Learning Communities 2022: Update on established and emerging LCs in MTU
"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."
"This one-day course was designed for education professionals who work closely with those who have dyscalculia either in a teaching or supporting role or those who wish to develop their own knowledge and understanding of the area. The one-day course had a particular focus on identifying dyscalculia in learners in a post 16 setting. By the end of the one-day course, participants got an understanding of:
What is Dyscalculia?
How is dyscalculia different from maths learning difficulties?
How can dyscalculia and maths learning difficulties be identified in Post 16 learners?
What is maths anxiety?
What is good practice in supporting learners with dyscalculia?
"
"This one-day course was designed for education professionals who work closely with those who have dyscalculia either in a teaching or supporting role or those who wish to develop their own knowledge and understanding of the area. The one-day course had a particular focus on identifying dyscalculia in learners in a post 16 setting. By the end of the one-day course, participants got an understanding of:
What is Dyscalculia?
How is dyscalculia different from maths learning difficulties?
How can dyscalculia and maths learning difficulties be identified in Post 16 learners?
What is maths anxiety?
What is good practice in supporting learners with dyscalculia?
"
UDL@MTU - Universal Design for Learning: From Zero to Superhero
In this seminar, we outlined the principles of UDL focusing on the why, how and what of learning. We shared with you our experiences of completing the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education’s (NFETLHE’s) UDL Digital Badge which we completed during the 2020-21 academic year. We provided an insight into what was involved and how it has impacted our thinking and practice in MTU.
Active Learning: The Way Forward for 21st Century Learners
"This workshop briefly described the why and what of Active Learning. Members of the Active Learning Movement shared their experiences and key learnings.
This was a great opportunity to learn from others about what active learning practices work in the MTU context. The perils, positives and possibilities of Active Learning were also be discussed and developed in this interactive and engaging workshop.
"
"Writing a thesis is a huge undertaking and one that often overwhelms doctoral candidates. Many students struggle at this stage, experience writer’s block, delay writing and in some cases fail to submit at all. Supervisors can play a crucial role in this stage of the PhD. This seminar looks at the strategies supervisors can employ to help their student complete and submit their thesis.
In this seminar, Hugh Kearns facilitated a discussion of:
The writing challenges faced by late-stage doctoral students.
How supervisors can support students in these challenges.
Developing a writing plan and completion plan with the student
Providing critical and constructive feedback
Supporting the student when the going gets tough
The problems experienced by supervisors and potential solutions
On completion of the workshop, participants can now:
Implement strategies for providing writing feedback to students.
Diagnose common problems that need to be resolved in the final draft.
Provide support for the emotional challenges of writing up.
Offer advice on writing productivity to doctoral students"
"Writing a thesis is a huge undertaking and one that often overwhelms doctoral candidates. Many students struggle at this stage, experience writer’s block, delay writing and in some cases fail to submit at all. Supervisors can play a crucial role in this stage of the PhD. This seminar looks at the strategies supervisors can employ to help their student complete and submit their thesis.
In this seminar, Hugh Kearns facilitated a discussion of:
The writing challenges faced by late-stage doctoral students.
How supervisors can support students in these challenges.
Developing a writing plan and completion plan with the student
Providing critical and constructive feedback
Supporting the student when the going gets tough
The problems experienced by supervisors and potential solutions
On completion of the workshop, participants can now:
Implement strategies for providing writing feedback to students.
Diagnose common problems that need to be resolved in the final draft.
Provide support for the emotional challenges of writing up.
Offer advice on writing productivity to doctoral students"
"Writing a thesis is a huge undertaking and one that often overwhelms doctoral candidates. Many students struggle at this stage, experience writer’s block, delay writing and in some cases fail to submit at all. Supervisors can play a crucial role in this stage of the PhD. This seminar looks at the strategies supervisors can employ to help their student complete and submit their thesis.
In this seminar, Hugh Kearns facilitated a discussion of:
The writing challenges faced by late-stage doctoral students.
How supervisors can support students in these challenges.
Developing a writing plan and completion plan with the student
Providing critical and constructive feedback
Supporting the student when the going gets tough
The problems experienced by supervisors and potential solutions
On completion of the workshop, participants can now:
Implement strategies for providing writing feedback to students.
Diagnose common problems that need to be resolved in the final draft.
Provide support for the emotional challenges of writing up.
Offer advice on writing productivity to doctoral students"
"In a typically busy academic semester, lecturers and students are naturally focused on delivering and consuming course material and content. Consequently, neither rarely have the time to stop and consider whether the necessary tools are being utilised to promote long term durable learning. Accessing these learning tools is easier than one might think and simple implementable strategies which are backed by decades of research can dramatically improve learning.
This interactive session focused on a simple case study which showed how effective the introduction of simple practices can be in facilitating effective learning. Attendees learned how to apply these tools in their own courses and modules and will also got to see what students felt about adopting these new practices."
In a typically busy academic semester, lecturers and students are naturally focused on delivering and consuming course material and content. Consequently, neither rarely have the time to stop and consider whether the necessary tools are being utilised to promote long term durable learning. Accessing these learning tools is easier than one might think and simple implementable strategies which are backed by decades of research can dramatically improve learning.
This interactive session focused on a simple case study which showed how effective the introduction of simple practices can be in facilitating effective learning. Attendees learned how to apply these tools in their own courses and modules and will also got to see what students felt about adopting these new practices.
Developing Engineering Competencies in Industry for Undergraduates
"This seminar presents an innovative approach to enhancing engineering competencies through the parallel delivery of a capstone project and professional work placement elements in the final year of an undergraduate programme.
Nationally, it is recognised that engineering students require more development of skills to be “culturally fit” engineering professionals. In order to achieve this, a longer placement was incorporated into MTU Cork’s Chemical Engineering programme with this industrial interface being leveraged to identify capstone projects, hosted in industry, for students to complete in parallel with their placement. Thereby providing students with more industrial exposure and developing more “culturally fit” employable graduates with general and transferrable skills as well as the necessary engineering knowledge. Since the adoption of these industrially hosted modules a repeated review process, facilitated by MTU Cork's AnSEO – The Student Engagement Office, has allowed “fine-tuning” of the approach and provided an improved student experience. This review process creates a constructive environment in which individual student voices can be heard alongside those of faculty.
MTU Cork has created an enhanced experiential learning experience for its final year students and provided a vehicle to pilot methods for student-staff collaboration supporting the shared refinement of both placement and the capstone project. The benefit to industry is a structured longer placement (in line with international policy) to develop “culturally-fit” graduates. The impact on student success is notaView ble in that in excess of 90% employment levels have been observed in the graduate classes of 2018 and 2019. The student voice of their experiences substantiates the experiential and structured learning of these students"
Developing Engineering Competencies in Industry for Undergraduates
"This seminar presents an innovative approach to enhancing engineering competencies through the parallel delivery of a capstone project and professional work placement elements in the final year of an undergraduate programme.
Nationally, it is recognised that engineering students require more development of skills to be “culturally fit” engineering professionals. In order to achieve this, a longer placement was incorporated into MTU Cork’s Chemical Engineering programme with this industrial interface being leveraged to identify capstone projects, hosted in industry, for students to complete in parallel with their placement. Thereby providing students with more industrial exposure and developing more “culturally fit” employable graduates with general and transferrable skills as well as the necessary engineering knowledge. Since the adoption of these industrially hosted modules a repeated review process, facilitated by MTU Cork's AnSEO – The Student Engagement Office, has allowed “fine-tuning” of the approach and provided an improved student experience. This review process creates a constructive environment in which individual student voices can be heard alongside those of faculty.
MTU Cork has created an enhanced experiential learning experience for its final year students and provided a vehicle to pilot methods for student-staff collaboration supporting the shared refinement of both placement and the capstone project. The benefit to industry is a structured longer placement (in line with international policy) to develop “culturally-fit” graduates. The impact on student success is notaView ble in that in excess of 90% employment levels have been observed in the graduate classes of 2018 and 2019. The student voice of their experiences substantiates the experiential and structured learning of these students"
Learning from our Learning Communities – a showcase of the 20+ Learning Communities in CIT
"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."
Learning from our Learning Communities – a showcase of the 20+ Learning Communities in CIT
"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."
Relational Pedagogy and Whole-class Engagement – Can it Really be Done?!
" When the first day of class comes around, you’ve reflected on your course goals and structure, gathered your syllabus together, shared materials in Canvas, and prepared your first day of class presentation. How do you then establish a relationship with your students? How do you talk with them on the first day? How do you set the tone?” (Cathy Bovill, January 2020, Georgetown University)
Drawing on her most recent work, ‘Co-creating Learning and Teaching: Towards relational pedagogy in higher education’ (April 2020), Cathy Bovill explored the concept of relational pedagogy using the classroom as a focus for curriculum co-creation.
We can often think that co-creation might only be available to small groups of students working closely with a member of staff, as might also be suggested of many student partnership activities. However, this seminar challenges this idea and explores how co-creation has the potential in both classroom and online class teaching settings to include all students in developing relationships and shared decision making. The seminar suggests that in the pivot to online delivery these opportunities should be maximised.
Using her current research and time as a Fulbright Scholar (based at Elon University), Cathy shares examples from university and school settings, to set the challenge to participants to identify ways in which their presence in the classroom (online or otherwise) might be used to positively shape their learning and teaching practice in a way that demonstrates a care for their students thus building a more positive student learning experience.
This seminar enabled participants to:
Understand and explore the concept of relational pedagogy in a face-to-face and online environment
Reflect on how their own experience in ‘whole-class’ engagement practices contribute to an engaged learning environment
Consider how their own understandings and definitions of student engagement, partnership and co-creation impact their professional practice
Identify and plan the practical/impactful methods/approaches that could be implemented in learning environments to support a whole-class resulting in a more inclusive experience for all students."
Relational Pedagogies & Whole Class Engagement - Can it really be done?
" When the first day of class comes around, you’ve reflected on your course goals and structure, gathered your syllabus together, shared materials in Canvas, and prepared your first day of class presentation. How do you then establish a relationship with your students? How do you talk with them on the first day? How do you set the tone?” (Cathy Bovill, January 2020, Georgetown University)
Drawing on her most recent work, ‘Co-creating Learning and Teaching: Towards relational pedagogy in higher education’ (April 2020), Cathy Bovill explored the concept of relational pedagogy using the classroom as a focus for curriculum co-creation.
We can often think that co-creation might only be available to small groups of students working closely with a member of staff, as might also be suggested of many student partnership activities. However, this seminar challenges this idea and explores how co-creation has the potential in both classroom and online class teaching settings to include all students in developing relationships and shared decision making. The seminar suggests that in the pivot to online delivery these opportunities should be maximised.
Using her current research and time as a Fulbright Scholar (based at Elon University), Cathy shares examples from university and school settings, to set the challenge to participants to identify ways in which their presence in the classroom (online or otherwise) might be used to positively shape their learning and teaching practice in a way that demonstrates a care for their students thus building a more positive student learning experience.
This seminar enabled participants to:
Understand and explore the concept of relational pedagogy in a face-to-face and online environment
Reflect on how their own experience in ‘whole-class’ engagement practices contribute to an engaged learning environment
Consider how their own understandings and definitions of student engagement, partnership and co-creation impact their professional practice
Identify and plan the practical/impactful methods/approaches that could be implemented in learning environments to support a whole-class resulting in a more inclusive experience for all students."
"Are you tired of giving lectures and feeling like you’re the one doing all the work?
Would you like to create a more positive learning environment for yourself where students are more involved and engaged in their learning?
This was a highly interactive and engaging workshop that was divided into two parts to address these issues and provide some valuable insights into what can be done.
Part one, involved discussions around:
Why active learning could be part of your teaching
What is active learning and what it might look like in your teaching context
How you could engage in active learning in your classroom
Some colleagues shared how they are currently using active learning strategies within their own teaching practice to engage their students in MTU Cork together with some other simple strategies that require little preparation.
Part two, involved participants putting some of what they had learned into practice. They were asked to consider a module they teach and examine how they typically structure a lecture and what opportunities there are for students to engage during the lecture. They then redesigned their first lecture for this module to integrate some generally applicable AL strategies that they felt might work for them, their students, their discipline and the concepts they wanted their students to learn. To conclude, they were introduced to the Active Learning Movement, a new TLU initiative that will provide ongoing support to Lecturers should they be interested in implementing Active Learning (AL) strategies in their classrooms. "
Are you tired of giving lectures and feeling like you’re the one doing all the work?
Would you like to create a more positive learning environment for yourself where students are more involved and engaged in their learning?
This was a highly interactive and engaging workshop that was divided into two parts to address these issues and provide some valuable insights into what can be done.
Part one, involved discussions around:
Why active learning could be part of your teaching
What is active learning and what it might look like in your teaching context
How you could engage in active learning in your classroom
Some colleagues shared how they are currently using active learning strategies within their own teaching practice to engage their students in MTU Cork together with some other simple strategies that require little preparation.
Part two, involved participants putting some of what they had learned into practice. They were asked to consider a module they teach and examine how they typically structure a lecture and what opportunities there are for students to engage during the lecture. They then redesigned their first lecture for this module to integrate some generally applicable AL strategies that they felt might work for them, their students, their discipline and the concepts they wanted their students to learn. To conclude, they were introduced to the Active Learning Movement, a new TLU initiative that will provide ongoing support to Lecturers should they be interested in implementing Active Learning (AL) strategies in their classrooms.
Are you tired of giving lectures and feeling like you’re the one doing all the work?
Would you like to create a more positive learning environment for yourself where students are more involved and engaged in their learning?
This was a highly interactive and engaging workshop that was divided into two parts to address these issues and provide some valuable insights into what can be done.
Part one, involved discussions around:
Why active learning could be part of your teaching
What is active learning and what it might look like in your teaching context
How you could engage in active learning in your classroom
Some colleagues shared how they are currently using active learning strategies within their own teaching practice to engage their students in MTU Cork together with some other simple strategies that require little preparation.
Part two, involved participants putting some of what they had learned into practice. They were asked to consider a module they teach and examine how they typically structure a lecture and what opportunities there are for students to engage during the lecture. They then redesigned their first lecture for this module to integrate some generally applicable AL strategies that they felt might work for them, their students, their discipline and the concepts they wanted their students to learn. To conclude, they were introduced to the Active Learning Movement, a new TLU initiative that will provide ongoing support to Lecturers should they be interested in implementing Active Learning (AL) strategies in their classrooms.
"Though nearly as common as dyslexia, dyscalculia is neither well-known nor well-understood among educators and clinicians.
In recent years students with dyscalculia have presented in different MTU Cork programmes of study and have struggled with completing core maths modules or using maths within modules of their course such as Science and Business subjects. Staff in MTU Cork were surveyed about their awareness of and questions about Dyscalculia. In addition, students with the Disability Support Service (DSS) were surveyed on their experience of dyscalculia in college. The results of these surveys were used to inform the design and content of this workshop and their findings were presented during the workshop itself.
The objective of this workshop was to raise awareness about dyscalculia among the MTU community and identify best practice approaches to support our students with dyscalculia. Following universal design for learning (UDL) principles that promote increased accessibility in teaching and learning we hope that this raised awareness will in fact benefit all students who interact with maths and numbers as part of their studies at MTU Cork.
A major focus of this workshop was on ways in which lecturers or tutors can support students with Dyscalculia to succeed. Hilary Maddocks has worked for many years supporting such students at Loughborough University. The student perspective was also presented as we heard from an MTU Cork student about her experiences of learning with Dyscalculia, and the DSS gave some background."
"Though nearly as common as dyslexia, dyscalculia is neither well-known nor well-understood among educators and clinicians.
In recent years students with dyscalculia have presented in different MTU Cork programmes of study and have struggled with completing core maths modules or using maths within modules of their course such as Science and Business subjects. Staff in MTU Cork were surveyed about their awareness of and questions about Dyscalculia. In addition, students with the Disability Support Service (DSS) were surveyed on their experience of dyscalculia in college. The results of these surveys were used to inform the design and content of this workshop and their findings were presented during the workshop itself.
The objective of this workshop was to raise awareness about dyscalculia among the MTU community and identify best practice approaches to support our students with dyscalculia. Following universal design for learning (UDL) principles that promote increased accessibility in teaching and learning we hope that this raised awareness will in fact benefit all students who interact with maths and numbers as part of their studies at MTU Cork.
A major focus of this workshop was on ways in which lecturers or tutors can support students with Dyscalculia to succeed. Hilary Maddocks has worked for many years supporting such students at Loughborough University. The student perspective was also presented as we heard from an MTU Cork student about her experiences of learning with Dyscalculia, and the DSS gave some background."
CIT Learning Communities (LCs): Support & Development Session for Existing or Potential LCs
"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.
The main purpose of this session was to support our current cohort of (LCs) but was also useful to those who would like to learn more about the benefits of initiating and sustaining an active LC."
Engaging Students in Deep Learning by Crowdsourcing Quality Questions
Deep Learning refers to the cognitive skills and academic knowledge that students need to succeed in the 21st century. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration and learning to learn. The mastery of these skills will enable students to think flexibly and creatively, transferring and applying their learning from one context to new situations.
This seminar looked at how one academic in CIT, Dr Anna Dynan, Accounting & Information Systems has used PeerWise, a free online platform, to provide a space where her students can collaboratively create, answer, discuss, and evaluate practice questions with peers and has thereby helped her students engage with unit concepts more deeply and critically.
In this seminar, participants gained an understanding of:
How PeerWise can be used to engage students and enhance their learning outcomes.
The impact this approach can have on student engagement and learning
The student view on this collaborative approach to learning
Advice/best practice/tip & tricks when using PeerWise in your module.
Work Placement - An Innovative Approach to Developing & Enhancing Core Practitioner Competencies
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.
Since 1983, CIT’s Department of Process Energy and Transport Engineering has been offering the B. Eng. in Chemical & Biopharmaceutical Engineering, a full-time programme delivered over four academic years producing approximately 25 graduates annually, but in recent years this has increased to over 30.
This programme predominately covers core chemical engineering and specific needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors but continues to ensure that graduates will meet the needs of traditional chemical industries, be equipped to travel globally and are able to guide the pharma sector as it transitions from traditional batch operation to continuous operation.The philosophy of the programme is to produce broadly educated, professional engineers, who have gained a thorough grounding in fundamentals, an understanding of the state of the art, a keen sense of application, an awareness of the impact on society of their decisions, and an ability to develop as new technologies emerge and as they encounter new problems and opportunities.
This programme is subject to internal re-approval every 5 years, involving external experts and is externally accredited by professional bodies such as Engineers Ireland, nationally, and the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), internationally, to Master Level Meng (Level 9). To date, this programme has provided in excess of 750 graduates, the majority of whom work in Ireland, in the biopharmaceutical/pharmaceutical industry with many having risen to senior appointments.
In this seminar, our colleagues from the Department of Process Energy and Transport Engineering gave an overview of how their industrial work placement module, worth 15 ECTS credits, which runs from the end of the third academic year to the end of the first semester of the award year, evolved and how it can enhance engineering competencies and therefore have a significant impact on the career paths of their graduating engineers. They shared best practise based on their research, carried out with the assistance of CIT’s AnSEO – The Student Engagement Office, and experience for the delivery of the professional work placement from execution, mentoring and assessment of same.
Those attending this seminar gained a clear understanding of:
• How the delivery of industrial hosted modules within engineering third level institutes can be improved
• How an enhanced experiential learning experience can be created for final year students
• How key industrial partnerships can be fortified by developing “culturally fit” graduates
Realigning Teaching, Learning and Assessment: Integrating Assessment for Learning in Challenging Times
"This aim of this seminar was to promote informed thinking about how assessment is conceived and practiced at third level with a view to greater alignment between teaching, learning and assessment. It allowed lecturers and academic managers to discuss and share good practice while also considering how current assessment procedures in place in their institutions might be enhanced to improve student learning, progression and success.
Assessment for learning is one of the most powerful ways of improving student learning and achievement. Formative assessment, done well, improves student self-regulation and awareness of what needs to be done to enhance their learning, is forward focused and motivational. Participants considered how enhancing learning, teaching and assessment alignment can improve learning for different student cohorts and group sizes in times of limited resources and increasing accountability.
The workshop element of the seminar gave participants the opportunity to share and take away some practical ideas and techniques that they could use in their classes.
Participants in this seminar:
Reflected upon the relationship between teaching, learning and assessment for learning
Considered the challenges of effective management of assessment from an institutional, teacher/lecturer and student perspective
Reflected on how assessment design, integration with the curriculum, marking and feedback could best be supported
Discussed, shared good practice and considered current assessment procedures and how they might be enhanced with different student cohorts/group sizes
Considered some practical/ impactful assessment for learning techniques that they may like to use in the future"
Developing Peer Mentoring Skills to enhance CPD in Teaching and Learning and better enable Learning Communities
"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."
RPL, policy, practice, company, cohort and individual approaches, portfolios of learning and assessment
"This workshop aimed to increase awareness and understanding of the process of recognition of prior learning. Workshop participants were given an opportunity to share views and perspectives in a structured format. A broad outline of the benefits of RPL and the current national and European policy framework provided a backdrop for the consideration of the challenges posed in practice and CIT’s policy and practice in particular.
The main objectives of this workshop were that participants would be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of a recognition of prior learning process for individual learners, cohort groups, employers and higher education providers
Evaluate the challenges posed by RPL processes for higher education providers including assessment and how they relate to their professional context
Describe and locate CIT policy on RPL and identify the supports available for learners and HE staff"
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
Digi-teach: Digital Teaching Tools for Mathematics in Higher Education
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.
"Is this your first year as a lecturer or have you been lecturing for several years already? Do you sometimes feel daunted or overwhelmed by the thought of the academic year ahead? Are there times you get that Groundhog Day feeling and wish you could do things differently? Are there aspects of your teaching and assessment practice that frustrate and annoy you?
The Teaching and Learning Unit (TLU), part of the Office of Registrar and VP for Academic Affairs, was formed to support the work of the Registrar in a wide range of quality enhancement initiatives associated with teaching and learning.
In this session, we aimed to:
Introduce you to the TLU Team – who we are and what we do?
Give an insight into the supports and services available from the TLU that can help you in your day-to day role from:
Professional Development Opportunities such as our MA in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education and the variety of workshops and seminars we offer throughout the year
Research and Funding Opportunities that you can access
Resources we have developed in conjunction with experts in the field of teaching and learning
Projects that we are pursuing
Gain an understanding from you of any other ways you would like our help"