The major aim of the Symposium is to provide a forum which brings together those who are primarily researchers into learning in higher education and those who are primarily practitioners concerned more pragmatically with improving their practice, and encourages the sharing of scholarly work and collaborative discussion. But from whichever starting point, papers are only accepted if they take a sufficiently scholarly, research-based approach.

As interest in improving the student experience has grown, ISL remains the place to discuss the impact of research findings on our practice.  The distinctive format of published papers combined with times set aside for themed discussions is annually welcomed by up to 200 participants from over 15 countries at each conference.

In 2012 we celebrate 20 years of the Improving Student Learning Symposium with a conference theme of ‘Improving student learning through research and scholarship: 20 years of ISL’ so this year we especially invite participants to submit proposals which reflect back on what we have learnt over the past two decades, or would want to claim we now understand about student learning, and the research evidence that supports it.

Some of the issues contributors may want to more explicitly address are:

·       Teaching methods

·       Assessment methods

·       Course and programme design

·       Blended and eLearning

·       Skills development and lifelong learning

·       Graduate outcomes

·       Employability

·       Diversity and inclusivity

·       Supporting learners

·       Faculty development methods and/or strategies

For full details and to submit an abstract, go to our website: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/isl/isl2012/index.html