A remarkable event, Digifest 2025 continues the important tradition of bringing together educators, innovators and technology enthusiasts to explore the exciting but challenging digital future of learning and teaching.
Whether in-person or online, this year’s delegates set out to explore fresh solutions and practical strategies for navigating the many different complexities and challenges shaping the current education landscape. As a digital learning platform and key exhibitor, PebblePad was there to connect with our trusted customers, share ideas and showcase our unique approach to ePortfolio assessment in education.
As always, the key highlight of any conference is the chance to engage with existing customers and forge new partnerships – and Digifest was no exception. In a world of online meetings, being able to meet our peers that typically live on the other side of a screen is always a joy. These human interactions allowed us to have deeper discussions about teaching, learning and reflection as well as connect with our customers to share best practices together.
Complex times
What soon became evident was the strength and passion of the PebblePad community with conversations flowing freely between the keynote presentations. As expected, the keynotes themselves were abuzz with insights and discussions about AI but also digital transformation itself, emphasising the importance of learning technologies in education.
Underscoring these themes was, of course, the current financial climate of the education sector. For every attendee, it was clear the disruption caused by this climate remains ever-present and continues to impact the digital education space and the professional services that support it.
Empowering reflection
The event also acted as a testament to the relevance of ePortfolios in education – especially at this difficult time. Offering an ideal reflective learning and assessment solution, ePortfolio learning continues to be recognised as the key to unlocking authentic and multi-modal assessment, helping organisations to address the challenges of personalising the learning journey and respond to the needs of evolving student populations.
However, it soon became clear how impactful student reflection on learning and development in learning can be, especially for delivering on future ambitions and goals – and most importantly, securing successful outcomes for graduates. The conversations and feedback we received reinforced the value of PebblePad’s unique digital learning platform and the impact it has on enhancing educational experiences and supporting staff despite the challenges faced by the sector.
Unstoppable rise
Another interesting trend at Digifest 2025 was clear evidence of the rapid rise of digital education tools built around AI and AI assessment. For instance, a significant proportion of exhibitors promoted solutions to challenges faced by educators and students. These took on a variety of forms from creative image generation and course design tools to feedback assistance.
There is no doubt that AI is changing the face of digital education, authentic assessment and the future itself, which is both exciting and concerning in equal measure. Against this backdrop, it remains evident that it is as important as ever for learners to be equipped with the skills they need to make sense of and reflect on the digital learning process – and demonstrate a true understanding and application of knowledge as they utilise AI applications across their learning journey.
Protecting the future
The key takeaway of Digifest for PebblePad was simple: With so much uncertainty surrounding the future of education – whether it be the impact of AI on teaching, learning and reflection or the financial challenges – we all believe in the power of coming together and collaborating to seek out new, exciting and innovative ways to overcome any challenges, together.
This community-driven approach puts us all in the best possible position to adapt, flex and transform how education is delivered in the future, no matter what it holds. And most importantly, such a proactive approach helps us safeguard the futures of the people that each and every one of us at Digifest remain so committed to – our students.
