Prof Anne Drummond, University College Dublin
special commendation ‘Bridging Non-Traditional Transitions’
Trained in nursing and midwifery under the apprenticeship model, and following nearly two decades of patient care, Anne Drummond commenced her academic journey in the field of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). In 1995, following a part-time Diploma in OSH, she moved to an administrative role, as the key driver in development of the UCD OSH Education Programme, and has initiated and consolidated growth, curriculum development, and consolidation of progression pathways, over the last two decades. While working full-time, personal academic milestones included: achievement of an MSc in OSH (1998), a Certificate in Adult Education (2000), and a PhD in (OSH) Education (2005) – all part-time; entry to and progression through the academic ranks as College Lecturer (2001), Senior Lecturer (2009) and Associate Professor (2015) in OSH; holding School Head / Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning (T&L) roles (2005-2013); and winning a College Teaching award (2009) and a NAIRTL award nomination (2009). Anne particularly developed and evaluated the multi-disciplinary and blended learning components of UCD’s OSH programmes and has shared her experience and findings through national and international T&L conference publications. Since 1995 she has overseen the education of over 7,500 graduates of UCD’s OSH programmes (Certificate, Diploma, BSc, Graduate Diploma and MSc). Anne’s (College Knowledge) suite of supports, were developed to facilitate the transition from work into college, for OSH students, who comprise part-time mature industry-based working adults, taking on new responsibilities and/or moving to a new career, and include second-opportunity students, and graduates and professionals returning to learning.
Colm Kelleher, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
special commendation ‘Enabling Student Agency’
Colm Kelleher is a graduate of the Irish Military College, NUIG and DCU, and has been working in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology since 2004 where he teaches a range of modules in HRM and Management Studies. GMIT has traditionally placed emphasis on preparing students for employment and Colm deploys teaching, learning and assessment approaches which reflect that transition. Prior to his academic career Colm served as a commissioned officer with the Irish Army including periods of service with the United Nations in Lebanon and East Timor.
Reflective practice is central to Colm’s approach to teaching. He subscribes to the belief that ‘better practice takes practice’ and has completed over 20 staff development activities to date including a PG Cert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2008/09 – one of the first in GMIT to do so. He has acted as an external examiner in a number of colleges, taught abroad on Socrates staff mobility, and has delivered staff development activities for GMIT staff. These experiences have provided further opportunities to learn from others, reflect, improve, and share his own practices.
He has participated in and chaired a number of Quality Assurance panels at the request of HETAC/QQI including new programme accreditation panels and programmatic review panels. Colm has a particular interest in how groups collectively self-evaluate and is examining this issue further as part of a PhD in Higher Education: Research, Evaluation and Enhancement he is currently completing with the University of Lancaster. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Dr Elaine Doyle, University of Limerick
Dr. Elaine Doyle lectures in taxation in the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland. After completing a BA in Law and Accounting (UL) and a Masters in Accounting (UCD), she trained and qualified as a chartered accountant and a chartered tax advisor. She worked in tax with PwC (Dublin) and Ernst & Young (Limerick) before joining the UL faculty to teach accounting in 2002. She was awarded a PhD in moral reasoning in tax by the University of Sheffield (2010). She designed and was the inaugural course director for the Masters of Taxation programme, unique in Ireland, and reputable for the level of professional tax exemptions it offers graduates. She was awarded the University of Limerick’s Teaching Excellence award in 2010 and again in 2015 and was part of the team that won the 2013 national Jennifer Burke Award for teaching innovation. She and a colleague have recently been shortlisted for the international Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards 2015 (winners announced next December). She has served as chair of the business school’s research ethics committee (2010-2013) and as its director of AACSB accreditation (2014/15). Her research interests include research ethics, ethical reasoning, ethics education and innovation in higher level teaching and learning. She has published in these areas in journals such as ‘Journal of Business Ethics’, ‘Innovations in Education and Teaching International’ and ‘Interactive Learning Environments’, she co-edited “Innovative Business School Teaching: Engaging the Millennial Generation” (Routledge 2013), and has secured regular research funding to support her scholarly activities.
Dr Karen Doyle, NUI Galway
Dr Karen Doyle graduated with B.Sc. (Hons) reading Pharmacology from UCD in 1989, and with a PhD in Neuroscience from Trinity College, Dublin in 1994.
Dr Karen Doyle is a Lecturer in Physiology, and Vice Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, in NUI, Galway, where Karen has worked since 2000. Prior to that, Karen was a Lecturer in Physiology and Pharmacology in the University for Hertfordshire, UK, from 1993 – 2000.
Dr Karen Doyle research interests are in the area of Neuronal stress and Neuroprotection, and is the founder of the Galway Neuroscience Centre.
Dr Karen Doyle also holds a great interest in teaching and curriculum development. Karen has very broad experience of teaching in Higher Education, and has taught most physiological systems over the years, most prominently focusing on my specialist area, Neurophysiology.Dr Karen Doyle was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from NUI, Galway in 2014 and a Presidents Award for Teaching Excellence in NUI, Galway in 2015.
Dr Karen Doyle teaching philosophy is to provide students with the most important facts, but not overwhelm them with excessive detail; to tell them stories to put theory in context thereby promoting understanding of the concepts; and to pass on her enthusiasm about her subject to the next generation.
Dr Michel Dugon, NUI Galway
Dr Michel Dugon is a former language teacher whose dream to become a zoologist turned into reality! For several years, Michel taught French in South East Asia. In 2005, Michel turned his interest for venomous organisms into a profession by taking over an animal park in Malaysia. The following year, Michel moved to Bangor (Wales) to complete a Masters of Ecology.
Dr Michel Dugon came to the NUI Galway Discipline of Zoology in 2008 as a PhD candidate. After graduation in 2011, Michel remained involved in support teaching. Michel is currently an adjunct lecturer in Zoology and the recipient of an Irish Research Council postdoctoral fellowship. As an evolutionary biologist, Michel is involved in the delivery of modules on arthropod and vertebrate biology and practical zoology classes. Michel also supervises final year undergraduate Zoology research projects. Michel has a very hands-on approach to zoology: with Michel, students can expect to spend time in the field and to learn at the contact of live animals!
Dr Michel Dugon recently completed a Postgraduate Certification in Higher Education delivered by the NUI Galway Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and is the recipient of the 2014/2015 NUI Galway President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
In addition to my academic duties, Dr Michel Dugon is heavily involved in science outreach at the local and national levels. Michel is the instigator and the director of the NUI Galway-based science outreach initiative Eco Explorers, Michel is the host of an educational TV show on RTE (Bug Hunters) and regularly acts as an animal consultant for international TV / film productions.
Prof Sheila Ryder, Trinity College Dublin
special commendation ‘Designing and Implementing Connected Learning’
Asst. Prof. Sheila Ryder graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a B.Sc. (Pharm.) in 1990. After spending some years in community pharmacy, she returned to Trinity to undertake postgraduate research and subsequently joined the academic staff as a lecturer in pharmacy practice.
Sheila’s early research focused on learning styles and her strong interest in pedagogy has influenced many subsequent research projects, including investigations of pharmacy staff training needs and optimisation of patients’ knowledge about their medicines. She is passionate about continuing professional development: She established and co-ordinates Trinity’s distance learning M.Sc. in Community Pharmacy, and since 2006 she has been a member of the organising committee for the All Ireland Pharmacy Conference which promotes and disseminates best pharmacy practice and peer to peer learning.
Sheila has a deep interest in technology-enhanced learning – in particular simulation of professional activities in the online environment, opportunities for collaborative learning, and use of reflective eportfolios to guide continuing professional development. She makes extensive use of online tools in her teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, and is a member of Trinity’s Online Education Advisory Group.
She has been nominated by the Irish Schools of Pharmacy to the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the pharmacy regulator, and also sits on its Professional Development and Learning Committee. Sheila was awarded a Provost’s Teaching Award in 2015, having been nominated by undergraduate students for her innovative teaching methods: a ‘flipped classroom’ approach combining online activities with interactive classroom sessions, self-evaluation opportunities and personalised feedback.
Marie O’Dwyer, Waterford Institute of Technology
Marie is a Lecturer in Marketing at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and has taught on a range of programmes within the School of Business over the last 20 years. In 2015, she was the recipient of the WIT Teaching Excellence Award, which recognises, encourages and rewards sustained excellence in teaching at WIT.
Her student-centred teaching approach is characterised by innovation in pedagogy. Marie has pioneered the use of innovative problem-based ‘live’ projects in the classroom. These projects involve collaborating with industry to develop a project brief that mirrors real-world business interactions. In the past, student groups have worked with Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Glanbia and the Jameson Graduate Programme to create innovative digital advertising campaigns for these clients. These projects have been recognised for their innovative approach to student learning and have won a number of teaching and student engagement awards nationally.
Marie was responsible for the introduction of the WIT School of Business Mentoring Programme in 2011 and acts as Programme Manager. This programme facilitates the mentoring of final year students by senior managers from industry. It allows students to learn from the professional experiences of a mentor and eases students’ transition from college to employment.
Marie has published a number of articles in academic journals and has authored a number of teaching case studies, which have been published in leading European marketing textbooks. In addition, she works as a subject matter expert with McGraw Hill on developing print and online learning materials for their Connect and Learnsmart learning platforms.
Dr David Wraith, Maynooth University
David Wraith had his first experience of teaching giving small group tutorials in Cambridge, and his first lecturing opportunities came at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, while studying for a PhD. After graduating in 1995 he worked for two years as a lecturer in the School of Mathematics in TCD where he had his first taste of teaching very large groups as well as evening courses for mature students. He moved to Maynooth University in 1997 and was made senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in 2006. David conducts research in the area of Differential Geometry and his work focuses on the interaction between curvature and topology. Over his 18 years of working in Maynooth University he has taught 21 different modules (18 undergraduate and 3 postgraduate) in all years of study and in all mathematics programmes. Each year he likes to teach courses for large non-specialist groups as well as smaller groups who have chosen to take a degree in Mathematics. David is particularly interested in the way in which people think when engaging with mathematical problems, the differences between expert and non-expert behaviour, and the new demands placed on students’ cognitive skills at major transition points. He is currently involved in a research project to study the role of metacognition in mathematical thinking across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate groups, and has developed a module on problem-solving for mathematics teachers as part of the MSc in Mathematics for Education programme.
Ciaran O’Sullivan, Institute of Technology Tallaght
special commendation ‘Utilising an Holistic Approach to Students and their Learning’
Ciaran O’Sullivan is a mathematics lecturer based in IT Tallaght’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. He holds a M.Sc. in Mathematical Science (UCD), Higher Diploma in Education (TCD) and Higher Diploma in Computational Methods and Numerical Software (UCD).
Ciaran is a member of IT Tallaght’s research group, a ‘Centre of Expertise for Adult Numeracy/Mathematics Education’ which is a hub of National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning (NCE-MSTL, now EPISTEM). His module in Preparatory Mathematics is a designed response to mitigate adult anxieties about mathematics.
As first chairperson (2011-2015) of the Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network (IMLSN), Ciaran co-ordinated IMLSN’s formalisation as a network, achieving several key objectives, including the 2014 publication of a nationally significant 100 page report on maths learning supports by NCE-MSTL ,
Ciaran is also on the national co-ordination committee for ‘Maths Eyes’ (http://www.haveyougotmathseyes.com/), and is currently leading the rollout of a ‘Green Maths’ resource pack to Irish schools. He also created the IT Tallaght Presidents Volunteer Programme where student tutors from IT Tallaght assist students from designated disadvantaged schools to aid the transition of students in those schools from second level to third level (http://www.it-tallaght.ie/pvp).
Ciaran is active in the Maths Working Group of SEFI (European Society for Engineering Education (http://sefi.htw-aalen.de/) and is an Irish contact person for the group. He has published widely and speaks regularly to policy makers, researchers and educators at conferences and workshops in Europe and the United States.
Dr Ciara O’Toole, University College Cork
Dr Ciara O’Toole began teaching in 2004 as one of the founding members of a new BSc in Speech and Language Therapy at University College Cork. They developed an innovative, Problem-Based-Learning (PBL)-focused curriculum on communication disorders, and took on the challenge of integrating and coordinating other modules with the ‘problems’ in PBL. This method was very different from her own learning experiences and meant a shift in orientation from an expert-led, to a student-centred model of teaching and learning. However, using previous experience as a practicing speech and language therapist Ciara ensured that the ‘problems’ were based on real-life clinical experiences. Learning through PBL is also challenging for students transitioning from second-level education as it changes their approach to learning. Ciara’s research on the impact of the PBL curriculum on student learning has found that over time, students become significantly and progressively more active in their learning styles. Furthermore, PBL promotes deep thinking and self-directed learning, thereby facilitating the application of theoretical knowledge and transition to professional practice. In 2008, Dr Ciara O’Toole was part of a team that won a UCC President’s award for excellence in teaching for our curriculum. Subsequently, Ciara has trained colleagues across various disciplines on the implementation of this approach and recently wrote and published a textbook with a colleague that uses a PBL approach for the teaching of language development and impairment. The aim of the book is to help both students and teachers apply PBL methods to enhance student learning of communication development.
Dr Orla Murphy, University College Cork
Orla Murphy coordinates the newly established discipline of Digital Humanities at University College Cork Ireland. She researches and teaches in the Digital Arts and Humanities Program at UCC and in the national, inter-institutional DAH PhD program in Ireland. She was awarded an inaugural Fulbright TechImpact Scholar award for 2014-2015. Named a Digital Champion at UCC in 2013 she now chairs the E-Learning strategy group.
She is vice-chair of the Algorithms group in the EU CoST Action Colour and Space in Cultural Heritage where she convenes the successful international Think Tank series for Early Career Investigators and was chair of the Information Visualisation working group in the NeDiMAH.eu initiative (the European network for digital methods in the arts and humanities). She is an Irish Management Committee member for the GenderSTE (Science Technology and the Environment) transdomain action.
Director of the innovative BA in Digital Humanities and Information Technology at UCC a transdisciplinary BA program working with colleagues in Computer Science over a 4 year program cycle, and co coordinator of the MA in Digital Arts and Humanities Orla is also co-creator of the online MA program in Digital Cultures.
She is interested in how culture is, was and will be communicated in all its forms including 3D representation, and in how we read, represent and share knowledge in new networked, virtual environments.
