No jargon. Just powerful truths, bold perspectives, and an urgent invitation to lead louder.

Synopsis: Technology, regulation and ethics are reshaping learning. Dr Marie Oldfield unpacks the hottest AI currents—ethics, regulation shifts, and risk mitigation—revealing how learning professionals can harness intelligent tools responsibly. Discover: ethical guardrails for intelligent tools, mitigating risk amid rule change, and building a radically responsive L&D function ready for tomorrow’s unpredictable waves.

Synopsis: Explore the hidden challenges staff face in internal coaching and mentoring roles in Higher Education and the nonprofit sectors. Based on research interviews with new and emerging coaches and mentors, this session highlights what often goes unseen once the training ends. Together, we’ll unpack some of these emerging themes and introduce five key questions you can use to review or refresh your own coaching and mentoring programmes in response to these insights.

Synopsis: In a sector under pressure and with change and transformation at the top of the agenda, what is our role to play? This interactive session invites you to reflect on your role as a practitioner. What are the beliefs, assumptions, and habits you bring into your work enabling and empowering change, and how do you relate to uncertainty, complexity, and your own boundaries? Drawing on the principles of Scaling Deep, this session offers space to reconnect with purpose and explore what it means to lead from within.

Synopsis: ‘Change is the only constant’ in our working world. How do we keep delivering on our current promises to students and staff while working to deliver significant improvements? Come and explore some practical ideas for managers to help them balance priorities, engage their teams, and keep going.

Workshop: Explore how to lead change with clarity, compassion, and courage. This interactive session offers practical strategies to navigate uncertainty, build resilient teams, and foster cultures that embrace growth. Grounded in psychology and leadership practice, it’s ideal for those shaping the future of organisations through change.