Winter Bulletin 2017

We would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the events that we have planned for the year ahead. As we look forward to 2017, we thought it would be an ideal time to reflect back on all that has been achieved in the past year, 2016. The last 12 months have been an exciting, inspiring and memorable time in the National Forum and across the higher education sector.

All Aboard 2017- A Weeklong Focus on Building Confidence in Digital Skills for Learning

All Aboard 2017, a week of national and regional events running from 3-7 April will be jointly hosted by The National Forum in partnership with Ireland’s higher education institutions and aims to build confidence in Ireland’s digital skills for learning.

In January the National Forum received expressions of interest from across the higher education sector  for All Aboard 2017 which will be led by universities, institutes of technology and private colleges acting as digital hubs. The programme is open to every primary and secondary school in the country. The schools offering will include specific events for parents. A Community Programme and a Business Programme will also be offered under this initiative.

Speaking for the All Aboard 2017 programme, National Forum, Director, Dr Terry Maguire said:

“All Aboard 2017 is a vital partnership between the National Forum and the higher education sector  that will have a wide reach and maximum appeal for this campus-community initiative.  Together we are encouraging as many people as possible ‘to come out and play’ at All Aboard 2017. Our events are wide-ranging – we have something for everyone- and are designed to make technology accessible, fun and challenging. Anyone who gets involved – you might be a primary school student or teacher, a parent or somebody who’s out of work, your interest might be in adult education or retraining- regardless of your skill base – your participation in All Aboard 2017 should be useful and beneficial. All Aboard 2017 is about Ireland’s technology users and non-users coming together to build confidence and learning by taking that vital first step or further developing our skills on our digital skills journey”.

Anyone interested in participating in All Aboard 2017 can visit the dedicated All Aboard 2017 web interface which goes live on 17 February. The interface provides an A-Z guide on all aspects of the programme and provides participants with easy to use resources for planning and running an All Aboard 2017 event as well as featuring “Latest News” updates on events to visit as they take place around the country.

“All Aboard 2017” is based on The National Forum’s report “Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Roadmap for Enhancement in a Digital World 2015:2017” which made a key recommendation for ‘A co-ordinated, multi-level approach to foster digital literacy, skills and confidence among students at all levels of education…”.

Key All Aboard 2017 Dates for HE Sector:

5:00 pm    12 Jan 2017:        Final Date for Expressions of interest from HEIs

(W/B) 18 Jan 2017              Funding allocated and transferred

12 noon    17 Feb 2017:        Launch of All Aboard 2017 dedicated website

Registration Open for HEIs (HEIs will be required to register all their events on this website)

5:00pm     3 March 2017:     Close of Registration of events (HEIs)

Queries

If you have any queries about the All Aboard 2017 initiative, please email Catherine Deegan at allaboard2017@teachingandlearning.ie. Please include the phrase ‘Higher Education Query’ in your subject heading.

2016 Teaching Hero Awards

The National Forum partnered with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) on 27 October last to present The 2016 Teaching Hero Awards, the National Forum’s teaching and learning showcase event of the year.

37 Teaching Hero Awards were presented to teachers from Ireland’s higher education sector at a packed awards ceremony that marked the culmination of a Teaching Hero campaign with over 800 higher education teachers nominated by their students for these awards.

The Awards honoured the best of Ireland’s higher education teachers for the influence they have on the development of their students and the part they play in promoting educational excellence in the sector.

Journalist and commentator Fintan O’Toole delivered the keynote address which focused on innovative, creative and inspiring teaching and its impact on student learning.

Commending the 37 Heroes who came from Ireland’s universities, institutes of technology and private colleges, Fintan O’Toole said:

Fintan O’Toole, literary editor of The Irish Times speaking at The 2016 Teaching Hero Awards ceremony in Dublin Castle

“We honour their talent and their commitment, their care for their students, their dedication to sharing their enthusiasm for the subjects they love, their daily celebration of the power of real engagement and clear communication, their refusal to betray the true values of education”.

“They are educators who have refused to become processors. Ernest Hemminway defined courage as “grace under pressure” and these teachers have stood up to the pressures of recent years with a graceful dedication to the belief that students deserve to be challenged, stretched, inspired, filled with confidence in their abilities and in the unstoppable energy of the questioning mind. That courage is contagious – it passes from teacher to student. And I know it means the world to all the teachers recognised tonight that this recognition comes from those who matter the most to them – their own students”.

The limited edition Teaching Hero award

Each of the award-winning teachers was presented with a bespoke print, presented to them by students from their institution. The prize itself was designed exclusively for the 2016 award winners by David McGinn, a graduate of Irish Higher Education and a Dublin based artist printmaker, working at Black Church Print Studios, one of the leading contemporary fine art print studios in Ireland. He works with screen print and digital printmaking – and the limited piece drew on images of nature and growth. The image also speaks to the balancing of order and chaos that is often at the centre of the learning process.

Dr. Terry Maguire, Director, the National Forum,

Commenting at the 2016 Teaching Hero Awards, Dr Terry Maguire, Director of the National Forum said: “The National Forum, in partnership with the USI, is delighted to present these awards to very worthy teaching heroes. We have had a fantastic response from higher education students all over the country. These Awards provide students with direct opportunities to recognise excellence in teaching and to have their voices heard as valuable partners in their own education”.

Speaking at the Awards, Professor Sarah Moore, National Forum Chair said: “Irish students want us to know the ways in which great teaching impacts them. Through a rigorous and reflective process they have identified and are celebrating teachers throughout the higher education system who are making a huge difference to their learning and in their lives. We commit to recognising and learning from the excellent practice of the teachers our students celebrate.”

In his closing address The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD congratulated the heroes and described the Awards programme as “a valuable initiative that actively supports and promotes excellence in teaching.”

Minister Bruton added:

Minister Richard Bruton, Minister for Education and Skills.

“This year’s awards honour outstanding teachers who bring about exceptional learning for students, who thrive in an environment of innovation, creativity and inspiration. Teaching excellence brings out the best in both teacher and student. I wish the National Forum and USI the very best in this Awards partnership that is committed to achieving and maintaining best practice in teaching and learning in our higher education sector.”

Annie Hoey, USI

USI President, Annie Hoey spoke at the Awards and said:

“The fact that these awards are the only student-led awards in Irish higher education underlines their authenticity and their standing within the sector. The teachers being celebrated tonight are the people behind genuine student experiences and are hugely valuable in helping to shape Ireland’s future thinking and policy on effective teaching and learning in higher education. USI congratulates all of the 2016 heroes.”

What Students said:

“My Teaching Hero is simply incredible!! Aside from passionately (and successfully) completing her role as a lecturer, she has always gone the extra mile. She knows more than anyone I’ve ever met and is always there to help. I can approach her with any questions I have about the course material and even the struggles of what I plan to do once I graduate.    My Hero inspires me to be the best I can be. My Hero deserves this award!”.

“My Teaching Hero is an amazing lecturer who is interactive and respectful of every student in his class. He is friendly and allows for class discussions on many topics which allows us to understand the modules better and grow our own opinions on many topics.  On many occasions if difficulties arose he would listen, help and resolve any issues in a swift and respectful manner. He makes going to class fun and interactive and has genuinely motivated me to do great work all year round. An amazing person and lecturer who should be acknowledged for his great work, friendliness and interactions.”

The Teaching Hero Awards programme was launched launched in 2014.Since its foundation in 2013, the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education has focused on enhancing teaching and learning for all students in higher education. Engaging with leaders, managers, teachers and students, the Forum mobilises expertise and inputs from across the entire sector to extend and shape best practice. The partnership model, bringing teachers and students together at a national level is one of the key features of the National Forum’s work.

• View List of 2016 Teaching Heroes
• View Picture Galleries
• The Eight Characteristics of a Teaching Hero
• Fintan O’Toole Speaking at The Awards

The Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning Enhancement Theme

The Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning Enhancement Theme, in its second year, has had some very engaging and exciting recent discussions on the nature and context of assessment in Irish higher education. In September, the USI and the National Forum met to debate how students can become more empowered in their assessment and feedback processes, an output of this is a recent Assessment Insight for use by both students and staff.

Following this event, a group of experts met on 9 November to discuss what is the meaning of Assessment OF/FOR and AS Learning, exploring how these concepts could be presented to widen the sector’s understanding of assessment. They are currently working on developing both a narrative and a visual overview of these terms. In addition, a separate group met to discuss how programme assessment can help to develop a more integrated assessment approach in a post-modularisation era. Some challenges in this area were assessment overload, programme structure, diversity of assessment, integrative assessment and developing more transparent assessment AS learning (students self-monitoring) and FOR learning (feedback to students and staff) throughout a programme.

The Networks and Disciplines also met, in Cork Institute of Technology, to debate how assessment can become more ‘authentic’ for a changing world. In particular, they discussed how to enhance students across and within disciplines to become more motivated and engaged in assessment. The Networks and Disciplines presented some posters of their work on assessment which contributed to this debate.

These discussions will be rolled out over the next few months to widen the conversations and the outputs of these discussions will be shared in case-studies of practice and policy over the coming months. The National Forum will also be shortly producing a research report on a Profile of Assessment Practices in Ireland to help support the evidence-base for interpreting the context of assessment practices in Ireland.

The National Forum’s Seminar Series 2016/2017

Focusing on the National Forums core enhancement theme Assessment OF, For and AS Learning, will continue to run up until 30 June 2017. A full schedule of events is attached and also available here.

Learning Analytics and Educational Data Mining for Learning Impact Project

The National Forum has received great interest in the advisory panels with expressions of interest coming in from across the country. These groups will be meeting monthly from early February and will provide the expert guidance which will inform the National Forums Online Resource for Learning Analytics (ORLA). ORLA will be online from the summer and will provide HEI’s and individuals with all of the information and guidance needed to implement a successful and effective analytics strategy.

Enabling Policies for Teaching and Learning in an Increasingly Digital World

The absence of policies to address the challenges of digital teaching and learning in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEls) presents perceived complex issues that may adversely affect the adoption of technologies for teaching by staff and institutions. The Enabling Policies project seeks to review the existing policy infrastructure in the HEls, as it relates to digital teaching and learning, and then devise relevant policy frameworks. These frameworks. which focus specifically at five topics– Copyright and IPR, Student Digital Footprint, Curriculum Design. eAssessment and Management of artefacts on Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs}-will provide guidance and resources in order to help and support institutions develop or amend their own policies.

Having reviewed the existing policy infrastructure and consulted with a number of policy experts, the project has moved into the policy framework development phase, which involves further consultation with the sector and identifying best practice nationally and internationally. The deadline for the project is March 2017.

Building Digital Capacity

The roadmap for building digital capacity has been in place for two years and there is a clear need to assess where we are now, identify achievements and gaps and appraise and identify our priorities for 2017 to ensure we successfully implement the recommendations of the roadmap.

Consequently, the national forum is reviewing progress to date. The Key elements of this work are as follows;

• Develop a systematic process to identify progress against the recommendations and priorities of the roadmap.
• Assess the impact of the National Forum in supporting Building Digital Capacity based on the commitments made in the roadmap
• Assess how system-level changes identified in the roadmap have been progressed
• Identify development priorities for 2017 to ensure the recommendations and priorities of the roadmap are fully realised.

The Digital Roadmap has been mapped to the  European DigCompOrg Framework and work is underway to  build on what is currently being developed for schools and to develop a self-evaluation resource against which institutions/departments can assess their digital capacity for teaching and learning.

DigCompOrg Framework

This tool once compete, will provide an appropriate framework for considering the current digital capacity of the sector.  The latter will be informed by collating evidence of sectoral progress against each of the digital roadmap’s recommendations and priorities.

Briefing Report: A review of technical infrastructure in Irish higher education with a view to building digital capacity for teaching and learning

This review seeks to profile the Irish higher-education sector’s current capability for building digital capacity. It arises from the digital roadmap published by the National Forum in Spring 2015 which identified the lack of an evidence-based profile of the existing ICT infrastructure for teaching and learning, and suggested that the availability of such knowledge, both locally and at a national level, is an essential prerequisite for future digital development across the sector. A scoping group suggested that the review should be limited to state-funded higher education institutions, and that in each case should profile technologies currently in use (including hardware, software and network connectivity); digital content available; relevant strategies and prevailing culture; staff and student use of digital tools, levels of awareness and digital literacy; inhibitors to digital development; and external factors impinging on institutions.

This research was conducted between January and October 2016, and the resulting report indicates widespread recognition that the Irish higher-education sector has suffered from a lack of investment for almost a decade – a factor reflected in the prevalence of ageing equipment and a culture of reaction to problems rather than the creation a solid collective vision for the future. There has been a widespread if unacknowledged belief across the education sector that investment in digital tools and infrastructure will somehow of itself precipitate change, bringing about a move to more active learners and participatory student environments. Ultimately, this view is unfounded. The deployment of reliable and usable digital infrastructure is but one step towards the type of pedagogical innovation and renewal that is the desired in higher education: support and strategies to underpin such changes are also necessary.

The use of any digital technology remains an option for lecturers in Irish higher education – institutions have provided the tools and some supports for their use, but there is little evidence of strategic thinking at institutional level regarding how best to use these tools to further the mission of higher education, to bring about better learning outcomes and to introduce more flexibility in programme design. The work of the National Forum seeks to assist Irish higher education institutions in achieving a coherent digital future. This briefing report will hopefully serve to enhance and inform that process.

The report will be available in early 2017.

A National Approach to Open Access for Teaching and Learning Enhancement

Following the decommissioning of the National Digital Learning Repository (NDLR) and  the repatriation of the resources (4974 items) to the centres for teaching and learning at originating institutions, the National Forum has developed a national approach to open access for teaching and learning  enhancement.

Phase 1 A National support and infrastructure to enable sharing for enhancement within the disciplines (COMPLETED)

This infrastructure supports collegiate, discipline-based, informal but powerful sharing of teaching techniques, ideas, resources, developments and updates within disciplines. More specifically, the key aims are to:

• build on the many valuable dynamics of networking and knowledge sharing that have been established by communities of disciplinary practice in Ireland
• provide a collaborative space for disciplinary groups that is coherent, seamless and nationally branded
• support diversity of discipline while avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort and resources
• ensure that the sharing of discipline-relevant ideas and enhancements is supported nationally and enabled to stay current, dynamic and up-to-date

using the infrastructure developed on the National Forum website (Satellite site system). Discipline groups, as partners to the National Forum, can, on request, be provided with a collaborative and sharing space (based on Buddy press) which is ready to use.  This approach represents a cost efficient way of supporting discipline groups to share teaching and learning resources and approaches and to collaborate.

Phase 2 Open Access Ireland – Working towards a high quality digital interface bringing together research, data, teaching and learning and digital archives (ON-GOING)

The aim of this project is to work with Open Access Ireland, Digital Repository Ireland, Open Science and other relevant stakeholders to support the development of an Open Access, high quality digital interface for Ireland that brings together and connects excellence in digital archiving, research, data and teaching and learning  in Irish education and which would act as an integrated digital resource for Irish higher education as well as a global communication device.

This interface would include quality assured, peer reviewed and screened materials for teaching and learning.   In tandem with this development the National Forum is currently working with Digital Repository Ireland to put in place a process to archive quality teaching and learning resources that have recognised longevity. To ensure the rigour of teaching excellence exemplars (TEEs), developed by national teaching experts, the National Forum have put in place a peer review process that will be used as a key quality filter. In addition, a national metadata agreement is being developed enabling these teaching exemplars to be held in institutional repositories.

Part 3 Enhancing Research-Led Teaching and Learning in an Open Access Environment (UNDER DEVELOPMENT)

It is vital in Irish higher education that the core activities of research and teaching support and inform one another. This project will explore in partnership, the specific ways in which an active research climate can lead and impact on the teaching and learning processes within Irish higher education.

This project will;

• explore the specific ways in which impact is currently being achieved
• utilise exemplars of best practice
• develop a stronger knowledge base focusing on how research can impact on teaching and learning more consistently and more effectively with a particular focus on how open access can assist that impact. In this way, the opportunities and the potential of open access can be exploited to ensure research activity informs, supports, engages and energises learning within higher education.

Project scoping will start on 16 February  2017, the scoping group will be chaired by the National Forum’s international advisor Prof Philip Winn.

What were the Top 10 NDLR Downloads?

The National Forum used analytics to identify the top 10 NDLR downloads from the repository

*Depositing Institution

Professional Development Framework

Formation & development of the National Professional Development Expert Panel

Since autumn, work has been underway towards the formation of a National Professional Development Expert Group (NPDEG) to support the pilot studies of the Professional Development Framework.  This group is now in-place, the ten participants representing from within the university and IoT sectors, as well as private colleges including NUI Maynooth, NUI Galway, University of Limerick, DKIT, IT Tralee, Limerick Institute of Technology, Griffith College, and IPTAS.  As a group of academics and education experts, this group has been seconded (30 days Oct16-Nov17) to work on developing capacity to support and guide the implementation and future expansion of professional development for those who teach across the sector, in order to maximise the value and impact of the PD project outcomes. In addition, the group will inform  the development of a Professional Development Recognition Framework for the sector. A number of materials are in the process of being developed to support the Expert Group in their work including an infographic of the pilots planning process, an FAQ sheet for pilot study participants, a Participant Information Sheet for Pilot Co-ordinators, a Mentoring Resource for those running the pilots, and blogs and social media for dissemination of the work. The first meeting for the group took place on Wednesday 23 November 2016, with a series of subsequent face-to-face and online meetings and workshops scheduled to follow. This is a key early stage of the planning process for the PD Pilot Studies, and we are looking forward to making the most of such a breadth and depth of expertise in the area.

Call for submissions for Digital Badges Project

A call for submission of expressions of interest in the development of a range of Digital Badges has been disseminated across the sector. There have been a number of submissions to develop badges in a range of key areas in HE teaching and learning, including Academic Writing, Entrepreneurship, Student Engagement, Universal Design, New Teachers, and Mentoring, with a growing number continuing to emerge. Resources are also being developed in this area, including articles, references and resources, exemplars of the use of digital badges, and a repository of key people in the field of micro credentials. The digital badges project is emphasising the need for a quality design by expert teams, with recognised nationally agreed criteria to support staff mobility and transferability across the sector.  The technical badging aspects will be completed in partnership with the All Aboard team.

The PD pilots and implementation will be further supported by the projects funded under the T&L Enhancement Fund 2016.

New National Forum Publications

Reaching Out: Why Students Leave

On 22 November, the National Forum published a briefing paper on the project ‘Reaching Out: Why Students Leave’, which was conducted in partnership with the Union of Students in Ireland. The project examined, through surveys and interviews, the motivations and experiences of 331 students who did not complete their programmes of study in higher education. This briefing paper adds to the growing evidence base about the challenges that students face in their transitions into and through higher education in Ireland.

Download

Transition from Further Education & Training to Higher Education

On 28 October, the National Forum published a report on the project ‘Transition from Further Education and Training to Higher Education’. A National Forum Insight, summarising key points from the report, was published the same week. The first enhancement theme of the National Forum focused on transitions into and through higher education. Based on surveys and interviews with FET students, this research begins to fill an important gap in our understanding of transitions, and it recognises the often substantially different experiences of those entering higher education from school, and those entering from the FET sector.

Download

Understanding and Supporting the Role of Learning Technologists in Irish Higher Education

On 6 September, a National Forum briefing paper was published summarising a qualitative research project titled ‘Understanding and Supporting the Role of Learning Technologists in Irish Higher Education’. The project involved individual semi-structured interviews with learning technologists in 13 higher education institutions. The briefing paper recommends institutional recognition of the importance of the work of learning technologists, commitment to non-accredited and accredited professional development for people in these roles, and more facilitation of cross-institutional collaboration for learning technologists. The briefing paper can be accessed here.

Download

Upcoming National Forum Research under the Assessment of/for/as Learning Enhancement Theme

Profile of Assessment across the Higher Education Sector

As part of the National Forum’s Assessment of/for/as Learning Enhancement Theme, a profile of assessment practices in the higher education sector was completed in late 2016.  This profile was  conducted in two parts. Part 1 focused on Assessment OF Learning, recording the number, type, timing and weighting of assessments experienced by students in 30 randomly-selected Irish degree programmes across the ten International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) fields of study. Part 2 of the assessment profile looked  at Assessment FOR and AS Learning utilising mined data from assessment-related questions in the 2016 Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE).

Development of a Data-Informed Programme Assessment Review Process

Also as part of the National Forum’s Assessment of/for/as Learning Enhancement Theme, the development of a Data-Informed Programme Assessment Review (Di-PAR) process is planned. This process is intended for use by higher education staff in the Irish context. The project aims to draw on existing expertise within the higher education sector in the development of the Di-PAR process and determine how staff might make best use of existing data and literature in enhancing assessment practices at programme level.

Enabling Technology-Enhanced Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning in Higher Education: The Evidence

The National Forum in partnership with the Irish Research Council are delighted to announce that funding has been allocated to a research project under the Policy and Society Programme. The project will investigate how technology can be used effectively and efficiently for assessment of/for/as learning across the Irish higher education sector.  The research will commence in January 2017.

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