Education Commons^™

Studying With Dyslexia And Achieving In Partnership With It In Higher Education, Keith Murphy

Articles

According to research by AHEAD (2021), students with specific learning difficulties (SLD) are accessing third level education in greater numbers than ever before. Within the body of research conducted few have focused on the overall experiences of students with dyslexia studying in third level education. The current study addresses this gap in knowledge as it provides an insight into how students with dyslexia, as an SLD, navigate third level education. Ethnography was used as the principal method of research in this project, and 17 participants, ranging in age from 20 years old to mid-40s years old, took part.

The research …

Employer Collaboration In Developing Graduate Employability: A Pilot Study In Ireland, Miriam O'Regan, Aiden Carthy, Colm Mcguiness, Philip Owende

Articles

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact on student work readiness outcomes of collaboration with employers in developing and delivering tailored graduate employability workshops in socioemotional skills for work (SES4Work).

Design/methodology/approach – Framed by the CareerEDGE model of graduate employability, the authors piloted a five-session module for near graduates in five disciplines. The research included an online employer survey (n 5 128), employer interviews (n 5 21) and tailored workshops for near graduates, culminating in a mock competency-based interview. Using a pre/post-test design, participants (n 5 24) also completed the CareerEDGE Employability Development Profile (EDP) …

Inclusion And Belonging In Irish Higher Education For Black And Minority Ethnic Students, Fionnuala Darby

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Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as an analytical prism, this study interrogates the sense of belonging and inclusion experienced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students on one higher education campus in Ireland. The most important story told within the study is as simple as it is complicated. The simple part is that the BME students felt that the campus was inclusive and that they experienced a sense of belonging. The complicated part is that the findings are premised in a normative assumption of whiteness as evidenced by numerous and incremental moments of exclusion in the daily experience of microaggressions, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Motivations And Expectations Of Lecturers Who Sign-Up To Participate In An Emotional Intelligence Coaching Programme, Eoghan Guiry, Aiden Carthy

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Research has emphasised the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in the work of higher education staff. However, little is about the motivations and expectations of lecturers who decide to participate in EI coaching programmes. As part of a larger study pertaining to the efficacy of EI coaching for Irish higher education lecturers, qualitative data was collected by way of a questionnaire that contained two open-ended questions from all participants who signed up for coaching (N = 40). The findings indicate that the primary motivations for participants to sign-up for coaching were personal development and a desire to support research activities. …

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 …

Collaborative Constructions: Designing High School History Curriculum With The Lost & Found Game Series, Owen Gottlieb, Shawn Clybor

Articles

This chapter addresses design research and iterative curriculum design for the Lost & Found games series. The Lost & Found card-to-mobile series is set in Fustat (Old Cairo) in the twelfth century and focuses on religious laws of the period. The first two games focus on Moses Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, a key Jewish law code. A new expansion module which was in development at the time of the fieldwork described in this article that introduces Islamic laws of the period, and a mobile prototype of the initial strategy game has been developed with support National Endowment for the Humanities. The …

From Genetics To Biotechnology: Synthetic Biology As A Flexible Course-Embedded Research Experience, Kristen C. Johnson, Jamie L. Sabel, Judith Cole, Christin Pruett, Ruth Plymale, Nathan S. Reyna

Articles

The need for changing how science is taught and the expansion of undergraduate research experiences is essential to foster critical thinking in the Natural Sciences. Most faculty research programs only involve a small number of upper-level undergraduate students each semester. The course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) model enables more students to take ownership over an independent project and experience authentic research. Further, by creating projects that fit into a curriculum's learning goals and student-oriented outcomes, departments help strengthen critical thinking skills in the classroom. Here, we report on the incorporation of a synthetic biology CURE into a mid-level cellular biology …

Visual Factors Associated With Physical Activity In Schoolchildren, Síofra Harrington, John Kearney Prof, Veronica O'Dwyer Dr

Articles

Clinical relevance Physical activity is an essential part of childhood physical and mental development. Recent research identified visual problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle in children in Ireland.

Background This study explored the association between visual function in children and their engagement with physical activities outside school.

Methods Participants were 1,626 schoolchildren (728 aged 6–7 years, 898 old 12–13 years) in randomly selected schools in Ireland. Before data collection, parents/legal guardians of participants completed a standardised questionnaire reporting physical activity as no activity (mostly on screens), light activity (occasional walking/cycling), moderate activity (/week engaged in sports), or regular activity ( …

Ideas, Power And Agency: Policy Actors And The Formulation Of Language-In-Education Policy For Multilingualism, Susanna Nocchi, Iker Erdocia, Mary Ruane

Articles

The processes of formulation of language policies have not been researched thoroughly. This paper aims to explore the relationship between ideas, power and agency in language policy-making and specifically with reference to the formulation of language-in-education policy for multilingualism in Ireland. Through an argumentative approach to language policy and using a discursive institutionalist framework, the paper examines data from policy documents and interviews with policy actors in the Department of Education and Skills. The paper reports on the ways in which agentive discourses are constrained and enabled by institutional structures. The analysis shows how power resulting from asymmetric internal forces …

An Ethical Discussion About The Responsibility For Protection Of Minors In The Digital Environment: A State-Of-The-Art Review, Charles Alves De Castro, Aiden Carthy, Isobel Oreilly Dr

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Many ethical questions have been raised regarding the use of social media and the internet, mainly related to the protection of young people in the digital environment. In order to critically address the research question "who is responsible for ethically protecting minors in the digital environment?", this paper will review the main literature available to understand the role of parents, the government, and companies in protecting young people within the digital environment. We employed a holistic process that covers a state-of-the-art review and desk research. The article is divided into four sessions; (1) Government Policies from the European Union (EU) …

The World Is Our Classroom: Developing A Model For International Virtual Internships - The Global Innovations Project, Paul Doyle, Brian Keegan, Damian Gordon, Anna Becevel, Paul J. Gibson, Zhiying Jiang Phd, Dympna O'Sullivan

Articles

In the aftermath of COVID-19, remote working has become the norm, and graduates now need an even wider range of skills, which traditional classrooms and internships do not always provide. Working in multiple time zones, within global multi-cultural teams, and only ever meeting colleagues through online technology are just some of the challenges, which require a new type of global graduate. Transversal skills including leadership, collaboration, innovation, digital, green, organization and communication skills are critical. The disruption from COVID-19 also presents unprecedented opportunities to develop more inclusive approaches to internships and international experiences, to level the playing field for students …

Twitter: More Than Tweets For Undergraduate Student Researchers, Nathan S. Reyna, Christin Pruett, Mike Morrison, Jennifer Fowler, Sumali Pandey, Lori Hensley

Articles

During the COVID-19 pandemic, biology educators were forced to think of ways to communicate with their students, engaging them in science and with the scientific community. For educators using course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), the challenge to have students perform real science, analyze their work, and present their results to a larger scientific audience was difficult as the world moved online. Many instructors were able to adapt CUREs utilizing online data analysis and virtual meeting software for class discussions and synchronous learning. However, interaction with the larger scientific community, an integral component of making science relevant for students and allowing …

An Analysis Of The Impact And Efficacy Of Online Emotional Intelligence Coaching As A Support Mechanism For University Students, Aiden Carthy, Wyndham Chalmers, Eoghan Guiry, Philip Owende

Articles

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many college courses have pivoted to complete online delivery and colleges are also tasked with providing student supports online. It is likely this transition will last beyond any COVID-19 specific restrictions, therefore this small-scale, exploratory study examined the efficacy and impact of the provision of a 5 week online emotional intelligence (EI) coaching programme to a cohort of Irish university students (n = 19) studying at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). Results revealed that the average overall level of EI increased for participants following the coaching programme. Students reported that they believed …

Childminding Professionalism And Professionalisation In Ireland: A Different Story, Miriam O'Regan, Ann Marie Halpenny, Noirin Hayes

Articles

This research focussed on documenting the praxis and paedagogy of paid, professional childminding (family childcare/day care) in Ireland. It explored professionalism and professionalisation among childminders in the context of the evolving understanding of professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) nationally and internationally. The research was conducted within the framework of Ecocultural Theory (ECT) on the eve of mandatory regulation of childminding against the backdrop of Irish ECEC policy. A mixed method approach was adopted, using the Ecocultural Family Interview for Childminders (EFICh), including participants’ photographs, case study surveys, researcher field notes and holistic ratings. We present findings related …

Survey Says--How To Engage Law Students In The Online Learning Environment, Andrele Brutus St. Val

Articles

The pandemic experience has made it clear that not everyone loves teaching or learning remotely. Many professors and students alike are eager to return to the classroom. However, our experiences over the last year and a half have also demonstrated the potentials and possibilities of learning online and have caused many professors to recalibrate their approaches to digital learning. While the tools for online learning were available well before March of 2020, many instructors are only now beginning to capitalize on their potential. The author of this article worked in online legal education before the pandemic, utilizing these tools and …

Exploring Pedagogic And Practical Intersections Of Academic Writing Support For Students In Higher Education, Maria-Jose Gonzalez, Roisin Donnelly

Articles

This case study explores undergraduate and postgraduate student perceptions of the nature and effectiveness of academic writing provision and practice in a university in Ireland. Its focus isthe Academic Writing Centre (AWC), a university-wide initiative to support all students. It discusses students’ perceptions as to the academic writing support provided at the AWC and students’ preferred writing strategies. The research design used a qualitative approach to gather data on students’ perceptions of the academic writing support received at one-to-one consultations. Data was gathered via a student survey (n=21) sent to all students who avail of the AWC’s one-to-one support. Findings …

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 …

A Systematic Review Of The Provision Of Sexuality Education To Student Teachers In Initial Teacher Education, Aisling Costello, Catherine Maunsell, Claire Cullen, Ashling Bourke

Articles

Teachers, and their professional learning and development, have been identified as playing an integral role in enabling children and young people’s right to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). The provision of sexuality education (SE) during initial teacher education (ITE) is upheld internationally, as playing a crucial role in relation to the implementation and quality of school-based SE. This systematic review reports on empirical studies published in English from 1990 to 2019. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, five databases were searched: ERIC, Education Research Complete, PsycINFO, Web of Science and MEDLINE. From a possible 1,153 titles and abstracts identified, 15 papers …

Gender Equality In Higher Education And Research, Rodrigo Rosa, Sara Clavero

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No abstract provided.

Intergenerational Learning As A Pedagogical Strategy In Early Childhood Education Services: Perspectives From An Irish Study, Anne Fitzpatrick, Ann Marie Halpenny

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This study investigated the concept, role and potential of intergenerational learning (IGL) as a pedagogical strategy in five Irish early childhood education (ECE) services, through exploring the perspectives on IGL of educators (5), children (70) and their parents (43). Informed by socio-cultural theories of learning and aligned to key principles of IGL, a qualitative methodological approach was adopted. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews with educators, ‘draw and talk’ strategies with children and informal written feedback with parents. Key findings demonstrated that children’s happiness, socio-emotional competences and executive functions, all key elements of successful learning and living, were strongly supported …

The History And Work Of The Centre For Early Childhood Development And Education (Cecde) (2001-2008), Elizabeth Dunphy Dr, Maire Mhic Mhathuna

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Growing international interest in ECEC policy in the 1990s resulted in increasing awareness of its significance for education policy in Ireland. Arising from this, in 1999, Ready to Learn: A White Paper for Early Childhood Education was published. This led to the establishment of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE). This chapter charts in chronological order the history and work of the CECDE from its inception in 2001 until its closure in 2008. It documents the governance, structures, strategic direction and management of the Centre. It foregrounds the outputs of the Centre including research reports, international conferences …

What, So What, Now What? Covid-19 As A Critical Incident In Practice., Claire Mcavinia, Muireann Okeeffe, Roisin Donnelly

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No abstract provided.

Exploring Pedagogic And Practical Intersections Of Academic Writing Support For Faculty In Higher Education, Roisin Donnelly, Maria-Jose Gonzalez

Articles

This is a case study of Faculty perceptions of the nature and effectiveness of academic writing provision and practice in a university in Ireland. It is presented in tandem with a case study of student persecptions from an Academic Writing Centre and taken together, both discuss the pedagogical approach adopted by the two pan-university initiatives. The focus of this case study is a Professional Development module for Faculty designed with a dual purpose - to support them to develop their own professional writing for publication, and enabling them to use the same strategies to support and reinforce their students’ academic …

A Multimodal Framework For Supporting Academic Writer’S Perspectives, Practice And Performance, Roisin Donnelly, Ita Kennelly, Claire Mcavinia

Articles

Supporting writing remains an important dimension to the work of academic developers particularly for early career academics and doctoral candidates. A small qualitative case study was undertaken on an academic writing module to explore participants’ needs and evaluate a new multimodal writing framework which sought to enhance publication opportunities while supporting the development of writing practice. The framework introduced the modes of reading, writing and reviewing as distinctive dimensions of the writing process and introduced practical activities to build participants’ confidence and skills working in each mode. It also prompted participants to acknowledge, adopt and shift between the perspectives of …

The Impact Of A Professional Development Mooc On The Teaching Beliefs Of University Science Laboratory Teachers, Natasa Brouwer, Gunther Fleerackers, Iwona Maciejowska, Claire M. Mcdonnell, Mauro Mocerino

Articles

This study contributes to the understanding of online professional development of university STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) lecturers. An active learning massive open online course (MOOC) to develop best practice in teaching in university science laboratories was developed using the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) model in three cycles. The teaching beliefs and intentions of the participants were determined before and after they completed the MOOC and their level of satisfaction with this professional development opportunity was examined using a survey. The results showed high completion rates and an appreciation of the online course design. Participants who completed …

Exploring The Concept Of The Digital Educator During Covid-19, Ana Schalk, Claire Mcavinia, Pauline Rooney

Articles

In this paper, we explore academic identity, specifically the identity of the educator in higher education and academics’ conceptualisations of the digital educator. We suggest that the concept of a digital educator is not only about technology, tools and uses. The context for this exploration is academics’ participation in an online professional development module, Digital Education, and the “pivot online” (Weller, 2020a) during campus closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Through qualitative research, we explored participants’ sense of teaching identity, whether they had or have a concept of being a digital educator and the extent to which these …

Evaluating A Peer Assisted Learning Programme For Mature Access Foundation Students Undertaking Computer Programming At An Irish University, Nevan Bermingham, Frances Boylan, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Access Foundation Programmes are a widening-participation initiative designed to encourage engagement in higher education among under-represented groups. This includes socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. Mature students in particular enrolled on these programmes experience greater difficulties making the transition to tertiary education, especially when they opt to study disciplines traditionally considered difficult. Computer programming is perceived as a traditionally difficult subject with lower pass rates and progression rates typically than other subjects.

This paper describes the first of a three-cycle action research study examining the perceived effects of a structured Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme for mature students enrolled on a computer …

The 4c’S Of Pal – An Evidence-Based Model For Implementing Peer Assisted Learning For Mature Students, Nevan Bermingham, Frances Boylan, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Peer Assisted Leaning (PAL) programmes have been shown to enhance learner confidence and have an overall positive effect on learner comprehension, particularly in subjects traditionally perceived as difficult. This research describes the findings of a three-cycle Action Research study into the perceived benefits of implementing such a programme for mature students enrolled on a computer science programming module on an Access Foundation Programme in an Irish University. The findings from this study suggest that peer learning programmes offer students a valued support structure that aids transition and acculturation into tertiary education whilst simultaneously improving their subject-matter comprehension and confidence. An …

Towards A European Framework For Community Engagement In Higher Education – A Case Study Analysis Of European Universities, Emma O'Brien, Bojana Culum Ilic, Anete Veidemane, Davide Dusi, Thomas Farnell, Ninoslav Scukanec Schmidt

Articles

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the development and piloting of a novel European framework for community engagement (CE) in higher education, which has been purposefully designed to progress the CE agenda in a European context.

Design/methodology/approach – The proposed framework was co-created through the European Union (EU)-funded project towards a European framework for community engagement in higher education (TEFCE). The TEFCE Toolbox is an institutional self-reflection framework that centres on seven thematic dimensions of CE. This paper follows the development of the TEFCE Toolbox through empirical case study analysis of four European universities and their local communities.

Findings …

Neuromatch Academy: A 3-Week, Online Summer School In Computational Neuroscience, Bernard Marius 'T Hart, Titipat Achakulvisut, Ayoade Adeyemi, Athena Akrami, Bradly Alicea, Alicia Alonso-Andres, Diego Alzate-Correa, Arash Ash, Jesus J. Ballesteros, Aishwarya Balwani, Eleanor Batty, Ulrik Beierholm, Ari S. Benjamin, Upinder Bhalla, Gunnar Blohm, Joachim C. H. Blohm, Kathryn Bonnen, Marco Brigham, Bingni W. Brunton, John Butler, Brandon Caie, N Alex Cayco Gajic, Sharbatanu Chatterjee, Spyridon Chavlis, Ruidong Chen, You Cheng, H. M. Chow, Raymond Chua, Yunwei Dai, Isaac David, Eric E. J. Dewitt, Julien Denis, Alish Dipani, Arianna Dorschel, Jan Drugowitsch, Kshitij Dwivedi, Sean Escola, Haoxue Fan, Roozbeh Farhoodi, Yicheng Fei, Pierre-Étienne Fiquet, Lorenzo Fontolan, Jeremy Forest, Yuki Fujishima, Byron V. Galbraith, Mario Galdamez, Richard Gao, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Alexander Gonzalez, Qinglong Gu, Yueqi Guo, Ziyi Guo, Pankaj K. Gupta, Busra Tugce Gurbuz, Caroline Haimerl, Jordan B. Harrod, Alexandre Hyafil, Martin Irani, Daniel Jacobson, Michelle Johnson, Ilenna Simone Jones, Gili Karni, Robert E. Kass, Hyosub Edward Kim, Andreas M. Kist, Randal Koene, Konrad Kording, Matthew R. Krause, Arvind Kumar, Norma K. Kühn, Ray Lc, Matthew L. Laporte, Junseok Lee, Songting Li, Sikun Lin, Yang Lin, Shuze Liu, Tony Liu, Jesse A. Livezey, Linlin Lu, Jakob H. Macke, Kelly Mahaffy, A. Lucas Martins, Nicolás Martorell, Manolo Martínez, Marcelo G. Mattar, Jorge Aurelio Menendez, Kenneth D. Miller, Patrick J. Mineault, Nosratullah Mohammadi, Yalda Mohsenzadeh, Elenor Morgenroth, Taha Morshedzadeh, Alice Claudia Mosberger, Madhuvanthi Muliya, Marieke Mur, John D. Murray, Yashas Nd, Richard Naud, Prakriti Nayak, Anushka Oak, Itzel Olivos Castillo, Seyedmehdi Orouji, Jorge Otero-Millan, Marius Pachitariu, Biraj Pandey, Renato Paredes, Jesse Parent, Il Memming Park, Megan A. K. Peters, Xaq Pitkow, Panayiota Poirazi, Haroon Popal, Sandhya Prabhakaran, Tian Qiu, Srinidhi Ragunathan, Raul Rodriguez-Cruces, David Rolnick, Ashish Kumar Sahoo, Saeed Salehinajafabadi, Cristina Savin, Shreya Saxena, Paul Schrater, Karen Schroeder, Alice C. Schwarze, Madineh Sedigh-Sarvestani, K. Yuvaraj Sekhar, Reza Shadmehr, Maryam M. Shanechi, Siddhant Sharma, Eric Shea-Brown, Krishna V. Shenoy, Carolina L. Shimabukuro, Sergey Shuvaev, Man Ching Alison Sin, Maurice Smith, Nicholas A. Steinmetz, Karolina Stosio, Elizabeth Straley, Gabrielle Strandquist, Carsen Stringer, Rimjhim Tomar, Ngoc Tran, Sofia Triantafillou, Lawrence Udeigwe, Davide Valeriani, Vincent Valton, Maryam Vaziri-Pashkam, Peter Vincent, Gal Vishne, Pascal Wallisch, Peiyuan Wang, Claire Ward, Michael Waskom, Kunlin Wei, Anqi Wu, Zhengwei Wu, Brad Wyble, Lei Zhang, Daniel Zysman, Federico D’Oleire Uquillas, Tara Van Viegen

Articles

No abstract provided.