Centre for Teaching and Learning Annual Report 2017 / 2018

TEACHING LEARNING

Centre for Teaching and Learning Annual Review 2017/18

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Contents Message from the VPAASE ..................................4 Highlights 2017/18................................................6 CTL Staff...............................................................8 Student Engagement...........................................11 Learner Support Centres.....................................19 Recognition of Teaching Excellence...................30 Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL).................33 CPD Activities......................................................36 Research.............................................................40

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Message from the Vice President Academic Affairs and Student Engagement

W

elcome to the 2017/18 annual review of the activities of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Over the past academic year, the CTL has continued to intensify and expand its work. Student engagement and success as well as staff development through the Graduate Diploma and MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship provided key foci for the CTL’s activities in UL, within the Shannon Consortium and in partnership with the Garda College. However, last year was special as the CTL underwent its first externally led quality review. This periodic exercise served to ascertain the Centre’s strengths and growing impact and highlighted the outstanding commitment of its staff. The quality review made a number of far-reaching recommendations for the future development of the Centre.

The CTL’s student-facing engagement continued to develop and further expanded the activities of previous years, including delivering the First Seven Weeks initiative, embedding the PASS advisor support system, strengthening collaborative student engagement and success structures across the institution and running a second pilot of ‘Making the Leap’, the transition module for incoming first-year students. As in the previous four years, the

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CTL hosted the AICUR undergraduate conference and offered targeted learner support centre initiatives for students at risk.

Through the Centre’s engagement, more students participated in the Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE) and in the NStep programme.

The CTL’s mission centres on supporting and recognising excellent teaching. This is embodied in the Graduate Diploma/ MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship. Responding to the diverse learning needs of third-level teachers, the programme is delivered flexibly, both face-to-face and through blended modes across certificate, diploma and master’s levels.

Supported by competitive enhancement project funding by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the CTL continues to lead the collaboration on the development of formally accredited programmes with Shannon Consortium partners Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). These programmes place UL in a very strategic position to implement the recommendations of the National Professional Development Framework, which has been developed and piloted by the National Forum.

Special congratulations go to another cohort of graduates from the Garda College in Templemore, and we welcome the 70 instructors who are completing the Specialist Diploma this academic year. We look forward to continuing to support the formal professionalisation of the lecturers responsible for delivering degree programmes to our future gardaĂ­.

The annual overview allows us to share with the campus community and external partners some of the highlights of the CTL’s work. It also provides a forum to showcase the ongoing work of CTL staff around student engagement, continuing professional development (CPD), technology enhanced learning and the excellent supports provided by our five learner centres (ICT, Maths, Peer Support, Science and Writing). With their tailored advice and support but also through ongoing research and innovation, these learner centres play an important role in improving student retention, progression and success at UL. This fourth annual review affords me a welcome opportunity to thank all colleagues in the CTL for their excellent work and ongoing commitment to enhancing and transforming learning and teaching in UL and beyond. In particular, I would like to thank the outgoing Dean of Teaching and Learning, Professor

Fiona Farr, for the outstanding leadership through which she has strengthened the Centre and grown its national and international reach and recognition over the past five years.

Building an advanced and influential community of practice in learning and teaching in a situation of profound societal changes and many challenges to higher education is no mean feat. It requires ongoing institutional commitment, structural integration, a captivating vision and open dialogue. Above all, it relies on all UL educators and on you to share your experiences and expertise, passion and insights with the CTL to foster an inspirational culture that transforms the ways in which we stimulate inquisitiveness and imagination, facilitate creative and critical thinking and nurture our students’ and our own desire and mindset for lifelong learning. Therefore, this report is as much an invitation to join up and intensify our engagement with transformative learning, support our students to realise their aspirations and strengthen the academic excellence of UL.

Professor Kerstin Mey Vice President Academic Affairs and Student Engagement Centre for Teaching & Learning 2017/18 | 5

Highlights for the Centre for Teaching and Learning 2017/18 ICT Learning Centre 60 Hours PairProgramming Support

The ICT Learning Centre had 4,049 contacts/ attendances and engaged with 465 students from 23 different programmes of study during the year. The collaborative learning method of pair programming was introduced into first-year computer programming labs in two departments.

In total, 60 hours of pair-programming support was delivered – more than double that provided in the previous year.

Mathematics Learning Centre The Mathematics Learning Centre (MLC) experienced a high level of participation in 2017/18: the service recorded 7,967 contacts/ attendances by students during the year: 4,093 attendances from 1,072 individuals in Semester 1 and 3,874 attendances from 1,064 individuals in Semester 2. This is the second-highest annual attendance level in the past six years.

2nd Highest Attendance

Regional Writing Centre Impacts 1,289 Students

Regional Writing Centre (RWC) consultants helped 32 academic staff to integrate writing into their modules; this work had an impact on 1,289 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Fourteen RWC peer tutors in academic writing conducted 879 one-to-one consultations with students.

Continuing Professional Development Engagement in formal unaccredited continuing professional development (CPD) activities continues to grow. The following CPD offerings were well supported during the year: the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) system, peer observation, portfolio development, Conversations in the Consortium, UL Talks, the UL Teaching Expo and the Introduction to Teaching at Higher Education workshop series.

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CPD

3,944 Students

Science Learning Centre A total of 3,944 students from 24 different programmes visited the Science Learning Centre (SLC) to avail of the Drop-in Centre or support tutorials during the year. Students who were identified as being at risk of failing to progress in a first-year chemistry module were invited to attend specialised support tutorials.

1,600 Students

Regional Peer-Supported Learning Centre Regional Peer-Supported Learning Centre (PSLC) programmes provided support across both academic semesters to more than 1,600 accounting, computer programming and computer science students. Analysis shows that students who participated in the support schemes offered by the PSLC were more likely to achieve a C3 or higher grade than those who did not.

AICUR 5th Annual Conference

The fifth All-Ireland Conference of Undergraduate Research (AICUR) for student researchers was held at UL on 5 April 2018. This is an annual event for all disciplines.

Technology Enhanced Learning Teaching Excellence Awards The UL Excellence in Teaching Award was won by Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan of the School of Law (individual faculty award). Dr Tom Comyns (Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences) received a special commendation for his sustained commitment to professional development and enhancement. The Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Award was won by UL’s Dr Róisín Cahalan (School of Allied Health).

National Projects €

During 2017/18, 304 students participated in CPD (72 in accredited modules) relating to technology enhanced learning (TEL). The ‘Getting Started with Online Teaching’ online course (National Forum digital badge) ran nationally with 40 participants.

The CTL’s bid for an Erasmus+ Key Action 2, which focused on the exchange of TEL practices, was successful. The #VLEIreland Research Project was selected as a finalist for the UK Association of Learning Technology’s Research Project of the Year; the project was nominated for a Community Choice Award after a rigorous and highly competitive process.

Along with its Shannon Consortium partners, the CTL continues to lead a collaborative project entitled Professional Development Capacity Building in the Shannon Consortium – Enhancing Teaching and Learning through a Regional Accredited Programme. The CTL secured funding from the National Forum for three seminars during the reporting period.

Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Programmes The academic year 2017/18 saw the first graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship progress to the recently developed MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship in Higher Education, while 16 UL academics enrolled on the Graduate Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship.

In January 2017, 23 instructors from the Garda College, Templemore graduated from the Specialist Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (30 credits) while 59 instructors completed the bespoke Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (18 credits).

Quality Review The CTL completed its first quality review in March 2018. The outcome of the review was very positive. The international review panel commended the CTL on many aspects of its activities and provided the centre with farreaching recommendations, the implementation of which will serve to strengthen the centre and its services.

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CTL Staff Professor Fiona Farr Dean of Teaching and Learning Fiona Farr was Dean of Teaching and Learning from 2013 to the end of July 2018. Fiona was seconded as Dean from her academic post in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in the School of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics. Her key areas of expertise are teacher education, reflective practice, CPD, applied corpus linguistics, and technology-enhanced language learning. Her work has been widely published in academic journals, and she has written and co-edited a number of books. Fiona has been a visiting research scholar at Queen’s University in Belfast and at Lancaster University, where she participated in a large research project – Corpus Approaches to Social Science – funded by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council). In addition, she leads a large-scale national project entitled Enhancing Digital Literacies for Language Learning and Teaching (2016–17), which was funded by the National Forum.

Maura Murphy Manager As Manager of the CTL, Maura Murphy works closely with academic staff, heads of department and other key groups to champion and support excellence, innovation and enhancements in teaching and learning activities within UL and throughout the sector. Maura manages UL’s unique First Seven Weeks programme, which is dedicated to helping first-year students adjust to third level from orientation week through the first seven weeks of semester. She is finance manager for the CTL’s Graduate Diploma/MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship. She is an associate member of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and a member of the Student Led Learning (SLL) network.

Maura is a qualified MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) and Firo-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation – Business) practitioner and regularly presents workshops on learning styles, active learning and critical thinking to students in UL and across the Shannon Consortium. She is co-author of How to be a Student and The Ultimate Study Skills Handbook, both published by the Open University Press.

Karen McGrath Senior Administrator A senior administrator at the CTL, Karen McGrath holds a BA in Law & Business from Waterford Institute of Technology. Karen is an accredited mediator for the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and spent five years as manager of dispute resolution services for the CEDR in the UK. She returned to Ireland in 2004 and worked at UL in supporting roles in marketing and procurement before joining the CTL in 2009. Karen’s key areas of responsibility include coordinating the First Seven Weeks programme and managing the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) surveys.

Victoria Kelly Senior Administrator A senior administrator at the CTL, Vicky Kelly holds a BA in Management Practice (Hons) from UL and has worked within the university’s administrative sector since July 2000 in a variety of roles. Vicky provides a high-quality level of administrative and project management support to both the Dean and CTL Manager.

She manages many of the centre’s events, including conferences, workshops, seminars and promotional events. Since beginning her employment at UL, Vicky has taken two career breaks to travel and work in Australia and the UK.

Joan Imray Senior Administrator Joan Imray has spent most of her career working within the educational sector in Ireland and abroad. Joan worked in universities in Melbourne, Australia and Durham University in the UK. She graduated with a degree in business studies from the IPA and an MSc in Equality Studies from UCD, after which she spent 10 years working in student support roles in the DIT Access Service and DIT community projects. Joan began working at UL in 2014 and joined the CTL team in September 2016.

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Dr Mary Fitzpatrick Teaching and Learning Advocate Mary Fitzpatrick is Dean, Teaching and Learning (Acting) and leads academic continuing professional development within UL and regional teaching enhancement within the Shannon Consortium. Mary is currently leading a National-Forum-funded project on building regional capacity through a sustainable level 9 programme for inter-institutional delivery. She is course director of the Specialist Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (National Training College, An Garda Síochána). Mary is an elected member of the executive committees of the Educational Developers in Ireland Network (EDIN) and Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA). She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) and a Senior Fellow of SEDA. Her research interests lie in learning and development, particularly within academia. She has extensive consultancy experience in the area of human resource development in both the private and public sectors.

Dr Angélica Rísquez Lead Educational Developer A lead educational developer at the CTL with 15 years’ experience in educational development and research, Angélica Rísquez champions teaching, learning and scholarship and specialises in technology enhanced learning (TEL) professional academic practice. Angélica holds a PhD in educational technology and is a Senior Fellow of SEDA. Her work has been widely published in high-impact journals, including 12 ISI publications, and in an Open University Press McGraw Hill book. Angélica supervises PhD students in the National Open University of Spain (UNED) and MA students in UL. She leads a number of modules related to TEL within the Graduate Diploma and MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship and collaborates on the management of the Technology Enhanced Learning Unit (TELU). She has sought funding for a number of projects from the National Forum and from Erasmus+.

Dr Íde O’Sullivan Senior Educational Developer and Co-director, RWC Íde O’Sullivan is a senior educational developer at the CTL and co-director of the Regional Writing Centre at UL. Íde is course director of the Graduate Diploma/MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship. Since 2007, she has led the design, delivery and evaluation of writing-support interventions at UL, grounding writing centre initiatives in good practice and sound theory. She also works with academic staff on the development of their professional writing for publication. She is a founding member and co-chair of the Irish Network for the Enhancement of Writing (INEW). Her current research focuses on adapting academic writing development to particular national contexts and on enhancing peer tutoring in academic writing. Other areas of interest include writing to learn, writerly identity, writing assessment, second language acquisition research and the development of new literacies.

Lawrence Cleary Educational Developer and Co-director, RWC Lawrence Cleary is an educational developer at the CTL and co-director of the Regional Writing Centre.

His background is in English, rhetoric and composition studies (BA in English, Illinois State University) and English language teaching (MA in English Language Teaching, University of Limerick). Lawrence is currently pursuing a PhD in writing pedagogy, the focus of which is on appeals for disciplinary identity. He has taught writing to students in a number of disciplines and is currently teaching students on the BEng in Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering (first year) and MEng in Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering programmes. His interests lie in rhetoric, critical theory, writing pedagogy, language teaching, systemic functional linguistics, stylistics, corpus studies, learning styles and strategies.

Sarah Gibbons Educational Developer Sarah Gibbons is an educational developer in the Student Engagement and Success (SES) Unit. Sarah holds a Fellowship with SEDA, is co-chair of the Confederation of Student Services Ireland (CSSI) Special Interest Group (SIG) on Retention and is currently undertaking postgraduate studies in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). Her primary interest areas are early transition to third level; the importance of academic literacy for thirdlevel students; the benefit of academic advising for undergraduate retention and progression; the use of learning analytics for student progression; national student-level data (for the Irish Survey of Student Engagement – ISSE) and institutional uses; and the collation and use of student opinion on learning experiences, e.g. National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP). Sarah previously worked as a senior policy advisor across a number of social and educational state departments.

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Prof Fiona Farr

Maura Murphy

Manager CTL

Vicky Kelly Karen McGrath Joan Imray

Dr Íde O’Sullivan

Lawrence Cleary

Dean CTL

Teaching and Learning Advocate

Fitzpatrick

Lead Educational Developer:

Dr Angélica

Senior Administrators

Senior Educational Developer: Writing Co-Director Regional Writing Centre

Technology Enhanced Learning

Educational Developer: Writing

Educational Developer:

Co-Director Regional Writing Centre

ICT Learning Centre Clem O’Donnell

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Dr Mary

Student Engagement and Success

Mathematics Learning Centre

PeerSupported Learning Centre

Dr Richard Walsh

James Murphy

Rísquez

Sarah Gibbons

Science Learning Centre Dr Gráinne Walshe

Student Engagement The First Seven Weeks AICUR SES Unit

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FIRST SEVEN WEEKS

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The First Seven Weeks initiative is designed to provide targeted support to students during the very early weeks of their time as University of Limerick (UL) students. Recognising that successful early adjustment is linked to subsequent success, we provide new students with a range of information and interact with them in ways that make them know we care about them and want them to adjust successfully to college life.

Each of the first seven weeks has its own theme, and each theme is designed to focus students’ attention on the various issues that we know are important for settling in and thriving at third level.

First Seven Weeks Programme

Week 1

Welcome, settling in and finding your way around

Week 2 Study skills and time management Week 3 Meet your advisor Week 4 Health and wellbeing Week 5 Learner support centres Week 6 Civic engagement and volunteering awareness Week 7 Critical thinking and longer-term planning

The First Seven Weeks Hub staff get ready to welcome new students to UL in September 2017. Pictured (left to right) are Seán McKillen, Declan Mills, Lorna Horgan (coordinator), Fiona O’Kearney, Stephen Strauss-Walsh and David Burns.

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AICUR

AICUR provides a platform for undergraduate students to share their research, in a diversity of forms, and experience participating and presenting in an academic conference.

Record turnout for fifth annual All-Ireland Conference of Undergraduate Research

Dr Norah Patten presenting her keynote speech at AICUR on 5 April 2018 at the University of Limerick

The fifth All-Ireland Conference of Undergraduate Research (AICUR) took place in the Kemmy Business School, UL on 5 April 2018. The aim of AICUR is to ‘provide a platform for undergraduate students to share their research, in a diversity of forms, and experience participating and presenting in an academic conference. The benefits of such an experience, academically, socially and personally for students, are significant’.

AICUR was opened by Professor Fiona Farr, Dean of Teaching and Learning. The keynote speech – Achieving Dreams – was delivered by former UL graduate Dr Norah Patten, currently a faculty member at the International Space University and Ireland’s first scientist-astronaut candidate with Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) in 2017. Dr Patten, who holds both a PhD and a first-class bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from UL, spoke warmly of her time in UL and encouraged AICUR participants throughout the day.

The attendance and quality of work presented at this year’s conference was a testament to the highquality, committed and engaged students that

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Ireland and UL are producing. A list of this year’s category award winners is given on the next page.

Check out our website for more information about the conference and to see some photos: https:// www.ul.ie/ctl/students/all-ireland-conferenceundergraduate-research-aicur.

The CTL wishes to extend special thanks to AICUR’s main sponsor, ZAGG International, a Shannon-based supplier of mobile accessories, which has supported the conference since its inception. Thanks also to O’Mahony’s Bookshop UL, the University Arena, Aramark and the Bank of Ireland for sponsoring prizes.

Special thanks to the AICUR organising committee: Professor Fiona Farr, Dean of Teaching and Learning (chair); Conor Hussey, UL Students’ Union; Sarah Gibbons, CTL; Vicky Kelly, CTL; Dr Óscar Mascareñas Garza, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance; Dr Patricia M. McNamara, Education and Health Sciences; Maura Murphy, CTL; Jill Pearson, Kemmy Business School (KBS); and Dr Walter Stanley, Faculty of Science and Engineering (S&E).

Name

Category

Research title

Institution/ Programme

Patricia O’Brien

15-minute oral presentation

Constructing Womanhood in De Valera’s Ireland: The Writings of Gertrude Gaffney 1936–1937

European Studies, UL

Aoife Malone

10-minute oral presentation

Developing and Assessing a Novel Relational Abilities Index of Human Intelligence

Psychology, Maynooth University

Sinead Doran

5-minute oral presentation

Media Frames of Asylum Seekers in the Right to Work Campaign: A Case Study of the Irish Times

Applied Languages, UL

Niamh McMahon

‘Research in 3’

Multimodality and Multilingualism: An Investigation into Emerging Online Day-to-Day Communication Trends on Twitter

Joint Honours, UL

Sinead Gaffney

Best Poster Presentation

Correlates of Sleep in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review

Physiotherapy, UL

*Joint Winners*

Youth Engagement and Participation in Politics and Activism

Participant Choice Award

Media Frames of Asylum Seekers in the Right to Work Campaign: A Case Study of the Irish Times

Best Video Presentation

Space-ial Awareness – a computer game developed for a Studio Ireland competition at Games Fleadh

Niamh Tubridy and Sinead Doran Stephen Jameson, Eric Lambert, Sean Donnelly, Conor Bennett and Thomas Bowles

Law, UL and Applied Languages, UL Computer Games Development, UL

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS (SES)

Promoting Student Engagement and Success Personnel from SES meet with new students during orientation week and highlight the student-facing roles and services of the Unit. The unit team comprises the Director, Student Affairs Division (Chair); Dean of Teaching and Learning; Director of Library and Information Services Division; First Year Support Coordinator; Educational Developer, SES; and First Year Librarian, SES. The SES Unit developed a ‘Succeeding and Surviving’ flyer for new students to outline UL options should they experience difficulties from an academic, financial or personal/social perspective. Personnel from the Unit meet with new students

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during orientation week and highlights the student-facing roles and services of the Unit.

The SES Unit delivered a range of student engagement workshops during the First Seven Weeks and after first-year students returned for their second semester. The workshops focused on explaining the UL QCA system, time management, planning assessments for the semester ahead, health and money management, and accessing services and supports to assist with academic or personal difficulties.

With a view to gauging the performance of UL at a national level against a range of pre-determined student engagement indicators,

the SES Unit analysed ISSE data and presented findings to a number of UL senior management groups.

Through its SES remit, the CTL invited representatives from NUI Galway to present to senior management on the SMART Consent workshops, which are planned for targeted first-year rollout.

The Educational Developer, SES contributes to the HR-coordinated Programme Leader training offered to new programme leaders.

Transition Module: Making the Leap In follow-up to the 2015/16 pilot of the SES-developed transition module, Making the Leap, a second pilot was run in 2017/18.

The module looks at the differences between second-level and third-level education, expectation-setting, supports and services for new students, time management and approaching the first assessment. The 848 evaluations provided by students in the 2017/18 pilot have been used to modify the content further.

There is commitment from three faculties to continue offering the module in 2018/19.

Campus Life Services will deliver the transition module to their first-year students for a second time in 2018/19. The SES Unit will provide training for nominated facilitators.

One-to-One Student Support The first-year support coordinator provides one-to-one support to new students on any area of their first-year experience they may find challenging. The coordinator assists students with their individual queries and acts as a conduit for students when other services become involved.

The librarian for first-year student engagement and success delivered workshops and classes to first-year students. The sessions helped students to find resources for class assessments, beginning research, and citing and referencing.

Personal Academic Support System (PASS) The SES Unit developed a PASS Resources SharePoint site for advisors for the 2017/18 academic year. The site holds key institutional information as well as supports and resources that can be used by advisors with advisees.

The CTL conducted surveys on PASS with staff and students during 2016/17 and 2017/18 to assess the interactions with the revised process.

Detailed evaluation reports have been written for each participating group.

First-year students are encouraged through the Making the Leap transition module to meet their academic advisor. The ‘Who Is Your Academic Advisor?’ page of the SES website (https://ulsites.ul.ie/ ses/) outlines the academic advisor’s role.

Support for Repeating Exams

Collaborative Activity

Workshops outlining options for students with a quality credit average (QCA) below 2.0 were delivered in the spring semester.

Students were informed (by circular) about the range of supports available to those needing to repeat exams.

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What would I tell my first year self? video: A collaborative project between the SES Unit, Campus Life Services and the Students’ Union to produce a UL video of current students reflecting on their experiences and learning as first years. The purpose of this video is to share the experiences, both positive and negative, with new students from the perspective of their peers.

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Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE): The SES Unit coordinated the ISSE survey across the UL campus. The Unit ran the 2018 survey in partnership with the Students’ Union and academic staff members, which resulted in a significant improvement in the response rate.

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‘UL Today’ app: The CTL, Information Technology Division (ITD) and both students’ unions (Students’ Union and Postgraduate Students’ Union) continued their work with an app developer to update and extend the existing ‘UL Today’ student app. The app’s updates and additional information will be available to new students at the beginning of the 2018/19 academic year. The app includes a UL building way-finder, enables a student’s timetable to be embedded into their phone’s calendar and identifies a range of services for new students, which they may otherwise be unaware of.

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Lecture capture video: The CTL, ITD and a representative from teaching staff began developing a short information video highlighting the uses and benefits of lecture capture as a technology-based learning tool.

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Student engagement working group: The UL Students’ Union created a collaborative working group for each of the four pillars of its strategic plan. Two members of the SES Unit participated on the working group.

Research Research-related events included: »»

A sector-wide report on Irish third-level fees dates. Through the CSSI (Confederation of Student Services in Ireland) Special Interest Group on Retention, the Educational Developer, SES carried out a survey of 23 higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland to assess the impact of varying institutional and Higher Education Authority (HEA) fees dates. The dates have an impact (anecdotally) on students’ decisions to stay in or leave third level and their ability to return.

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Provision of the Mid-West Guidance Counsellors CPD on the importance of the first-year experience. This half-day session included information on progression rates in Ireland, why students end up in the wrong programme and what third-level students have said about their adjustment. The session also provided a range of resources to help with the transition from second to third level.

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A focus group with a mixed group of first-year undergraduate students. The focus group was undertaken at the end of the academic year to inform future planning of the SES Unit.

One of the initiatives being progressed with input from this group is a programmatic approach to student leadership. The initiative will match first-year students with student leaders in a more senior year, and the student leaders will be mentored by academic staff.

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TEACHING LEARNING

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Learner Support Centres SLC

Science Learning Centre

MLC

Mathematics Learning Centre

ICTLC

ICT Learning Centre

PSLC

Regional Peer-Supported Learning Centre

RWC

Regional Writing Centre

Student support services play a crucial role in the success of students in higher education. Each of our learning centres provides a space where students can feel comfortable about raising issues that may help them to study or learn more effectively and build their confidence and self-esteem.

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SCIENCE LEARNING SLC CENTRE

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The SLC provides support to undergraduates whose degree includes a science component. During the autumn and spring semesters of 2017/18, the SLC provided support to students by two main routes: a dedicated Drop-in Centre and support tutorials. In addition, the SLC supported students taking repeat examinations and provided workshops for the First Seven Weeks programme. The SLC also collaborated with the Department of Physics to promote physics as a Leaving Certificate subject to female second-level school students.

Highlights of the Year »»

There were 3,944 visits to the SLC from students on 24 different programmes. This figure comprises 1,243 visits to the Drop-in Centre and 2,701 attendances at tutorials for help on 23 different modules.

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The SLC collaborated with module lecturers to run an early support intervention for a first-year chemistry module. The aim of the intervention was to support students identified as being at risk of failing to progress in the module. Of the identified students, those who attended the SLC had a higher percentage grade point average (60.3%) than those who did not attend (55.9%).

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Student feedback on SLC services was collected extensively in 2017/18. There were 108 surveys collected from students who attended seven different support tutorials for first-year modules. Seventynine anonymous feedback forms were collected from students who attended the Drop-in Centre. The survey results indicated that most students found the services to be either very helpful or helpful. The main reasons given were that the pace of the tutorials was slower, difficult concepts were explained in more detail, the example exam questions were helpful, and the students felt more confident about asking questions in a small-group setting. With respect to the Drop-in Centre, the feedback forms showed that students valued having a place to go to ask their questions, felt they could ask questions without fear of becoming embarrassed, appreciated the one-toone context and found the tutors to be patient and friendly.

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The SLC collaborated with the Department of Physics to develop an outreach programme for promoting physics as a Leaving Certificate subject to female school students. Entitled the SOPHia project (science outreach for promoting physics), the programme was run on a pilot basis in three schools with support from Intel Shannon and the Institute of Physics in Ireland.

Evaluations indicated that the school students involved in the programme experienced a positive change in attitude in relation to taking physics as a Leaving Certificate subject.

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In August 2018, along with the Department of ECE, the SLC represented UL at an Intel-hosted event to share practice on diversity and inclusion with five third-level institutions.

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The SLC presented or co-presented at national and international conferences, including the launch of the EPONA support network for female physics undergraduates in UCC, the Institute of Physics Higher Education Group regional community meeting in Glasgow and the VICEPHEC (Chemistry Education / Physics Higher Education Conference) in Sheffield.

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The SLC and the Department of Physics represented UL at an Institute of Physics national roundtable event, the aim of which was to develop a coordinated approach to addressing the shortage of physics teachers and low uptake of physics at undergraduate level.

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The SLC and EPI-STEM at UL ran a workshop at the IOP Frontiers of Physics Conference for physics teachers, which was hosted by the Department of Physics in September 2017. The conference had a record turnout.

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MATHEMATICS MLC LEARNING CENTRE

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The MLC supports students’ mathematics learning across all programmes in UL. The MLC does this by: »»

Providing a dedicated area with supervised access to help and resources

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Delivering appropriate support services for students on service mathematics courses

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Addressing the mathematics needs of special groups (e.g. mature students, adult returners, transfer students, international students)

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Researching the needs of learners in terms of materials, pedagogy, delivery systems and other support requirements

Highlights of the Year In 2017/18, UL students attended MLC core services 7,967 times, which comprised 4,093 attendances from 1,072 individual students in Semester 1 and 3,874 attendances from 1,064 individuals in Semester 2. This is the second-highest annual attendance level over the past six years (the highest being in 2016/17, when 10,023 attendances were recorded). In addition to providing core services, the MLC continued its work during the year on many other programmes and initiatives, as listed below, in support of UL’s strategic goals: »»

The MLC’s educational developer coordinated the President’s Volunteer Programme (PVP) for mathematics, which saw 22 UL students receive volunteer awards for their work with second-level students from economically challenged areas.

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The MLC developed and coordinated all aspects of teaching for the Mature Student Access Course (MSAC) mathematics modules (five modules in total).

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The educational developer delivered the two mathematics modules for the international foundation programme.

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The MLC coordinated the Leaving Certificate helpdesk, which involved tutoring 75 finalyear second-level students over 11 weeks to prepare them for their examinations.

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In conjunction with the EPI-STEM National Centre for STEM Education and the Irish Independent, the MLC’s manager and educational developer published 11 national supplements for second-level schools.

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In conjunction with UL’s Mature Student Office (MSO) and the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB), the MLC offered a one-year Leaving Certificate programme to mature students for the second year in a row.

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The MLC delivered its two-week Head Start Maths programme (mathematics bridging course) to mature students and piloted one online revision programme for a mathematics module, which received 2,767 views.

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Research conducted with first-year engineering students (n=584; S&E) suggests that frequent users, regardless of their ability level, will pass their mathematics examinations while non-users might not always do so. Furthermore, survey results suggest that the MLC is highly valued by its student users.

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ICT LEARNING ICTLC CENTRE 24 | Centre for Teaching & Learning 2017/18

The ICTLC supports and promotes active learning among students of ICT-related programmes. It promotes active learning by providing complementary academic support and focused learning resources to all UL students who take ICT-related modules as part of their study programmes. The centre uses proven learner-support approaches, tutoring innovation, research and evaluation with the aim of developing learners who are confident and effective ICT practitioners.

The main schemes offered by the ICTLC include: »»

A drop-in service

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Targeted topic and skills workshops

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Core programming language workshops

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Peer-supported learning groups (PSLG)

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Prepare and Repeat (PAR) retention-focused sessions

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In-lab pair-programming support for core first-year computer programming modules

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A dedicated and supervised study area

Highlights of the Year »»

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There were 4,049 contacts/attendances from 465 students at the ICTLC during 2017/18; over 84% of attendees were in the early stages of their programmes, i.e. first- and second-year undergraduates and Graduate Diploma and Higher Diploma students. Our analysis of first-year student data from 2016/17 for four core ICT undergraduate programmes shows a 24% higher progression rate for students who engage with our services; we anticipate a similar outcome for 2017/18 once the relevant data are available for analysis.

Each week from weeks 3 to 12, the ICTLC operated 18 hours of drop-in and 6 hours of peer-supported learning support. In excess of 39 hours of targeted support/workshop sessions were given during the autumn semester. Additionally, 60 hours of laboratory support using pair programming was provided to students of two core first-year computer programming modules. A total of 394 students availed of our supports during the autumn semester.

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During weeks 3 to 12 of the spring semester, the ICTLC operated 18 hours of drop-in, 4 hours of peersupported learning and over 37 hours of targeted support/workshop sessions. Additionally, 24 hours of laboratory-based PAR sessions were provided to 41 students of the core Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) first-year computer programming module. In total, 225 students availed of our supports during the spring semester.

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The active learning method of pair-programming support was introduced to CSIS first-year labs for the Computing Technologies common entry programme during the autumn semester. Along with similar support for the Department of Electronic and

Computer Engineering (ECE) core programming module, such collaborative pair-programming support more than doubled from the previous year. »»

The ICTLC manager was a member of the CTL quality review team, which was responsible for preparing the CTL for its first quality review in March 2017. The manager co-wrote chapter 4 – Student engagement and support – of the CTL’s self-assessment report (SAR), which formed the basis of the quality review.

The work involved collaborating with all CTL learning and affiliated units and spanned both semesters up to and including the visit of the external quality review group in March 2018.

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During the spring semester, in partnership with the Peer-Supported Learning Centre, the ICTLC delivered four two-hour workshops introducing computer programming, games development and robots for one second-level and two primary schools.

The workshops were attended by 113 students and 9 teachers.

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Following the successful trial in 2016/17 of the advanced, two-day CyberCamp Plus, the event became a fixture in 2017/18 in each week of our summer camps. Each of the two weeks involved a three-day CyberCamp followed by a two-day advanced CyberCamp Plus. In total, 114 students from 46 schools took part in UL CyberCamp 2018 and UL CyberCamp Plus 2018. The camps received funding from the HEA under its Information Technology Investment Fund (ITIF). In addition to our summer camps, drop-in support was provided to ICT students during the two weeks prior to their repeat exams.

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PSLC

REGIONAL PEER-SUPPORTED LEARNING CENTRE

The PSLC specialises in promoting proactive peer-supported learning schemes, particularly those related to the Peer-Supported Learning Group (PSLG) academic enrichment programme. PSLG is a group-based, student-led collaborative learner support scheme that targets difficult subjects/modules in all programmes of study offered by UL. In recent years, the PSLC has been actively involved in setting up and maintaining a number of PSLG schemes every year. Most (82%) of these schemes have targeted first-year and second-year students in ICT-related courses. As a result, the PSLC works closely with the ICTLC in running PSLG programmes that focus on computer programming, software and electronics-related modules.

Highlights of the Year »»

Seven PSLG programmes provided support across both academic semesters to more than 1,600 S&E and KBS students of accounting, computer programming and computer science modules.

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Other support services offered and activities organised related to student engagement, motivation, professional and transferrable skills development and outreach, including a seminar series held for undergraduate students in the Department of ECE on presentation and report-writing skills. The report-writing skills seminar was conducted for students undertaking master’s programmes in the Department of ECE.

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The PSLC continues to support the ICTLC-run UL Cybercamp and UL Cybercamp Plus by providing IT and administrative support and staff to assist and run lesson sessions.

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»»

The PSLC continues to support the S&E-run Transition Year Week by providing staff to run lesson sessions. The sessions run by the PSLC focus on introducing the students to the concepts of basic Java programming through the Greenfoot Integrated Development Environment.

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In addition to its own website, the PSLC continues to deploy and support the websites of the ICTLC and the UL Cybercamp through its web server.

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Students who participated in the support schemes offered by the PSLC had a 6.4% better chance of achieving a C3 grade or higher in assessment.

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REGIONAL WRITING RWC CENTRE 28 | Centre for Teaching & Learning 2017/18

The mission of the RWC is to engage students and staff in a burgeoning national conversation on writing and to provide a framework for them to become effective, efficient, persuasive scholarly writers and writing mentors.

The RWC offers a free and friendly place for all students (undergraduate and postgraduate) to come to address any aspect of their writing. The centre is dedicated to helping students develop strategies to become more confident, critical and autonomous writers. The RWC is also available to staff who are interested in developing their students’ writing.

The RWC takes a non-invasive, inductive approach to writing development. Peer tutors and experts work with students and staff to identify their writing practices and thus improve their strategic effectiveness.

Highlights of the Year »»

Fourteen peer tutors in academic writing facilitated 879 one-to-one peer-tutoring consultations in academic writing.

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Twenty-three ‘Writing Across the Curriculum’ workshops were delivered, which facilitated the learning of 339 students.

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RWC co-directors collaborated with 32 members of academic staff to develop 25 ‘Writing in Disciplines’ activities, the aim of which was to help academic staff integrate writing into their modules. The work had a positive impact on 1,289 students (up slightly from the previous year).

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The RWC continues to provide supports for mature students, access students and first-year students.

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Modules designed and delivered by the RWC were attended by 394 academics, researchers and students, which represents a greater than 100% increase in uptake from the previous year.

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The fifth annual UL One Campus, One Book initiative featured Liz Nugent’s Lying in Wait.

Sixty-two people joined us for the UL One Campus, One Book activities.

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The seventh Annual National Secondary School Essay-writing Competition attracted over 82 entries from across Ireland. Two students from Galway and another from Westmeath travelled to UL to receive awards for best entries.

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Twelve PVA (President’s Volunteer Award) volunteers assisted the RWC with the National Secondary School Essay-writing Competition and the Writing-talk initiatives, an increase of 25% over the previous year.

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External consultations and collaborations continued this year with IT, Tralee and with INEW directors/coordinators of Irish Academic Writing Centre/Support in St. Angela’s College in Sligo.

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Co-director and Senior Educational Developer Dr Íde O’Sullivan served as co-chair of the CTL’s quality team, which was responsible for preparing the CTL for its first quality review in March 2018.

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Dr Íde O’Sullivan assumed the role of course director for the Graduate Certificate, Diploma and MA programmes in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship.

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Co-director and Educational Developer Lawrence Cleary organised and hosted a three-day summer retreat for European Writing Centers Association (EWCA) members and associates from the US, Germany, Luxemburg, Ireland, The Netherlands and Austria.

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Both RWC co-directors presented research during the year – Íde in London and Lawrence in Valencia. The two continue to publish – Íde with AISHE and Lawrence with Connecting Writing Centres across Borders, the WLN Blog.

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RECOGNITION OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE

Excellent teaching at UL is recognised and rewarded through four teaching award schemes: (i) University of Limerick Excellence in Teaching Awards, (ii) Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Awards, (iii) the National Forum’s Teaching Expert Awards and (iv) the National Forum’s Teaching Hero Awards. The latter two award schemes run on alternate years, although neither ran in 2017/18.

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University of Limerick Excellence in Teaching Awards Managed by the CTL since 1999, the University of Limerick Excellence in Teaching Awards are presented annually by the UL President at conferring ceremonies. The awards are based on a comprehensive review of a range of teaching- and learning-related activities, including an examination of independently gathered testimonies from students; the versatility, volume and level of teaching; the range of delivery strategies; the quality of teaching; and the teacher-class relationship.

In addition, consideration is given to planning and preparation, the development of materials, assessment, research in the area of teaching and learning and overall professional development.

The aims of the University of Limerick Excellence in Teaching Awards are: »»

To encourage more staff (both academic teachers and those who provide learner support) to consider developing and showcasing their work as part of the UL awards process

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To promote and share excellence in teaching

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To recognise the diversity of teaching, learning and learner support activity

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To ensure that staff from all four faculties and across all learner support domains engage in the awards process

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To give faculties (and discipline-specific experts) a stronger voice in defining criteria relevant to their disciplines and in shortlisting excellent candidates within their own faculties

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To ensure that a robust set of criteria is applied across all categories of awards and all disciplines while also recognising diverse approaches to teaching and learning

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To ensure that the student voice remains central to the awards process

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To promote and share excellent practice during UL’s annual Teaching Expo

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To strengthen our commitment to acknowledging and celebrating the efforts of those who have a positive impact on student learning at UL

Winner The winner of the 2017/18 individual Excellence in Teaching award was Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan (School of Law). Kathryn’s student-centred approach to teaching focuses on the students as partners and co-creators in the learning process.

She has been very successful in transforming some challenging and highly theoretical subject elements into interesting and engaging areas of law. Kathryn’s passion and dedication to teaching and her impact on learning is consistently evidenced by feedback from students, peers, external examiners and external funding and accreditation bodies.

President Des Fitzgerald presents Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan with her UL Excellence in Teaching award 2017/18.

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Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Awards Now in its eleventh year, the annual Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Awards showcases excellence in teaching and learning within the three third-level institutions of the Shannon Consortium: Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and University of Limerick (UL). Involving a detailed and reflective teaching portfolio as well as a recording of the candidates’ teaching, the Regional Teaching Excellence Awards is the most rigorous teaching awards process in the country.

This year’s awards were adjudicated by an external panel chaired by Dr Sharon Walsh (National University of Ireland, Galway – NUIG) and comprising Dr Rachael Carkett (University of Bath), Dr Martina Crehan (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and Dr Mark Glynn (Dublin City University).

From many interested third-level teachers across the consortium, five academics were shortlisted for the award: »»

Dr Róisín Cahalan, School of Allied Health, UL

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Dr Hussain Mahdi, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, UL

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Dr T.J. Ó Ceallaigh, Department of Language and Literacy Education, MIC

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Dr Audrey O’Grady, Department of Biological Sciences, UL

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Aoife Prendergast, Department of Applied Social Sciences, LIT

The recipient of the 2017/18 award was Dr Róisín Cahalan, UL, who was presented with her award at a ceremony on 3 May in LIT. The panel described Róisín as ‘a passionate and committed teacher with a deeply reflective approach to her practice’.

Dr Róisín Cahalan (centre) receives her Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence award in the company of (left to right) Professor Kerstin Mey, UL; Professor Fiona Farr, UL; Professor Norelee Kennedy, UL; and Dr Mary Fitzpatrick, UL.

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TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING (TEL) Centre for Teaching & Learning 2017/18 | 33

Continuing Professional Development Six different iterations of our Blended Learning and Technology Enhanced Learning modules were delivered in 2017/18 to a total cohort of 72 participants, who included of our own lecturers and tutors in the Garda College.

Designed in collaboration with Hibernia College and Cork Institute of Technology as part of the National Forum’s digital badges initiative, the online course ‘Getting started with online teaching’ was implemented and evaluated at national level with an initial cohort of 40 participants (10 of whom were from UL). Following its success, the course has been localised for UL and will run in the first semester of 2018/19.

A total of 304 higher education teachers (both internal and external to UL) participated in TEL-related CPD opportunities or one-to-one consultations throughout the year. The events included ‘Introduction to Turnitin’, ‘Introduction to blended learning’, ‘The race against feedback’, ‘Social media: friend or foe’ and ‘The flipped classroom’.

On 17 October, in collaboration with the National Forum, we hosted ‘Facilitating a Professional Development Digital Badge in Teaching Skills’, a

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national workshop attended by representatives from all HEIs as part of the National Forum’s digital badges professional development initiative.

The new E-moderation for Online Environments (TL5121) module was designed and accredited through the Centre for Project Management at the Kemmy Business School. CTL collaborated on the delivery of this module for the first time on the new PD in School Leadership.

The CL designed, curated and disseminated a series of resources through the TELU website during the year. The resources included a series of blended assessment case studies and the Oxford University Press’s ‘Blended Learning’ online course.

Contributing to the Student Experience Dr Angélica Rísquez and Sarah Gibbons collaborated on redesigning and delivering the Broadening Curriculum Social and Civic Engagement (BR4001) module to a first-year cohort. In addition, the CTL delivered three information sessions on Sulis on the First Seven Weeks programme.

Projects

Virtual Learning Environments

We continue to actively seek project funding that can contribute to our strategic priorities around the development of TEL professional academic practice.

As such, we participated in a number of proposals for funding during the year, including:

For the last 10 years, the CTL has led the Irish interinstitutional virtual learning environments research project #VLEIreland, which is hosted by the Irish Learning Technology Association. Currently including 12 publicly funded HEIs, the project is a true and selfsustained community of practice. Results to date include the responses of more than 23,000 students and 500 academics, which gives rise to the largest collection of information on student experience related to TEL in Ireland thus far. Our latest research has been published as a special issue of the Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, edited by Dr Claire McAvinia (DIT) and Dr Angélica Rísquez (UL) and launched at EdTech2018. Analysis of the data has made a substantive contribution to the national debate around student and staff experiences of their institutionally supported VLE.

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The aforementioned ‘Getting started with online teaching’ online course, for which our funding application to the National Forum was successful

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A submission to the Horizon 2020 programme in relation to open education in science. The submission was technically successful but its implementation was deferred due to insufficient funds.

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A joint submission with UL’s Continuing & Professional Education for the HEA Innovation Call 2018 based on the planned improvements from the CTL quality review, which took place in March 2018

We continued to collaborate during the year with HR on the Collaborative Knowledge Exchange for Learning Impact project. The 18-month project is funded by the National Forum, led by NUIG and includes collaborators MIC and Dublin City University (DCU). The aim of the project is to develop a flexible CPD initiative to enable heads of department and middle management to ‘champion the digital’ and lead the enhancement of teaching and learning. As part of the project, we liaised with UL’s assistant deans of academic affairs to organise a series of CPD events for heads of department, including a full-day reflective practice workshop with Professor Sally Brown, Emerita Professor, Leeds Beckett University, now working as an independent consultant in the UK and internationally.

Contribution to TEL Strategy As part of our ongoing commitment to TELU, the CTL contributed to drafting strategic guidelines for TEL at UL, coordinating campus deployment and promoting Epigeum materials (self-directed blended-learning resources). The CTL took a lead role in upgrading the TELU website and related PR activities.

We continued to actively participate in conversations that will potentially shape the direction of TEL at UL. Examples include the Strategic Planning Conversation – Town Hall meetings, the Open Campus Studio consultation on the digital campus and the Transformative Learning Working Group.

We are very pleased to report that #VLEIreland was selected as a finalist in the UK Association of Learning Technology (ALT) Research Project of the Year awards and was listed for the @A_L_T Community Choice Award after a rigorous and highly competitive process.

Internationalisation in TEL Following liaison with the International Education Division to explore possibilities for mobility, we received delegations and scholars from the USA, Israel, Georgia and Spain to discuss TEL-related potential collaborations or simply to exchange practices.

In this vein, we are delighted that our submission for the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 ‘Sharing Open Educational Practices using Technology for Higher Education’ (SHOUT4HE) has been successful. Led

by Cardiff Metropolitan University, the project sets out to recognise innovative TEL-supported teaching practices in European HEIs and share the practices in an online community while fostering international networking and cooperation between HE teaching staff working in the same disciplines.

Dr Angélica Rísquez led the Digital Identity and Personal Brand master’s distance module in the Open University of Spain in collaboration with the University of Leon and completed Erasmus+ international teaching mobility accordingly.

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CPD ACTIVITIES

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As committed to in Broadening Horizons, UL’s strategic plan 2015– 19, the university aims to empower staff to excel and achieve their potential in a collegial and supportive environment (p. 34). The CTL plays a key role in contributing to the achievement of this aim by providing academic staff with a range of opportunities to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) in the areas of teaching and learning.

Teaching, Learning and Scholarship

Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET)

The CTL’s Teaching, Learning and Scholarship suite of programmes – Certificate (21 credits), Graduate Diploma (60 credits) and Master of Arts (90 credits) – provide high-level, scholarly, practice-based professional development for academic staff. The programmes provide the skills, competencies, insights and capacities that staff need to bring the highest-quality teaching and learning experiences to their students while helping staff to manage and progress their own scholarly careers.

Since 2002, the CTL has provided academic staff (full-time and part-time lecturers, teaching assistants and tutors) with a confidential teaching evaluation system. Referred to as SET (student evaluation of teaching), the service provides a structured approach to gathering feedback from students about their experiences of their modules, including the quality of teaching and their own role in the learning process. The CTL evaluates the SET in accordance with best practice in teaching and learning in higher education. A dataset containing over 10,000 student responses has confirmed the high reliability of the system’s 17-item scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.902).

A cohort of 16 UL academics enrolled on the Graduate Diploma in 2017/18. Three participants of the Graduate Diploma from 2016/17 progressed to the MA in autumn 2017. Also during the year, 23 instructors from the Garda College, Templemore graduated from the Specialist Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (30 credits) while 59 instructors completed the bespoke Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (18 credits).

Peer Observation of Teaching The observation of teaching by peers has continued to provide a forum for partners to develop their teaching practice by observing and being observed. With 69 participants engaging with the process during the year and interinstitutional partnerships being established, this network is providing a valuable platform for dialogue on teaching and learning. Dr Mary Fitzpatrick facilitated Shannon Consortium regional peer observation workshops on 19 September 2017 and 6 February 2018.

The SET runs on alternate semesters to the module satisfaction survey (MSS), which is conducted by the UL Quality Support Unit.

Conversations in the Consortium The Shannon Consortium aims to establish the Shannon region as a zone of excellence in teaching and learning. Adopting the Five-Minute Teaching Tip format, the Conversations in the Consortium forum provides teaching staff from UL, MIC and LIT with opportunities to present short insights on their practice and innovations.

Each partner institution hosted two sessions over the course of the academic year.

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UL Talks 2017 UL Talks are short (five-minute) videos showcasing our people and the ideas about which they are knowledgeable, articulate and passionate. This year’s participants included Dr Deirdre Brady, Dr Kyriakos Kourousis, Stephen Strauss, Dr Eleanor Giraud, Dr Nikola Nikolov, Dr Matthew Sorola, Professor Sean Redmond, Professor Marie Parker-Jenkins and Anne O’Connor.

Dr Martin J. Hayes (Science and Engineering) and Scott Murphy (Education and Health Sciences).

The teaching awards are presented to lecturers/ tutors who are nominated by their students in a survey at the end of the First Seven Weeks programme. Students nominate the lecturer/ tutor who had the most impact on them in their first seven weeks at UL.

Teaching and Learning Workshops

Anyone interested in submitting a proposal for a UL Talk is asked to select a theme within their area of expertise and develop an outline that shows how they will communicate their idea to a non-specialist audience. We encourage contributors to consider inviting students to participate in their talk and to place a focus on learning in a disciplinary context.

The Introduction to Teaching at Higher Education Workshop Series was delivered in the autumn and spring semesters. The series comprised three workshops for new teachers on the following themes: (i) new to teaching in higher education; (ii) assessment; and (iii) feedback and active learning.

UL Teaching Expo

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Engaging in Teaching Awards as CPD – aligning with the National Professional Development Framework for all those who teach in higher education, facilitated by Dr Maura O’Regan (28 November, 2017)

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Authentic Programme Assessment – applying the EAT framework to ensure holistic approach, facilitated by Professor Carol Evans, University of Southampton (30 January, 2018)

UL’s second annual Teaching Expo took place on Tuesday 20 March 2018 in the Millstream Common Room. The event showcased some of the innovative teaching and learning practices across the UL campus. It also provided a platform for formative discussions and professional development for all staff involved in pedagogic practice and support.

The First Seven Weeks recognition of teaching impact awards were presented at the Expo to Dr Diarmaid Lane (Education and Health Sciences),

CTL secured funding to host two National Forum seminars in UL:

First Seven Weeks Recognition of Teaching award winners (front row, left to right) Dr Diarmaid Lane, Dr Martin J. Hayes and Scott Murphy are celebrated during the UL Teaching Expo on 20 March 2018. Also pictured (back row) are Dr Pat Phelan and Professor Fiona Farr.

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RESEARCH

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Publications Cleary, L. Cleary, L. (2017) ‘Why good academic writers perform poorly in the workplace: teaching for transfer across contexts of writing (part 1 of 2)’, Connecting Writing Centers Across Borders (WLN Blog), 30 October, available: https:// www.wlnjournal.org/blog/2017/10/why-gooda c a d e m i c - wr i t e r s - p e r f o r m - p o o r l y- i n - t h e workplace-teaching-for-transfer-across-contextsof-writing/ [accessed 03/10/2018].

Cleary, L. (2017) ‘Why good academic writers perform poorly in the workplace: teaching for transfer across contexts of writing (part 2 of 2)’, Connecting Writing Centers Across Borders (WLN Blog), 6 November, available: http://www. wlnjournal.org/blog/2017/11/why-good-academicwri te r s-p e r fo rm-p o o rl y- i n-th e -wo rkp la c e teaching-for-transfer-across-contexts-of-writingpart-2-of-2/ [accessed 03/10/2018].

Fitzpatrick, M. Fitzpatrick, M. (2017) Case study H: mapping expectations of assessment to reality of requirements – the transition to programme-level assessment, Enhancing Programme Approaches to Assessment and Feedback in Irish Higher Education: Case Studies, Commentaries and Tools, available: http://www.teachingandlearning.ie/wpcontent/uploads/2017/06/Case-Study-H-with-doi. pdf [accessed 03/10/2018].

Guerin, A. Walsh, R. and Guerin, A. (2018) ‘A framework and rubric for guiding the training of mathematics tutors in third-level education’, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, available: https://doi.org/10.1080/0020 739X.2018.1507052 [accessed 03/10/2018].

O’Sullivan, Í.

O’Sullivan, Í., Tighe-Mooney, S., Lenihan, A. and Farrell, A. (2018) ‘An introduction to tutoring in the writing centre’, AISHE Academic Practice Guidelines no. 06, available: http://www.aishe.org/ wp-content/uploads/2018/06/6-Tutoring-in-theWriting-Centre.pdf [accessed 03/10/2018].

Raftery, D. and Rísquez, A. (2018) ‘Engaging students through the VLE: comparing like with like using the #VLEIreland student survey’, Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 3(2), 24–34.

Rísquez, A. (2018) ‘MOOCs and educational sustainability?

An educational developer’s perspective’, Lifewide Magazine, 20(1), 29–33.

Rísquez, A. and McAvinia, C. (2018) ‘The VLE versus open education’, Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 3(2), 86–93.

Ryan, D. and Rísquez, A. (2018) ‘Lessons learnt: the student view in the #VLEIreland project’, Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 3(2): 1–10.

Walsh, R. Walsh, R. (2017) ‘A case study of pedagogy of mathematics support tutors without a background in mathematics education’, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 48(1), 67–82.

Walsh, R., Fitzmaurice, O. and O’Donoghue, J. (2017) ‘What subject matter knowledge do secondlevel teachers need to know to teach trigonometry?

An exploration and case study’, Irish Educational Studies, 36(3), 273–306.

Walsh, R. and Guerin, A. (2018) ‘A framework and rubric for guiding the training of mathematics tutors in third-level education’, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, available: https://doi.org/10.1080/0020 739X.2018.1507052 [accessed 03/10/2018].

Walshe, G. Walshe, G., Johnston, J. and McClelland, G. (2017) ‘Integrating mathematics into science: design, development and evaluation of a curriculum model’ in Hahl, K., Juuti, K., Lampiselkä, J., Lavonen, J. and Uitto, A., eds., Cognitive and Affective Aspects in Science Education Research: Selected Papers from ESERA 2015 Conference, available: https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58685-4_23 [accessed 03/10/2018].

Rísquez, A. Garcia-Ripa, M.I., Sanchez-Garcia, M.F. and Rísquez, A. (2018) ‘Career choice motivational profiles in first year university students’, Universitas Psychologica, 17(3), 1–11.

McAvinia, C. and Rísquez, A. (2018) ‘The #VLEIreland project’, Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 3(2): i–ix.

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Cleary, L.

Rísquez, A. (2018) ‘Getting started with online teaching’, presented at Online Teaching and Learning Development Day, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, 1 May.

Cleary, L. and Lenihan, A. (2017) ‘The value of talk’, presented at Shannon Consortium 10th Anniversary Symposium, Shaping and Reshaping the Landscape of Teaching and Learning Limerick: Perspectives from the Shannon Consortium, University of Limerick, 30 May.

Rísquez, A., Cassidy, D., Ó Súilleabháin, G. and Garvey, R. (2018) ‘Modelling teaching strategies in the design of an online professional development programme’, presented at EdTech2018 Conference: TEL Quality Matters – People, Policies and Practices, Institute of Technology, Carlow, 31 May to 1 June.

Cleary, L. (2017) ‘A corpus analysis of Halliday’s interpersonal metafunction in first-year, First-semester writing as a way of affirming or negating their characterisation of their own writing as factual’, presented at I Congreso Internacional sobre Análisis de Corpus del Discurso Académico, Valencia, Spain, 22–24 November.

Walsh, R.

Conference Presentations

Gibbons, S. Gibbons, S. and Brennan, C. (2017) ‘Improving retention through effective student orientation’, presented at Transitions: Minding the Gap in Liminal Spaces – CSSI Summer Conference, University College Cork, 22–23 June.

Guerin, A. Guerin, A., Walsh, R. and Fitzmaurice, O. (2017) ‘The impact of mathematics learning support on student performance’, presented at 11th Annual Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network (IMLSN) Workshop, North West Regional College, Derry/Londonderry, 15 December.

O’Sullivan, Í.

O’Sullivan, Í., Coote, S. and Lenihan, A. (2017) ‘Writing across the curriculum: clinical therapies and the Regional Writing Centre’, presented at Shannon Consortium 10th Anniversary Symposium, Shaping and Reshaping the Landscape of Teaching and Learning Limerick: Perspectives from the Shannon Consortium, University of Limerick, 30 May. O’Sullivan, Í. and Farrell, A. (2017) ‘Shape shifting: exploring alternative approaches and institutional models towards cohesive teaching, learning, research and writing development’, presented at EATAW 2017 (European Association for Teaching Academic Writing), Royal Holloway University of London, 19–21 June.

Rísquez, A. Rísquez, A. and Cassidy, D. (2017) ‘Getting started with online teaching’, presented at National Forum Facilitating a Professional Development Digital Badge in Teaching Skills, University of Limerick, 17 October.

Rísquez, A., Fitzgerald, M. (2017) ‘The teacher of tomorrow: a creative pedagogical approach to education for sustainable and human development’, presented at International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy (ICEP), Griffith College, Dublin, 15 December.

Rísquez, A. (2017) ‘Current developments around open education in Irish higher education, presented at Higher Education Lifelong Learning Ireland Network Conference (HELLIN), University of Limerick, 8 December.

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Guerin, A., Walsh, R. and Fitzmaurice, O. (2017) ‘The impact of mathematics learning support on student performance’, presented at 11th Annual Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network (IMLSN) Workshop, North West Regional College, Derry/Londonderry, 15 December.

Walsh, R. (2017) ‘A case study of pedagogy of mathematics support tutors without a background in mathematics education’, presented at 42nd Annual ATEE Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 23–25 October.

Walshe, G. Kelly, R., Erduran, S., Walshe, G. and Guilfoyle, L. (2017) ‘Step into science: engaging students, teachers and families in debates’, presented at European Science Education Research Association Conference, Dublin, Ireland, 21–25 August.

Walshe, G. and Johnston, J. (2017) ‘Interdisciplinary science education: do the Irish and Scottish curricula facilitate the incorporation of mathematics in the teaching and learning of science?’, presented at European Science Education Research Association Conference, Dublin, Ireland, 21–25 August.

Walshe, G., Newport, D., Barnett, J. and Casey, V. (2017) ‘Impact of participation in a learning support unit for students of a first year engineering module’, presented at Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference: Making Connections and Sharing Pedagogy, Edinburgh, 29–30 June.

Ní Eidhin, D. and Walshe, G. (2018) ‘Gender equality in physics’, presented at EPONA Launch, University College Cork, 22 March.

Walshe, G., Casey, V., Clancy, I., Corcoran, D., McFall, E., Quinn, M. and Ní Eidhin, D. (2018) ‘Addressing the gender imbalance in physics at third-level for undergraduates’, presented at VICEPHEC (Variety in Chemistry Education/Physics Higher Education Conference), University of Sheffield, 22–23 August.

Walshe, G., Casey, V., Clancy, I., Corcoran, D. Ní Eidhin, D. McFall, E. and Quinn, M. (2018) ‘The SOPHia project: science outreach for promoting physics to female school students’, presented at IOP Higher Education Group Regional Community Meeting, University of Glasgow, 12 June.

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All photos taken on campus for Centre of Teaching and Learning Design & Photography by One Little Studio