On 11-12 February, the 16 project teams funded through the 2018 Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund took part in open forum presentations facilitated by a panel of international experts. The 2018 Fund enables strong sectoral collaboration, partnerships with other education providers or external stakeholders and institutional enhancement for maximum national impact. It builds on and develops the completed and ongoing work from earlier phases of enhancement funding.
This was the second round of reviews for the 2018 projects and provided an opportunity for teams to receive guidance from the panel as they progress their work. Teams taking part in the review represented higher education institutions across the country, with lead institutions including DCU, TCD, NUIG, UCC, GMIT, WIT, LYIT, DKIT, TU Dublin and Mary Immaculate College. Three of the funded projects focus on specific professional development needs of those who teach, on topics such as effective use of data, engagement with societal challenges through teaching and learning, and student engagement. Six projects focus on enhancement within specific subject areas (languages, law, architecture, teacher education, engineering and construction, mathematics) and seven projects focus at programme level, allowing knowledge, skills and competence to be built in teaching and curriculum design related to online education, employability, entrepreneurship, executive skills, and the professional development of those who teach.
The international panel comprised experts from five countries, as follows:
- Christian Tauch, Head of the Education Department of the German Rectors’ Conference
- Manuel João Costa, Dean of Student Affairs and Pedagogical Innovation, Universidade do Minho, Portugal
- Laura Czerniewicz, Director, Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Clare Furneaux, Dean (Teaching and Learning), University of Reading, UK
- Lorna Fitzpatrick, President, Union of Students in Ireland
- Kevin McStravock, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Union of Students in Ireland
The 2018 Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund is the 4th phase of the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund and maintains its focus on collaboration for national impact while also enabling capacity building at a local level. More information on the 16 projects can be viewed here. Recordings of all presentations made on the day will soon be available on the National Forum website.
