Digital Commons Network^™

The Lived Experience Of Acculturation And Transnationalism Of The First And Second Generation Of Post-2004 Polish Migrants In Ireland. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Joanna Kossykowska

Doctoral

This thesis intersects the theoretical fields of migrant acculturation and transnationalism. The key research question guiding this study is: How do the first and second-generation Polish migrants in Ireland make sense of the experience of acculturation and transnationalism? Despite much research on immigrants in Ireland, qualitative studies still need to be done on Ireland's 'new' communities. Psychological research is scarce on the lived experience of acculturation and transnational connections with the home country of first and secondgeneration Polish migrants. Thus, this thesis considers migration at a micro level, and the focus is to explore the phenomenon of psychological acculturation at …

Meeting The Sustainability Challenges: An Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Education, Anna Zherdeva, Intesar Madi, Abrar Alzankawi, Lucia Morales Dr, L. Pop, A. Soler-Dominguez, J.C. Saez

Conference papers

The importance of sustainability and entrepreneurship education is highlighted in this study. The world economies are facing significant challenges as they try to enable the transition towards more sustainable economic and business models. Therefore, at the centre of the transition process, it is critical to consider the role that business education can play and, more specifically, the role of business schools in integrating and supporting the development of skills and competencies that align with our contemporary society's needs. In this paper, we initially assess the need to connect entrepreneurial and sustainability education by exploring the educational offerings at Technological University …

How Can Personalised Feedback In Assignments Help Address Gender Balance In Computing Education?, Alina Berry

Academic Posters Collection

Personalised feedback is frequently used in computing assessments in higher education. Research has shown that personalised feedback positively influences persistence in computer science. Computing and related disciplines are known to show relatively low retention rates. This includes female students, who are strongly underrepresented in computing disciplines, so they can be considered as a particularly important group for retention-driven initiatives. Female science students are more likely to act upon feedback, and personalised feedback has increased intentions to persist among female top performing students in computing. Hence, providing personalised feedback can be considered as a promising gender initiative that has a potential …

Human Centred Xai Taxonomy, Helen Sheridan, Emma Murphy, Dympna O'Sullivan

Academic Posters Collection

No abstract provided.

Design Strategies For Explainable Ai: 12 Guiding Design Principles For Human-Centred Xai, Helen Sheridan, Dympna O'Sullivan, Emma Murphy

Academic Posters Collection

With the growing demand for transparent Al systems, the EU's Al Act emphasizes the need for accessible explanations to foster user trust and ethical Al use [1]. Our research explores the "gulf of explanation" in XAl, evaluating how well current systems align with users' mental models and engaging experts to improve human-centred XAl design [2]. This work particularly considers the application of a new and novel HCl framework, a set of 12 key design principles for human-centred XAI.

Personalised Feedback On Assessments In Computing Modules - Gender Equality Action In Context, Alina Berry

Academic Posters Collection

Personalised feedback in computing higher education has been known to positively influence retention of women. The issue of gender inequality in computing field is well known and one of the efforts to address it is the development of a gender equality toolkit (TechMate), with one initiative (action) in the toolkit being personalised feedback. While all actions in the toolkit are research-driven, the aim of this work was to evaluate the action on personalised feedback in a local context.

The study comprised of 10 semi-structured interviews with computing lecturers at TU Dublin who provide personalised feedback, a student survey with 68 …

A Review On Machine Learning Methods For Customer Churn Prediction And Recommendations For Business Practitioners, Awais Manzoor, M. Atif Qureshi, Etain Kidney, Luca Longo

Articles

Due to market deregulation and globalisation, competitive environments in various sectors continuously evolve, leading to increased customer churn. Effectively anticipating and mitigating customer churn is vital for businesses to retain their customer base and sustain business growth. This research scrutinizes 212 published articles from 2015 to 2023, delving into customer churn prediction using machine learning methods. Distinctive in its scope, this work covers key stages of churn prediction models comprehensively, contrary to published reviews, which focus on some aspects of churn prediction, such as model development, feature engineering and model evaluation using traditional machine learning-based evaluation metrics. The review emphasises …

The Motherhood Penalty In The United Kingdom: An Unconditional Quantile Regression Analysis, Abhijit Sharma, Stefano Grillini, Richard Woodward

Articles

No abstract provided.

The University Education Model Collection 2024: “A University Way Of Being”, Fionnuala Darby, Shaun Ferns, Barry J. Ryan

Group Reports

The University Education Model (UEM) revolutionises our approach to education; this approach is grounded in transformative learning opportunities and experiences for all. The UEM is central to the TU Dublin Strategic Intent, which itself is informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in the case of the UEM, SDG 4 Quality Education. Embedding the UEM into our practice, processes and culture will empower TU Dublin to cater for the largest number of diverse learners, producing the most sought after, digitally literate, graduates.

The central focus of UEM are our learners, grounded in the three components that comprise the …

Ailim Healing, Thomas M. Cooney, Martina Brophy

Case Study

For Niamh Malone, her challenges are typical of a high-tech start-up (i.e., raising funding, building an entrepreneurial team, creating a successful business model). However, these challenges are exacerbated by the additional difficulties associated with her disabilities. For instance, Niamh has difficulty securing financial lending due to her poor financial history as a result of not being able to work and having significant medical expenses. This case study requires a student to identify and address key issues in a business start-up, but they must also take cognizance of the additional and distinctive challenges faced by entrepreneurs who have a disability.

Voices Of The Feis Ceoil: An Exploration Of The Association’S Operational And Choral Networks, 1897–1932, Helen Doyle

Doctoral

The Feis Ceoil or ‘festival of music’ is a large-scale annual competitive music event. It has provided huge stimulus to all facets of Irish musical life in its almost 130-year lifespan. This study examines the first four decades of the festival which was inaugurated during the Gaelic Revival, a period of cultural nationalism that saw the development and celebration of Irish art, literature, language, and music. As this is the first sustained project centred upon the Feis Ceoil archival collection, detailed excavation of which has not been undertaken before now, it draws on a large amount of previously unexplored primary …

Emotional Intelligence Coaching For Higher Education Lecturers: Their Experience And Its Impact On Trait Emotional Intelligence, Stress, And Teaching Self-Efficacy, Eoghan Guiry

Doctoral

Previous research has established that emotional intelligence (EI) can be developed through targeted intervention; however, this was previously untested with lecturers. Guided by the job demands-resources model, this study explored the impact of an EI coaching intervention on lecturers’ trait EI, perceived stress, work-related stress, and teaching self-efficacy at Technological University Dublin. Additionally, the study explored the lecturers’ experiences of partaking in the intervention. Employing a pragmatic approach, mixed methods were used in a randomised controlled trial.

Chatting For Change: Insights Into And Directions For Using Online Peer Support Groups To Interrupt Prolonged Workplace Sitting, Ekaterina Uetova, Lucy Hederman, Dympna O'Sullivan, Robert J. Ross, Marily Oppezzo

Conference papers

Prolonged sedentary behavior and insufficient physical activity increase the risk for non-communicable diseases. Online peer support groups, driven by the widespread use of mobile phones and social media, have gained popularity among people seeking health condition management advice. This position paper examines the role of online peer support groups within a behaviour change intervention, MOV’D (Move Often eVery Day), which promotes physical activity and reduces sedentary behavior in the workplace. We conducted a thematic analysis of post-study interviews from two randomized control trials to identify the benefits and limitations of online peer support groups and provide recommendations for improvement. We …

Development Of Concrete Façade Sandwich Panels Incorporating Phase Change Materials †, Dervilla Niall, Roger West

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Using the mass of a building to store or dissipate heat can reduce the demand on auxiliary heating and/or cooling systems. There is a scarcity of full-scale and full-year studies in the literature, which this study seeks to address, as it is critical to assess the performance of real phase change material (PCM) composites throughout all seasons. This study involved the design and manufacture of precast cladding sandwich panels with a PCM–concrete inner leaf used in three full-scale huts which were instrumented to record thermal data over 18 months. Analysis of these data showed that when the internal air temperature …

Examining The Effectiveness Of A Summer School To Equip Engineeering Students With Competences Required To Achieve The Sdgs, U. Beagon, J. Mckennedy, R. Jani, B. Bowe, R. M. Henry, M. Morgan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

In today's landscape of global challenges, the role of the engineer is experiencing a significant transformation. The expectations of engineers are no longer confined to traditional technical expertise; they are increasingly acknowledged as key players in driving sustainable development agendas on a global scale. As nations endeavour to achieve the ambitious targets outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it becomes imperative to equip engineers with a diverse skillset capable of addressing increasingly intricate and multifaceted projects, often characterised as “wicked” problems. The PROFESS 12 research project was conceived to address the gap between traditional and required skills …

Liaison – Innovative Solutions Reducing Environmental Impact Of Transport Infrastructure Using A Dynamic Multi-Infrastructure Governance Framework, Lorcan Connolly, Emma Sheils, Caitríona De Paor, David Garcia-Sanchez

Conference Papers

This paper presents the goals and advances in the LIAISON project towards the development of a methodology, support tools and close to market technological solutions to transform EU Transport Infrastructure (TI) into a more sustainable and low carbon economic activity. The focus of LIAISON is on the implementation of circularity and carbon reduction in TI across four main areas:1. Minimising the consumption of resources2. Reusing available resources3. Evolving towards a prosumer infrastructure (one which both consumes and produces resources)4. Actions to facilitate market uptake by supporting procurement, legislation and standardisation processesA Dynamic Multi-Infrastructure Governance Framework (DMIGF) has been developed and …

An Analysis Of The Public Participation Processes Employed For An Urban Greenway Project, Maeve O'Connell

Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the public participation mechanisms employed for a proposed new infrastructure project. Public participation is a core characteristic of a contemporary democratic society as policy makers are increasingly encouraged to engage with citizens for learning and legitimacy. Participation is a loose concept with many forms and interpretations. This study explores the key characteristics of public participation formats, challenges to and the criteria for success. This analysis is then applied to the proposed local infrastructure consultation process. An additional survey is designed and its role in the public participation process is assessed. The processes …

Elara Conference - Techniques & Technologies To Support Sustainable Education In The Academic Sphere Year Ii Book 2, Volume 2, European Common Laboratory For Pedagogical Action-Research And Student-Centred Learning (Elara)

Publications

The Fourth Industrial Revolution was and s till is focused on digitalising processes and using AI to increas e productivity. Industry 5.0, on the other hand, focuses on the human factor and the human as the centre of the production process. According to the new paradigm, technology should benefit humans, and human s, in turn, should actively collaborate with machines. In other words, while Industry 4.0 wa s based on the relationship between machines and IT systems, Industry 5.0 brings together the strengths of humans and machines. Following this train of thought, we have come up with the idea to …

Elara Conference - Techniques & Technologies To Support Sustainable Education In The Academic Sphere Year Ii Book 2 Vol 1, European Common Laboratory For Pedagogical Action-Research And Student-Centred Learning (Elara)

Publications

The Fourth Industrial Revolution was and s till is focused on digitalising processes and using AI to increase productivity. Industry 5.0, on the other hand, focuses on the human factor and the human as the centre of the production process. According to the new paradigm, technology should benefit humans, and human s, in turn, should actively collaborate with machines. In other words, while Industry 4.0 wa s based on the relationship between machines and IT systems, Industry 5.0 brings together the strengths of humans and machines. Following this train of thought, we have come up with the idea to initiate …

Shaping Socially Engaged Art Practice And Critical Pedagogy In The Uk Arts And Cultural Sector: An Auto/Biographical Framing Of Class, Gender And Political Activism, Chrissie Tiller

Doctoral

Situated at the intersection of critical pedagogy, radical theatre and political activism, this PhD thesis reflects critically on a series of publications and an interdisciplinary counterhegemonic socially engaged art practice between 2010-20. Mobilising the auto/biographical as a conceptual framework for critical analysis, the thesis addresses questions of systemic inequalities, cultural democracy and social transformation in the UK arts and cultural sector. By examining my lived experience through the analytical lenses of intersectionality and feminist standpoint theory, the thesis foregrounds how interconnecting oppressions of gender and class have contributed to the formation of my creative practice and its pedagogical interventions, constituting …

Active Learning To Enhance The Architecture, Engineering, And Construction Sector, Shannon M. Chance

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Active learning methods are integrated across the honors-level Bachelor of Science in Building Information Modelling (BIM/Digital Construction) at Technological University Dublin. Now in its fifth year of operation, the course provides mature students working (or aiming to work) in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Sector across Ireland with a wide range of well-integrated and intellectually engaging hands-on learning opportunities. The Irish government financially supports this course because the Irish AEC sector needs state-of-the-art knowledge and skills to help modernize construction methods for this small island nation. The Irish government's support underscores the significance of the course in addressing the …

A Multi-Life Cycle Assessment Of External Wall Insulation Strategies In An Irish Domestic Retrofit, Sara Carrigan, Patrick Daly, Alberta Congeduti

Articles

European Union (EU) policy and initiatives are driving both building renovation and the uptake of low-embodied carbon and circular design in the construction sector. The European Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast (2021) introduces global warming potential (GWP) methodology, and the future state will likely be embodied carbon targets for which life cycle assessment (LCA) of buildings will be required. External wall insulation (EWI) will have an important role to play in meeting targets. In this context, this paper compares the carbon emission payoff of three alternative EWI strategies that address conventional, low-carbon and circular solutions to EWI respectively, in …

Biobased Construction From Agricultural Crops: Paper 2 - Supply Chain Dynamics Of European Case Studies, Patrick Daly, Paula G. Barril

Articles

Energy security, economics and environmental factors are key drivers toward greater energy efficiency, decarbonisation and circularisation of the building sector.

Bio-based construction provides a potential low carbon and circular strategy toward these aims, as these materials can sequester carbon, are derived from renewable and nontoxic sources and can be re circulated in either technical or bio cycles.

This innovative research undertakes a state of play into select agri-crop biobased construction materials, products and systems across Europe focusing on their supply chain types and dynamics.

The research is based on a multi case study applying a range of mainly qualitative research …

Gpt Assisted Annotation Of Rhetorical And Linguistic Features For Interpretable Propaganda Technique Detection In News Text, Kyle Hamilton, Luca Longo, Bojan Božić

Conference papers

While the use of machine learning for the detection of propaganda techniques in text has garnered considerable attention, most approaches focus on “black-box” solutions with opaque inner workings. Interpretable approaches provide a solution, however, they depend on careful feature engineering and costly expert annotated data. Additionally, language features specific to propagandistic text are generally the focus of rhetoricians or linguists, and there is no data set labeled with such features suitable for machine learning. This study codifies 22 rhetorical and linguistic features identified in literature related to the language of persuasion for the purpose of annotating an existing data set …

Harnessing Curtailed Wind-Generated Electricity Via Electrical Water Heating Aggregation To Alleviate Energy Poverty: A Use Case In Ireland, Ciara Ahern, Ronan Oliver, Brian Norton

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Ireland experiences high energy poverty rates alongside surplus wind energy resources. With 77% of Irish households equipped with electrical immersion heaters for domestic hot water (DHW) generation, this study proposes an Electrical Water Heating Aggregation (EWHA) scheme. The scheme allocates surplus wind-generated electricity to provide DHW to fuel-poor households, thereby alleviating energy poverty through harnessing curtailed wind energy. Through a developed wind-generated electricity allocation model and half-hourly data analysis for a weather year, this research assesses the feasibility and economic viability of the EWHA scheme, focusing on the householder as the primary benefactor from the scheme (as opposed to ancillary …

Chitosan Extraction From Amanita Phalloides: Yield, Crystallinity, Degree Of Deacetylation, Azo Dye Removal And Antibacterial Properties, Hadia Hemmami, Ilham Ben Amor, Soumeia Zeghoud, Asma Ben Amor, Salah Eddine Laouini, Ali Alsalme, David Cornu, Mikhael Bechelany, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Chitosan, a biopolymer obtained from chitin, is known for its remarkable adsorption abilities for dyes, drugs, and fats, and its diverse array of antibacterial characteristics. This study explores the extraction and characterization of chitosan from the mycelium of Amanita phalloides. The moisture content, ash content, water binding capacity, fat binding capacity, and degree of deacetylation of the extracted chitosan were determined. The chitosan exhibited a high yield of 70%, crystallinity of 49.07%, a degree of deacetylation of 86%, and potent antimicrobial properties against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The study also examined the adsorption capabilities of chitosan to remove methylene …

Assessing Thermal Performance: Dataset From An Experimental Study On U-Value Variability, H. Alkhatib, B. Norton, D. Gavin, P. Lemarchand

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

In order to achieve energy savings in existing buildings, there is an increasing need for energy audits and performance checks. In this regard, estimating a building's U-value is crucial, and there are a variety of methods available for achieving this. Heat flow meters can be used to measure U-value in situ. This dataset reports on an experimental campaign that evaluated the insulation and performance of the fabric elements of a building located in Dublin, Ireland. The experimental study conducted on the "Block F" building provided insights into the building's thermal performance by measuring the U-value of various windows and walls …

Exploring The Therapeutic Potential Of Ammodaucus Leucotrichus Seed Extracts: A Multi-Faceted Analysis Of Phytochemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory Efficacy, Predictive Anti-Arthritic Properties, And Molecular Docking Insights, Cheima Djehiche, Nadia Benzidane, Hanene Djeghim, Mehdi Tebboub, El Hassen Mokrani, Saad Mebrek, Mohammed Messaoudi, Chawki Bensouici, Ali Alsalme, David Cornu, Mikhael Bechelany, Lekhmici Arrar, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Ammodaucus leucotrichus exhibits promising pharmacological activity, hinting at anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects. This study investigated seed extracts from Ammodaucus leucotrichus using methanol and n-hexane, focusing on anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. The methanol extract outperformed the n-hexane extract and diclofenac, a reference anti-inflammatory drug, in trypsin inhibition (85% vs. 30% and 64.67% at 125 μg/mL). For trypsin inhibition, the IC50 values were 82.97 μg/mL (methanol), 202.70 μg/mL (n-hexane), and 97.04 μg/mL (diclofenac). Additionally, the n-hexane extract surpassed the methanol extract and diclofenac in BSA (bovine serum albumin) denaturation inhibition (90.4% vs. 22.0% and 51.4% at 62.5 μg/mL). The BSA denaturation IC50 …

Exploring The Potential Of A Ephedra Alata Leaf Extract: Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Activity, Antibacterial Properties, And Green Synthesis Of Zno Nanoparticles For Photocatalytic Degradation Of Methylene Blue, Abdelmalek Zaater, Mohammed Oualid Serhoud, Ilham Ben Amor, Soumeia Zeghoud, Amira Hemmami, Abdelkrim Rebiai, Yacine Bouras, Ammar Touhami Laiche, Ali Alsalme, David Cornu, Mikhael Bechelany, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Ephedra alata leaf extracts have therapeutic properties and contain various natural compounds known as phytochemicals. This study assessed the phytochemical content and antioxidant effects of a Ephedra alata leaf extract, as well as zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle production. The extract contained phenolic acids, including vanillic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillin and rutin. Its total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were 48.7 ± 0.9 mg.g^-1 and 1.7 ± 0.4 mg.g^-1, respectively. The extract displayed a DPPH inhibition rate of 70.5%, total antioxidant activity of 49.5 ± 3.4 mg.g^-1, and significant antimicrobial activity …

Development Of Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofiber Scaffolds Loaded With Flaxseed Extract For Bone Regeneration: Phytochemicals, Cell Proliferation, Adhesion, And Osteogenic Gene Expression, Ahmed G. Abdelaziz, Hassan Nageh, Mohga S. Abdalla, Sara M. Abdo, Asmaa A. Amer, Samah A. Loutfy, Nasra F. Abdel Fattah, Ali Alsalme, David Cornu, Mikhael Bechelany, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Introduction: Bone tissue engineering seeks innovative materials that support cell growth and regeneration. Electrospun nanofibers, with their high surface area and tunable properties, serve as promising scaffolds. This study explores the incorporation of flaxseed extract, rich in polyphenolic compounds, into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers to improve their application in bone tissue engineering. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) identified ten key compounds in flaxseed extract, including polyphenolic acids and flavonoids. PVA nanofibers were fabricated with 30 wt.% flaxseed extract (P70/E30) via electrospinning. We optimized characteristics like diameter, hydrophilicity, swelling behavior, and hydrolytic degradation. MG-63 osteoblast cultures were used to assess scaffold …