Education Commons^™

Utilising Research ‘Praxis’ To Enhance Teaching Practice In The Domain Of Apprenticeship Education: A Report On A Research Capacity Building Pilot Project Run In The School Of Construction Skills, Technological University Dublin, Ireland In 2008., Aidan Kenny, Niall Delaney, Aidan Ryan

Other resources

The Technological University Dublin is one of the largest multi-level higher education providers in Ireland, catering for over 22,000 students annually. Under the 1999 Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, DIT became an awarding body in its own right. Programme provision covers apprenticeships, short continuous professional development courses, taught undergraduate and postgraduate, research MPhil and PhDs. While the Institute’s traditional mission1 was focused on teaching and learning in the field of advanced technical vocational education and training (TVET), over the last decade the importance of developing a research informed culture has become prominent in the strategic policy development of the Institute. …

Online Support And Online Assessment For Teaching And Learning Chemistry, Claire M. Mcdonnell, Natasa Brouwer

Books/Book chapters

In this chapter, examples of innovative approaches that use educational technology to support active learning in chemistry lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions are considered. The scope of the chapter is limited to blended learning. The strengths and weaknesses of e-learning are examined and the options available for online assessment using electronic tests and e-portfolios are discussed. In addition to the literature references provided in the chapter, several examples of good practice involving the implementation of information and communication technology for chemistry teaching in higher education are incorporated. A list of online resources for lecturers is also included.

Recognition Of Prior Learning In Irish Culinary Arts, Dermot Seberry

Other resources

The emerging agenda for higher education (HE) in Europe promotes lifelong learning, social inclusion, wider participation, employability and partnership working with community organisations. Consequently, higher education authorities are increasingly recognising the significant knowledge, skills and understanding which can be developed as a result of learning opportunities found at work through individual activities and personal interests. The accreditation of learning and prior achievement is now one of the central functions of the Higher Education Authority (HEA, 2007). In exercising this function, higher education providers are increasingly considering how learning that has taken place in a range of contexts, may be assessed …

Qualitative Methodology Discussion, Marian Crowley-Henry, Paddy Dolan, Paul Donnelly, Olivia Freeman, John Hogan, Conor Horan, Brendan O'Rourke

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter presents a discussion on the nature of qualitative research. In it, a number of contributors to the book sit down for a general roundtable discussion on qualitative methodologies. Here they express their thinking in relation to a range of questions on qualitative methodologies put to them by the moderator, one of the editors of the volume. The objective of the chapter is to provide readers with an insight into a free flowing discussion amongst academics on the nature of qualitative research. This takes the readers outside of the carefully structured arguments of the authors, as set out in …

Italian: As/A2 Digital Listening Practice Tests 2009, Silvia Bertoni, Susanna Nocchi

Books/Book Chapters

AS/A2 Digital Listening Comprehension Practice Tests 2009 consists of a book and audio files with authentic listening material and test questions. This book is ideal for practising, improving and building up students’ confidence in listening skills in preparation for the AS Level,A2 Level, the Irish Leaving Certificate and other advanced level exams.

Iterative Approaches To Planning And Strategizing: Learning From The Architectural Studio Model, Shannon Chance

Conference papers

This paper investigates linear and non-linear strategies for organizing and planning, and explores how these strategies correlate to both higher education and architectural education. The study reveals that the strategies for planning and designing typically employed in the field of architecture reflect the sort of non-linear, iterative, and synthesizing processes scholars recommend universities use to improve the effectiveness of strategic planning (Birnbaum, 1988; Cutright, 2001; Presley & Leslie, 1999; Rowley, Lujan, & Dolence, 1998; Swenk, 2001). Opportunities abound for using design processes to enhance various institutional operations as explored in Proposal for using a studio format to enhance institutional advancement …

Introduction: Approaches To Qualitative Research, John Hogan, Paddy Dolan, Paul Donnelly

Books/Book Chapters

Undertaking a dissertation can be a daunting prospect, irrespective of whether a student is an undergraduate or a postgraduate. The idea of having to start with a blank sheet of paper and finish with anything between 15,000 words for an undergraduate dissertation, and 100,000 words of a PhD dissertation, is an arresting thought. But, even these coarse figures fail to capture the true extent of the work involved, as a finished dissertation is usually only a distillation of volumes of work and words that far exceed the finished product ultimately presented. The various chapters present examples for dissertation students in …

Rankings And The Battle For World-Class Excellence: Institutional Strategies And Policy Choices, Ellen Hazelkorn

Articles

Global rankings are creating a furore wherever or whenever they are published or mentioned. They have become a barometer of global competition measuring the knowledge-producing and talent-catching capacity of higher education institutions. These developments are injecting a new competitive dynamic into higher education, nationally and globally, and encouraging a debate about its role and purpose. As such, politicians regularly refer to them as a measure of their nation’s economic strength and aspirations, universities use them to help set or define targets mapping their performance against the various metrics, while academics use rankings to bolster their own professional reputation and status. …

Work-Based Learning Symposium Proceedings 2009, Irene Sheridan, Margaret Linehan

Reports

Prof. Michael Ward Head,

Department of Food Business and Development,

University College Cork

I am honoured to have been invited to chair this morning’s session. My day job is here in UCC where I’m the Professor and Head of the Department of Food Business and Development and the Director of the Centre for Cooperative Studies. I’ve a particular interest in this work-based learning symposium because I, with my colleagues in both the department and the centre, have been involved in Work-Based Learning initiatives of various kinds over the years. So it is a great pleasure to be invited to chair …

Eportfolios: Fit For Purpose?, Jen Harvey, Roisin Donnelly

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Keeping (Or Losing) The Faith: Reflections On Spiritual Struggles And Their Resolution By College Seniors., Jodi Fisler, Holly Alexander Agati, Shannon Chance, Amie E. Donahue, Gregory A. Donahue, Eric J. Eickhoff, Sara E. Kolb Gastler, Joseph C. Lowder, John D. Foubert

Articles

In this qualitative study, researchers examined how college seniors experienced and resolved spiritual struggles in college. Results indicated that academic activities provided opportunities to question, learn, and grow spiritually. Although a variety of external factors influenced students' explorations of their spirituality, participants looked inward to resolve their struggles in deeply personal ways. Spiritual struggle was often manifested as a reexamination of students' pre-college values, an ongoing process for many students. Researchers identified four ways of describing students' state of resolution: (1) recommitting to an existing faith, (2) slightly readjusting their spiritual or religious values, (3) blending spiritual traditions, or (4) …

Opening Online Academic Development Programmes To International Perspectives And Dialogue, Roisin Donnelly, Catherine Manathunga

Books/Book Chapters

Professional development for academic staff in higher education is receiving increasing attention. The focus has been on providing an opportunity for academic staff to enhance their effectiveness in meeting changing needs and roles in higher education. Inherent in this changing role has been meeting the challenges of technology-infused learning environments available for use today. This chapter explores the potential of online academic development programmes to increase collaboration and dialogue amongst participants through integrating opportunities for online interaction. By spotlighting two particular postgraduate programmes in Ireland and Australia, the chapter reports on present experiences of integrating international guests and considers the …

A Case Study Of Student Engagement In Collaborative Group Learning In A Blended Community Based (Service) Learning Module, John G. Mcgarrigle

Research Theses

Abstract: A participatory action research case study employed mixed methods to examine student collaboration and engagement in a Community Based (Service) learning module. A quasi experimental testing of Coates (2007) typology of student engagement found low agreement between students and lecturers in assigning the terms, passive, intense, independent or collaborative to student postings to discussion fora. Evidence from this case study found greater student collaboration in discussion fora when linked to practical course activity. Qualitative analysis of discussion threads using conversation analysis provided evidence for collaboration in deeper knowledge construction when supported by lecturers’ contributions. Discourse analysis examined interviews with …

Towards A Coherent Tertiary Education Approach: European Union Policy Developments And Reflections On The Reform Agenda In Ireland: Issue, Aidan Kenny

Conference papers

This brief issue paper proposes that a coherent approach to tertiary education and training is necessary to enhance lifelong learning opportunities for citizens, in order to develop capacity and capabilities to deal with the challenges posed by the new world-of-work. To achieve this type of approach compatible systems and processes need to be introduced which facilitate communication between existing structures particularly in the areas of recognition, access, transfer and progression. The paper reviews key European Union education and training policy initiatives, citing them as examples of the construction of a meta-framework of systems and processes that support the move towards …

Widening Participation In Higher Education And The Resultant Diversity Of Learners: A Review Of Government Policies, The Academy And Market Demands That May Influence This Trajectory., Ann Conway

Other resources

This paper will look at participation in higher education in Ireland and the current focus of encouraging students from non-traditional and underrepresented groups to understand the ‘why’ of the widening participation debate in higher education. It will then review the evolution of government policies in relation to higher education and in particular of widening access and participation, for example Bologna and Erasmus at EU level and the encouragement of mobility of students within the EU. The resultant shift and change in higher education policies to focus on widening participation has changed the traditional view of the academy which was once …

Student, Practitioner Or Both, Fiona Mcsweeney

Conference papers

*In professional education for the transfer of knowledge to the practice setting to occur student and worker identities need a level of integration.

* Focus of presentation is on factors identified as influencing the separation and integration of social identities of student and social care practitioner and the outcomes.

Enhancement Of Learning: Enabling Elearning And Blended Learning, Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance

Reports

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Global Rankings On Higher Education Research And The Production Of Knowledge, Ellen Hazelkorn

Articles

No abstract provided.

Attitudes To Rankings: Comparing German, Australian And Japanese Experiences, Ellen Hazelkorn

Articles

Drawing on an international survey of HE leaders during 2006, and interviews with HE leaders and stakeholders in Germany, Australia and Japan during 2008, it describes and compares the reaction and response to rankings by HEIs in Germany, Australia and Japan, with particular attention to institutional strategy and planning, benchmarking and quality assurance, student admissions and faculty recruitment and morale. The chapter argues cross-national comparisons/global rankings are an inevitable feature of globalisation, the international battle for talent, and strategies for national competitiveness.

Signs Of Access In A Digital World: Online Delivery Of Deaf Studies Curricula In Ireland At Third Level,, Brian Nolan, Lorraine Leeson

Conference Papers

Irish Sign Language (ISL), an indigenous language of Ireland, is recognized by the European Union as a natural language. It is a language separate from the other languages used in Ireland, including English, Irish, and, in Northern Ireland, British Sign Language. Some 5,000 Deaf people use ISL. Given the history of suppression of signed languages across the EU, the average Deaf person leaves school with a reading age of 8.5 to 9 years. Given this, it is no surprise that Deaf people are the most under-represented of all disadvantaged groups at third level. This poses two challenges: (1) getting Deaf …

Towards Blended Learning For Deaf Studies At Third Level In Ireland,, Brian Nolan, Lorraine Leeson, John Bosco Conama

Conference Papers

Irish Sign Language (ISL), an indigenous language of Ireland, is recognized by the EU as a natural language. It is a language seperate from the other languages used in Ireland, including English, Irish, and, in Northern Ireland.

Integrating Learning Technologies With Experiential Learning In A Postgraduate Teacher Education Course, Roisin Donnelly

Articles

This paper discusses how a Postgraduate Certificate Course in Third Level Learning and Teaching for academic staff in the Republic of Ireland has adopted a particular approach in teacher education. As an important aspect of the successful integration and use of learning technology is the way in which it effectively reflects and articulates a given learning model, this course has its theoretical basis on the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1983). The work illustrates that no one technology can support all types of third level learning and teaching; an effective approach is to combine a range of technologies. The self-study …

Content Anlaysis Of Computer Conferencing Transcripts, Roisin Donnelly, John Gardner

Articles

Within the field of higher education, there are situations where the learner is not well served in a classroom setting. Problematic issues such as scheduling, critical mass, time, pace and location have the potential to be counterbalanced by e-learning. Within this, the asynchronous nature of today’s online learning environments and computer conferencing tools have popularly been claimed to offer tremendous benefits for learners who are willing to take responsibility for their own learning, to progress at their own pace, and interact with their online teacher to get immediate feedback on their learning and progress. Indeed, increasingly, educators today are very …

Supporting Teacher Education Through A Combined Model Of Philosophical, Collaborative And Experiential Learning, Roisin Donnelly

Articles

This paper provides insights into teaching and learning based on the analysis of an accredited professional development program, entitled the Postgraduate Certificate in Third Level Learning and Teaching, aimed at lecturing staff/faculty in Irish higher education. The program has its theoretical basis in the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1983), combined with principles of collaborative learning and a philosophical understanding of teaching in higher education. An action research study was conducted to investigate the lecturers’ perceptions of the program, with a particular focus on how support could be provided to them through a combined model of learning. As a core …

Beg, Steal Or Borrow?: The Challenges Faced By Borrowing The Failure Mode And Effects Analysis Method To Elicit The Unintended Consequences Of Implementing Elearning In The Higher Education Context, Frances Boylan

Conference papers

Effective project management, change management and risk management are key to the successful implementation of elearning. Connected to risk is the notion of unintended consequences, and it is with the issues and concerns surrounding the borrowing of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis method for a research study to elicit the unintended consequences of the processes and policies put in place at one higher education institute in Ireland to facilitate the roll out of elearning there, that this paper is concerned. The Law of Unintended Consequences holds that any action undertaken can result in desirable and undesirable, as well as …

Interaction And Transformation In Virtual Problem-Based Learning Communities, Roisin Donnelly

Conference papers

This brief paper will discuss the harmonizing role of technology and interaction in a qualitative study on blended problem-based learning (PBL) within the context of academic development in higher education. Within academic development, and as both designers and tutors in blended PBL, it is important to seek best practices for how to combine instructional strategies in face-to-face and computer-mediated environments that take advantage of the strengths of each and avoid their weaknesses. A qualitative study of the lived experiences of 17 academic staff participants in a blended problem-based learning module was considered likely to provide a much-needed analysis of current …

Analysis Of Learning Styles Of First Year Engineering Students On Two Level 7 Programmes, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This paper investigates the learning styles of first year, Level 7, mechanical and electrical engineering students at DIT, over two academic years, using the index of learning styles survey as developed by Felder and Soloman (1991). Student learning styles on these programmes are compared with the results from other such surveys. The correlation between student performance and their individual learning styles is examined. Knowledge of the strongly visual learning style of these cohorts of students may be used to improve the learning environment.

Analysis Of Assessment Strategies Used In A Level 7, Year 1 Engineering Subject, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This contribution critically analyses the assessment strategies used on the core Electrical Systems subject in the first year of a three-year, Level 7, degree programme in Electrical Engineering at Dublin Institute of Technology. An evidence-based approach is taken, by analysing the assessment data in detail.

Prior Understanding Of Basic Electrical Circuit Concepts By First Year Engineering Students, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

There is a broad diversity of educational background of students entering Level 7 programmes in engineering. As a result, students’ reasoning regarding basic electrical concepts often differs from accepted explanations. This contribution reports, analyses and reflects on the results of a multiple-choice diagnostic test to assess student understanding of such concepts (developed by Engelhardt and Beichner (2004) for high school and college students), taken by three cohorts of first year, Level 7, engineering students at Dublin Institute of Technology during the 2008-9 academic year.

A Flexible Web Based Learning Tool For Construction And Surveying Students Using Building Information Modelling And Laser Scanning, Maurice Murphy, Garrett Keenaghan, Eugene Mcgovern, Sara Pavia

Conference papers

Teaching and training construction and surveying students using computer simulations of buildings although recently developed is not new. In the case of this project a novel aspect is introduced through applying advanced recording and building modelling techniques developed in the Faculty of the Built Environment in the Technological University of Dublin. In summary this learning software uses parametric objects representing intelligent building components which are brought together virtually by the student to create or form an entire building. The library of parametric objects contain the real world geometry, texture and specification of building parts allowing the student to virtually analyse …