Do you wonder if there are better ways of going about your teaching and/or assessment practices? Perhaps you would like to learn more about current thinking and best practice in teaching, learning, technology and assessment in higher education? Maybe you are interested in gaining a Level 9 qualification in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education? If so, you might consider participating in the MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education that is offered by the Teaching and Learning Unit. In Semester 1 2023/24, the TLU will be offering the following modules which may be of interest to you: EDUC9043: Teaching and Learning in Higher Education EDUC9046: Curriculum Design & Evaluation EDUC9050: Mentoring in HE EDUC9016: Education Research Proposal This information session provided an overview and introduction to the programme, more detailed information about the programme itself including options to step off with a Level 9 Certificate or Level 9 Postgraduate Diploma and will explain how to apply.

"The TLU have developed a CPD programme entitled EAT-PD: Enabling Academic Transitions through Professional Development Programme, aimed at new and early career academic staff, i.e., staff that have been teaching full-time for three years or less (or some equivalent). This programme enables staff relatively new to teaching to develop their competencies in the classroom. The focus of this programme is to expose staff to a range of research-based teaching strategies that can be used to enhance lectures and support learning. The purpose of this session was to provide more information about the programme, including more details about the programme itself as well as information on how to apply."

As part of MTU’s commitment to excel in teaching, research and development work, for the benefit of staff, students, industry and the wider community, MTU is offering staff the opportunity for professional recognition of their teaching practice and leadership.

"Learning communities provide a space and a structure for people to align around a shared goal. Effective communities are both aspirational and practical. They connect people, organisations, and systems that are eager to learn and work across boundaries, all the while holding members accountable to a common agenda, metrics, and outcomes. These communities enable participants to share results and learn from each other, thereby improving their ability to achieve rapid yet significant progress. Over the last three years, the TLU have initiated and supported over 30 learning communities across MTU. This seminar provided a short update from each of our learning communities which highlighted their successes and challenges. The session was also useful to those wishing to learn more about the benefits of initiating or joining learning communities in MTU."

"Learning communities serve many functions in education. They allow for the sharing of ideas, the standardisation of practices and the presentation of new solutions and insights. They can also enhance teamwork and collaboration, as well as reduce individual workloads within and across departments and schools. In the last 2 years the TLU have supported the creation and development of over 20 Learning Communities across MTU Cork. This session allowed them to share their experiences and gave those interested in developing their own LC an understanding of how the TLU can help support and fund their ideas."

Are you curious about how coaching can be applied in the context of higher education? Have you heard about MTU Cork’s Coaching in Higher Education course? If so, then this is the seminar for you!! Since 2019, MTU Cork staff have been offered the opportunity to attend our European Coaching and Mentoring Council (EMCC) accredited Coaching in Higher Education course and potentially achieve individual EMCC Foundation Level Coaching Accreditation through this programme. To date, the above course has been run 6 times and has attracted over 90 staff from both academic and professional management support areas. The course runs over 5 weeks and typically takes place on Friday afternoons, it consists of 5 modules with each module requiring a weekly commitment of 2.5 hours, and planning is underway for the next iteration which will take place in semester 2. The goal of this session was to raise awareness of how coaching principles and skills can and are being used in MTU Cork and to gain some insights from the following colleagues who have already participated in the course: Gail Cotter Buckley, Tourism and Hospitality, MTU Cork Sarah Culhane, Accounting and Information Systems, MTU Cork Dr. Ciara Glasheen Artem, Orchestral Studies, MTU Cork Catherine O’Mahony, Tourism and Hospitality, MTU Cork Michelle Collins, Marketing and International Business, MTU Cork They spoke about their experience and shared: Why they decided to enrol in the course What they learnt from the experience How they are applying what they’ve learned to their teaching, learning, assessment and student engagement practice And, of course, participants also had the opportunity to pose a few questions of their own. .