Dear colleagues,
We’re seeking offers to undertake blind peer-review of the following submissions to the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education (JLDHE).
If you would like to complete a review of one of the submissions, please email the designated editorial contact below.
If you haven’t reviewed for us before, please include a brief description of your interest in the topic, your relevant qualifications, expertise and/or experience in relation to the submission (up to 200 words). This might include your knowledge of the subject and/or your experience acting as a peer reviewer for academic papers or as an author or researcher in the field.
Please also join our register of reviewers and list your interests via http://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/user/register.
New reviewers are very welcome! We provide a developmental environment for those interested in this important community service. Why not try something new today?
| No. | Type | Title and abstract | Editorial contact |
| 1668 | Paper | The Project Pyramid: a visual pedagogic tool for research projects in higher education This paper introduces the Project Pyramid, a visual pedagogic tool for research project visualisation, navigation and management within Higher Education (HE). The Pyramid’s development and refinement has been a longitudinal process over several years, creating a non-subject-specific tool to support learners across multiple disciplines and embodying the three core principles of universal design for learning: representation, engagement and expression. Originally developed reflexively, during teaching sessions with international post-graduate students, it offers dual code benefits to typical learners, visual learners, atypical learners who struggle with singular textual formats and non-native users of English. With acknowledgement of the literature, the Project Pyramid’s relevance to contemporary learning theory, learning preferences, and culture is presented. A review of relevant project visualisation tools is conducted to provide context and comparison, including its relationship to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill’s, (2003), Research Onion. A demonstration of the Pyramid’s application to two master’s level projects is presented, together with initial feedback that endorses its benefits as a universal pedagogic tool. | Carina Buckley: carina.buckley@solent.ac.uk |
| 1687 | Case study | Immersive learning in biology and environmental science: a case study of the nature lab virtual reality project Virtual reality (VR) is rapidly transforming science education by offering immersive, interactive experiences that enhance student engagement and understanding of complex biological and environmental systems. However, its benefits and limitations compared to traditional in-person learning remain underexplored. In this study, we directly compare the effectiveness of in-person and VR fieldwork in developing practical graduate skills valued by wildlife conservation employers. Zoology and Wildlife Conservation BSc undergraduates completed a bird monitoring survey at a local nature reserve and then repeated the survey in a simulated VR environment (“Nature Lab”). Student performance and achievement of intended learning outcomes were comparable across both settings. However, each modality emphasized different, yet relevant, skillsets. Importantly, students reported that Nature Lab offered a more inclusive and accessible learning experience, reduced the carbon footprint of fieldwork, and facilitated acquisition of novel technological skills. These findings highlight the potential of immersive VR as a sustainable, complementary teaching tool adaptable to diverse programmes involving fieldwork. | Amy Sampson: a.sampson@gre.ac.uk |
| 1798 | Paper | Exploring student assessment literacy: how undergraduate students actualise and transform their assessment strategies Research on student assessment literacy (SAL) has explored several points of interest, from broad conceptualisations of what SAL entails, to developing SAL interventions, and evaluating the overall benefits of SAL. There has been limited SAL research, however, from the student perspective and how SAL actualises and transforms throughout the student lifecycle. Through the narratives of 22 final year undergraduate students in northern England, the present study explored SAL by focusing on student strategies in completing written coursework assessment. The context of coursework assessment provided insight into assessment practices during the interval from the issuing of the assessment to submission, and the increasing stake of university assessments from first to final year. Assessment strategies undertaken to complete coursework showcased how students perceive best practice in relation to (1) coursework preparation, (2) engaging with support and (3) engaging feedback. Findings highlight the need to centre student identity in relation to SAL actualisation and transformation, given that participants negotiated various stakes involved in university assessments, in relation their unique learner identities. Some participants exhibited minimal SAL transformation but high levels of actualisation, while others transform in relation to high stake assessment and are selective in the degree of actualisation. All methods of SAL actualisation and transformation, stem in part from students’ pre-university experiences. | Craig Morley: C.Morley@mmu.ac.uk |
| 1803 | Paper | Success in layers: how widening access students build success in their university life This study explores how students from widening access backgrounds make sense of their success in higher education. Data were collected from eight mature undergraduate students at a widening access university in England. Thematic analysis identified three interconnected layers that shape success: personal inner drivers, social co-production and institutional structures. Students described how small moments of reassurance, self-belief, and determination helped them stay motivated, while the support of family, peers and approachable staff gave them strength and confidence to continue. Institutional factors, including inclusive teaching, consistent communication and support mechanisms, either empowered or hindered their progress at times. Together, these findings show that success is not an individual act of resilience, but a shared achievement built through personal growth, supportive relationships and responsive institutional environments. The study offers practical insights for universities seeking to design policies and practices that genuinely support widening access students to not only enter higher education, but to belong, progress and succeed. | Craig Morley: C.Morley@mmu.ac.uk |
| 1810 | Opinion piece | When AI writes the dissertation: the oral defense as the last line of academic integrity Large Language Models (LLMs) have fundamentally challenged traditional methods for verifying doctoral competency, as AI-generated text has become difficult to distinguish from human scholarship. The author argues that the oral dissertation defense should evolve from a ceremonial rite of passage into a rigorous intellectual examination that serves as the primary gatekeeper for academic integrity in the AI era. Drawing on historical analysis of doctoral education from medieval oral disputations through the rise of written dissertations, the argument is made that there needs to be a paradigm shift back toward oral assessment as the most reliable measure of authentic scholarly mastery. Given the limitations of technological detection methods and the rise of humanizing AI writing, the reality is that AI assistance is playing a role in the written dissertation process. Dissertation committee members must ensure that questions asked at the dissertation defense probe a genuine understanding rather than regurgitated responses. The oral defense emerges as the adaptive response to a contemporary challenge, revealing the human capacities for critical thinking, spontaneous reasoning, and scholarly judgment that AI cannot replicate. This transformation requires reconceptualizing the committee responsibilities, with chairs serving as active guardians of academic integrity rather than passive facilitators of inevitable success. | Lee Fallin: Lee.Fallin@hull.ac.uk |
| 1815 | Paper | Promoting critical AI literacy: a UDL conceptual framework for non-technical learners This paper introduces the Inclusive Critical AI Literacy (ICAIL) Framework, a conceptual model designed to support non-technical learners in higher education. Drawing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ICAIL integrates equity, accessibility, and ethical engagement into AI literacy education. Organized into five domains – Understanding AI, Analysing and Critically Evaluating AI, Applying and Collaborating with AI, Digital Citizenship, and Social Responsibility – the framework provides actionable learning outcomes and UDL-aligned strategies. ICAIL enables educators to foster student-centered, reflective, and justice-oriented AI literacy, responding to a critical gap in current instructional models and aligning with emerging demands in AI-enhanced teaching and learning, across disciplines. ICAIL advances learning development by promoting inclusive problem-solving, metacognitive growth, and critical thinking in AI-enhanced education. This paper contributes to learning development scholarship by offering a justice-oriented approach to AI literacy for diverse learners across disciplines. | Vic Boyd: victoria.boyd@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk |
N.B. it is essential to be respectful of the writers of submissions to our journal, especially when they are at the draft stages. Please do not comment publicly on the list or elsewhere on any aspect of the paper title or abstract above.
We look forward to hearing from you!
With warm wishes on behalf of the Editorial Board,
Chad
Dr Chad McDonald
Managing Editor, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education