Educational Methods Commons^™

Play And Learn: Teachers’ Perceptions About Classroom Video Games, Mariana Rocha, Brendan Tangney, Pierpaolo Dondio

Conference papers

The use of video games to support learning in the classroom became popular over the last two decades. Even though games have proved to be successful not only to improve the learning outcomes but also skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, it is still a challenge to adapt them to the classroom routine. Issues such as the lack of video games that cover the school curriculum, limited time to cover curriculum content and lack of technological resources are some of the barriers that influence teachers’ decisions not to adopt video games. In order to look for solutions that …

The Challenge Of Adapting Existing Qualifications For Inclusion In The Nqf: Lessons Learned From The Twinning Project In Macedonia, Emilia Danowska-Florczyk, Horacy Debowski, Maciej Lasota, Agata Poczmansksa, Barbara Przybylska, Stanislaw Slawinski

Level 3

Adapting existing qualifications to a national qualifications framework (NQF) and to the requirements of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is one of the key elements of the process of developing and establishing a country’s NQF. Many countries have to tackle the challenge of adapting existing qualifications to the NQF and EQF requirements. This also pertains to Macedonia, which is currently in the process of implementing a qualifications system based on a national qualifications framework.

An international Twinning project took place in Macedonia in 2016-2017, entitled Further improvement of the system for development and implementation of the National Qualifications Framework. …

An Investigation Into The Decline In The Use Of Fresh Potatoes And The Increased Demand For Processed Potato Products In The Foodservice Sector In The Leinster Area, Emily Gray

Level 3

The aim of this article is to examine the decline in use of fresh potatoes and the increased demand for processed potato products in the foodservice sector in Leinster. The study focused on the consumption and use of potatoes by chefs, restauranteurs, hoteliers, and managers in the foodservice sector. This was achieved by a survey questionnaire of one hundred and ten establishments of which sixty-five responded. The research also involved examination of background information and past literature, investigating when the decline of the potato occurred and the cause of that decline, and comparing data from the retail sector to the …

The Wicked Problem Of Including Non-Formal, Cpd Micro-Qualifications In National Qualification Frameworks (Nqfs): A Think-Piece, Anne Murphy

Level 3

This think-piece was written in advance of the concluding conference for the EU Erasmus+ Project: NQF-IN – ‘Developing organisational and financial models for including non-formal sector qualifications in national qualifications frameworks’, Warsaw, 5-6 June 2018. The main purpose of the conference is/was to present the draft analytical report on models of inclusion based on seven country reports produced by the project partners from Poland, France, Ireland, Croatia, Scotland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The conference also intended to present a wider EU perspective from the EQF-LLL and a global perspective from UNESCO on the main theme. Participants from circa sixteen …

Academic Twitter And Professional Learning: Myths And Realities, Muireann Okeeffe

Articles

Social networking sites provide opportunities for informal and social learning of academic practices in higher education, yet not all academics engage in these spaces. This qualitative study suggests that while Twitter offers informal opportunities for academi development, inhibiting factors prevent staff from establishing their social presence and participating in conversations on academic Twitter.

Programming: Predicting Student Success Early In Cs1. A Re-Validation And Replication Study, Keith Quille, Susan Bergin

Articles

This paper describes a large, multi-institutional revalidation study conducted in the academic year 2015-16. Six hundred and ninetytwo students participated in this study, from 11 institutions (ten institutions in Ireland and one in Denmark). The primary goal was to validate and further develop an existing computational prediction model called Predict Student Success (PreSS). In doing so, this study addressed a call from the 2015 ITiCSE working group (the second "Grand Challenge"), to "systematically analyse and verify previous studies using data from multiple contexts to tease out tacit factors that contribute to previously observed outcomes". PreSS was developed and validated in …

Identification And Preliminary Review Of Doctoral Theses In Engineering Education That Have Used Phenomenological Methods, Shannon Chance, I. Direito

Conference papers

46th SEFI Annual Conference 2018. Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for engineering education excellence.

Digital Civics In Pedagogy: A Response To The Challenges Of Digital Convergence In The Educational Environment, Estelle Clements

Doctoral

This thesis argues for the inclusion of digital civics in twenty first century pedagogy. It presents a model for digital civics pedagogy that formulates a theoretical framework around ethical agency in the infosphere and operationalizes that concept through an action-based project designed to foster the development of critical ethical resources. Explored ethnographically, the findings revealed the presence of an organically occurring system of ethics specific to digital interactions, which I have labelled “virtuel ethics”. This formulation of virtuel ethics included the use of systems similar to Platonic virtue ethics; a focus on self-regulation; thematic interest in the concepts of shame …

Discussion, Cooperation, Collaboration: The Impact Of Task Structure On Student Interaction In A Web-Based Translation Exercise Module, Mary Ann Kenny

The ITB Journal

A major challenge facing the online translation instructor is to design learning opportunities that encourage communication and the sharing of ideas between students. This article asks how such group interaction may be facilitated and evaluates, in particular the impact of task structure on student interaction in an online translation exercise module. Drawing on an empirical study carried out at Dublin City University during the academic year 2003/14, the article compares levels of intermessage referencing, the number and size of message clusters, and extent and type of cognitive presence evident in messages posted by students given three different types of task …

The Lecturer As Learner: Exploring That Digital Divide One More Time, Mary O'Rawe

Conference papers

Although there is widespread acceptance of the importance, and indeed superiority, of student-centred learning in the contemporary success equation (McCabe & O’Connor, 2014), charting the route to such success remains problematic. Many assumptions around the nature of digital learning, and inter-generational attitudes to such learning are still made.

Specific to the context of technology-enhanced teaching, learning and assessment in a higher education environment, a range of generic and particular debates around how to be student-centric arise. Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) has been examined extensively from both the student’s viewpoint, and the lecturer’s perspective (Waycott et al., 2010). But how can these …

Delivering Design Fundamentals Using Relevant Learning Theories In The Delivery Of An Interior Design Project At Third Level, Tracey Dalton

Articles

This is a reflection on teaching practice, focussing on design process in a BA Honours in Design – Interior and Furniture, in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). An intrinsic case study approach (Stake 1995) was taken for this research, which focussed on the use of the learning theories in the delivery of an undergraduate interior design project brief. A third year commercial office design project has been used to assess teaching and learning styles. This article will show that, in terms of delivery, in a typical third level interior design project in DIT, the process incorporates all of the learning …

Investigating The Feasibility Of Creating A Piece Of Software For Practical Electrical Classes That Engages Learners Of Different Learning Styles, Shaun Ferns

The ITB Journal

This paper looks at feasibility of creating a piece of software for practical electrical classes that engages learners of different learning styles. Traditional practical electrical classes are usually delivered using text based resources, but due in part to the advances in technology it is possible to provide information in a variety of formats. The starting point of this research was to evaluate the preferred learning style of the typical apprentice learner by using a learning style questionnaire based on the Vark model. The Vark model represents four learning styles Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing and Kinaesthetic. The results from the questionnaire then …

Dit Programme Re-Design Initiatives In Case Studies Of Programme Of/For/As Learning Assessment Approaches., Roisin Donnelly, Jen Harvey, K.C. O'Rourke, Claire Mcavinia, Claire M. Mcdonnell, Orla Hanratty, Frances Boylan, Pauline Rooney

Other resources

The Programme Re-Design Initiative process differs from other team based methods in that it adopts an holistic approach to programme design. Initiatives aim to develop the practice of curriculum design and development in expanded, multi-disciplinary teams. This process is based on the Oxford Brookes University CDI Model and links to the Deakin University Live the Future: Course Intensives.

Resource Pack On Active Learning, Roisin Donnelly, Marian Fitzmaurice

Other resources

The massification of higher education is now a global phenomenon Huge changes in the teaching and learning milieu within colleges. The forces of massification have brought multiple challenges with regard to pedagogy. What kind of pedagogy to employ? The role of the lecturer is to empower learning and it is challenging and complex. There is a need to employ a pedagogy which requires students to do things, to access information, to solve problems, to reflect on what they are doing and make connections to real world problems.

Educational research has revealed a number of important lessons for educators:

Importance of …

Assessment And Feedback Resource Pack, Jen Harvey, Roisin Donnelly

Other resources

The purpose of this resource pack is to provide specialized and localized information on assessment and feedback in higher education for academic staff in DIT. It is designed for staff new to teaching (experienced lecturers may find it useful too) and is intended to complement the largely-generic information delivered in workshops. In relation to feedback, the aim of the pack is to position it as a practice that has a positive and sustained influence on learning, and as a fundamental part of curriculum design, not simply an episodic mechanism delivered by teachers to their students.

Universal Design Across The Curriculum: Training For Students And Teachers, Trish Mackeogh, James Hubbard, Kieran O'Callaghan

Research and Innovation - Articles

Providing an inclusive educational setting for children with disabilities is essential if they are to truly benefit from mainstream education. Universal design (UD) provides a framework to develop our classrooms, materials and methods to accommodate diverse learners and students with special educational needs without the need to retrofit or remove the student from the classroom. This paper outlines the theory and the approach of two training courses on Universal Design developed for teachers and students.

Challenges In Developing Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems, Eileen O'Donnell, Liam O'Donnell

Books/Book Chapters

Traditional educational hypermedia systems afford learners the “one size fits all” approach to learning (Brusilovsky, 2003, 2004; Chatti, Jarke, & Specht, 2010; Hsieh, Lee, & Su, 2013). In the “one size fits all” approach to learning each student in every cohort of students is given access to the same learning objects in the same way as every other student who is studying the same course. The learning objects or learning content stays static regardless of the learning requirements of different students.

Seeking To Identify Student And Staff Perspectives On The Nature Of Pedagogical Support For Academic Writing., Roisin Donnelly, Maria-Jose Gonzalez

Papers, presentations and other resources

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Apprenticeship Training For The Construction Industry In Ireland, Eoghan Ó Murchadha, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

The construction industry is of strategic importance to any economy, as it delivers the building and infrastructural needs of society; it is also a major provider of employment. The over-reliance on construction was a contributing factor to the collapse of the Irish economy and employment in construction fell to under 50% of its 2007 peak as a consequence. The decline devastated apprentice training with a reduction in excess of 90% of new registrations of construction apprentices at the lowest point. The implication of this to the industry is disquieting, given the crucial role apprenticeships play in the sector. The Irish …

Turning To Case Studies As A Mechanism For Learning In Action Learning, Denise O'Leary, Paul Coughlan, Clare Rigg, David Coghlan

Articles

Case studies are a useful means of capturing and sharing experiential knowledge by allowing researchers to explore the social, organisational and political contexts of a specific case. Although accounts of action learning are often reported using a case study approach, it is not common to see individual case studies being used as a learning practice within action learning sets. Drawing on a network action learning (NAL) project, this paper explores how the process of coaching, articulating, authoring, sharing and editing case studies provided a vehicle for learning and research within a NAL set. The intended contribution of this paper to …

Providing Digital Resources To Enhance Graduate Attributes., Eric Bates

Teaching Fellowships

The objective of this Teaching Fellowship research project was to provide digital resources for students that could potentially enhance graduate attributes. This study was conducted during one semester and concentrated on one aspect of graduate attributes which was presentation skills. A video was scripted, shot and edited that demonstrated a rather inept presenter making a poor presentation. This video was then used in a Communications module specifically during the sessions that focussed on presentation skills. Background data on the participants’ experience of formal presentations was gathered to provide a snapshot of their level of previous experience. The video was used …

The Design Of E-Learning Resources For Part-Time Distance Education Students, Rowena Hennigan

Teaching Fellowships

This research assessed the current e-learning provision for Ibec postgraduate students at DIT. The current e-learning resources are delivered using Webcourses (Blackboard), which is the Institute’s Learning Management System (LMS).1 The first stage of the research involved an audit of the existing e-learning resources on Webcourses, discussions with colleagues and a review of the e-learning literature. This research indicated that there were five key elements required in the programme’s e-learning design, namely: user experience, assessment, module content, interactivity of content and the updating of module content. A number of amendments were made in order to provide standardisation and to enhance …

Sharing Tricks Of The Trade, Roisin Donnelly

Other resources

No abstract provided.

Conceptualising Curriculum Change: Structuring The Final Year Learning Experience On A Professionally-Orientated Degree Programme In Education Studies., Roisin Donnelly, Julie Uí Choistealbha, Marian Fitzmaurice

Papers, presentations and other resources

No abstract provided.

A Bio-Ecological Perspective On Educational Transition: Experiences Of Children, Parents And Teachers., Leah O'Toole

Doctoral

This thesis explores the potential of Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological Model of Human Development (Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2006) as a framework for theory and research in psychology, sociology and education. It draws on other well-known conceptual approaches, particularly Bourdieu’s theories of social reproduction, habitus, field and cultural capital, investigating points of theoretical enhancement and synthesis. This culminates in the development of eight Propositions for a Bio-ecological Framework. These are then tested using data from a qualitative examination of two key educational transitions, pre-school to primary and primary to secondary school. Using qualitative methodologies, this research explores perspectives of children, teachers and parents …

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Role Of Problem Based Learning (Pbl), Alan Pike, Declan Barber

The ITB Journal

In recent years (since the mid 1970’s) there has been an increased interest in Problem Based Learning (PBL) as an educational methodology which is not a instructor-centred as traditional educational methodologies. Education professionals are legitimately asking if PBL is applicable generally to most disciplines, and if so, should it be viewed as an alternative or a complementary methodology. Traditional teaching methodologies for technical disciplines place the instructor very much at the centre of learning for the student (with formal lectures, supervised laboratory work and tutorials), particularly in the early years of study at third level. A common view in education …

Learning Through Dialogue (Ltd) - A Toolkit To Support The Process Of Planning For Effective Use Of Dialogue In Learning, Matt Smith, John Cook, Martin Oliver

The ITB Journal

This paper presents an implementation of a decision support system to help tutors think about ways of using dialogue to support learning. The approach adopted has been to develop a software toolkit around a knowledgebase of dialogue methods, to assist tutors in the reflection required during the planning and design of dialogue to support learning.

An Evaluation Of Can8 As A Computer Assisted Language Learning Tool In The Context Of Current Research, Ruth Harris

The ITB Journal

The CAN8 virtual language laboratory combines features of traditional language laboratory systems with typical CALL software and features of CBT to create a language learning environment which embraces many different theories of learning and more specifically of language learning.

Are Call Packages Disregarding The Research On Dealing With Authentic Materials?, Ruth Harris

The ITB Journal

Since the advent of the communicative method, authentic materials have been seen as an important source of input for second language acquisition. However they have been noticeably absent from CALL packages. This paper looks at the implications of the research on reading, and explores which areas of work on authentic materials can be successfully done using CALL, and areas which are best left to a classroom, groupwork or semi-autonomous environment. A model of an integrated approach proposes ways of maximising the potential of each, providing new challenges for the teacher and student alike.

An Exploration Of The Effects Of Enhanced Compiler Error Messages For Computer Programming Novices, Brett A. Becker

Theses

Computer programming is an essential skill that all computing students must master and is increasingly important in many diverse disciplines. It is also difficult to learn. One of the many challenges novice programmers face from the start are notoriously cryptic compiler error messages. These report details on errors made by students and are essential as the primary source of information used to rectify those errors. However these difficult to understand messages are often a barrier to progress and a source of discouragement. A high number of student errors, and in particular a high frequency of repeated errors – when a …