1. HTTP://WWW.LIN-IRELAND.COM Issue 2 – October 2008
Learning Innovation Network Newsletter
ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL The overall results from the evaluations were very positive
and are in keeping with the results from the sectoral survey.
DEVELOPMENT (APD)
The LIN APD subgroup is charged with informing the In addition to our work on the development and rollout of
Steering Group Committee with regards to the project academic professional development modules, LIN has also
goal; “To scope the parameters of an agreed Academic been involved in the delivery of a number of workshops
Development Programme”. To facilitate this process, an (Learning outcomes, Linking learning Outcomes to
adapted version of the DIT Postgraduate Certificate in Assessment, Changing the teaching of a whole institution) in
Third Level Learning and Teaching, using a blended Athlone, Galway and Dublin.
mode of delivery, was successfully rolled out in Athlone IT
and Carlow IT. Nine Carlow staff were involved in this Podcasts and notes from these workshops can be
pilot. Thirteen Athlone staff, in addition to two staff from downloaded from
both IT Tralee and IT Sligo attended in AIT. Several http://www.lin-ireland.com/index.php?title=Workshops
other IoTs are also interested in this blended model
approach as it is hoped that delivery in this mode would LIN also plans to develop a number of short accredited
encourage wider participation in the programme. modules (10 ECTS, Level 9) collaboratively across the sector,
Furthermore, a pilot of a short continuous professional in the coming year. These modules (whose structure is as
development module was also conducted in AIT. shown in Figure 1) will cover such topics as ;
Interestingly, the group participating on this module Assessment, Enquiry Based Learning, Technology Enhanced
comprised both student support and academic and Learning, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and
managerial staff. Mentoring.
The LIN APD subgroup is chaired by Dr. Jen
Harvey (DIT). It also comprises the following
members Dr. Liam Boyle (LIT), Anne Carpenter
(IT Carlow), Rosemary Cooper (IT Tallaght), Dr.
Attracta Brennan (GMIT), Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick
(DIT), Nuala Harding (AIT), Dr. Etain Kiely (IT
Sligo), Larry McNutt (IT Blanchardstown) and
John Wall (WIT).
For further information about LIN APDs, please
contact Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick,
noel.fitzpatrick@dit.ie.
Figure 1 : Structure of a LIN APD
Inside this issue …………………………………...
Obs. = Observation
PDP = Personal Development Planning Academic Professional Development Page 1
LIN Portal Page 2
Both of these pilots i.e. the adapted DIT PG Cert and the Learning & Teaching awards Page 2
LIN Sectoral Survey Page 2
short continuous professional development module were Eye on IT Sligo Page 3
evaluated and reported. This evaluation took the form of For your diary Page 4
module feedback questionnaires and focus group LIN Picks Page 4
interviews. Quotable Quotes Page 4
Contact us Page 4
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2. HTTP://WWW.LIN-IRELAND.COM Issue 2 – October 2008
LIN PORTAL
o The level of and interest in research in learning and/or
The LIN portal is currently under development and teaching and/or education.
aims to provide a coherent, sustainable and o Academic staff views on the advantages and
dependable portal of teaching and learning resources disadvantages of Teaching excellence awards
which both supports the stakeholders (i.e. o Current interest regarding workshops and CPD
academics, researchers and anyone interested in (Continued Professional Development) programmes.
learning and teaching) in their work and indirectly o The desire for and preferences in the functionality and
fosters networks of inter and intra institutional features of a central repository of learning and
collaboration. teaching resources.
Examples of other learning and teaching portals In answer to the question “Would you be interested in
include: obtaining (further) academic or professional
o Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) development/training in learning and teaching?”, all
www.jisc.ac.uk colleges replied with a unanimous yes. On average 82%
o Higher Education Academy, UK of all respondents in all colleges were very interested in
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ further academic professional development.
The results from this study showed that;
LEARNING AND TEACHING o Whilst the majority of respondents were very
AWARDS interested in obtaining further academic professional
Teaching awards have become a popular method for development, their preference on the whole was for
recognising teaching excellence in Higher Education. accredited short programmes.
The Teaching Awards subcommittee comprising; Dr. o The most popular programme format was a series of
Liam Boyle (Chair), Dr. Etain Kiely, Dr. Attracta one day accredited workshops leading to a
Brennan and Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick is currently qualification.
reviewing the literature related to existing national o Time was indicated to be the main obstacle to further
and international awards with a view to developing professional training. Other barriers included; lack of
guidelines for best practice. credible management commitment and support,
difficulty of sourcing suitable workshops/courses, lack
of obvious benefits, timetable constraints, external
responsibilities, heavy current work load, the difficulty
LIN SECTORAL SURVEY of re-scheduling lectures, institutional policy and red
In early 2008, LIN carried out a sectoral wide tape etc.
teaching and learning survey of teaching and o Respondents were most interested in workshops in;
learning activities and needs in all of the institutes of assessment strategies, teaching non-traditional
technology in Ireland (Sligo IT was independently students, e-learning, learning and teaching in HE,
surveyed) and including DIT. blended learning, working in a modular environment,
curriculum design, academic writing and recognized
This study was targeted at teaching staff and aimed prior learning.
at answering some of the following fundamental o Whilst 90% of all respondents indicated an
questions concerning; overwhelming need for a portal of learning and
teaching resources, the most important feature -
o The level of professional development which all respondents desire - is a comprehensive
undertaken by academic staff in their IoTs. search facility.
o The desire of academic staff to obtain further
professional development training. For more information on this survey, please contact
o Preferences for either an accredited or a attracta.brennan@gmit.ie
non-accredited route.
o The level of commitment for professional
development.
o Academic staff awareness of institutional learning
and teaching policies.
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3. HTTP://WWW.LIN-IRELAND.COM Issue 2 – October 2008
‘EYE’ on IT SLIGO
IT Sligo warmly welcomes new
President Terri Scott who took
prepare the student for a up her tenure on Oct 1st 2008.
lifetime of learning. Lifelong Learners: International
Team leaders: John O Masonite employees
Dea and Marion Dowd participated in Ireland’s first
online virtual conferring
WORK BASED ceremony
LEARNING Online Learning: 30 %
Placement resources increase in online learning
being utilised by the registrations. For details of
IT Sligo students achieving success at national and techniques used go to
Humanities Dept. include: training
international level in 2008 modules for placement supervisors http://brian.mulligan.googlepag
(Irish Association of Social Care es.com
Educators) as well as information
ENQUIRY BASED LEARNING videos for students on national and Webcasts : Public talks are
(EBL) AT IT SLIGO international placements.
openly available at;
http://sligotalks.blogspot.com
Team leaders: M Gilmore M. Clarke,
Many courses in IT Sligo have incorporated M. Mulkeen and T.Kane. Science week talks will be
available online in November
EBL EBL within their programmes. Industrial
Custodial Care: Developed with the 2008
Design is delivered solely by EBL in fourth year.
Irish Prison Service this course has
Health and Safety courses in Science have National Digital Learning
330 registered students. The Repository (NDLR) funded 30
prioritised specific EBL modules throughout the
programme is delivered by Prison graphics tablets and training for
four years. Developments include: specific Service and IT Sligo staff using team academic staff to rapidly create
learning environment layouts and resources. An teaching and distance learning tools. and contribute simple learning
EBL handbook has been developed which Course Coordinator:Fergus Timmons. objects to the repository.
includes: scenario templates and assessment
criteria. Team leader: Blaithin McGrath. Team leader: Brian Mulligan.
LIN Creative Community and Social
Innovation Research Centre
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH IT Sligo is leading the development has been established in IT
The Educational Development Unit coordinated a and accreditation of a LIN funded Sligo. Team leaders: Chris
series of writing clinics to support research module titled “Developing and Sparks and Perry Share.
capacity development amongst academics. Promoting Research Capacity” in
Educational research paper themes being collaboration with the IoT Research
presented by IT Sligo staff at the Learning Alliance. The module will specifically Government Minister Jimmy
Innovation Network (LIN) conference 2008 address managing research practice Devins officially opened the IT
include: Interactive Large Group Teaching; and developing academic writing Sligo Business Innovation
Mentoring Tools; Personal Development Planning; skills. Centre (ITSBIC). Manager:
J.Gillen.
Student Centred Learning Strategies using Project
and Problem Based Learning.
LEARNING &
TEACHING
’LEARNING TO LEARN’ INITIATIVES
This module was developed to facilitate students’ For more information on learning and
transition into third level and motivate the learner teaching initiatives contact: Dr. Etain
about his/her chosen field of study. The module Kiely: Kiely.etain@itsligo.ie
is incorporated into the first year experience to
reinforce and develop key academic skills and Educational Development Unit
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HTTP://WWW.LIN-IRELAND.COM

4. HTTP://WWW.LIN-IRELAND.COM Issue 2 – October 2008
FOR YOUR DIARY
TOP 100 LEARNING TOOLS
This website presents a list of learning tools, compiled
LIN from the contributions of 190 learning professionals
(from both education and workplace learning) who
10th October shared their Top 10 Tools for Learning both for their own
LIN Annual Conference personal learning/ productivity and for creating learning
“Fostering a Student Centred Learning Experience”, solutions for others.
Hodson Bay hotel, http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html
Athlone,
Westmeath
W: http://www.lin-
ireland.com/index.php?title=LIN_Conference QUOTABLE QUOTES
OTHER
12th – 14th November
NAIRTL (National Academy for Integration of Research &
Teaching & Learning) 2nd Annual conference “Teaching and Education is what survives when what has been
Learning in Higher Education: Challenging Assumptions”, learned has been forgotten - B.F. Skinner
Waterford Institute of Technology
W: www.nairtl.ie
The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate
LIN PICKS "apparently ordinary" people to unusual effort. The
tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in
LIN picks for this month’s issue include; making winners out of ordinary people - Patricia
Cross
IBIBLIO
ibiblio.org is a repository of freely available information,
including software, music, literature, art, history, science,
politics, and cultural studies.
http://ibiblio.org/
CONTACT US
OPENLEARN Dr. Attracta Brennan,
The OpenLearn website gives free access to course LIN Project Coordinator,
materials from The Open University. The Learning Space is T: 091-742150,
open to learners anywhere in the world. E: Attracta.brennan@gmit.ie
Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick,
EDUCATIONAL USES OF SECOND LIFE
LIN Learning Development Officer,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA&feature=related
T: 01-4027882,
E: Noel.Fitzpatrick@dit.ie
ONLINE LEARNING: PRIVACY VERSUS
PROTECTION Mary Fox,
The US Chronicle of Higher Education reported that in a new LIN Administrator,
1,200 page bill before Congress there "is a small paragraph T: 091-742154,
that could lead distance education institutions to require spy E: Mary.fox@gmit.ie
cameras in their students' homes."
http://blog.innovatelearning.com/higher_ed/2008/07/online-
learning.html
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