Learning Analytics: Innovative Practices

This is a recording of the National Forum’s webinar ‘Learning Analytics: Innovative Practices’ from November 2019. Our second learning analytics seminar, this event provided presenters from Irish and European higher education to offer brief but highly informative and thought-provoking presentations on the innovative practices relating to data-enabled student success that they are currently engaged in. Presenters include Hazel Murphy from Waterford Institute of Technology who outlines the rich value of quiz data for enabling staff who teach to develop a data-enhanced practice, Pieterjan Bonne of Artevelde University College, who introduces some of the early key findings of the Erasmus+ OFLA (Onwards from Learning Analytics) project and Mark Glynn who gives an overview of how Dublin City University uses data gathered through Moodle to avoid assessment overload, identify students that may be at risk of underperforming and enhance the experience of all students.

Embracing alternative formats, assessment strategies and digital technologies to revitalise practical sessions in Science & Health

A report commissioned by the steering committee of the
“Technology Enhanced Assessment Methods (TEAM) in science & health practical settings”
project entitled:
Embracing alternative formats, assessment strategies and digital technologies to revitalise practical sessions in Science & Health
Author: Ronan T. Bree
Department of Applied Sciences, Dundalk Institute of Technology
Editors: Akinlolu Akande, Dina Brazil, David Doyle, Nuala Harding, Yvonne Kavanagh, Moira Maguire and Anne Mulvihill.

Learning Analytics: What Works?

This webinar explores innovative approaches to harnessing data, and the growing recognition of its potential to support whole-of-institution strategies for student success.

Primarily aimed at Ireland’s higher education teachers and policy-makers/managers, this interactive online event discusses what an effective data-enabled student success strategy looks like. It also explores a range of national and international best practice on dynamic data-led student success initiatives.

The speaker line-up includes Linda Hanna who discusses her experience of implementing a successful institutional learning analytics strategy at the University of Essex. The award-winning use of everyday software to provide personalised feedback to large student groups is presented by GMIT’s Dr Cormac Quigley. Dr Niamh Nestor and Diane Cashman explore UCD’s advanced learning analytics initiative.

Introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Licensing

A National Forum webinar “Introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Licensing” took place on 11 June 2019. The webinar provided an overview of open licensing using Creative Commons licenses and featured the published resource, the National Forum Open Licensing Toolkit (itself an OER).

Guest speaker Jennryn Wetzler, Assistant Director of Open Education at Creative Commons, defined open education and open educational resources (OER) and demonstrated how to use Creative Commons licenses to find, use, create, and share OER. Catherine Cronin, Strategic Education Developer at the National Forum, spoke about the power of open education to improve access, enhance teaching and learning, and improve equity.

Collaborative Knowledge Exchange for Learning Impact (Crannóg)

The Collaborative Knowledge Exchange for Learning Impact – or, simply, Crannóg, for short, is a partnership between NUI Galway, UL, MIC, and DCU, which aims to support the professional development of those colleagues in roles such as Head of School/Department, Dean, etc.

Specifically, the project focuses on aspects of leadership of teaching & learning, and the building of digital capacity/capability. It builds on the work of Ireland’s National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning, and seeks to encourage the sharing of ideas, the dissemination of research and scholarship, and the development of a professional network.

Focus on the First Year

A number of ‘Focus On’ document resources have been created as part of the Crannóg project. These resources curate existing materials into short “what you need to know”-style briefs on key topics in Leading in Teaching and Learning.