Initiative Lead
National College of Ireland

Primary Contact
Yvonne Emmet
yvonne.emmet@ncirl.ie

€35,000

Student Success

This initiative focuses on introducing teaching fellowships and re-purposing three modules from our MA in Education Practice to develop a stack of credit-bearing micro-credentials that will enhance the professional development of those who teach at National College of Ireland (NCI), and underpin innovation in assessment.
The three modules identified for development as micro-credentials are:
• Strategies of Learning and Teaching (10 ECTS)
• Practicum in Educational Practice (10 ECTS)
• Educational Assessment and Feedback (5 ECTS)
The first two of these micro-credentials – Strategies of Learning and Teaching and the Practicum in Educational Practice – will be primarily focused on the professional development needs of staff in their first year of teaching. They will form the basis of a ‘New to Teaching’ programme, putting existing provision in this domain on a more formal, structured footing. Strategies of Learning and Teaching will equip new lecturers with core pedagogical skills and knowledge for teaching, while the Practicum in Educational Practice will provide structured mentoring as they teach during their first year.
The third of these micro-credentials, Educational Assessment and Feedback, will enhance the professional development of all staff who teach at NCI. It will focus on innovation in educational assessment and build on experiences of assessment re-design in the context of COVID-19.
The introduction of two teaching fellowships and the recruitment and appointment of fellows (or associates) are central to this proposal. Teaching fellows will collaborate on the development and delivery of the micro-credentials and provide structured mentoring for those ‘New to Teaching’ through the Practicum in Educational Practice.