News25 March 2025
The agenda for TASO’s Annual Conference: ‘How to evaluate’ is now live.
Join us at the University of Warwick on 29–30 April for two days of practical sessions, sector insights and peer-to-peer learning designed to support your evaluation practice and connect you with colleagues across the sector.
This year’s agenda includes:
- Practical breakout sessions tackling common evaluation challenges
- Updates on TASO’s latest research and resources
- Keynotes exploring the policy landscape and future of higher education
- Interactive workshops designed to get you sharing ideas and solutions
There will also be facilitated networking opportunities with attendees and TASO staff, including ‘home groups’. All attendees will be assigned to a small home group that will meet briefly after every plenary session, giving the opportunity for networking, peer-to-peer discussion and reflection. TASO colleagues will also join these home groups.
Agenda: Tuesday 29 April
- 9:30–10:00: Arrival and registration
- 10:00–10:05: Opening and welcome remarks
- 10:05–10:25: Transforming Tomorrow: TASO and the global evidence revolution
- TASO is part of a global movement to drive better use of evidence. Hear about how TASO came into being, what we’ve achieved so far, and what needs to happen next for higher education evaluation to drive meaningful change.
- 10:45–11:30: Breakout sessions
- Session 1: Achieving impact through evaluation
- How can we ensure our findings are impactful? The evidence created through evaluation has the potential to lead to direct change in policy and practice, but practitioners often face barriers in getting to this stage. This panel discussion will bring together experts in evaluation to discuss the regular challenges in securing buy-in and advocating for change, and how you can approach these for a greater chance of success.
- Session 2: Engaging students meaningfully
- How can we ensure we are reaching students in our outreach? This panel discussion will look at different approaches that can be used to promote student participation and the inclusion of student voice in projects.
- Session 1: Achieving impact through evaluation
- 11:30–12:00: Break
- 12:00–12:40: Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL)
- The Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL) will support the sharing of evidence and evaluation in relation to equality of opportunity in higher education. The Office for Students is funding TASO to establish this library which will be hosted and developed by the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT). Hear an update from TASO and HEAT on the development of the HEEL, including the opportunity for attendees to be consulted as part of ongoing development.
- 12.45–13:30: Lunch
- 13:30–14:00: Keynote: Higher education in 2025
- In this keynote, you’ll hear insight into the current situation for higher education, and the direction we can expect to see at a senior level over the next year, including key economic and policy drivers. Come along to understand how your work fits into this wider context, and how it continues to be important.
- 14.00–16:30: Breakout sessions
- Session 1: Evaluation across the sector
- A fast-paced session during which you’ll hear from others in the sector about their experiences of facing and overcoming challenges in evaluation.
- Session 2/3: Interactive problem-solving
- Work in small groups to get stuck into the nitty gritty of evaluation by tackling mini evaluation problems set by TASO.
- Session 1: Evaluation across the sector
- 16:30–17:30: Poster room and networking
- Come along to this knowledge exchange and networking session where you’ll be able to speak to other higher education providers about interventions they are delivering and considering. Find out how to submit a poster here
- 17:30–18:30: Break
- 18:30–19:30: Drinks reception
- 19.30–21:30: Dinner with keynote speaker
Agenda: Wednesday 30 April
- 8:30–9:30: Arrival, networking and registration for day pass attendees
- 9:30–9:40: Opening and welcome
- 9.40–10:00: Keynote
- 10:00–11:00: Pathways into and through higher education for young people with experience of children’s social care
- Our recent report with Rees Centre examined the educational pathways of students with experience of children’s social care, using newly linked datasets. In this session, we will give an overview of the findings and discuss key recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, with a chance for the audience to ask questions of the panel.
- 11:00–11:30: Break
- 11:30–12:30: TASO live work mini-tours
- The TASO team will take you on a mini-tour of some of TASO’s key projects and resources which can help you provide high-quality evaluation. This session will allow everyone to refresh their understanding of what TASO has to offer.
- 12.30–13:30: Lunch
- 13.30–15:00: Breakout sessions
- Session 1: Guide to RCTs
- In this re-run of our popular 2024 conference session, we will explore the practical considerations of how to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Delegates will engage in a live RCT simulation to grasp key concepts of ethical considerations, randomisation methods, sample size determinations, and resource allocation. The session will conclude with an audience Q&A.
- Session 2: Tackling the common challenges in evaluation
- An interactive session: join themed discussion groups with other delegates to discuss how to overcome the biggest challenges in evaluation.
- Session 1: Guide to RCTs
- 15:00–15:30: Break
- 15:30–16:15: The role of contextualised admissions
- Are contextualised admissions effective in supporting more students from underserved backgrounds to attend higher education, or do they represent a lowering of academic standards? In this panel session, key players in the sector will make the case for and against contextualised admissions, and debate their usage.