Yesterday, I delivered a workshop session for Computer Science Teaching Assistants at Cardiff University on “Building Learning Through the Blend.” The challenge was clear: lead academics had observed that TAs weren’t fully utilising available digital tools to engage students effectively. Our mission was to boost their confidence and demonstrate how strategic tool integration could transform their teaching approach.

Understanding the Audience

Before diving into content creation, I invested time understanding our audience from multiple angles. Who are these TAs? They’re a mixed group - some are new to teaching, others have completed LaunchPad (Associate Fellow training), and all juggle teaching responsibilities with their own research. What do they need? Practical strategies that work in real teaching contexts, not theoretical tool tutorials.

Equally important was understanding what the lead academics wanted. Sometimes these perspectives don’t perfectly align - academics may focus on tool adoption whilst TAs need sustainable, practical approaches. Thanks to Ada, we arranged a meeting with the academic team to ensure we had a comprehensive understanding of both the TAs’ needs and the institutional expectations.

The Design Process

Once objectives were clear, I brainstormed with my colleagues Marianna and Punsisi, who partnered with me to deliver the session. We agreed on the overall theme and divided responsibilities for different segments.

However, the timeline presented challenges. The project spanned several months with a summer holiday interrupting our planning and collaboration. Returning from the break, we had to refresh our understanding of the objectives and form a detailed delivery plan. The long gap created some discontinuity, but we ultimately pulled together and delivered successfully.

My Approach: Integration Over Isolation

Rather than presenting three separate tool demonstrations, I developed an integrated narrative approach. I created a TA persona named Alex - a second-year PhD student struggling to support 25 programming students with different skill levels during lab sessions. This wasn’t just a character; Alex represented the real challenges our audience faces daily.

I structured the session around Alex’s journey through three phases:

BEFORE the lab session: Alex uses Mentimeter to gather pre-session intelligence about student confidence levels and concerns. This isn’t about engagement for engagement’s sake - it’s strategic data collection that informs everything that follows.

DURING the lab session: Armed with data showing 40% beginners, 30% intermediate, and 30% advanced students, Alex creates targeted discussion forums in Learning Central. Instead of one chaotic forum, Alex establishes specific support spaces for different needs - all informed by the Mentimeter data.

AFTER the lab session: Alex uses Padlet to curate the best solutions from forum discussions, embedding Panopto videos that address common questions. This transforms temporary conversations into a permanent, growing knowledge base.

The critical insight wasn’t the individual tools - it was showing how information flows between them. Mentimeter data shapes forum structure. Forum discussions generate content for the learning hub. Each phase builds on the last, creating a sustainable support ecosystem rather than disconnected activities.

My aim was to shift thinking from “which tool should I use?” to “how can I create a connected support system that works before, during, and after my teaching sessions?”

The Workshop in Practice

The session included live demonstrations of each tool, showing exactly how to set up polls, create forum categories, and build resource boards. But more importantly, we gave TAs time to plan their own integrations, applying the three-phase approach to their specific contexts - whether labs, tutorials, or drop-in sessions.

The feedback suggested the integration framework resonated. TAs weren’t just learning tools; they were developing a strategic approach to student support.

Reflections: The Unexpected Challenge

The session went well overall, but not quite as planned. My son became unwell, and I had to collect him from school mid-session. We pivoted quickly, transforming my planned face-to-face delivery into a hybrid presentation.

Whilst the technology worked and the session continued successfully, I felt a genuine loss at not being physically present. The real blow came when the on-site camera failed during the first half - I couldn’t see participants’ facial expressions, couldn’t gauge their reactions, couldn’t pick up on the subtle cues that inform responsive teaching.

This experience reinforced something fundamental: face-to-face interaction isn’t just preferable for teaching - it’s transformative. The visual feedback, the immediate sense of audience engagement, the ability to adjust based on body language and expressions - these aren’t mere conveniences. They’re essential components of effective teaching and learning.

Ironically, whilst delivering a session about blended learning and digital tools, I was reminded that technology should enhance human connection, not replace it. The tools we demonstrated to the TAs - Mentimeter, discussion forums, Padlet - all work best when they support and extend face-to-face relationships, not substitute for them.

Looking Forward

Despite the hybrid delivery challenge, the session achieved its core objective. TAs left with a framework for strategic tool integration rather than just isolated tool skills. They understood that effective digital engagement isn’t about adopting the latest technology - it’s about creating connected systems that serve real student needs.