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Full-Text Articles in Education

Work-Related Stress: Survey Of Academic Staff In The Institutes Of Technology Sector, Aidan Kenny Jun 2015

Work-Related Stress: Survey Of Academic Staff In The Institutes Of Technology Sector, Aidan Kenny

Articles

This article presents findings from a survey of professional workers in the institutes of technology sector in Ireland regarding work-related stress. The research instrument was based on a work-related stress questionnaire developed by the UK Health and Safety Executive, augmented with a specific subset of questions relevant to the Irish higher education sector. The questionnaire format was modified to enable online delivery. It was distributed to a sample population in 2014 with a response rate over 30% (n=1,131). The research provides baseline data on work-related stress levels experienced by workers in this sector. The results associate increased levels of risk …


The Tri-Party Partnership: An Investigation Into The Existing Support Structures Within A Dit Placement, Kerry Meakin, Órla Keane Apr 2015

The Tri-Party Partnership: An Investigation Into The Existing Support Structures Within A Dit Placement, Kerry Meakin, Órla Keane

Stream 2: Curriculum

The readiness of students entering the workforce upon graduating has been widely researched in Ireland, and a student work placement that is embedded in the curriculum is commonly recognised as a crucial mechanism that is key to preparing graduates for the ‘real world’. In this particular study, the voice of many key parties are captured, including the students themselves, members of the academic department who coordinate the programme, and the industry partners. Recommendations are made based on the findings that highlighted gaps or weaknesses in the existing student support structures, along with the addition of an updated academic institution-industry partnership …


Lost In Transition: An Exploration Of The Transition Of Work-Based Mature Students Into 3rd Level Education, Louise Mcanarney Apr 2015

Lost In Transition: An Exploration Of The Transition Of Work-Based Mature Students Into 3rd Level Education, Louise Mcanarney

Stream 5: Curriculum 2

The transition from the social care practice environment to a third level academic institution for the first time as a mature age student can be much anticipated, exciting and stimulating but also fraught with feelings of self-doubt, unease and difficulty. These feelings override for many mature age students the realities of commencing undergraduate study. Before commencement, most mature age students neither give much thought to issues pertaining to transition, nor believe that such issues are relevant or likely to affect them. The presence of part-time, work-based undergraduate degree programmes in social care has continued to grow stronger in recent times. …


Academic Engagement Using Social Media: Revisiting The Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge Framework In Higher Education Today, Matt Glowatz, Orna Keane Apr 2015

Academic Engagement Using Social Media: Revisiting The Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge Framework In Higher Education Today, Matt Glowatz, Orna Keane

Stream 6: Global University

Research into the use of social media for academic purposes is increasingly emerging. Such research suggests that a social networking site (SNS) could be used as an innovative tool for teaching purposes. However, much of previous research has focused on outlining the experience of students and the empirical evidence to date reports how a SNS may develop a higher level of academic engagement amongst students. In addition, research in this field has overlooked review of the pedagogy involved in utilising a SNS for education purposes successfully. Previously, Koehler and Mishra (2009) proposed the TPACK framework to explore the relationship of …


Wiki'd Transformations: Technology Supporting Collaborative Learning, Bill Hunter, Roger Austin Apr 2015

Wiki'd Transformations: Technology Supporting Collaborative Learning, Bill Hunter, Roger Austin

Stream 6: Global University

This paper examines the uses of wikis in teaching in higher education. It was developed in support of a workshop offered at the Higher Education in Transformation conference in Dublin, Ireland, in March, 2015. The paper describes one author’s use of a wiki over a period of five years to support graduate students in their study of principles of learning, reviews some of the literature on educational applications of wikis and suggests directions for future research.


A New Model Within Canadian Colleges And Universities To Develop A Diverse Future Generation Of Entrepreneurs: Inclusivity And Accessibility, Jay Fisher Apr 2015

A New Model Within Canadian Colleges And Universities To Develop A Diverse Future Generation Of Entrepreneurs: Inclusivity And Accessibility, Jay Fisher

Stream 6: Global University

This paper reviews past research that focused on the delivery of, and support for, entrepreneurship education (EE) within the Canadian post-secondary academic environment. Specifically this review focuses on the trend towards EE ‘inclusivity’ within both the Canadian post-secondary system and the individual institutions examined. A wide range of studies is reviewed and impacts are categorized across key stakeholder groups. This paper concludes with insights for future research specific to other key stakeholders and provides examples to highlight academic institutions that have established EE experiences both within and outside the curriculum to satisfy a broad and diverse student population


The Pursuit Of Civic Engagement: Youth Civic Engagement And The Role Of Higher Education, Aideen Mccormack, Aiden Carthy, Cormac Doran Apr 2015

The Pursuit Of Civic Engagement: Youth Civic Engagement And The Role Of Higher Education, Aideen Mccormack, Aiden Carthy, Cormac Doran

Stream 6: Global University

Putnam (2000) argues that, in recent years, there has been a steady decline of social capital and civic engagement in western societies. However, arguments claiming a 'crisis' of civic engagement have also been met with fierce academic disagreement, leading to a strongly contested debate as to whether civic engagement is in decline or simply evolving. Using a mixed methods approach, this research sought to explore youth civic engagement among the students of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown aged 18 to 25. Preliminary quantitative results provide evidence of both disengagement with traditional routes and a re-routing of engagement towards more lifestyle …


Does Accredited Professional Development For Academics Improve Teaching And Learning In Higher Education?, Claire Mcavinia, Roisin Donnelly, Claire M. Mcdonnell, Orla Hanratty, Jen Harvey Jan 2015

Does Accredited Professional Development For Academics Improve Teaching And Learning In Higher Education?, Claire Mcavinia, Roisin Donnelly, Claire M. Mcdonnell, Orla Hanratty, Jen Harvey

Books/Book Chapters

This Chapter examines the extent to which we can assess whether accredited professional development programmes for academics have improved teaching – and students’ learning – in higher education. A review of the literature will be presented, along with new research undertaken in our home institution. The authors are part of a team delivering accredited programmes in teaching at tertiary level, and have collaborated to examine the impact of their work and that of the team over more than ten years in this area. Our findings from both the literature and our most recent research within our own institution indicate a …


An Action Plan For Implementing The Principles For Responsible Management Education In College Of Business Programme Learning Outcomes, Maeve O'Connell, Lorraine Sweeney Jan 2015

An Action Plan For Implementing The Principles For Responsible Management Education In College Of Business Programme Learning Outcomes, Maeve O'Connell, Lorraine Sweeney

Teaching Fellowships

Recent corporate scandals have resulted in criticism of business schools for graduating students who put too much emphasis on shareholder value and profit maximisation but neglect the broader social and environmental context in which businesses operate. This research fellowship set out to review current literature of ethics education in third level universities and institutions to determine best practice in the area. It also set out to review the reports of the signatories of PRME (Principals for Responsible Management Education) to develop an understanding of the range of options available to the College of Business to embed principles for responsible management …


An Intrinsic Case Study Into The Appropriateness Of A Bespoke Training Model As An Approach To Supporting The Postgraduate Demonstrator In Developing Pedagogical Skills Suitable For Undergraduate Scientific Laboratories., Barry Ryan Jan 2015

An Intrinsic Case Study Into The Appropriateness Of A Bespoke Training Model As An Approach To Supporting The Postgraduate Demonstrator In Developing Pedagogical Skills Suitable For Undergraduate Scientific Laboratories., Barry Ryan

Theses

Postgraduate demonstrators (PGDs) are crucial to the smooth running of undergraduate teaching laboratories; however, they are oftentimes exiled to superficial duties such as enforcing health and safety and procedural instruction. The aim of this intrinsic case study was to characterise the support required by postgraduate demonstrators (PGDs) to develop the key pedagogical skills that would assist them in effectively demonstrating undergraduate science teaching labs. Through supporting PGD development, it is hoped to centralise the PGD in the undergraduate teaching lab and set in place the foundations for a move towards undergraduate teaching labs that encompass aspects of tailored research in …


Participatory Action Research: Effect Of Emphasising Graduate Attributes On Work-Placement Reflection, Julie Dunne Jan 2015

Participatory Action Research: Effect Of Emphasising Graduate Attributes On Work-Placement Reflection, Julie Dunne

Theses

This project aimed to investigate what the effect of activities to promote awareness of graduate attributes development introduced during 2014/15 would be on the quality of reflection displayed in student pharmacy technicians’ workplacement blogs. The project was undertaken in response to a deficit in critical reflection shown in earlier years. The work-placement blogs from 2013/14 were used as a comparison for this study. The theoretical perspective included a constructivist ontological position and an interpretivist epistemological position. The methodology was participatory action research involving the Pharmacy Technician students as co-researchers. The cycles of action and research aligned to three research objectives, …


Authentic Assessment, Sinead Freeman, James Fox, Vanessa Murphy, Nicola Hughes Jan 2015

Authentic Assessment, Sinead Freeman, James Fox, Vanessa Murphy, Nicola Hughes

Practitioner Research Projects

No abstract provided.


Values Informing Professional Practice In Academic Professional Development, Roisin Donnelly Jan 2015

Values Informing Professional Practice In Academic Professional Development, Roisin Donnelly

Articles

While a significant body of work on the practice of academic development exists, research on academic developers (those charged with supporting the education of academic staff in higher education) as professionals is limited, and few have explored the profession from the perspective of academic developers themselves [22]. Specifically, this reflective report begins to address the question of how best to prepare and support current and future academic 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 …


Institutional Mergers In Ireland, Siobhan Harkin, Ellen Hazelkorn Jan 2015

Institutional Mergers In Ireland, Siobhan Harkin, Ellen Hazelkorn

Books/Book chapters

The importance of knowledge as a driver of social and economic growth and prosperity, and the increasingly competitive “global race for knowledge and talent” (Hazelkorn, Higher Educ Manage Policy 21(1):55–76, 2009) have combined to transform the higher education landscape, forcing national governments and higher education institutions (HEIs) to pursue new ways of addressing the challenges of a multi-polar world order. Rising demand for higher education (HE), as part of the broader shift from elite to mass to universal participation, has led to the emergence of new models of provision. At the same time, many governments face restrictions on public resources …