Education Commons^™

Open Research: From Thought To Deed, Aisling Coyne, Yvonne Desmond, John Donovan

Other

Openness as a concept in scholarly communication is gaining increased traction with more and more universities and research institutes adopting the concept. But is it just a concept or even worst an aspiration? Open is difficult both politically and in practical terms and how many institutions actually move into the action and implementation phase? TU Dublin has achieved considerable success with open access to publications using the institutional repository Arrow@TUDublin. However, now we want to move into the implementation phase and become an open research university. Simultaneously we are involved with a project for the European University of Technology to …

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

Articles

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 …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Into The Impact Of Bim On The Social Dynamics Of The Aec Professional In The Workplace., Malachy Mathews Dr.

Doctoral

A review of the literature published surrounding new digital design and construction technologies and associated processes described within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community as Building Information Modelling (BIM) or Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) reveals a gap in the theoretical understanding of the impact these technologies are having on professionals who work in this industry. The central aim of this research is to discover if there has been a shift in social dynamics as a result of the adoption of BIM in the workplace and, if there has been, to discuss the meaning of this for the industry …

A Phenomenographic Study Of Academics Teaching In Engineering Programmes In Ireland: Conceptions Of Professional Skills And Approaches To Teaching Professional Skills, Una Beagon

Doctoral

Engineers play a central role in addressing the challenges which face society. However, the influence of globalisation, disruptive technological change and socially complex problems will greatly affect the way engineers work in the future.

As a result, there have been calls to embrace transformational change in engineering education, yet the literature reveals that many reform efforts have fallen short. Industry and society will therefore continue to look to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to better prepare engineering graduates with the new skills needed to face the challenges of the future. Notwithstanding the critical and valued role that technical engineering subjects have …

Cocreate: Collaborative Curriculum Reimagining And Enhancement Aiming To Transform Education, Barry J. Ryan, Adrienne Fleming, Catherine M. Deegan, Claire Mcavinia, Colm O'Kane, David Williams, Edmund Nevin, Eric Bates, Fionnuala Darby, Jen Harvey, Lesley Murphy, Maebh Coleman, Miriam O'Donoghue, Nicola Duffy

Teaching Fellowship Reports

The establishment of TU Dublin in January 2019 provided a unique opportunity to create a bespoke curriculum framework for students, staff and stakeholders of TU Dublin, produced by the students, staff and stakeholders of TU Dublin. A curriculum framework is a set of guiding values that inform the design of teaching and learning activities within TU Dublin. A Teaching Fellowship Team, comprising eighteen teaching academics from across the three TU Dublin campuses and supported extensively by the Learning Teaching and Technology Centre (LTTC), was formed to collaboratively craft, in partnership with all stakeholders, a curriculum framework for TU Dublin. Working …

Soft Skills Development In Hospitality, Tourism And Event Management Education, Denise O'Leary, Ziene Mottiar

Conference papers

Soft skills are skills such as interpersonal and social skills, communication skills, teamwork and the ability to self motivate. Numerous studies have shown that employers in the tourism, hospitality and events sectors place high value on soft skills when recruiting new employees, yet these skills can often be underdeveloped in graduates of tourism and hospitality programmes (Stietska-Ilina et al. 2005, Nyanjom and Wilkins 2016). This in part because unlike hard skills, which are more technical in nature and as a result, measurable, soft skills can be difficult to measure, document and assess in third level education programmes.

This paper reports …

Leaf (Learning From And Engaging With Assessment And Feedback) Final Project Report, Ziene Mottiar, Louise Bellew, Sara Boyd, Greg Byrne, Jane Courtney, Cliona Doris, Helen O'Brien Gately, Geraldine Gorham, Leanne Harris, Natalie Hopkin, Anne Hurley, Louise Lynch, Ciaran O'Driscoll, Denise O'Leary, Noel O'Neill, Emma Robinson, Mary Scally, Barry Sheehan, Mairead Stack

Reports

The LEAF (Learning from and Engaging with Assessment and Feedback) project was funded under the Teaching Fellowship in TU Dublin, city campus for 18 months beginning in January 2018. The project team comprised 18 academics from across the TU Dublin - City Campus and there are representatives from all colleges. Also included were two further members who represented the student voice: the Director of Student Affairs and the Students’ Union Education Officer.

This project sought to address a key issue in third level Teaching and Learning, that of assessment and assessment feedback. Assessment strategies have been shown to have a …

Active Learning Strategies For Higher Education: The Practical Handbook, Centre For Higher Education Research, Policy And Practice, Shaun Ferns, Nicola Duffy

Books

The manual itself is based on a sound method that the Educator can easily deploy. This is made up of easy stages for each activity which they and their students can embrace. This student-centred pedagogical approach allows learners to build their understanding while also taking responsibility for their own learning where the educator acts in a facilitator or enabler role. This active, enquiry-based approach is at the heart of what Durham College, UOIT and TU Dublin endeavour to provide to students as it can be applied to diverse problems and contexts within their educational journey and across disciplines. It also …

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 …

National Professional Development Framework For All Who Teach In Irish Higher Education, How It Nurtures And Supports Reflection For A Teaching Community Of Practice., Roisin Ca Donnelly

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Quality Assurance Challenges For Inclusion Of "Non-Formal Education Qualifications" Into Nqfs, Dzelalija Mile, Ivana Carev

Level 3

In this article we analyse practices of various forms of learning in different countries and their key roles for individuals regarding their potential on the labour market, in further education or any other interests of individuals and society. In addition, we analyse validation processes for non-formal and informal learning, as well as quality assurance practices in those countries.

Based on our analysis, we discuss the challenges of the inclusion of ‘non-formal education qualifications’ into national qualifications frameworks, emphasising the quality assurance principles for qualifications that are part of national qualification frameworks, and propose the theoretical base for inclusion of such …

Cultural Change Through Bim: Driving Lean Transformation In Education, Avril Behan, Malachy Mathews, Kevin Furlong, Ciara Ahern, Una Beagon, Peter Brennan, Colin Conway, Lee Corcoran, Pierce Fahy, Alan Hore, Barry Mcauley, Trevor Woods

Conference papers

This paper presents a case study of how the adoption of BIM-based practices in the AECO industry is being reflected by cultural change in higher education in Ireland. The silo-mentality that has dominated the AECO sector for more than a century has, despite numerous reorganisations, been replicated in the structures of educational institutions, including in Dublin Institute of Technology since the inception of its founding colleges in the late 1800s. Most AECO programmes must include content that is external to the programme’s specific discipline. Through the School structures of the Institute, delivery of such content is known as "service teaching" …

Creating Supportive Working Environment For Academics In Higher Education; Country Report Ireland, Marie Clarke, Aidan Kenny

Book/Book Chapter

A major new study involving almost 1,200 academics calls for ‘significantly increased and sustained levels of investment’ and increased staffing levels to meet continued growth in student numbers. Almost three-quarters of respondents feel their working conditions are deteriorating.

The Report ‘Creating a Supportive Working Environment for Academics in Higher Education’ by Marie Clarke, Aidan Kenny and Andrew Loxley, is published Monday, June 22^nd. It was commissioned by the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and involved consultations throughout Irish third-level institutions.

The Report points out that funding to the third level …

Visual Analytics: The Role Of Design And Art In The Emerging Field Of Big Data, Sara Diamond

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

Driven by the increasing complexity of data sets the need for sophisticated analytics algorithms coupled with visualization of both data and information is growing exponentially in every discipline and industry. Artists, designers and visual thinkers have an important role to play in the presentation and interpretation of data. The Visual Analytics Lab (VAL) at OCAD University is a preeminent research lab for innovation and training in information and scientific visualization and visual analytics. As well as its perspective on the field, two brief case studies are provided, one for health care and the second for media navigation and analysis.

Ocad University's Imagination Catalyst: A Case Study., Helmut Reichenbacher

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

In order to provide the context for an incubator case study, this paper provides a brief overview of the support mechanisms for Canadian university-based innovation and commercialization, especially regarding government (federal, provincial, municipal). It then proceeds to describe OCAD University’s specialized commercialization and incubator unit, the Imagination Catalyst, which supports talent

We Had The Experience But Missed The Meaning: Capacity Building Using Student Diary Pro To Enhance The Mobility Experience, Angela Feeney, David Irwin, Tara Mckiernan

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

The mobility experience is not confined to the sphere of upward social and economic mobility but, in equal measure, to geographical, linguistic and cultural mobility as a function of the public role of the university. Effects of mobility can be registered in terms of their impact on the university directly, the impact of such mobility on society generally, and its impact on those who participate in mobility opportunities in particular. The paper begins with a general overview of ideas and intentions underpinning mobility which in turn inform and are informed by policy considerations in a European Union context. Since mobility …

The Entrepreneurial University: A Unifying Theme For Tu4dublin, John Jameson, Patrick O'Donnell

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

The paper is presented as a rationale for the adoption of an entrepreneurial university model as the guiding principle for the organisation of the Technological University for Dublin (TU4D)5. It is argued that the entrepreneurial university provides a coherent context in which the internal resources and capacities of the three organisations, within the alliance, can be aligned to the external environment and the needs of their stakeholders through agility, flexibility and responsiveness.The paper first considers a broad definition of what is understood as an entrepreneurial Higher Educational Institution (HEI). It then considers the entrepreneurial mind-set as a precursor to the …

Masters Of The Universe Or Survival Of The Fittest: Rethinking Strategy Development In A Technological University, Deirdre Lillis

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

Strategic planning has become an integral part of the management of higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide, largely in response to an external environment that is exerting increased pressure. The experiences of all but one of Ireland’s 21 Universities and Institutes of Technology with strategic planning over a ten-year period are considered in this paper. Despite evidence of growing experience with strategic planning, some significant deficits are identified. With the development of Technological Universities in mind, recommendations are made with respect to strategic planning for institutional diversity, consolidation of merged institutions, performance-related funding, integration with quality assurance frameworks and external stakeholder …

The Paris Collection: Reflections On An Interdisciplinary Performance Project, Jennifer Hamilton, Barry Sheehan

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

Between September 2013 and January 2014, students and staff of the Technological University Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama and DIT Dublin School of Creative Arts collaborated on the creation of an opera production which was presented at the National Concert Hall on Jan 23rd. The project was implemented within the modular framework from both colleges. The collaboration was both multi and inter-disciplinary and the students engaged at a professional level, working under staff supervision and in tandem with personnel and resources outside the college environment. The performers were required to audition for their roles and the teams of design …

The Beast In The Jungle: The Humanities In The Future Higher Education Landscape, Richard Hayes

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

That universities—existing and to-be-invented—will by necessity be more entrepreneurial in the future is enshrined in higher education policy in Ireland and, indeed, has been seemingly uncritically accepted by higher education institutions, old and new. Commercializing research output, nurturing spin-out commercial activity, embracing on-campus private, commercial companies, forming entrepreneurial graduates with entrepreneurial training embedded in the curriculum—all these strategies are encouraged, if not required, of a new higher education culture that promises, in adopting these strategies, a pathway towards "economic renewal". An industry- and business-led vision of the future of higher education sits uneasily with faculty in Humanities, however, where a …

The Role Of Governance In The Cultivation Of University As An Ethical Enterprise, Thomas B. Morrow

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

Universities have always relied on financial and other resources to pursue their goals. Over the last two decades, the percentage of financial support they receive from government has dwindled (Metcalfe, 2010). The expression, “enterprising university”, is generally used to refer to post- secondary educational institutions adopting entrepreneurial approaches to locate new sources and forms of revenue. Invoking the term in a normative register, some adopt a cheerful, triumphant tone (Meyer, 2002), others a gloomy, foreboding one (Lynch, 2006). Certain opponents condemn the “enterprising university” for spelling the end of university as we know it, whereas certain proponents claim being “enterprising” …

The Evolution Of A New Technological University In Terms Of Policy Definition And Control Of Implementation, Kevin Kelly, Deborah Brennan

Stream 1: Enterprise and Engagement

This paper derives from a Doctoral case study completed in the Technological University Dublin (DIT) in 2008. The main issues of the case study are still being addressed today as DIT prepares to amalgamate with the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) and Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) in 2015. The combined new institute will become a university in 2016 and is in the process of a move to a green field site. The rate and scope of these changes are challenging for all concerned. Through a series of interviews and focus groups in 2008, a story of DIT emerged. The …

An Exploration Of The Effects On Programme Design And Development Effected By Educational Leadership In Reaction To Societal And Economic Factors In Ireland, Roisin Donnelly, Nuala Harding

Articles

It has affected many countries around the world, and Irish higher education has not found itself immune from undergoing a period of significant change, powered by a number of factors: economic, political, and technological. While these trends are global in their scope, and profound in their impact, the pace of change in the Irish economy since 2007-08 in particular has required institutions and their educational leaders to encourage the emergence of programmes which can respond to the current national needs. In periods of rapid change such as this, educational leaders by necessity tend to focus on short-term strategy and transition …

Rankings In Institutional Strategies And Processes: Impact Or Illusion, Ellen Hazelkorn, Tia Loukkola, Thérèse Zhang

Reports

Higher education is undergoing rapid change in response to developments occurring at national and international level. Today, universities’ performance worldwide is increasingly being measured using rankings which have been developed by governmental and/or commercial agencies, at both national and international level. The Rankings in Institutional Strategies and Processes (RISP) project is the first pan-European study of the impact and influence of rankings on European higher education institutions. The project has sought to build understanding of how rankings impact and influence the development of institutional strategies and processes and its results are presented in the publication.

Gaihe Survey Report Results, Andrew Gibson, Ellen Hazelkorn

Other resources

This conference presentation details the results of the survey from the Governance and Adaptation to Innovative Modes of Higher Education Provision (GAIHE) Project (funded by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) through the Lifelong Learning Programme), and discusses their implications.

Report On The Survey Of Governance And Adaptation To Innovative Modes Of Higher Education Provision (Gaihe), Andrew Gibson, Ellen Hazelkorn, Barry Colfer

Reports

Higher education around the world is undergoing significant change. Globalisation and competition from new modes of provision have sparked a strong debate about how to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education. These developments challenge the “traditional” model of university education and its future. How does the management of European universities adapt to these innovations? What are the new modes of education provision across Europe? What is the role of university governance and government policy in establishing and regulating innovative modes of education provision? What are the motivations, barriers and drivers for innovative education provision?

The definition of innovation …

A Reflective Conversation: Community And Hei Perspectives On Community-Based Research., Niamh O'Reilly, Catherine Bates

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This paper is a reflective correspondence between a community partner and a community-based research coordinator in a higher education institute (HEI). We asked each other questions about our experience of collaborating on two community-based research (CBR) projects, in order to share our learning from our collaboration, and to relate this to the wider context in order to develop recommendations for others – community partners and HEI staff – who would like to initiate CBR projects in the future.

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

Articles

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 …

Participants Perspective Of The Fas Redundant Placement Scheme, Maurice Collins, Robert Morris

Conference papers

The aim of this study is to gather and analyze feedback from participants of a scheme which was put in place in the early stages of the Irish economic recession to provide work placements to redundant Apprentices. As part of the research for this paper a series of qualitative interviews were conducted with partipancts of the FAS Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme (RAPS). FAS is the authoriity which organises and administers the Statutory Apprentice Scheme in Ireland.The scheme detailed in this study was put in place to aid Apprentices who has been made redundant, to complete phases 3,5 and 7 of …

Action Research For Educators: Learning Innovation., Roisin Donnelly, Nuala Harding, Muireann Okeeffe, Michael Russell

Conference papers

This special purpose award was designed as part of the LIN flexible pathway to a postgraduate diploma in learning teaching and assessment. The certificate was developed by the AIT Learning and Teaching Unit in conjunction with experts from the DIT Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre with the support of the Learning Innovation Network (LIN).