UCD Professional Certificate/Diploma in Creativity & Innovation for Education

UCD INNOVATION ACADEMY TRANSFORMING EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

About UCD Innovation Academy

UCD Innovation Academy provides transformational educational experiences for the betterment of society and the economy. We prepare learners from all walks of life to succeed in an uncertain world. We work with primary, secondary, further and higher education; enterprise; and the public sector, nationally and internationally, to equip learners with the mindset, tools and skills for the 21st century. We act as a catalyst for positive change, within individuals, institutions and societies, and we seek to serve as a model for higher education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Anthropocene.

Our approach to teaching and learning is grounded in innovation, creativity, leadership, the entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking. Our unique 21st century learning pedagogy centres on experiential, challenge based learning in interdisciplinary settings. By providing learners with the tools, the skills and the mindset to enable innovation, we help people and organisations unlock their true potential.

UCD Innovation Academy was founded by Professor Suzi Jarvis in 2010, a graduate of the University of Oxford and a professor of biophysics. It was the first organisation of its kind in Ireland, combining worldclass educators and cutting-edge pedagogy.

Our pedagogy is based on the latest research in neuroscience about learning agility. Leading thinkers including Carol Dweck and her globally acclaimed work on the Growth Mindset, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Carl Wieman, education reformer Cathy Davidson and entrepreneurship scholar, Saras D. Sarasvathy, among others, have informed our approach.

Our programmes are validated by a leading academic and external examiner, Professor Sir Mark Welland, Deputy Vice Provost at the University of Cambridge and former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government Ministry of Defence. Previous external examiners include Heidi Neck of Babson College in the US. Our International Advisory Board is chaired by Raomal Perera, a successful technology entrepreneur and Adjunct Professor at INSEAD. Other members include Professor Richard Templer, Director of Innovation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London; Colm Lyon, Founder and CEO of Fire Financial Services and previous Founder and CEO of Realex Payments; Datin Dr. Syahira Hamidon, Ministry for Entrepreneurship in Malaysia and Gay Haskins, Fellow and Former Dean of Executive Education at the Said Business School, University of Oxford.

Transforming Education “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists”. Eric Hoffer In the past one hundred years the world has changed beyond recognition. And, it is not inconceivable that in the next one hundred years it will be unrecognisable from today. Globalisation, technological advances and the era of the Anthropocene have created new challenges and opportunities. Despite this, few (if any) education systems around the world have evolved to both meet learners where they are now, and prepare them for an uncertain future.

Many students will go on to work in jobs that don’t yet exist. The stark contrast between the world outside of education, and the world inside it needs to be addressed.

We believe that every young person deserves an education that prepares them to thrive in the world today, and to contribute in a positive way to the world of tomorrow. At UCD Innovation Academy, we support educators around the world to gain the confidence and skills to lead change in their context, for the benefit of their students, communities and countries.

Entrepreneurial Education Our work in transforming education promotes entrepreneurial education and the entrepreneurial mindset.

Entrepreneurial education offers students a sense of initiative and the ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation, risk-taking and growth mindset, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. Entrepreneurial education helps students to harness passions, skills, experience, knowledge and insights, resources, and networks to take advantage of opportunities.

Entrepreneurial education, at all levels of education, teaches students how to handle real-world problems focusing on mindset, personal development, and preparing students for adapting to changes in environments.

At the heart of entrepreneurial education is the entrepreneurial mindset. This is a set of skills that enables students to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in a variety of settings. Research shows that an entrepreneurial mindset boosts educational attainment and performance. It is a way of thinking that allows students to be decisive and accept responsibility for the outcomes of their decision. It is about constantly looking for ways to improve, by learning from your mistakes and failures - as well as your successes.

The development of entrepreneurial thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset is essential for the education of the future. It empowers young people and prepares them to flourish in an uncertain world.

We work with educators and educational institutions to develop entrepreneurial education by enhancing entrepreneurial behaviours and mindsets among educators; building self-confidence, self-efficacy, and leadership; enhancing creativity, innovation and the ability to think 'out of the box' to solve problems and skills in managing complexity and unpredictability​.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Competencies

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Flexibility & Adaptability

Communication & Collaboration

Initiative & Self Reliance

Future Orientation

Opportunity Recognition

Comfort with Risk

Creativity & Innovation

UCD Professional Diploma in Creativity & Innovation for Education The UCD Professional Certificate and Diploma in Creativity & Innovation for Educators is designed to develop the mindset and skills of an innovative, entrepreneurial educator. Through this level-9 UCD accredited course, educators reimagine education and adopt new approaches to teaching and learning. The programme, now in its tenth year, is constantly evolving, incorporating the latest neuroscience of learning and input from education experts around the world.

During the programme, educators are invited to explore and reimagine their education practice in an immersive, experiential environment. Educators have the opportunity to develop their creativity, explore new ideas and entrepreneurial initiatives in education and develop their leadership for affecting change while building a collaborative community of practice. With guest speakers who are international thought leaders in education, such as Valerie Hannon, David Price OBE, Dr Andreas Schleicher, Ron Berger and Professor Roberty Kelly, students are exposed to best and next practices to inspire them.

Each phase of the programme focuses on a different area intended to develop Educators’ Entrepreneurial Mindset, Innovative Approach and Creative Leadership Capacity.

By stepping outside their comfort zone, educators on this programme can update their knowledge, build empathy with their students, and reignite their passion for teaching.

The course is highly flexible, allowing each cohort to cocreate the learning experience based on the needs and experiences of each group.

The diploma module gives learners a further chance to develop their professional practice as an entrepreneurial educator.

Module 1 Creativity & Innovation Module 2 The Entrepreneurial Mindset Module 3 Leadership Development Module 4 (for Diploma Students) Professional Practice The programme is delivered both online and in person.

The three weeks I spent doing the Professional Certificate in Creativity and Innovation for Education were among the best three weeks in my 25-year career.

Dr Linda Dowling Hetherington Director - Assurance Of Learning School of Business, UCD

In terms of my practice, it really helped me change how I approach teaching in my classroom, embracing new ideas, embracing creativity, risk and failure.

Pádraig Conaty Principal at Harold's Cross Educate Together Secondary School

The course provided wonderful diversity in the participant cohort. As students we all came from various education settings and that resulted in a medley of skills sets, experiences and strengths.

Grace O’ Sullivan Primary School Teacher

I believe that if we are truly serious about our role as educators and as principals, if we're serious about our teaching and learning priorities, this diploma course should be something that all principals or school leaders take part in. Students have lots of different learning styles. If we are to prepare our students for both the challenges and the opportunities that are ahead of them, principals and decision makers within education need to be looking at the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking.

John Hayes Principal, Kildare Town Community School

I want to be a role model for my student teachers. Learning is lifelong and teachers need to keep renewing our skills and take the time to nourish ourselves - to have both the language and the ideas of contemporary education. In education, we have to be entrepreneurial. Every class is different.

Every day is different. We’re always trying to tap into enterprising ways to engage students. If I'm being a role model and tapping into my entrepreneurial mindset, I'm hoping my approach will cascade down to my student teachers’ learning as well.

Rachel Farrell Director of Professional Master of Education Programme (PME) Associate Dean, Undergraduate Social Sciences, UCD

Transforming Education through Partnerships Vietnam National University

Our international collaboration with Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi began in 2017 and to date 140 VNU academics have participated in our programming to learn 21st century teaching pedagogies.

This is all part of the government of Vietnam’s key development priorities of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Creativity.

Through this collaboration, educators at VNU have discovered more entrepreneurial approaches, and we have shown them how to approach their teaching practices in more innovative and creative ways. Freshly enthused by our experiential learning practices, they will pass these on to their colleagues and students.

As a result of this collaboration, 25,000 students in a range of disciplines are now benefiting from the transformational educational experience we champion at UCD. VNU has developed its strategic plan around innovation in education and many of our graduates have gone on to lead new initiatives.

A vibrant new peer-to-peer community has been created across VNU fostering a close connection with a network of their like-minded Irish peers.

Malaysia

UCD Innovation Academy together with the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia and two of Malaysia’s leading universities; The National University of Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) collaborated together to undertake an Entrepreneurial Educator Enhancement Programme.

Over 100 academics from twenty two higher education institutions across Malaysia participated in this week-long intensive professional development programme at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). The programme was designed to strengthen their entrepreneurship competencies and to enhance the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education across Malaysia.

The programme supported a key priority of Malaysia’s Higher Education Blueprint 2015-2025, to move from developing graduates who are job seekers to ones who are job creators and balanced citizens with an entrepreneurial mindset.

China

In 2020, UCD Innovation Academy began a partnership with UCD’s China joint college BDIC in Beijing. The partnership has flourished since then and UCD Innovation Academy has delivered programmes in creativity and innovation to hundreds of students in China in the past three years.

Enterprise

Our UCD Professional Certificate and Diploma in Creativity & Innovation for Educators was originally designed for a broad range of educators. Following the Covid 19 pandemic, we saw increased demand for our programme from educators in enterprise including learning and development professionals and change managers who recognised the value of entrepreneurial mindset. In response, we designed a bespoke programme designed to create a culture of democratised and continuous learning, teaching and innovation in organisations. Participants in the programme included Microsoft, Google, IBM, Ireland’s electricity provider ESB, Enterprise Ireland and others.

This course gave me the affirmation that you don’t have to do everything the way it’s always been done.

Chris Hickson Primary School Teacher, Co. Laois

On the diploma we had to devise and deliver an action plan. I chose to investigate how creativity could be embedded across all curricular areas.

This has now become part of our school focus. Every week we have an organised activity where each class carries out a creative activity. We choose a different curricular area each week – one week it could be math, the next week it could be geography.

Consequently, children have regular opportunities to be creative and innovative.

Esther Hogan Principal, Scoil na Maighne, Co. Tipperary

We were taught in an experiential and engaging way with a lot of reflection and two-way conversations. It was communitydriven.

David Delaney Educator, Wellness and Community projects Motivational speaker, UCD

I think there can be a misconception that what’s interesting can’t be useful and vice versa. This programme is both.

Ailish O’Halloran Deputy Provost BDIC , UCD

Immediately, I felt transported into another world of education at UCD Innovation Academy.

The facilitators took the time to know everyone and create a safe environment that allowed us to get to know each other and open up. I loved that the programme was made up of people from all different walks of life. My training to date had focused on nursing and nursing education, but now I was getting perspectives from educators across the spectrum from primary to higher education to industry.

The experience opened my eyes to a whole other world of education, outside of the academic bubble.

Dr Philip Hardie Programme Director for Nursing, Hibernia College

To learn more about UCD Innovation Academy and find out ways we might work together, contact Eleanor Kelly, Head of Strategy and Partnerships.

Eleanor.Kelly@ucd.ie