STEM Education Innovation

by the Lake Workshop 2026

Empowering Educators to Innovate, Evaluate, and Inspire

5-10 August 2026

University of Cumbria, Ambleside

Pre-register now
Download workshop flyer

Why this conference exists

STEM higher education is evolving rapidly. Advances in artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and shifting student expectations are transforming how teaching and learning take place. At the same time, educators are under increasing pressure to not only innovate in their teaching but also demonstrate measurable impact on student learning.

STEM Education Innovation by the Lake 2026 exists to support educators in navigating this change. It provides practical, research-informed approaches to teaching, helping participants confidently respond to emerging challenges while actively shaping the future of STEM education.

What you will gain by attending

By attending, you will leave equipped with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to enhance your teaching practice. You will:

  • Design inclusive, engaging, and effective STEM learning experiences
  • Apply evidence-based teaching strategies in your classroom
  • Use active learning and flipped classroom approaches
  • Evaluate teaching impact using qualitative and quantitative research methods
  • Develop skills in assessment design and student-centred instruction
  • Explore how to integrate new education technologies (such as AI and XR) into teaching

Overall, you will be better prepared to deliver impactful education grounded in evidence and innovation.

Who should attend

This event is ideal for:

  • Secondary school physics teachers
  • University academics and lecturers
  • Postdoctoral researchers
  • Emerging education researchers
  • STEM educators looking to strengthen their research-informed teaching practice

Who you'll meet

You will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of:

  • STEM educators from across disciplines
  • Physics education researchers
  • School teachers and university academics
  • Postdoctoral and early-career researchers

The workshop fosters collaboration across sectors and career stages, creating opportunities to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and engage in meaningful discussion around teaching innovation.

Beyond the conference

This is more than a one-off event. You will:

  • Build long-term professional connections
  • Join a community focused on evidence-based teaching and innovation
  • Gain insights that can be directly applied to your teaching practice
  • Contribute to shaping the future of STEM education

The experience is designed to have lasting impact on both your professional development and your teaching approach.

Your next step

Pre-register now, places are limited due to the highly interactive and personalised nature of the workshop.

If you are ready to transform your teaching and engage with an international STEM community, we strongly encourage you to secure your place early.

A limited number of bursaries (up to £200) will be available to support participants who would otherwise be unable to attend. Contact us for more details.

Pre-register now

Who You'll Hear From

Programme at a glance

Full Agenda

Workshop themes

Active Futures in STEM Education:

  • Students' Identities and Sense of Belonging for inclusive learning
  • Cognitive Load, Elaboration and Retrieval for learning
  • Effect of Prior Knowledge on learning
  • Knowledge Organisation as a learning accelerator
  • Motivation for learning: where value, expectancy and action meet
  • Promoting the Transfer of Knowledge between problems
  • Practice and Feedback that enhance learning
  • Effective Assessments of/for/as learning
  • Unlocking the power of course-specific Learning Goals
  • Empowering students through self-directed learning

Qualitative and Quantitative Methods of STEM Education Research

  • Getting started with STEM Education Research
  • Ethical Education Research Design
  • Refining Research Questions
  • Interviews. Observations. Data Processing and Analysis Methods
  • Coding and Processing of Qualitative data
  • Descriptive and Inferential analysis
  • Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analysis 
  • Item Response Theory
  • Rasch analysis
5 June 2026

Pre-registration open

15 July 2026

Pre-registration closes

16 July 2026

Successful applicants invited to register

24 July 2026

Deadline for successful applicants to register

27 July 2026

Waiting list applicants invited to register

Registration Options

Pre-register Now

Pre-registration closes in:

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Registration Type
Fee
Associate Member

£280

Standard Member

£330

Co-sponsors 

£330

Standard (Non-Member)

£400

The registration fee includes conference costs and accommodation. Accommodation has self-catered facilities.

Co-sponsors include Royal Society of Chemistry, GIREP and IUPAP Members

Location & Venue

Venue

University of Cumbria

The Barn, Rydal Road,

Ambleside,

Cumbria

LA22 9BB

Accessibility & Parking

  • Step‑free access throughout the venue
  • Accessible entrances and lift access
  • Accessible toilets located near the main event spaces
  • Blue Badge parking available on-site or nearby
  • Hearing loop in main conference areas
  • Assistance animals welcome
  • Quiet space available on request
  • Contact us for any additional support needs

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Dr Andrea Jiménez Dalmaroni, Cardiff University, UK

Prof Guido Bolognesi, University College London, UK

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Dr Geraldine Cochran, Ohio State University, USA

Prof Viviana Costa, National University of La Plata, Argentina

Prof Gildo Girotto, State University of Campinas, Brazil

Prof Manjula Devi Sharma, University of Sydney, Australia

Prof Italo Testa, University of Naples, Italy