A national webinar series has been announced by the National Forum to take place throughout 2021, providing guidance and sharing good practice on topics of particular importance in the current context.

Webinars will be organised from March to June across topics of relevance to institutional communities as they navigate change and leverage what has been learned since 2020 to prepare for an enhanced future for teaching and learning. In October, a partnership event between the National Forum and the HEA will then focus on how to enable student success more broadly within our altered contexts.

All webinars will take a national perspective while drawing upon the collective knowledge and experience across institutions. National and international experts will make contributions and the webinars will involve informing/sharing key resources designed to enhance future thinking and practice.

The following is an overview of the national webinar series.

Date Event
26 March, 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

Webinar: Using OER and OEP for Teaching and Learning

The potential benefits of using open educational resources and practices (OER and OEP) in higher education include improving access, furthering equity and enhancing teaching, learning and assessment. This webinar shared a range of materials and guidance designed to build capacity in OER and OEP in Irish higher education. It also informed the ongoing development of an open course centred on the topic.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

 

15 April, 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

Webinar: Building a Shared Understanding of Agile Curricula. Part 1

The concept of agile curricula has come to prominence in recent years, not least through the HEA’s recent Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3, which is set to see an investment of €197 million over the 5-year period, 2020 to 2024. Aligning with the significant related work on which institutions are now embarking, this webinar begins a national conversation on how we understand the concept of an agile curriculum and what can be learned and shared across related projects and initiatives at national level.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

 

6 May 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

 

Webinar: What is the Future for the Assessment of Learning through Final Examinations? Part 1

Few areas of teaching and learning were more under the spotlight in recent months than assessment. Across institutional communities, the experience of selecting and designing alternative assessments had a number of impacts on attitudes and intentions for the future. This webinar shared and debated a range of perspectives from students, staff, senior managers and other stakeholders on assessment of learning through a final examination.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

 

28 May 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

Webinar: What is the Future for the Assessment of Learning through Final Examinations? Part 2

Building on the Part 1 on 06 May 2021, this webinar continues the national conversation about the future for the assessment of learning through final examinations. In this webinar, we share a range of examples showcasing alternative assessments to exams. We explore the theme of assessment for engagement, and hear perspectives from students and staff, senior managers and other stakeholders. We consider the implications of continuing with final exams, and in particular online exams which require proctoring.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

 

10 June 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

 

Webinar: Developing Enabling Policies for Digital and Open T&L

Policies related to digital teaching, learning and assessment, which had been developed in a different context, were suddenly road-tested by whole institutional communities in recent months. Topics such as lecture recordings, data protection, data privacy, copyright, intellectual property rights and digital wellbeing are relevant to all engaged in digital and open teaching and learning. This webinar shares guidance and resources on the development of enabling policies for digital and open teaching and learning to underpin enhanced practice.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

 

23 June 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

 

Webinar: Building a Shared Understanding of Agile Curricula. Part 2

In this webinar, we present summary analysis of the contributions of speakers and participants at the first event in April 2021. Next, we hear from four of the HCI Pillar 3 Project Leads and how they are developing agile curricula through their work. We hear perspectives of employers and how these interact with the process of designing agile curricula in higher education in Ireland. We conclude with a status update on the key themes emerging from both webinars, and how these will inform the upcoming National Forum Insight publication on agile curriculum and agree next steps on developing a national understanding of Agile curriculum.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

 

6 October 2021

12.30-1.30pm

 

 

Webinar: Seven Cs for Embedding Student Success: A Toolkit for Higher Education Institutions

The online launch of a new resource ‘Seven Cs for Embedding Student Success: A Toolkit for Higher Education Institutions’ designed to support the sustainable enhancement of student success across the sector. We are delighted that the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, formally launches this resource.

The Seven Cs for Embedding Student Success: A Toolkit for Higher Education Institutions assists local higher education communities as they reflect on student success, prompt meaningful conversations across institutions that focus on what student success means within the context of their institution while collaboratively agreeing approaches that support the continual enhancement of student success into the future. The resource builds on the Guiding Framework for Student Success published in 2021 and has been developed in consultation with the sector and with the support of the National Forum Student Success Advisory Group.

The recording for this webinar is available here.

Please mark your diaries for all the above events and follow our updates on Twitter for registration and further details throughout 2021.