Training & Staff Development

Designing and delivering training, workshops and staff development sessions across higher education, commercial training and third-sector contexts - from AI literacy and learning technology to trainer development and platform onboarding.
Richard Williams delivering a training session to colleagues in a professional setting

Workshop Design · Staff Development · AI Literacy · Learning Technology Training · UCL · IKON Training · University of Suffolk

6× UCL AI workshop deliveries, Jan 2025 to present - departmental, faculty and institution-wide
Re-invited Return engagements across UCL departments, away days and institution-wide conferences
QTS Qualified Teacher Status - classroom teaching background underpins all training design
3+ contexts Training delivered across HE, commercial training and third-sector volunteering

UCL: AI Efficiency & Ethics Workshop

A practical, participatory workshop for academic and professional staff, covering how AI tools can reduce repetitive workload and improve day-to-day efficiency - while engaging honestly with the ethical, legal and academic integrity dimensions of AI use in a university context.

Workshop content

The session covers: what Microsoft Copilot is and how it differs from other AI tools; practical demonstrations across three use-case scenarios (Enhanced Search, Drafting a Response, Data Analysis and Presentation); a prompting framework (Goal + Context + Expectations + Source); responsible AI principles and UCL guidelines; and a structured discussion close.

Delivery record at UCL (January 2025 - present)
  1. January 2025 - UCL STEaPP Department, initial delivery to department staff
  2. UCL STEaPP Faculty - extended to faculty-wide audience
  3. UCL Teaching and Learning Forum - institution-wide forum
  4. UCL Teaching Administrators Conference - professional services staff across UCL
  5. UCL Department of Primary Care & Population Health Away Day - invited keynote
  6. UCL Teaching Administrators Conference - re-invited for second delivery

The series is ongoing - further deliveries scheduled into 2026.

Full workshop detail, including slides, feedback and availability, is on the Speaking & Workshops page.

Title slide: Getting the most from UCL Copilot - AI Efficiency and Ethics Workshop by Richard Williams, Learning Technologist at STEaPP Post-workshop feedback results from a UCL AI Efficiency and Ethics workshop delivery - attendees reporting improved confidence with AI tools

Workshop slide (top) and post-delivery feedback results (bottom). Attendees consistently move from uncertainty about AI tools to practical confidence in applying them.

IKON Training: Trainer Development and Platform Onboarding

At IKON Training, a significant part of my role was training the trainers - helping a team of professional training staff adopt new digital tools, understand the platforms being built for them, and develop more consistent, technology-supported delivery practices.

Trainer Development Days

I presented regularly at IKON's internal Trainer Development Days - covering how to use the technology already available to them, new platform features, digital delivery techniques, and how to make effective use of MS Teams for online training sessions. Sessions were practical, demonstration-led and designed to build confidence rather than just describe features.

An observation that informed this work: by watching trainers deliver, I identified that one trainer's unusually high feedback completion rate was the result of accidentally repositioning the end of their session in a way that primed learners for the feedback form. I worked with the Training Director to redesign lesson plans to replicate this structure across all trainers - a small instructional design insight with measurable impact on response rates.

Arlo TMS and Moodle Onboarding

As part of the IKON digital transformation project (2022-23), I designed and delivered the training programme for rolling out the new Arlo Training Management System and Moodle Academy platform. This included written guides, H5P walkthroughs, video walkthroughs and live support sessions for trainers and administrators - many of whom had limited prior experience with digital platforms.

Digital Development Strategy and Empowering eLearning Plan

The trainer development work sat within two strategic initiatives at IKON: the Digital Development Strategy (DDS), which established the digital infrastructure and platform choices, and the Empowering eLearning Plan (EEL), which drove the pedagogical development of online content, formative assessment and learner engagement. Both were delivered under my technical lead during the 2022-23 period.

Richard Williams presenting at IKON Training - demonstrating platform features and digital delivery techniques to the training team IKON Academy learning platform - the digital learning environment built and deployed at IKON Training as part of the digital transformation project

Training delivery at IKON (top) and the IKON Academy platform that the trainer onboarding supported (bottom).

University of Suffolk: Academic Staff Development

At the University of Suffolk, I led training sessions for academic staff on learning technologies - covering tools including Kahoot, Slido, Padlet and 3D printing in education. I also supported academics in learning design and content creation for the BrightSpace LMS, guiding staff who were often using digital tools seriously for the first time.

Video Assignments Project

Working with academic staff across multiple departments, I researched and implemented a video assignment workflow using Bongo's Video Assignment tools - addressing a pandemic-era gap where students needed to demonstrate presentation skills without in-person settings. I created guides for students, lecturers and administrators, designed the workflows, tested them in sandbox and live environments, and gathered qualitative feedback to improve efficiency.

The results were promoted across the university and are in use across multiple courses. Feedback from one senior lecturer: "I just wanted to say that I think Richard Williams is great and such a pleasure to work with. He's really an asset to UoS and always willing to help and problem-solve."

Tools covered in UoS training sessions

BrightSpace LMS Kahoot Slido Padlet 3D Printing in HE Bongo Video Assignments H5P

Richard Williams presenting online training sessions for the University of Suffolk - academic staff development and learning technology training

Online training delivery for University of Suffolk academic staff - covering learning design and learning technology tools.

Background: Classroom Teaching and Qualified Teacher Status

Before moving into learning technology, I spent over a decade as a classroom teacher, achieving Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in 2010. This background is not incidental - it shapes how I approach training design. I draw on formative assessment principles, learner scaffolding, needs analysis before delivery, and practical observation of what actually engages learners rather than what looks good in a plan.

Other training and facilitation work includes: robotics workshop delivery at Woodbridge School (LEGO, Arduino, Raspberry Pi); presenting at INSPÉ Lille Nord de France on digital learning design and enquiry-based robotics (2015-2018); and coaching competitive robotics teams to European and world championship level from 2013 onwards.

Available for Training and Workshop Delivery

I am available to deliver workshops, training sessions and staff development on AI in education, learning technology, Power Platform and digital transformation. Sessions are tailored to the audience - from brief introductions to half-day practical workshops.

Topics include: AI literacy and responsible use, Microsoft Copilot and AI agents in practice, prompt design, learning design for an AI context, Power Automate for professional workflows, and learner analytics. Workshop delivery record and feedback is on the Speaking & Workshops page.

Get in touch to discuss delivery