Mission
What is the BLE?
The Bloomsbury Learning Exchange (BLE) is a digital education service dedicated to sharing effective practice between its partners and enabling collaboration on technology-enhanced learning projects. We are an unincorporated association working as a partnership of six co-located HE institutions in Bloomsbury, central London: Birkbeck, LSHTM, SOAS, Tavistock & Portman, City, UCL and the University of London.
The BLE operates in three fundamental areas:
The Bloomsbury Learning Exchange (BLE) is a digital education service dedicated to sharing effective practice between its partners and enabling collaboration on technology-enhanced learning projects. We are an unincorporated association working as a partnership of six co-located HE institutions in Bloomsbury, central London: Birkbeck, LSHTM, SOAS, Tavistock & Portman, City, UCL and the University of London.
The BLE operates in three fundamental areas:
Supporting leadersThe BLE acts as a sounding board and ‘critical friend’, a conduit for information and a means of developing academic strategy and vision.
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Empowering staffWe bring together specialised support and professional services staff to facilitate peer-sharing, improve practices, and ensure momentum and motivation.
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Inspiring learningBy harnessing collective expertise across the consortium, the BLE advances our partners’ academic staff and students with online, blended and traditional (in-person) learning, teaching and assessment.
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“The BLE is a continuous source of benefits, which Birkbeck would otherwise find extremely difficult if not impossible to arrange independently. In particular, the opportunity to support the development of staff who are critical to our work in the digital education field is invaluable.” |
Specifically, the BLE:
- serves as an advocate to institutional leaders in their efforts to drive and embed institutional change
- facilitates closer working relationships between institutional leaders, academics and professional services staff
- designs and creates digital education courses, resources and materials collaboratively with partners
- offers staff development through training and awareness raising events
- provides special interest groups for its partners to foster supportive networks
- connects digital education departments with internal stakeholders (i.e., library, IT, staff development, academic development and student support) and external experts.
- engages in research into best practices in digital education and openly publishes the findings
- supports its partners with cost efficiencies from software negotiations and economies of scale.
The Bloomsbury Learning Exchange is an inclusive centre, committed to equality and diversity.
Awards
The BLE has been recipient of a number of exciting and prestigious awards:
The BLE has been recipient of a number of exciting and prestigious awards:
- Won Roger Mills Awards for Innovation in Learning and Teaching - twice
- Won Blackboard Catalyst Award for Community Engagement - twice
- Shortlisted for the ALT Learning Technology Team of the Year
- Highly recommended by ALT
BLE Declaration and Position Paper
| ble_declaration_and_position_paper_nov_2025.docx.pdf |
