"Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of social constructivism highlighted the importance of the contribution of others to every individual’s learning. With the increasing use of ICT and the internet, learning communities can expand beyond geographical limitations leading to new and exciting educational dimensions and learning opportunities across schools, colleges, communities and cultures. The term ‘learning community’ has become increasingly common in education usage and can mean many different things, from bringing members of the local community in to the college to collaborative learning among students or lecturers. Colleges today are complex, interwoven, interactive environments where learning flourishes when there is a spirit of openness and transparency and where lecturers are more likely to adopt a collegial approach incorporating shared leadership and authority thereby facilitating the work of the students. In colleges that are learning communities, everyone is a learner, and everyone is a teacher. This seminar explored how a coaching skill set can be used to enable learning institutions to develop the skills of enquiry, collaboration, sharing of practice and critically evaluate beliefs about teaching and learning. The overall aim of the seminar was to enhance the quality of professional communication and dialogue one of the four domains underpinned by the National Professional Development framework’s values. The seminar employed a blended learning approach involving experiential learning techniques complimented by facilitated debriefs, group discussions and short presentations. The main objectives of this seminar were that participants would have: Deepened their understanding of the nature and benefits of peer coaching. Gained a heightened awareness of how coaching skills can be used to enhance individual and group learning. Gained insight into how a departmental wide peer mentoring model is evolving in CIT. Increased their knowledge and expertise in the use of coaching skills in their professional roles. Have practiced their coaching skills in challenging situations. Constructed an action plan to utilise the workshop content to improve their peer coaching skills so they can better support their peers and engage in purposeful conversations regarding professional development, development of learning communities and communities of practice."

CIT’s Teaching & Learning Unit (TLU) launched an inaugural call in 2018 to develop and support a number of Learning Communities (LCs) across the institute and is currently working with 13 emerging LCs from across the institute as a direct result of this call. LCs facilitate the exchange of good teaching and learning ideas amongst its members and provide a platform for professional discussions and sharing of practices. This workshop enabled these emerging LCs to: Showcase their vision and ideas for both their short- and long-term ambitions Show how their activities are influencing teaching and learning in their respective disciplines. An open invitation was extended to all CIT staff to attend what turned out to be a lively and thought-provoking session where they heard more about our LCs and found out how to: Develop a new LC or Create partnerships with existing ones

Cork Institute of Technology and Griffith College Cork came together to organise this seminar to examine digital teaching tools for Mathematics in Higher Education. The focus of this seminar was to explore and champion effective digital tools and technologies in the teaching of Mathematics in Higher Education in Ireland and to create an opportunity for networking and initiation of collaborative relationships in this area. It provided hands on experience of educational technology in Mathematics for participants and provided a forum for exploring challenges, exchanging ideas and disseminating practices. Talks/workshops included: Dr Maria Meehan, UCD, who discussed her experience of the use of technology in teaching Mathematics. CIT’s Technology Enhanced Learning Department who discussed Teaching Mathematics using virtual and augmented reality. Lightning Talks from participants who use education technology in their Higher Education Maths classroom/lecture who shared their experience with others Parallel Workshops on Mathematics e-assessment using Numbas catering for beginners and more advanced users.

"Our classrooms have become more diverse and complex in terms of both student culture and ability, but the question is, do students see themselves reflected in our practice? This workshop provided participants with an introduction to UDL (Universal Design for Learning) as a model for Inclusive Practice that provides a framework to manage diversity to include all students. It explored the complexity that is implicit in the idea of inclusion especially when supporting students. Some practical tools and strategies were identified that benefit not only students with a disability, but all students in the long run. The workshop was targeted at all CIT staff, and participants: Gained an understanding of what is meant by inclusion and Universal Design for Learning Engaged in practical activities where consideration is given to how designing a learning environment that is inclusive of a more diverse student population. Used the UDL model to design an inclusive learning environment. Considered how to create an Inclusive campus Gained an insight of the work of CIT's Disability Support Service and their work on the use of reasonable accommodations in a more strategic and inclusive manner."

"How can we design assessment tasks, so they inspire our students to learn? How can we use assessment to enthuse our learners, and keep them engaged? What are the processes which underpin effective feedback and what are some of the barriers and challenges we face in helping students’ uptake of feedback? How can we approach feedback so that it is meaningful and useful to students, but manageable for ourselves? How far and in what ways do we involve students in the process of evaluative judgment, so they learn to see how they are going while they are working on tasks? These are some of the questions and issues that were explored and discussed in this interactive seminar on engaging students in assessment and feedback processes. Participants who attended this: Explored key principles underpinning the design of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in Higher Education (Sambell et al, 2013), which include assessment for and as learning; Discussed the benefits, challenges and strategies colleagues in different disciplines use to engage learners as productively as possible in assessment and feedback processes; Gained access to practical AfL resources, shared ideas with each other and considered pragmatic tactics to develop students’ assessment and feedback literacy."

Supporting and enhancing the undergraduate and postgraduate student experience throughout the student lifecycle is a critical activity in higher education not only to aid retention and progression but in a highly competitive higher education (HE) market, the quality of the student experience is pivotal in HE institution’s attracting students. In recent years, research and initiatives have tended to focus on the first-year student experience (i.e. those entering year one of a course with subsequent years being neglected), or learning and teaching, and assessment and feedback. However, although the first year is crucial in helping to embed students into their studies, it is essential to support students in a joined-up approach across academic and non-academic spheres in, through and out of the study journey to aid student engagement, wellbeing, progression, attainment and success. This seminar looked at the key transitions in the study journey and focused on and suggested ways that institutions can create excellence in their delivery of a high-quality student experience from raising aspirations to entry preparation and throughout each level of study. Participants who attended this seminar: Examined the student lifecycle, identified key transition points and their associated challenges Explored possibilities for enhancing student engagement and better preparing students at each stage from first year induction to ‘outduction’ Were introduced to and explored the ‘Student Experience Transitions Model’ that interlinks the key activities of academic, welfare and support. The model provides a framework for colleagues to organise and map out the various types of support required for different students at particular times throughout their journey at university or college; Shared practice with colleagues from other institutions and make connections for collaborative projects Had a facilitated discussion on how student engagement might be best enhanced at different stages from Pre-entry to Post-graduation.

“Students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers” (Boud, 2001). Peer Learning can significantly assist students in the transition into and throughout higher education and strongly motivates learning and enhances student success. This workshop explored the role of Peers in providing a holistic, value-added and enriched student experience. It provided answers to some of the following questions: What is the role of the Peer? How do you select Peers to be involved in structured support? What are the boundaries? What will be the benefits? This workshop was interactive and encouraged participants to consider different approaches to using Peers to support students."

"Assessment is probably the most important thing we can do to help our students learn. Traditionally, our assessment practices tend to be summative, for the purposes of progression and completion, rather than formative, for the purposes of improving instruction and student learning. If assessment is to be an integral part of student learning, formative assessment must be at the heart of the process. Formative assessment refers to a wide variety of methods that educators can use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, module, or programme. Formative assessments help educators identify concepts that students are struggling to understand, skills they are having difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not yet achieved so that adjustments can be made to lessons, instructional techniques, and academic support. If we wish to use assessment as a tool to enhance student learning the provision of formative feedback is crucial. We need to help students understand not only where they have gone wrong, but also what they need to do to improve and when they have done well, we need to help them understand what is good about their work and how they can build on it and develop further. This workshop was aimed at all academic staff, whether new to the whole notion of formative assessment and feedback, or those who wanted to improve their feedback practice to students, or those looking for innovative ideas on how to enhance their current practices. It provided participants with an opportunity to think about the benefits of formative assessment and providing formative feedback to learners and an opportunity to examine some case studies of how this can be done in practice."

"Assessment is a complex, nuanced and highly important process and if we want students to engage fully, we must make it really meaningful to them and convince them that there is merit in the activities we ask them to undertake. To focus students’ effort and improve their engagement with learning, we need to take a fresh look at our current practice to make sure assessment is for rather than just of learning, with students learning while they are being assessed rather than it being merely a summative end process. We also need to ensure that we provide explicit and implicit messages to students and indeed all other stakeholders about how we assess. By the end of this workshop, participants had had opportunities to: Consider how to make assessment truly integrated with the learning process; Review what kinds of feedback can be helpful to students in achieving their potential; Discuss how to make assessment manageable without losing the learning payoff that fit-for-purpose assessment can bring."

How can we inspire our students to learn? How can we engage them, and keep them engaged? How best can we use the tools available to us in this digital age to enthuse them? What are the processes which underpin successful learning now? How can we ourselves be inspired and enthused, so that we enjoy our work as teachers more than ever? These are some of the questions that were explored in this interactive workshop on learning and teaching in the 21st Century. By the end of this workshop, participants had: Explored some answers to the questions above, and thought of better ones; Shared ideas with each other and with Phil; Discussed the need to re-invent feedback and assessment for the 21st Century

"If we want to improve students’ engagement with learning, a key focus of enhancement can be refreshing our approaches to assessment. Sometimes we need to take a fresh look at our current practice to ensure assessment is for rather than just of learning. In addition, we as educators in higher education understand the importance of giving good feedback to students, both to maximize achievement and to support retention. Research in the field suggests that good feedback has a significant impact on student achievement, enabling students to become adept at judging the quality of their own work during its production. In this workshop, the following aspects of assessment were considered: Fit for purpose assessment: designing assessments to promote student learning Assessing more students: ways of using productive assessment with large numbers Assessing first-year students well to promote retention Streamlining assessment: giving feedback effectively and efficiently"

"This seminar introduced participants to the flipped classroom: a pedagogical model used to engage students in active learning, where there is a greater focus on students’ application of conceptual knowledge rather than factual recall. In particular, this seminar showcased some of the results from the Flipped Classroom Initiative that ran in CIT during the semester. It was a chance for participants to engage with colleagues within the institute who have participated in this initiative and to gain valuable insight into their experiences. The aims of this seminar were to: Explain the concept of a flipped classroom Explain the advantages/disadvantages of the flipped classroom approach Understand how the flipped classroom approach can be applied to a variety of disciplines"

"The power of assessment and feedback within the learning process has been recognised for many years and yet the paradigms that currently frame assessment leave students in a passive role and still largely focus on accreditation. This situation needs to be challenged through the development of assessment literacy of both staff and students which, in turn will make new approaches to assessment and feedback possible. This seminar discussed the nature of assessment literacy, why it is important, how it has the potential to reshape our thinking about assessment and feedback and how it supports the development of student learning. Participants were invited to take part in activities designed to allow them to share their expertise, review their practices and take away new ideas. The aim of the seminar was to: Explain the concept of assessment literacy Describe the contribution assessment literacy can make to supporting student learning Identify key initiatives that support the development of assessment literacy"

Many lectures can be designed to follow a similar structure and being aware of this structure can help you to design effective lectures. In this session we will look at some recommended practices for structuring a typical lecture. A central aim is to engage those students that attend so that learners leave with the feeling that the lecture was worth attending.

Many lectures can be designed to follow a similar structure and being aware of this structure can help you to design effective lectures. In this session we will look at some recommended practices for structuring a typical lecture. A central aim is to engage those students that attend so that learners leave with the feeling that the lecture was worth attending.

"Team based learning (TBL) is an instructional method that puts students into roles of greater autonomy and responsibility for their learning. Groups are collections of individuals. Teams are groups who have developed a shared purpose and sense of collective responsibility. Groups evolve into teams when an instructor creates the proper conditions for effective collaboration. Well-designed tasks plus strategic course design create the conditions and environment that teach group members to listen to one another, value each other's contributions, learn from mistakes, rein in ineffective behaviour, and eventually trust in the team's ability to outperform any given individual. Tom outlined how weekly individual lab exercises were replaced with a semester-long team project and the impact that has had on student learning."

Using phenomenological and performative action research methods as a way to explore space, place and context Collette and Bill outlined their recent research projects and showed how the research outcomes were introduced into the Year 1 curriculum.

"Work placement is, at this stage, a mandatory element of many programmes within CIT and as such poses many challenges for those involved in the process, i.e. staff, students and potential employers. Catherine and Denise have been focusing on enhancing the work placement process within the Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Information Systems programme within their Department and in this session will discuss some of the developments that they have introduced."

"Designing and managing in-class discussions is more challenging than the pause procedure or minute paper, but there is convincing evidence that collaborative learning works. This session will model an in-class discussion and discuss some of the evidence that supports this strategy."

"Designing and managing in-class discussions is more challenging than the pause procedure or minute paper, but there is convincing evidence that collaborative learning works. This session will model an in-class discussion and discuss some of the evidence that supports this strategy."

"The spacing effect refers to the process of spacing a topic that is to be learned over time, rather than teaching the topic in an intensive session. The implication for our modules is that rather than teaching all of LO1 in weeks 1 and 2 (for example) we should consider if it is possible to divide the topic and teach some in week 1 and then revisit (perhaps in greater depth) later on in the semester. The topic is then spaced out over the semester. The available evidence tells us that this is a more effective strategy. This session will explore this strategy in more detail and present some of the evidence that supports this strategy"

"The spacing effect refers to the process of spacing a topic that is to be learned over time, rather than teaching the topic in an intensive session. The implication for our modules is that rather than teaching all of LO1 in weeks 1 and 2 (for example) we should consider if it is possible to divide the topic and teach some in week 1 and then revisit (perhaps in greater depth) later on in the semester. The topic is then spaced out over the semester. The available evidence tells us that this is a more effective strategy. This session will explore this strategy in more detail and present some of the evidence that supports this strategy"

"Having students retrieve information from long-term memory on a regular basis, is known to have a positive impact on learning. This is especially true when learners need to put a bit of effort into that retrieval process. Hence providing opportunities for learners to take tests (e.g. computer based multiple choice tests) can be a very effective strategy. This session will examine some of the evidence in favour of testing and discuss options for using this strategy."

"Having students retrieve information from long-term memory on a regular basis, is known to have a positive impact on learning. This is especially true when learners need to put a bit of effort into that retrieval process. Hence providing opportunities for learners to take tests (e.g. computer based multiple choice tests) can be a very effective strategy. This session will examine some of the evidence in favour of testing and discuss options for using this strategy."

"The generation effect refers to a broad range of techniques that require learners to generate information on a topic e.g. create a presentation or predict an outcome. There is a growing body of evidence which shows that having learners generate information is more effective than if they simply read the information. This session will review this body of evidence and discuss ways in which we could incorporate this strategy into our day-to-day teaching."

"The generation effect refers to a broad range of techniques that require learners to generate information on a topic e.g. create a presentation or predict an outcome. There is a growing body of evidence which shows that having learners generate information is more effective than if they simply read the information. This session will review this body of evidence and discuss ways in which we could incorporate this strategy into our day-to-day teaching."

"The teaching strategy peer instruction was popularised by Eric Mazur to support the teaching of physics to undergraduate students at Harvard and is now one of the most widely used instructional strategies in undergraduate physics education. It has wide applicability outside of the physics discipline. This session will demonstrate peer instruction in action and discuss some of the evidence in favour of its effectiveness."

"The teaching strategy peer instruction was popularised by Eric Mazur to support the teaching of physics to undergraduate students at Harvard and is now one of the most widely used instructional strategies in undergraduate physics education. It has wide applicability outside of the physics discipline. This session will demonstrate peer instruction in action and discuss some of the evidence in favour of its effectiveness."

A lecture is only effective if the majority of the class understand the material. Yet, asking a class “Do you understand?” is often ineffective, for a variety of reasons, including social anxieties and the fact that learners may not realise what they don’t understand. This session will explore the types of questions we should be asking our learners and the types of questions to avoid. Certain ways of asking questions are also much more effective and less threatening than others. The session will provide examples of these techniques in action.

One of the factors that has a big impact on positive student evaluations of teaching is course organisation. In this session we will explore some ideas related to course organisation including the need to reimagine our topics from the perspective of someone who has never encountered them before, focus on core ideas and principles and relationships between those principles and the need to revisit difficult concepts over time. Defining intended learning outcomes for lectures and linking these to module learning outcomes and past lectures helps students to see the course structure and organisation.