Education Commons^™

Eight Steps To Facilitating More Equitable Education In Undergraduate Sciences, Gintarė Lübeck, Michael K. Seery, Barry J. Ryan

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Pedagogical practices can influence students’ confidence and ability beliefs and affect their ambition to persevere in science. Given the continuing need to diversify science and retain students in scientific programmes, science education must be tailored to cater to the needs of varied student groups. Since early experience in university programmes can be decisive in determining students’ further academic and professional choices, pedagogies employed in undergraduate science courses can be particularly influential in supporting science careers. Undergraduate science instructors are therefore encouraged to consider their approaches to teaching and learning from a variety of perspectives that could help empower students from …

All Things Merge Into One, And A River Runs Through It: Exploring The Dimensions Of Blended Learning By Developing A Case Study Template For Blended Activities, Damian Gordon, Paul Doyle, Anna Becevel, Tina Baloh

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The BLITT (Blended Learning International Train the Trainer) Project is focused on developing a training programme to equip teachers to become proficient in championing the use of Blended Learning in the classroom. The training programme will be developed in two phases, in the first phase involves the development of a series of case studies relevant to Blended Learning, followed by a second phase where the BLITT training programme will be designed and developed, using input from these cases. In developing the blended learning case studies, two key documents were identified as being essential, first, a case study tracking template to …

Ungrading, Supporting Our Students Through A Pedagogy Of Care, Shaun Ferns, Robert Hickey, Helen Williams

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The awarding of grades or marks to student work is traditionally considered a fundamental feature of assessment. Grades became more widely established in the twentieth century becoming ubiquitous across most educational institutions. There is increasing evidence to suggest that grades are not effective tools for promoting or measuring learning. One alternative approach for promoting and measuring learning is "Ungrading," in which no letter grades or marks are given to students. Instead, they are replaced with formative feedback provided through strategies such as individual feedback, peer review and self-assessment. An Ungrading approach promises increased learner motivation, a reduction in stress, and …

Synergies In Scholarship At The Research Teaching Nexus At Tu Dublin: Building Research Synergies Into Teaching Activity Workshop, Deirdre Mcquillan

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Objective of workshop is to provide and recognise possibilities for research synergies for individuals attending and to help participants develop more research supportive personal teaching philosophies. The workshop is evidence based and drawn from a survey of academics at TU Dublin in early 2021 on research synergies at the research teaching nexus.

Synergies In Scholarship At The Research Teaching Nexus, Deirdre Mcquillan

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Survey instrument for examining research synergies in scholarship at the research teaching nexus

Impact Of A National Professional Development Programme For Out-Of-Field Teachers Of Mathematics In Ireland., Merrilyn Goos, Máire Ní Riordáin, Fiona Faulkner, Ciara Lane

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Out-of-field teaching refers to the practice of assigning teachers to teach subjects that do not match their training or education. This paper reports on a study evaluating the impact of a national professional development programme for out-of-field teachers of post-primary school mathematics in Ireland – the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching. Evidence of impact was collected from three surveys. Two surveys evaluated changes in the prevalence of out-of-field teaching before and six years after the introduction of the programme. The third survey investigated programme graduates’ beliefs about mathematics, mathematics teaching and mathematics learning, and reported changes in teaching practices. …

Communities Of Practice As A Solution For The Implementation Gap In Internationalisation Of The Curriculum., Deirdre Ryan, Fiona Faulkner, Robert Flood, Dominic Dillane

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The educational benefits of internationalisation in higher education are of paramount importance for all students. Despite an increasing presence of best practice guides and internationalisation strategies, there appears to be a significant implementation gap in terms of lecturers’ engagement with internationalisation in their teaching practice. Through an Action Research-informed Community of Practice approach, this study aims to provide new insights into lecturers’ engagement with Internationalisation of the Curriculum by examining their own perspectives, an area which has been underdeveloped to date. The Community of Practice provided an effective way of raising lecturers’ awareness of Internationalisation of the Curriculum, while simultaneously …

Asynchronous Assistance: A Social Network Analysis Of Influencing Peer Interactions In Peerwise, Tomas Shields, Geraldine Gray, Barry J. Ryan

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This mixed methods, investigative case study explored student patterns of use within the online PeerWise platform to identify the most influencing activities and to build a model capable of predicting performance based on these influencing activities. Peerwise is designed to facilitate student peer-to-peer engagement through creating, answering and ranking multiple choice questions; this study sought to understand the relationship between student engagement in Peerwise and learning performance. To address the research question, various usage metrics were explored, visualized and modelled, using social network analysis with Gephi, Tableau and Python. These findings were subsequently analyzed in light of the qualitative survey …

Measuring The Mathematical Problem Solving And Procedural Skills Of Students In An Irish Higher Education Institution – A Pilot Study, Fiona Faulkner, Mark Prendergast, Cormac Breen, Michael Carr

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In 2010 the Irish second level mathematics curriculum underwent a period of significant change when a new mathematics curriculum was introduced. Some preliminary research has been carried out into the impact, if any, that this mathematics curriculum is having on students mathematics performance which have suggested that students’ procedural skills are declining year on year however their problem solving skills may have improved (Treacy and Faulkner 2015). Additional research in this area also highlighted that students willingness to engage in problem solving activities may have improved (Prendergast et al 2017). However preliminary analysis on the impact of the reformed mathematics …

The Student Experience Of Final Year In An Undergraduate Degree Programme In Education Studies., Roisin Donnelly, Julie Ui Choistealbha, Marian Fitzmaurice

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This case study explores the student experience of the final year of a four-year undergraduate degree in ‘Education Studies’, with a focus on the perceived impact of curriculum design of the programme. The context is an Irish college of education, and the programme structure has been designed to allow for flexibility to accommodate varying student interests and professional pathways. As the first full iteration of the programme came to a close, it was considered an opportune time to ascertain if the programme was meeting its curriculum design objectives in terms of preparation for the chosen professional pathway post-graduation from both …

Direct Instruction And Its Extension With A Community Of Inquiry: A Comparison Of Mental Workload, Performance And Efficiency, Giuliano Orru, Luca Longo

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This paper investigates the efficiency of two instructional design conditions: a traditional design based on the direct instruction approach to learning and its extension with a collaborative activity based upon the community of inquiry approach to learning. This activity was built upon a set of textual trigger questions to elicit cognitive abilities and support knowledge formation. A total of 115 students participated in the experiments and a number of third-level computer science classes where divided in two groups. A control group of learners received the former instructional design while an experimental group also received the latter design. Subsequently, learners of …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Focused Debate On The Development Of Ethical Reasoning Skills In Pharmacy Technician Students., Seana Hogan, Julie Dunne

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Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of debating an ethical dilemma on the development of ethical reasoning skills in pharmacy technician students.

Methods. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. This included analysis of before and after 5-minute papers, a sentiment survey, thematic analysis of student reflective writing and a qualitative questionnaire by an independent observer.

Results. Twenty-five students participated in the study. The 5-minute papers showed improvement in student learning. In the sentiment survey, 83% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they had a better understanding of ethical dilemmas following the debate. The main theme identified from …

Empowering Students To Perform An Enhanced Role In The Assessment Process: Possibilities And Challenges, Paul Dervan

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Assessment is key to student learning. This paper examines the case for increased participation by higher education students in the assessment process to deepen learning and improve learner motivation. While increased student participation may not solve all problems relating to assessment, a review of the literature dealing with enhancing the role of students in the assessment process, and original research conducted amongst academics and students at the author's institution, suggests improvements can be made leading to increased student satisfaction, motivation and competency. This paper therefore argues for change in the approach to assessment by empowering students to become partners in …

Work Placement Reflective Assessments And Employability Enhanced Through Highlighting Graduate Attributes, Julie Dunne

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This paper reports on a study which investigated the effect of activities to promote awareness of specific prioritised graduate attributes on the quality of reflection displayed in student work-placement reflective blog assessments. The focus of the paper is on the results from a thematic analysis of reflective writing assisted by NVivo software from a control and research group, using the a priori codes of ‘reflection’ and ‘graduate attributes’, as part of a Participatory Action Research study. The findings show an increase in reflection associated with graduate attributes in the research group compared to the control group. More importantly, there is …

Recruitment And Selection Strategies In Optometric Education Towards Addressing Human Resource Disparities In Sub-Saharan Africa, Vanessa Moodley, James Loughman, Kovin S. Naidoo

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The dire need for eye care services and a dearth of human resources (HR) in sub-Saharan Africa motivated the setting up of new optometry programmes. However, to make a meaningful impact, geographical, gender, economic and educational disparities must additionally be addressed. A qualitative study utilizing purposive sampling to select academic leadership and students from optometry programmes in sub-Saharan Africa was conducted. Individual and focus group interviews produced data that were coded and analysed using a deductive thematic analysis approach. The themes that emerged as contributing to disparities in access through recruitment and selection were institutional barriers (student intake numbers, programme …

Enhancing The Academic And Social Learning Of Irish Undergraduates Through Emotional And Social Skills Development., Aiden Carthy, Celesta Mccann, Sinead Mcgilloway, Colm Mcguinness

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This paper considers the potential merits of emotional competency coaching for undergraduate students. We outline the findings from our previous work which showed, for example, that a sample of First Year undergraduate students failed to engage with coaching primarily because it was not a mandatory aspect of the curricula. An analysis of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) - which details the specific learning outcomes that must be achieved by all Irish academic syllabi found that this framework makes scant reference to the development of social and emotional skills. Therefore, a revised working model of the NFQ is proposed, which …

Reflections On A Decade Of Global Rankings: What We've Learned And Outstanding Issues, Ellen Hazelkorn

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Ten years after the first global rankings appeared, it is clear that they have had an extraordinary impact on higher education. While there are fundamental questions about whether rankings measure either quality or what’s meaningful, they have succeeded in exposing higher education to international comparison. Moreso, because of the important role higher education plays as a driver of economic development, rankings have exposed both an information deficit and national competitiveness. Accordingly, both nations and institutions have sought to maximise their position vis-á-vis global rankings with positive and perverse effects. Their legacy is evident in the way rankings have become an …

Exploring Supports Provided For Student Eportfolio Development In A Professional Development Context, Muireann Okeeffe

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This small scale study aimed to explore and establish if support strategies implemented to enhance student ePortfolios were helpful to students and to identify useful ways of supporting ePortfolio development with future cohorts of students. This action research study was informed through focus group discussion and individual interviews with students.

The importance of reflection for the development professional practice and of creative abilities is discussed. The substantial benefits of creativity within education are investigated and characteristics of creativity that might be developed with students’ ePortfolios are revealed. Specifically this paper seeks to foster Crafts (2011) four characteristics of creativity, pluralities, …

Identifying Knowledge, Skill And Competence For Nanoscience And Nanotechnology Research: A Study Of Postgraduate Researchers’ Experiences, Deepa Chari, Paul Irving, Robert Howard, Brian Bowe

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Over the past few decades, scientific disciplines have changed significantly with the introduction of new and complex aspects of research, particularly in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology (N&N). Efforts to develop science education programmes in N&N area to adopt these complex changes are also evident from recent literature and educational reports. However, these attempts are focused towards identification and inclusion of contextual scientific knowledge in the curricula and very little is understood about the attributes knowledge, skill and competence necessary to successfully undertake N&N research. Identification of these attributes is important so that the contextual scientific knowledge can be …

Systematically Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Quality Assurance Programmes In Leading To Improvements In Institutional Performance, Deirdre Lillis

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Higher education institutions worldwide invest significant resources in their quality assurance systems however little empirical research exists which demonstrates their effectiveness (or otherwise). Methodological approaches for determining effectiveness are also underdeveloped. Self study with peer review is a widely used model for ensuring the quality of the core teaching, research and engagement activities of higher education institutions. This paper illustrates how an established social programme evaluation methodology can be used to determine its effectiveness in leading to improvements in institutional performance. The concept of effectiveness and the particular challenges posed by the higher education organisational culture are considered. An example …

Disciplinary Identity Of Nanoscience And Nanotechnology Research- A Study Of Postgraduate Researchers’ Experiences, Deepa Nathamuni Chari, Robert Howard, Brian Bowe

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Nanoscience and Nanotechnology research although growing at very fast rate, its disciplinary identity remains ‘ill-defined’. It is often viewed as multidisciplinary; and/or interdisciplinary science or even as a unique discipline on its own way. As a consequence, whether this growing research area requires researchers that have studied specialised undergraduate or postgraduate nanoscience and nanotechnology programmes; or traditional science and engineering disciplines is still less understood. The examination of postgraduate researchers’ experiences of nanoscience and nanotechnology research can provide a way of understanding nanoscience and nanotechnology research and the associated forms of disciplinarity, which in turn can address what the type …

A Teaching Practice Review Of The Use Of Multiple-Choice Questions For Formative And Summative Assessment Of Student Work On Advanced Undergraduate And Postgraduate Modules In Engineering, Aidan O'Dwyer

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This paper reflects on, reports on and evaluates the use of multiple-choice questions, in both formative and summative assessment modes, on control engineering modules taken by advanced undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, over four academic years. The material covered by the modules is analytical in nature. The rationale for examining the assessment strategy was the poor performance by students in a closed book traditional terminal examination on one of the advanced undergraduate modules over some years. The change in assessment strategy has improved student learning, as measured by assessment data; student feedback on the assessment methods is broadly positive. The …

“Are The Study Habits Of First Year Undergraduate Students Influenced By Where They Live While Attending College?”, Robert Morris

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Abstract

This study was carried out in the Technological University Dublin with the co-operation of four experienced lecturers of engineering and fifty first year undergraduate engineering students.

The main aim of the research was to establish if living away from the family home influences the study habits of first year undergraduate students.

Many causes of attrition in first year are identified in the research. For this research project the four experienced lecturers were interviewed to capture their views and experiences of the study and learning habits of first year students. The data gathered in conjunction with my own personal experiences, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Oral Communciations Apprehension, Marann Byrne, Barbara Flood, Dan Shanahan

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Prior research has identified communication apprehension, or fear of communicating, as a major factor which inhibits an individual’s willingness to communicate and his/her capability to develop effective communication skills. While many prior studies have measured oral communication apprehension of students, there has been little qualitative exploration of the phenomenon. This study was conducted by interviewing first-year business and accounting students at a higher education institution in Ireland who were identified as encountering varying levels of oral communication apprehension. The experiences of the students in communicating in different contexts are analysed and the impact of factors such as fear of peer …

Irish Education And The Financial Crisis, Deirdre Lillis, John Morgan

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Regardless of economic fortunes, investment in education remains a constant in terms of its perceived value to Ireland and it is seen as critical to the economic recovery of the country. Ireland has one of the highest educational participation rates in the world, is considered to have the ‘most employable’ graduates in Europe and produces more graduates per 1000 inhabitants than any other European country. The degree to which the financial crisis has impacted Irish education is explored here.

Phenomenological Study Of Postgraduate Researchers' Experiences Of Nanoscience And Nanotechnology Research, Deepa Chari, Paul Irving, Robert Howard, Brian Bowe

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Over the past few decades, scientific disciplines have changed significantly with the introduction of new and complex aspects of interdisciplinary research, particularly in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology (N&N). The current attempts to develop science education programmes in N&N area to adopt these complex changes however are mainly focussed towards the core scientific knowledge, and, not much attention has been paid to identify the attributes knowledge, skills and competences necessary to successfully undertake N&N research. Identification of these attributes is important so that the core scientific knowledge can be embedded in the curricula more effectively. Also, to work successfully …

Identifying The Knowledge, Skills And Competences For Nanoscience And Nanotechnology Research, Deepa Nathamuni Chari, Robert Howard, Brian Bowe

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Nanoscience and nanotechnology research has influenced the research activities in various scientific disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, molecular biology and biotechnology. The postgraduate researchers working on nanoscience and nanotechnology related research projects in any of these scientific disciplines experience the world of nanoscience and nanotechnology research closely. The examinations of the postgraduate researchers’ lived experiences can certainly unfold the characteristics of nanoscience research as experienced by the researchers themselves and can further illuminate the knowledge, skills and competences required to successfully undertake this research.

Can The Use Of Clickers Or Continous Assessment Motivate Critical Thinking?: A Case Study Based On Corporate Finance Students, Lucia Morales

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This study explores the use of clickers as a tool to support, encourage and motivate critical thinking in higher education students. A case study was carried out with a cohort of undergraduate students undertaking the BSc. in Accounting and Finance during the academic year 2009/10, were corporate finance was a major component. Since the students in this sample had previously demonstrated passivity during their corporate finance classes, it was proposed that clickers would help motivate them to participate during face to face sessions. Previous research on the use of clickers shows evidence that this tool has a positive effect on …

Student, Practitioner, Or Both?:Separation And Integration Of Identities In Professional Social Care Education, Fiona Mcsweeney

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This paper presents and discusses some of the findings from a qualitative study of identities in work-related learners. The theoretical framework of structural symbolic interactionism is outlined and the two identities of interest, that of student and practitioner discussed. The aim of professional education is viewed as enabling the practitioner to deal with ambiguity and change through critical examination of work practices and location of these within theoretical frameworks. It is argued that for knowledge and behaviour to transfer to the work setting the student and worker identities need to be integrated rather than kept separate. Factors identified as influencing …

The Role Of The Pbl Tutor Within Blended Academic Development, Roisin Donnelly

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The central idea of this study is using blended problem-based learning (PBL) in an academic development context with key roles emphasised: academic staff in the role of students and the academic developer as the tutor. The context is a module entitled „Designing eLearning‟ on a postgraduate programme for academic staff in Ireland. It is acknowledged that an e-learning literature exists that calls for more effective use of technology. Part of that exploration of e-learning value requires a refocusing on pedagogy. Increasingly PBL is one of the pedagogies associated with the learning technologies available to educators today. Data was collected from …