The last week of April saw the 2022 Global Festival of Active Learning take place online. Attended by over 180 participants and contributors with 1300+ sign-ups for different sessions, the festival was held every morning and evening throughout the week. Each breakfast or supper slot featured interactive workshops or presentations with the emphasis on getting the audience involved.

The feedback from participants pointed to the wonderful open atmosphere of the festival, the interactivity and the wealth of ideas that were shared and from the network’s website attracted over 2000 views in April alone.

In addition to the breakfast and supper slots, the festival gave participants an opportunity to contribute to the “moshpit”, a collection of asynchronous activities that invited participants to showcase their artwork, collaborate on a “humanifesto” for inclusive teaching and rise to the daily “walking challenge” to give just a few examples. Feedback from participants pointed to the “lovely open environment created” and how the festival sessions were “extremely engaging and interactive”. 

The Active Learning Network (ALN) was founded in 2016 by Wendy Garnham and Tab Betts, and is now co-run by Paolo Oprandi. It has now grown to encompass over 30 satellite groups in the UK and internationally. The most recent satellite group to join, University of Bucharest, is hosting a launch event in July with another four satellite groups starting this summer. The network is also hosting its 5th International Conference of Active Learning in July (online), with contributions from educators in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as across Europe.