Initiative Lead
National University of Ireland Galway

Primary Contact
Gary Gillanders
gary.gillanders@nuigalway.ie

€120000

Enhancement across Disciplines

The College of Science & Engineering was formed in September 2019 by the merger of two separate colleges, each with different long-established models of curricular design, teaching approaches, assessment practices, and disciplinary cultures. Under this T&L initiative, it is proposed to use the unique opportunity presented by this merger to:

1. Undertake a comprehensive review of teaching approaches and pedagogical frameworks and develop evidence-based approaches, guidelines and policies that provide the College with a framework and roadmap for the enhancement of teaching and learning and for development of student-centric curricula

2. Support a small number of projects that address common challenges across the College (e.g. laboratory teaching, placements, large class teaching, assessment and feedback, etc). The supported evidence-informed initiatives, selected in partnership with students (and using survey/feedback data), will include staff-development opportunities such as scheduled seminars and workshops and will be designed to have long-term impact on the student learning experience. We also wish to encourage teaching that empowers students to become highly engaged independent learners

3. Review and extend the CÉIM peer-assisted learning scheme that has operated in First-Year Engineering programmes since 2013 has been highly effective in this regard. We are therefore proposing that preparatory work required to support a College-wide roll-out of CÉIM, which will be of lasting benefit to students, will be carried out as part of this project

4. Integrate such initiatives within an overarching framework for professional development (using the national PD scheme) and foster a culture supportive of the scholarship of teaching and learning