Learning Bytes Festival 2025 - Factcheck: does your EdTech work?

EdTech Station

Hangar K

<h2>About</h2>Learning Bytes Festival 2025 challenges a pivotal question in education technology: "Factcheck: Does Your EdTech Work?" Through a focused exploration of evidence-informed EdTech, we’ll dive into the most effective solutions and research-backed insights that are truly transforming digital learning. Showcasing imec’s latest research in Smart Education, this festival empowers stakeholders across corporate training, academia, and EdTech development to critically evaluate what works in digital learning environments.Join professionals from Learning &amp; Development, academia, and EdTech as we bring together researchers, innovators, and industry leaders for workshops, keynotes, invite-only sessions, and panel discussions centered on the measurable impact of EdTech. In the invite-only sessions, selected companies will share firsthand experiences on how they implement EdTech in their organizations, offering practical insights into its applications and benefits. This year’s event welcomes Learning &amp; Development specialists, corporate trainers, academics, EdTech product developers, and educational organisations to share insights, explore partnerships, and discover research-driven tools that enhance learning outcomes. Join us to see how technology, when backed by research, can make an impactful difference in education and training across industries. In for a real bite? Add your Salie food ticket during checkout for a delicious experience!Hope to see you there!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:Alison Clark-Wilson Professor at UCL Institute of EducationIn a rapidly evolving EdTech landscape, how do we know if our EdTech truly works? In her keynote, "Our EdTech Works Because…", Dr. Clark-Wilson will tackle this critical question, offering practical tools and approaches to help EdTech developers create impactful, evidence-based solutions. As outcomes-based procurement becomes the norm, knowing when, where, and for whom EdTech is effective is key to future success.A leading expert in digital mathematics education, she has spent decades researching technology's role in teaching and learning. She works to bridge academic research, innovation, and classroom practice, ensuring digital tools enhance learning in meaningful ways. Tom WambekeChief Learning Innovation, ITCILO (International Training Centre of the ILO, part of the United Nations)Tom Wambeke, a UN Senior Executive, has 20+ years of experience in learning innovation and digital transformation. As Chief of Learning Innovation at ITCILO, he leads global programs driving impact and change across UN agencies, development banks, governments, and NGOs.With projects in 50+ countries, he specializes in strategy facilitation, knowledge sharing, and ICT4Development. Holding degrees from Leuven and Antwerp, plus executive certifications from Stanford and MIT, he is a sought-after speaker and author.Join us as he shares insights on innovation, digital transformation, and the future of learning.

AGENDA

Doors open 

Welcome

In a rapidly evolving EdTech landscape, how do we know if our EdTech truly works? In her keynote, "Our EdTech Works Because…", Dr. Clark-Wilson will tackle this critical question, offering practical tools and approaches to help EdTech developers create impactful, evidence-based solutions. As outcomes-based procurement becomes the norm, knowing when, where, and for whom EdTech is effective is key to future success.   Professorial Research Fellow, UCL Knowledge Lab, UCL   
A leading expert in digital mathematics education, she has spent decades researching technology's role in teaching and learning. She works to bridge academic research, innovation, and classroom practice, ensuring digital tools enhance learning in meaningful ways. 

Keynote 1: Alison Clark - Wilson

Smart Education at Schools awards

Read more by clicking on the tab 'BREAK-OUT 1-3' next to 'agenda'. 

Breakout 1-3 

Bezoek aan Expo    

Read more by clicking on the tab 'BREAK-OUT 4-6' next to 'agenda'. 

Breakout 4-6

Panel discussion

Tom Wambeke is Chief of Learning Innovation at ITCILO (International Training Centre of the ILO, part of the United Nations), and a Senior Executive with over 20 years of experience in learning innovation and digital transformation. At ITCILO, he leads global programs that drive impact and organizational change, partnering with UN agencies, development banks, international organizations, governments, and NGOs. His projects have spanned over 50 countries, with a focus on strategy facilitation, participatory knowledge sharing, and ICT4Development.

Tom holds degrees from the University of Leuven and the University of Antwerp, along with executive certifications from Stanford and MIT. A renowned public speaker and author, he is passionate about foresight analysis, complexity thinking, and the future of learning.

In his keynote, Beyond the Binary: Rethinking EdTech Success in a Complex World, Tom takes us on a global journey to explore what it truly means to work evidence-based in diverse

Keynote 2: Tom Wambeke

Closing words

Start networking + reception

BREAKOUT 1-3

Empower your human capital with EdTech: connecting company needs to learning sciences. How can Edtech drive real business results? In this session, we showcase two powerful Flemish use cases. The first explores how digital learning solutions support upskilling and reskilling of technical profiles. The second highlights how technology ensures effective knowledge retention within organizations. 

We’ll also connect these cases to key pedagogical models, providing insights into how learning science enhances business impact. Discover how Edtech can solve real challenges and create measurable results. Sander Thorrez is Expert Digital Learning & Development for <edtech/station>. Sander combines his 50% appointment at KU Leuven with a 50% appointment at Hangar K as community manager for <edtech/station>.

1: Human capital and EdTech: connecting company needs to learning sciences

In the fast-evolving world of educational technology, evidence is often seen as the foundation for informed decisions and meaningful innovation. But what do we mean by "evidence," and how do we ensure it aligns with the complex realities of education? This presentation unpacks the multifaceted nature of evidence in EdTech through three key themes: (1) We explore the varied definitions of evidence, and discuss how different perspectives shape our understanding of what works in education, (2) Different types of evidence research will be illustrated through real-world examples, (3) Practical questions—such as how to measure and evaluate evidence, who should conduct research, when to study impact, and where to test for scalability—are addressed to guide effective evidence-building practices.  

2: Evidence in educational technology research and innovation

The next generation of human-machine interfaces for training in industry
Join us for an insightful talk on how technology can help us adapt to the evolving landscape of manufacturing and machine-supported work environments. As automation and new technologies reshape production processes, ongoing training is essential to prepare employees and provide on-the-job support. Flanders Make and imec will showcase real-world examples of projects that tackle these challenges, helping to enhance the skills of the workforce and improve productivity. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore innovative solutions for a more adaptable and efficient manufacturing industry.

3: The next generation of human-machine interfaces for training in industry

BREAKOUT 4-6

 Every day, and also in the coalition agreement, you find a lot of ambitions around the use of data, in all kinds of sectors. 
How can we make the most of the flow of data through frictionless processes, so that we can optimise both the user experience and business processes? In the business world, competences are gaining in importance to be able to deploy employees flexibly and prepare them for the continuous flow of technological evolution. 
On the basis of a number of cases from both higher education and the business world, we reflect on the substantive and technological challenges and possibilities of data management and use. 

4: Data? Challenges for both education and the business world

This research focuses on enhancing Comproved, an EdTech tool using Comparative Judgment (CJ) for essay assessment. In CJ, assessors (teachers, students, or both) compare pairs of essays multiple times, selecting the better one each time instead of using a scoring rubric. While CJ is highly reliable and valid, it can be time-consuming for teachers and provides limited feedback for students.

Our study explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) can address these challenges. NLP extracts key information from essays, streamlining the CJ process so teachers make fewer comparisons while maintaining reliability. Additionally, automated and personalized feedback enhances feedback quality and efficiency. By integrating NLP, we aim to make CJ more scalable and Comproved a more effective tool for learning, assessment, and feedback in education.

5: Towards more efficient and transparent essay assessment with AI

How can we ensure that EdTech innovations are rigorously tested and effectively adapted to meet real educational needs? This interactive workshop introduces a practical framework for designing EdTech testbeds that generate meaningful evidence.

Participants will explore the three key components of a successful testbed: the test (evaluation methods), the bed (authentic educational contexts), and the EdTech (the tools or solutions being tested). Through hands-on activities and group discussions, they will gain insights into how these elements interact to create a strong foundation for innovation.

In the second part of the session, participants will work in small groups to co-design their own EdTech testbed blueprint, receiving guidance and feedback along the way. By the end of the workshop, they will leave with a clearer understanding of the testbedding process, practical strategies for implementation, and valuable new connections within the EdTech ecosystem.


6: Interactive session on setting up EdTech testbeds 

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Learning Bytes Festival 2025 - Factcheck: does your EdTech work?

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