Education Commons^™

Assessment Strategies To Promote Peer Learning In An Online Course, Pauline Rooney, Caitríona Ní Shé

Conference papers

The value of peer learning in higher education is now well recognised. Just as we continually learn from eachother in our everyday lives, so our students also learn from eachother as part of informal and formal learning experiences. Within educational programmes, peer learning is facilitated through a variety of pedagogical strategies which promote active participation, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and ideas. With the increasing ubiquity of social networking and online learning platforms, new opportunities for facilitating peer learning, have emerged. Within online courses – where students often study at geographically disparate locations – peer learning strategies assume arguably …

Components Of, And Approaches To, Effective Feedback, Sarah Gibbons, Jonathan Mccarthy, Paul Mcevoy, Patricia Mordaunt

Practitioner Research Projects

Feedback is the subject of much research and discussion in Higher Education. Nationally the focus has intensified due to reports of low levels of student satisfaction with the feedback process e.g. the Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE). The focus of this report is an examination of effective feedback in undergraduate education. The importance of effective feedback (particularly for those beginning their third level education) is reflected in a project funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, called the Y1Feedback project. This is aimed at increasing the quality of the third level experience and has …

Achieving Graduate Attributes Through Authentic Learning: The Case Of Student Managed Funds, Robert Dunne, James Fitzgerald, Jennifer Manning, Sean O'Reilly

Practitioner Research Projects

According to the Department of Education and Skills (2011), as cited by Murphy and Whelan (2016), there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of graduate attributes in higher education in Ireland. This not only places emphasis on the application of disciplinary specific knowledge, but also on the ‘soft skills’ highly sought by employers. By providing an authentic learning environment, higher education institutes can facilitate the development of graduate attributes while also ensuring graduates are gaining disciplinary specific knowledge. This project explores how Student Managed Funds (SMFs) represent an authentic learning experience through which students achieve a range of …

Problem-Based Learning As An Authentic Assessment Method, Stuart Henderson, Mary Kinahan, Elaine Rossiter

Practitioner Research Projects

Traditional learning and assessment typically focus on students being told what to do, memorising it, and the teacher assigning a problem on how to use it (Savery, 2006). By contrast, in problem-based learning (PBL) and assessment a problem is assigned to a group or individual, the teacher then facilitates the students’ learning as they identify what they need to know, and the students learn and apply a solution to the problem (Savery, 2006). PBL was developed and pioneered by Barrows and Tamblyn in McMaster University as part of the Medical School programme due to students’ lack of application of their …

A Generic Integrated And Interactive Framework (Giif) For Developing Information Literacy Skills In Higher Education, Aoife Donnelly, Maria Chiara Leva, Ayman Tobail, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos

Practitioner Research Projects

Information literacy (IL) is defined as “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning” (ACRL 2015, p.3). The term IL was originally confined to library and IT skills (Behrens, 1994; Johnston & Webber, 2003) but has since received increasing international interest. It is considered as an important 21st century skill in combination with critical thinking (Kong, 2014), and is perceived as basic human right within the digital world (UNESCO, 2008). The importance …

Alternative Methods To Traditional Written Exam-Based Assessment, Shane Dillon, Alan Mcdonnell, Diarmaid Murphy, Lynsey White

Practitioner Research Projects

Donnelly and Fitzmaurice (2005, p.14) suggest that “assessment methods should be in accord with the learning outcomes of the module and should foster a deep approach to learning”. While unseen written exams do develop skills such as “examination techniques, writing under pressure, recall” (Smyth, 2004), there are a number of alternative assessment methods that determine what students actually understand and what they can do, in contrast to what they can recall. As one student noted “I hate to say it, but what you have got to do is to have a list of “facts” …you write down the important points …

Short Case Study: The First Year Experience: Students’ Perceptions On Assessment, Fiona Mcsweeney, Roisin Donnelly

Other resources

This case study reports on the results of a pilot study with first year students in the Department of Social Sciences in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Ireland. It discussed the findings in relation to student perceptions on the assessment process for first years.

When It Goes Wrong, How Do I Know I Am An Excellent Teacher, (Just Having A Bad Day)?, Roisin Donnelly

Other resources

We all doubt ourselves at times, and we all have bad days in the classroom! Being an excellent teacher is a challenge to achieve consistently, made more difficult by trying to measure how we as teachers make decisions in the classroom, and what impact those decisions have on what and how our students learn. This case study is offered from the perspective of an academic developer, working as a ‘third space’ professional (Whitchurch, 2008), and as a facilitator of discussions about excellent teaching in higher education on DIT’s teaching qualification – the Postgraduate Diploma in Third Level learning and Teaching.

Ireland’S National Professional Development Framework Summary Findings Of The Initial Implementational, Roisin Donnelly, Theresa Maguire

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Supporting Teaching And Learning Transformations Through The National Professional Development Framework: Establishing And Recognising An Inclusive Community Of Practice For All Who Teach In Irish Higher Education., Roisin Donnelly, Theresa Maguire

Articles

The Natonal Forum (NF) for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning has recently completed an inital implementaton of the Natonal Professional Development Framework (PDF) for all who teach in higher educaton. Prior to the publicaton of the PD Framework in 2016, there was no mechanism or route in place natonally to give structure, focus and support to individual staf to avail of relevant professional development and utlise it to realise their full potental in their teaching role. This important work is deepening sectoral understanding of the PDF itself and leading towards natonal recogniton of an individual’s commitment to their professional …

Professional Experience Informing Facilitative, Cognitive And Social Guidance On Eportfolios., Roisin Donnelly

Articles

Specific learning outcomes that are being met through the ePortfolio are the design and development of a pedagogically sound and accessible ePortfolio, demonstrating a journey of learning; critical reflection on the learning outcomes of each module and of the overall programme; developing resources in various multimedia tools to demonstrate learning; critically appraising the pedagogy and eLearning tools utilised; as well as critically evaluating pertinent academic literature and connecting it with learning.

"I Don't Have The Time!" Analysing Talk Of Time In Lecturers' Use Of The Vle, Claire Mcavinia, Deirdre Ryan, David Moloney

Articles

This paper reports on findings from the recent extension of the VLE survey which examined VLE usage from a staff perspective. 580 staff across seven institutions responded to the survey. The survey explored staff perceptions of the VLE and the opportunities for and barriers to its effective use. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed in order to identify the major factors influencing staff engagement with the VLE. Time (or the lack thereof) emerged as the greatest barrier to effective use of the VLE. When time was in scarce supply, staff evaluated where to spend it and prioritised accordingly. The amount …

National Professional Development Framework: Establishing And Recognising An Inclusive Community Of Practice For Higher Education Teachers., Roisin Donnelly

Conference papers

What does inclusivity mean in the context of the national professional development framework (PDF)?

How can a community of practice for all who teach be formed and nurtured?

What resources have emerged from the initial implementation of the PDF: PD Portal?

Open-access programmes and national digital badges for PD recognition.

How can professional development for all who teach be recognised nationally?

Ireland’S Higher Education Teachers Have A National Professional Development Framework, Now What?, Roisin Ca Donnelly, Theresa Maguire

Conference papers

Momentum has been building for professional development (PD) for all staff who teach in Irish higher education - they now have the national Professional Development Framework (PDF) to support them in planning and engaging with authentic, inclusive, scholarly, learner-centred and collaborative PD across their career. In mid-2016, the PD Framework was published by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. In 2017, the PDF was piloted with 215 individuals from 22 professional identity groups from across the sector, working with the framework to reflect on their professional practice and set goals for their future professional development. This …

Eportfolio Based Assessment Case Study, Claire Mcavinia, Roisin Ca Donnelly

Articles

The ePortfolio module is an essential component of the MSc Applied eLearning. This is a two-year part-time accredited professional development programme aimed at a wide range of academic and professional staff: lecturers, teachers, tutors, eLearning specialists, researchers, consultants, trainers in commercial enterprises, policy makers, librarians, learning and technological support staff and managers. The MSc is designed to support these participants in growing the confidence and skills to develop, facilitate and manage eLearning in different contexts and with diverse, authentic pedagogical approaches. It is anticipated that on successful completion of this programme, participants who are endeavouring to establish eLearning opportunities in …

Surviving, And Indeed Thriving In Faculty Development: A Reflective Commentary On Values Informing Professional Practice, Roisin Donnelly

Other resources

While a significant body of work on the practice of faculty development exists, research on faculty developers as professionals is limited, and few have explored the profession from the perspective of faculty developers themselves (Shaffer, 2011). Specifically, this reflective commentary begins to address the question of how best to prepare and support current and future faculty developers for their ambiguous and complex roles and their need to function within the changing environment of higher education institutions. Since embarking on a role in an Irish Higher Education Institution in 1999 as a Faculty Developer, it has been crucial to consider my …