Friday 9th January 2026

Dear All,

Thank you for your work this first week.

Stratos began the year with a new work out, adding his ‘farmers carry’ strength to the delivery of your generous food donations Festive food bank success . Data suggest that 70kg is approximately the weight of an average LTW director. Thank you, all.

I hope you are wearing your winter-warming LTW hoodie and mittens. If snow found you, or is on its way, you may enjoy celebrating the anniversary of the Great Edinburgh Snowball Riots of 1838 Edinburgh snowball riots of 1838 – Wikipedia on Sunday.

For an extra warming layer, why not pick up a red, long-sleeved ‘Replay’ top from the middle table. LTW Colleague Hub – Clear-Outs

Those Library tote bags are mid-century cool vintage and very good for carrying stuff home.

Apart from the weather, the festive break was suspiciously free of major incidents on the network – or it may be that we just haven’t found them yet. Brace yourself for the start of second semester teaching next week.

Thank you for your end-of year blogging:

First Year as an Officer for ALT Special Interest Group in Digital Assessment – Digital Learning Applications and Media

A review of 2025 from a DLAM perspective – The witterings and musings of a learning technologist

2025: The year SCP took off – mylesthoughts

Great to see this coverage of our work, in the Times Higher:

The business of online education | THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect

If you have time and opinions, the ISG comms team would like you to do their survey about change management

People – Personal Impact

If you like a party (I know you do), next week is EdWeb2’s 1^st birthday. You are all invited. Event Booking There will be otters. Thank you to the team who have helped me (as Lady Publisher of the ISG website) ‘tidy away’ around 800 pages since migration.

Emma is hosting Mapping the student experience – UCISA

Your Principal has been in the media again: Scotcast – What’s going wrong at our universities? – BBC Sounds – Interview with the University’s Principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, on why Scotland’s universities should be a political and public priority. A filmed version is also available at BBC Scotland – Scotcast, University Funding

Stay warm,

-Melissa