Initiative Lead
Mary Immaculate College

Primary Contact
Dr Richard Bowles
richard.bowles@mic.ul.ie

€20000

Enhancement within Disciplines, Teaching and Learning within and across Disciplines

The aim of this T&L initiative is to develop an S-STEP hub within MIC that informs and enhances teaching and learning.

The initiative objectives are to:

• Improve teaching and learning by establishing inter-disciplinary collaboration and feedback processes that inform innovation in teaching, thereby enhancing students’ learning experiences
• Foster a culture of sharing and collaboration by scheduling regular reading and discussion workshops
• Provide group members with professional learning opportunities from within MIC, and from expert facilitators nationally and internationally
• Develop a support network for MIC S-STEP practitioners, facilitating teaching and learning-focused conversations with students and other college stakeholders through regular sharing events

Actions:

The group (approx. 16 members) will engage in collaborative professional learning throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, as follows:

• Engage in shared reading, planning and discussion of practice, using face-to-face and blended formats
• Design individual and collaborative S-STEP projects, incorporating student consultation, with goals of gaining systematic insights into professional practice, and of enhancing the student learning environment
• Identify specific actions to enhance teaching practice and, consequently, student learning

Outcomes:

• Improved understanding of teaching and learning practice across faculty disciplines, leading to enriched student learning experiences
• Increased motivation and enjoyment of teacher education practices through a deepened understanding of teaching and learning
• Promotion of discussion about teaching and learning practices, formally through the college Staff-Student Forum, and informally through regular lecturer-student conversations
• Dissemination of evidence-based research at national and international fora, underpinned by a culture of sharing practices with students, colleagues and college management
• Support for students’ research and understanding of their own practice through teacher modelling of self-study