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Diagnosing Weakness In Basic Principles Of Electricity In Motor Apprentice Education In Ireland, Peter Kenny

Conference Papers

Many Motor trade apprentice students enter the later years of their studies ill prepared for the level of material encountered. This is due to several factors including the level and knowledge of basic electricity and electrical/electronic principles.

A lot of basic material in these areas has been covered during earlier years of their training but by the time they reach the final year of their apprenticeship (Phase 6) it is not safe to assume that they have a full grasp of the basics required.

We have developed a diagnostic test to measure the level of preparedness of these students. This …

Restructuring The Higher Education Landscape, Ellen Hazelkorn

Articles

Over the past 40 years, Ireland has experienced a remarkable transformation in fortunes. Its emergence from a protectionist pre-industrial to a post-industrial high-tech economy came on the coat tails of European Union membership and accelerating internationalisation and deregulation of financial and investment markets. Strategically situated between the United States and Europe, Ireland became a leading importer of foreign direct investment. By 2000, it was the second-largest exporter of computer software in the world after the US, and home to the top-10 pharmaceutical companies. The boom years of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ made it the poster child for globalisation. After the 2008 …

Engineering Project Appraisal (2nd. Ed), Martin G. Rogers, Aidan Duffy

Books/Book Chapters

In most cases of civil engineering development, a range of alternative schemes meeting project goals are feasible, so some form of evaluation must be carried out to select the most appropriate to take forward. Evaluation criteria usually include the economic, environmental and social contexts of a project as well as the engineering challenges, so engineers must be familiar with the processes and tools used.

The second edition of Engineering Project Appraisal equips students with the understanding and analytical tools to carry out effective appraisals of alternative development schemes, using both economic and non-economic criteria. The building blocks of economic appraisal …

The Free Preschool Year In Ireland: The Perspectives Of Early Childhood Educators And Policymakers, Martina Ozonyia

Dissertations

This thesis explores the introduction of the Free Preschool Year (FPY) in Ireland from the early childhood 'educators' and 'policymakers' perspectives. Under the new FPY initiative introduced in 2010, all children between the ages of 3.2 - 4.7 are offered free preschool hours for a period of one year prior to their entrance into primary school. This research identified the need to study the introduction of FPY as research into this topic to date has been limited. The purpose of this research was to understand the rationale behind this new initiative as well as exploring the issues of 'qualification requirements', …

The Development Of Molecular Gastronomy As A Subject Discipline At The Dublin Institute Of Technology, Roisin Burke, Pauline Danaher, Mark Traynor

Other resources

Molecular gastronomy is the study of the physical and chemical culinary transformations that occur during preparation, cooking and consumption. Molecular gastronomy differs from food science as the social, artistic and technical components of culinary and gastronomic phenomena are explored. At the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) the aim of developing molecular gastronomy modules is to use them as a tool to teach scientific principles to those who work in the Culinary Arts. Students and graduates can then apply their knowledge to develop and create novel dishes and food products. Scientific principles are taught, explained and demonstrated in the kitchen environment, …

Getting Out Of The House: An Examination Of The Experience Of A Group Of Women Returning To Education, Des Mooney

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

Using a qualitative case study method, this research focuses on a group of adult „returning‟ students completing a childcare course. The study does not focus on the academic merits of the students, but rather on the experience returning to education has on the lives of the students. Methods used included the hosting of three focus groups, a questionnaire and observations. Using a holistic analysis approach a number of key issues and themes emerged. These themes include motivation to return to education; family; identity; education as a facilitator of positive risk taking behaviour; education and perspective transformation; impact of teaching on …

Narrative Imagination: A Design Imperative, Robert Tully

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

Each generation entrusts the collective future to the next. Just like the oral traditions of our past continue to manifest in our consciousness, we need to tell stories today that will free the imagination. Designers in particular need to develop the ability to articulate the imagined possibilities that the narrative imagination can create. In order to appreciate the complexity of interactions that are occurring in a spatial or object orientated context we need to think about the imagination as a vehicle to discover and explore these new possibilities. To do this we need to enhance our capacity to access the …

Understanding The Relationship Between Entrepreneurship Education, Experiential Learning And Business Ethics, Kathleen Farrell, Thomas Cooney, Christina Benson, Gary Palin

Conference papers

Recent cognitive research in entrepreneurship describes the entrepreneur as a ‘motivated tactician’, who can be characterized as a “fully engaged thinker who has multiple cognitive strategies available” (Haynie et al., 2010: p18), and the ability to shift and choose rapidly from among them based on specific goals, motives, needs and circumstances, leading to the ability to act (or not) in response to perceived entrepreneurial opportunities. The Association for Experiential Education broadly defines experiential education as: “a philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and …

Stepping Stone Community Education – A Stepping Stone To Third Level Education., Lorraine Perkins

Dissertations

The focus of this research is to explore supports that facilitated participation and retention of learners on a community education course and additional supports needed to progress to third level education. This research was in partnership with Irish National Association of Adult Education (AONTAS) and supported by Community Links, Technological University Dublin. (DIT)

This research is qualitative in nature. For this purpose, a focus group of community learners and semi-structured interviews with community education professionals was conducted. The research gives in-depth insight into learners experiences of what supports facilitated participation in community education and additional supports needed to progress to …

European "Transparency Instruments": Driving The Modernisation Of European Higher Education, Ellen Hazelkorn

Books/Book chapters

This paper reviews the background to and assesses the usefulness of the various transparency instruments (e.g. college guides, accreditation, classification systems, benchmarking models, global rankings). While there are differences between these various “instruments”, they can all be considered as part of the growing trend for greater transparency, accountability and comparability which began with college guides or handbooks around 1970. It will then place the most recent European developments (e.g. U-Map and U-Multirank) and other EU-funded initiatives (Expert Group on the Assessment of University-based Research and the 3-M Project on Third Mission) within this context. In doing so, the paper will …

Reducing Recidivism Through Entrepreneurship Programmes In Prisons, Thomas Cooney

Articles

Prison systems are facing significant challenges from overcrowding and a ‘revolving door’ routine. Reducing recidivism would help alleviate both these problems and would also assist in breaking the cycle of career criminality. However, one of the primary causes of recidivism is a lack of employment opportunities for people who have spent time in prison, thereby causing them to return to crime. Given the dearth of entrepreneurship research on ex-prisoners, this paper examines a ‘Start Your Own Business’ programme delivered inside a prison. Based on interviews with the participants, the author examines whether such programmes offer a realistic opportunity for reducing …

Reasons For Non-Engagement With The Provision Of Emotional Competency Coaching: A Qualitative Study Of Irish First Year Undergraduate Students, Aiden Carthy, Celesta Mccann, Sinead Mcgilloway, Colm Mcguinness

Articles

Very little is known as to why students choose not to participate in emotional intelligence coaching programmes. This qualitative study was undertaken with a sample of Irish undergraduate students (n=20), who chose not to engage with the provision of coaching at a technical college inDublin. The reasons for non-engagement were explored by means of face-to-face interviews. The four principal reasons for non-engagement were: failing to appreciate the value of coaching; a perceived heavy academic workload; the fact that coaching was not a mandatory component of the academic curriculum; and fear that coaching may reveal weaknesses of character. Based on the …

Working With Families: Theory And Practice Hand-In-Hand, Anne Fitzpatrick

Posters

Final year students of the DIT BA Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme worked with the home visitors from the NCI’s Early Learning Initiative - Parent Child Home Programme – to review the content of the guide sheets they use with parents. A Professional Design Practice MA student designed a new template for the guide sheets, for her major project.

Everyone Wants To Be Like Harvard – Or Do They? Cherishing All Missions Equally, Ellen Hazelkorn

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

What Do Final Year Engineering Students Know About Sustainable Development, Iacovos Nicolaou, Eddie Conlon

Articles

This paper presents data from a project which aims to determine the level of knowledge and understanding of engineering students about Sustainable Development (SD). The data derives from a survey completed by final year engineering students in three Irish Higher Education Institutions. This paper is part of a larger study which examines the relationship between students’ and teachers’ understanding of SD. The results from the survey show that final year engineering students have a discipline-led conception of SD. The majority of the participants fail to acknowledge the complexity of the concept and focus only on environmental protection. Their knowledge of …

Should Electrical Apprentices Study More Mathematics, David Lalor

Conference papers

The Department of Electrical Services Engineering, formerly known as the Installation Department, Kevin St., train Electrical Apprentices to become Qualified Electricians, has recently started to award Degrees in Electrical Services Engineering which includes the built environment. These students come from CAO applicants and from phase 6 students who have passed through the school. It is a popular and well subscribed course. I am involved in teach Phase 4 and 6. To progress to phase 6, phase 4 students must pass four examinations of which Electric Science is by all accounts the most difficult. To qualify as Electricians phase 6 also …