"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."

Within CIT, mathematics and statistics play a key role in almost every programme and most students will encounter mathematics/statistics related modules at some point in their studies. Some programmes, especially those in the Faculty of Engineering & Science, are highly mathematical in nature and will contain many mathematics and statistics modules integrated from the start to end of the programme of study, whilst others have slightly less mathematical content, but any mathematics and statistics modules taken are continually relied upon over the duration of the programme. Frequently, however, mathematics lecturers find that students struggle with understanding when and where the mathematics that they are being asked to learn will be used in their chosen programme and in their future profession. In addition, because a lot of mathematics modules are taught to diverse groups of students there is little chance to show students problems applied to their own specific field of study. Therefore, mathematics can appear to them to be an abstract subject, separate from other topics encountered during their programme of study. In an effort to address this problem, members of a learning community established in CIT’s Department of Mathematics and Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, applied for funding from the Teaching and Learning Development Fund to develop relevance-orientated problems for students from different disciplines so as to support students to understand the importance of mathematics in their chosen field at an early stage of their degree and career. As a starting point for this project, the Department of Mathematics and Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering have initiated a pilot project to develop a bank of contextual materials for their students to enable them to better understand the role of mathematics in their chosen programme. This seminar was considered primarily to be of interest to staff in the Department of Mathematics and Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering as theirs is the first cohort of students for whom such resources are being developed. However, it was thought that it should also be of general interest to all staff so that they can see the type of work being done, the benefits of developing these types of resources and perhaps initiate their own department’s future collaboration with the Department of Mathematics. This seminar consisted of the following: • Talks: o Maths in Structural Engineering Seán Carroll, Chartered Structural Engineer, Assistant Lecturer Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, CIT o Contexts & Concepts: A Case Study of Mathematics Assessment for Civil & Environmental Engineering Dr J.P. McCarthy, Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, CIT o Maths in Engineering: Perspectives of a Bridge Engineer Michael Minehane, Chartered Senior Engineer at RPS Europe, where he works on the design, inspection assessment and rehabilitation of bridges and large civil structures. He graduated from Cork Institute of Technology in 2010 with a BEng (Hons) in Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, and in 2011 with an MEng in Advanced Structural Engineering. He is a part-time lecturer at Cork Institute of Technology since 2015 where he delivers a module on BIM for Infrastructure. • Contributions from several speakers, including: o Dr Clodagh Carroll, Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, CIT o Dr Violeta Morari, Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, CIT • Some short videos emphasising the centrality of mathematics within Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering which have been developed will be presented

"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."

This seminar considered key theoretical perspectives on work-based assessment. It discussed: The nature of work-based learning and its role in: Developing key graduate skills The wider life-long learning society. Different approaches to work-based learning practice, including the new apprenticeship model. The context of learning, including the role and responsibilities of both the learner and the employer, with a focus on authentic assessment approaches that support individualised learning. Participants were encouraged to bring along module descriptors, related to learning in the workplace, so that these theoretical perspectives could be applied to practice. n the workshop component, participants, in small groups, discussed, critiqued and developed the methods and processes that they currently use to assess placements in their own disciplines. They were encouraged to examine the ways in which current theory and best practice could inform and develop their disciplinary approaches.

This session focused on plagiarism and provided guidance and advice on: Plagiarism What it is? How to detect it? What to do next, i.e. CIT’s Policy on Plagiarism? Strategies for preventing plagiarism. Overview of Turnitin in Blackboard, i.e.: How to interpret the originality report Turnitin’s product development roadmap How to educate students about plagiarism

"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"

The literature review is a core component of many, if not all, final year programmes at third level. Despite the importance of this, many undergraduate students are not given the instructional tools to complete the onerous tasks of organising and planning a literature review. This seminar presented results of a pilot study initiated by the Department of Biological Sciences with over 100 final year undergraduate life science students. These students attended a 1-hour weekly instructional lecture as part of the literature review module. The seminar was targeted at academic staff and focused on: What tools were made available to students How well students engaged with the tools What the learning experience was for both lecturers and students How this approach could be modified across different disciplines

"Universal Design for Learning is an educational framework based on research in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience, that guides the development of flexible learning environments and learning spaces that can accommodate individual learning differences. This workshop focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in CIT - if you are looking for ways to ensure that your classroom is as inclusive as possible and create a teaching and learning environment that is accessible to all, then this workshop helped to give you some tools and ideas on how to make this a reality! In the context of UDL, attendees: Examined and reflected on their own lectures and/or assessments Gained some insight into current best practice Obtained some practical and easy ways to create a more inclusive teaching and learning environment"

Providing learners with feedback is known to be one of the most impactful things we can do to enhance learning, it can also be very time-consuming. Often it also seems that learners are not acting on that feedback. This session will explore issues with feedback, and ways in which learners can be provided with feedback that are both efficient and effective for us. We will discuss the ‘power of words’ and explore the value of commenting constructively on assignments and assessments.

Providing learners with feedback is known to be one of the most impactful things we can do to enhance learning, it can also be very time-consuming. Often it also seems that learners are not acting on that feedback. This session will explore issues with feedback, and ways in which learners can be provided with feedback that are both efficient and effective for us. We will discuss the ‘power of words’ and explore the value of commenting constructively on assignments and assessments.

"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"

"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."

Instructors often state that they provide lots of feedback but to little effect. This session will explore some of the reasons why this may happen and outline options for engaging students with assessment and feedback. In particular, providing choice, opportunities to apply feedback and cultivating trust are all known to encourage students to engage with the assessment processes.

Instructors often state that they provide lots of feedback but to little effect. This session will explore some of the reasons why this may happen and outline options for engaging students with assessment and feedback. In particular, providing choice, opportunities to apply feedback and cultivating trust are all known to encourage students to engage with the assessment processes.

Quality feedback (i) recognises what is good (ii) identifies limitations and (iii) suggests how the work could be improved. Shifting feedback responsibility from instructors to learners. Self-assessment & peer-assessment

Quality feedback (i) recognises what is good (ii) identifies limitations and (iii) suggests how the work could be improved. Shifting feedback responsibility from instructors to learners. Self-assessment & peer-assessment

While presenting learners with the assessment criteria and standards is good practice - they don’t necessarily result in learners developing a good understanding of the criteria and standard. This session explores the importance of dialogue around assessment and how a shared understanding of assessment requirements can be developed by applying rubrics to exemplars.

While presenting learners with the assessment criteria and standards is good practice - they don’t necessarily result in learners developing a good understanding of the criteria and standard. This session explores the importance of dialogue around assessment and how a shared understanding of assessment requirements can be developed by applying rubrics to exemplars.

If our learners are to become more independent and develop the capacity to assess their own learning they must know what the assessment criteria and standards are. This session presented different types of assessment rubrics. Examples of different rubrics or marking sheets were presented so that these can be critiqued, and good practice identified.

If our learners are to become more independent and develop the capacity to assess their own learning they must know what the assessment criteria and standards are. This session presented different types of assessment rubrics. Examples of different rubrics or marking sheets were presented so that these can be critiqued, and good practice identified.

This session explored staff attitudes towards assessment. The session focused on presenting an overview of assessment models that encourage, support and develop independence, self-regulation, etc. Components of these models were then explored in detail in later sessions.

This session explored staff attitudes towards assessment. The session focused on presenting an overview of assessment models that encourage, support and develop independence, self-regulation, etc. Components of these models were then explored in detail in later sessions.

This session explored staff attitudes towards assessment. The session focused on presenting an overview of assessment models that encourage, support and develop independence, self-regulation, etc. Components of these models were then explored in detail in later sessions.

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.