Teams of staff from two Irish higher education institutions who were successful in their applications for the National Forum’s Disciplinary Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) Award, in June 2022, were recognised at an in-person award ceremony at the offices of the Higher Education Authority on 26 October 2022.
The DELTA Award is granted to discipline groups who demonstrate a record of excellence in teaching and learning enhancement and who commit to an ongoing, clearly articulated, shared process of continued enhancement.
The DELTA Awardees were as follows:
Department of Hospitality Studies, School of Business and Humanities, Dundalk Institute of Technology
Pictured L-R: Dr Kevin Burns, Teresa O’Rourke, Lorraine Dunne, Maria Roddy Freyne, Dr Lynn Ramsey (Chair, National Forum), Dr Patricia Moriarty, Xin Xu (Caroline), Alan McCabe, Tim Conlon (Head of Policy and Strategic Planning, HEA)
This discipline group is the entire team of staff attached to the department of Hospitality Studies in DkIT, which covers the broad areas of Tourism Management, Event Management, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management. As a department committed to the development and enhancement of learning, teaching and assessment processes, the DELTA Award provided an opportunity to increase collaboration across the disciplines in the department, sharing expertise, knowledge and experiences, creating a platform for continual sharing of best practice and bringing demonstrable benefits to the student experience.
The awarded team included: Brianain Erraught (co-lead), Maria Roddy-Freyne (co-lead), Dr Kevin Burns, Alan McCabe, Lorraine Dunne, Teresa O’Rourke, Xin Xu (Caroline), Elizabeth Murray, Karen Commins, Derick Englishby, James Browne, Michael McNamara, Mairead McKenna, Colette Kelly, Aidan Hoare, Rosemary Leonard, Linda Murphy and Niamh Warren.
First Year Chemistry Team, School of Science and Computing, Atlantic Technological University Galway
Pictured (L-R), Tim Conlon (Head of Policy and Strategic Planning, HEA), Anne Downes, Dr Aisling Crowley, Dr Cormac Quigley, Dr Lynn Ramsey (Chair, National Forum), Dr Etain Kiely, Dr Eugene McCarthy, Dr Michelle Glacken
The First Year Chemistry Team (ATU Galway) comprises the academic and technical staff responsible for the delivery of first year chemistry practical classes within the institute. The group delivers or supervises the delivery of first year chemistry labs to a diverse cohort of students across a number of academic programs. The group is active in both subject specific and general pedagogical research and has implemented a number of highly innovative teaching practices. The DELTA award offered the team a chance to reflect on and consolidate their work allowing a clear recognition of what has been achieved as a collective body of work.
The awarded team included: Dr Cormac Quigley (lead), Dr Aisling Crowley, Dr Etain Kiely, Anne Downes, Dr Eugene McCarthy, Seamus O’Donnell, Dr Judith Wurmel, Dr Jorge Mendes, Dr Aoife Guiry, Dr John Graham, Dr Sarah McMahon, Dr Philip White, Siobhan Wall and Moira Schlingermann.
Congratulating the two teams, Dr Lynn Ramsey, Chair of the National Forum, said: “On behalf of the National Forum Teaching and Learning Committee, it is a pleasure to honour the commitment and dedication of these two discipline teams. The inclusive, collaborative and learner-centred approach taken by the teams is to be commended particularly in the context of what was a very challenging year for institutions and their learners. The presentation of these Awards is a well-deserved acknowledgement of the continued exceptional work being carried out by discipline teams across the sector.”
Speaking at the awards event, Mr Tim Conlon, Head of Policy and Strategic Planning at the Higher Education Authority, added: “On behalf of the Higher Education Authority, and on my own behalf, I congratulate the award-winning teams. We recognise that disciplines are a key unit of change in higher education. The DELTA award remains one of the highest honours in this field, recognising teams and individuals in our sector whose commitment is having a truly outstanding impact in the overall enhancement of teaching and learning. This Award evidences that as a focus area of investment and strategic importance, the enhancement of teaching and learning within subject areas is enriching practice within disciplinary contexts, and the experiences of our students.”
For further information on the DELTA award, see https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/awards/delta-award/
