Innovative Learning Week (ILW) at the University of Edinburgh is a festival promoting creative learning through collaborative events and activities. Since 2012, it has hosted nearly 2,300 events, encouraging exploration and innovation in learning, with values centered on openness, creativity, and collaboration. The festival supports idea development through various tools, funding, and community engagement, aiming to cultivate meaningful educational experiences.

2. Innovative Learning Week is a festival at
The University of Edinburgh which inspires,
supports and celebrates creative learning.
Staff and students are
invited to explore their
learning experience
in a new way through
collaborative events and
activities over a week in
February.
Since it’s inception in
2012, staff and students
have hosted nearly
2,300 creative learning
events on campus, in the
community and all over
the world.

3. Snapshot of ILW 2016

4. We wanted to do things
differently together.

5. We started from the beginning.
Open ILW is a service design project to rethink & rebuild the strategy and support around the festival.
We ran a series of interviews and workshops to co-design a new manifesto and create series of tools and
processes with our key partners including students, academics, School Coordinators and others.

6. We put our people at the heart.
2 full time staff
3 student staff
20 School Coordinators
18 Service Coordinators
5 Festival Partners

7. We designed a
festival manifesto
together.
Provide a platform to explore and experiment with different ways of learning
and incorporate them into the wider University experience.
Explore the definition of innovation and creativity and how they can be
further supported and embedded into the learning experience.
Effectively design and deliver innovative events to share and learn new ideas.
Foster meaningful and interesting collaborations & communities to
enhance the learning experience.
Celebrate good practice already taking place and enhance its impact.
Aims The ILW Manifesto was
created through a series of
workshops, interviews and
research conducted with our
community of staff, students
and community partners.
Of those surveyed, those
involved in ILW agreed that
we achieved the aims we set
to accomplish.

8. Our values
OPENNESS
CREATIVITY
EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING
CELEBRATORY
EXPERIMENTATION
COLLABORATION
an open mindset and curiosity for
innovation
be open to taking risks and how it’s
relevant across the University
gaining new skills and broaden your
mind within different contexts
celebrate the University community and
how it brings amazing research, teaching
and learning together
be open to taking risks and how it’s relevant
across the University
creating meaningful connections between
different parts of the University

9. We used our values to
shape our process.
The most exciting thing for me
was that I really tried to embrace
the values of ILW, I didn’t sit
behind the computer and mock
up these scenarios instead I got
stuck in, built physical sets, threw
confetti and got frustrated at a
slinky that wouldn’t go where it
was supposed to. The Ideas in
Play approach to design was
challenging at times but massively
rewarding.
David McNaughton,
Graphic Designer

10. We created a structure to
support ideas.
ILW is not just about hosting events,
but supporting them from when they
are an idea to long after. Therefore
we wanted to channel that ILW
supports the pipeline of innovation -
from meet-ups and online communities
to more self-directed support.
ILW Meet-ups - monthly meet-ups on topics such as ideas
development, event design, promotion, impact and legacy to
help event organisers turn their ideas into a reality.
ILW tools - a series of service design tools to help people turn
their ideas into a festival event.
ILW Handbook - a guide of all things festival related including
deadlines, directory of logistical help and tools for making
ideas into events.
ILW Basecamp - an online community for event organisers
& School Coordinators to ask questions, meet others and get
useful information in a timely way.
ILW Funding - a small funding pot of £300 for each festival
event that align with the mission of ILW.

11. We found new ways
to tell our story and
build a community.
Our tools for
storytelling
Short films
ILW 16 Newspaper
Handbook
Events calendar
Communications toolkit
Highly active social
media channels
High level brand
which aligned with
our manifesto
Communications &
marketing strategy
for the University
and city audiences
Outreach across the
University

12. We curated
the programme.
The 2016 theme Ideas in Play
was an open invitation to start,
make, design, try and build
communities around your
ideas.
Innovation is a process and
more often than not - the
process is more valuable than
the finished product. Not only
are ideas constantly at play
and in movement, but they
require imagination, creativity
and openness.

13. Openness
An open mindset and curiosity for
innovation
Echoes of Edinburgh: A 24 hour
magazine project by Retrospect
Journal, the student society
Started in ILW in 2012, award-winning
Retrospect’s event was filled with writing,
editing, designing and publishing a
magazine, alongside a 24 hour radio
broadcast from FreshAir. The day hosted
talks by experts in the publishing industry
and workshops on topics such as online
publishing and podcasting to enhance digital
communications skills.
This event […] marked a considerable achievement having been coordinated and led entirely by student
volunteers and, given the high number of the external guests involved prior and during these events, allowed
us to operate as positive and impressive ambassadors for the university. We feel this event exhibited the key
aim of ILW 2016 - ideas were most certainly at play.
(Echoes of Ed. student event organiser)
ILW
AWARD
WINNER
ILW Team
Choice Award

14. Collaboration
Creating meaningful connections between different parts of the University
Draw-ing(s) : The Art of
Chromatography (Workshop &
Exhibition)
This two-day practical workshop was a
collaboration between Chemistry and
Contemporary Art. They explored contemporary
art work through “column chromatography”,
developing ways to separate these inks on
silica substrates.
We exchanged knowledge from our own
practice and shared information, as an
artist I learnt in more detail about a specific
technical process. As chemists they are left
with a question as to how my work is being
made and what effect a specific material I
use is having - this is nice as it opens up
possibilities for further investigations.
(Felicity Bristow, event organiser)
ILW
AWARD
WINNER
Most
Collaborative

15. Creativity
Be open to taking risks and how it’s
relevant across the University
Board Game Jam
The event was a collaboration between
Projects and Innovation, Research and
Learning Services, Library and University
Collections and Information Services. It was
a hands-on workshop where the participants
were guided through all the steps of creating
a new board game.
[The event went] very well - groups
created four games and used several
images from the [library] collections. All
games were openly licensed. [...] Thank
you for giving me the opportunity to
run this event! It was great fun and very
rewarding.
(Gavin Willshaw, Board Game Jam event
staff organiser)
ILW
AWARD
WINNER
Most
Creative

16. Experimentation
Doing, building and prototyping
ideas in a supportive environment
iGEM Sandpit and
Bio-hackathon
This annual ILW hackathon is
designed to break down the
barriers between coders and
biologists through collaborating on
programming and design projects
relevant to challenges in biology
and laboratory science. Over the
week participants are encouraged
to explore and develop project ideas
into an entry for the iGEM 2016 world
competition and work on the project
over the summer.
The entire iGEM concept is
focused on developing concrete
solutions to real world problems
or innovating new art, design
or technological projects while
having FUN!!!
(iGEM event attendee)ILW
AWARD
WINNER
ILW Team
Choice Award
PLAY
IDEASIN
AWARD

17. Experiential Learning
Gaining new skills and broaden your mind within different contexts
Smart Data Hack
Started in ILW 2013, this event
runs for the whole 5 days of ILW.
It is still about working together
to create innovative responses to
real-world challenges, drawing
on your team’s combined skills
in digital technology, business
analysis, ethnography and design.
One of the factors that impedes students from different schools working together is the lack of a shared
language, but the Smart Data Hack barely lasts long enough to start bridging the cultural barriers. In response
to this challenge, and in collaboration with colleagues from Edinburgh Living Lab, I’ve launched a new SCQF
level 8 course, Data, Design and Society.[...] The more leisurely framework of a 20 credit course is proving
much more conducive to student teams developing the degree of trust and understanding required for working
effectively across disciplines.
(Prof Ewan Klein, co-founder & organiser of Smart Data Hack)
ILW
AWARD
WINNER
ILW Team
Choice Award

18. Celebratory
celebrate the University community and
how it brings amazing research, teaching
and learning together
TEDxUniversityofEdinburgh’s 5th annual ILW
conference was a one-day event of compelling local
and international speakers; utilising a diverse roster
of speakers, performances and pre-recorded TED
Talks to explore a rich array of ideas and thinking,
key to our desire to spread worthwhile ideas.
This year, the theme was ‘Connecting the Dots’
and in addition to speakers, attendees had the
opportunity to explore a diversity of engaging
and interactive spaces. These spaces included
showcasing some of the amazing work that had
been made during ILW 2016 already, making it a
chance for us to display ILW and its values to the
Tedx audience.
Our festival partners Edinburgh Student Arts Festival
and ASCUS displayed their work and engagement too.
ILW
AWARD
WINNER
ILW team
choice award
MOSTIMPACT
AWARD

19. It’s been a real pleasure to work on ILW
over the past few years and witness
its evolution to the well organised and
professional festival it is today!
You are all a great team!
(ILW School Coordinator)

20. The Future
We are currently planning for
a festival of creative learning
for 2017 and beyond. Check
out our website for future
updates.

21. The publication is available online at www.ed.ac.uk/innovative-learning.It can also be made available in alternative formats on request.
All photos and images used in this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of The University of Edinburgh.
© The University of Edinburgh 2016 / The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.