Enhancing the Learning Experience: Learning for an Unknown Future (Barnett, 2004). Registration to attend this year’s conference is now open with Eventbrite at http://lin2011.eventbrite.com/ The Learning Innovations 4th Annual Conference takes place in The Ashling Hotel in Dublin on Thurs-day 27 October 2011. The conference theme is En-hancing the Learning Ex-perience: Learning for an Unknown Future (Barnett, 2004) and there are three sub themes: The first year experience Diversity of the learner experience Staff development for learning / Innovation in teaching and learning

The conference keynote speaker is Douglas Tho-mas and his talk is Culti-vating the Imagination in a World of Constant Change: Learning Strate-gies for an Unknown Fu-ture. For more informa-tion on the keynote speaker visit www.douglasthomas.com The conference promises to be an interesting and enjoyable event for all attendees. Following the keynote address there will be eight presenta-tions in each of the three subthemes, three work-shops and a number of poster sessions and net-working opportunities throughout the day.

Ann Heelan from AHEAD (www.ahead.ie) will run a workshop on the diversity theme entitled Inclusive Strategies in Education: College is back, are you ready to include students with disabilities? The workshop on the first year theme will focus on the successful PAL (Peer As-sisted Learning) project that was run in AIT and GMIT and the third work-shop will focus on aca-demic staff development and look at how the LIN model provides accredited training for academic staff. Attendance at this confer-ence is free. For further information on the conference visit www.lin.ie

Headlines

In this issue:

Headlines 1

LIN 2011 NEW Venue

1

LIN 2011 Regis-tration

1

Eye on WIT 2

Events 7

New Venue for LIN 2011

LIN Conference 2011—Registration Open—http://lin2011.eventbrite.com/

Eye on WIT

LIN Conference 2011—NEW VENUE

LIN Conference 2011—Register NOW

There has been a change of venue for the 2011 LIN conference. The event will now be held in the Ashling Hotel in Dublin on Thursday 27th of October. For venue de-tails visit www.ashlinghotel.ie.

The School of Education & Profes-sional Development, offers an excit-ing and diverse range of courses, from postgraduate teacher educa-tion to adult education; under-graduate, Masters and PhD pro-grammes; specialist programmes in work-based learning, management,

lifelong learning and community studies and an extensive part time evening programme. The School is also a leading re-search centre, with an extensive range of national and international partnerships. While the School

plays a key role in debates on edu-cation policy and practice in Ireland, many staff in the School work in international settings and the School has a vibrant community of international postgraduate stu-dents.

ideas and good practice across the spectrum of primary schools in the region. On successful completion of the SEA project, participating schools were awarded an SEA certificate by Dr. John Wall, Head of School of Education, at an awards ceremony on Friday April 8th. It is intended that the SEA will be awarded on an annual basis.

aged to reflect on Classroom Man-agement: Team Teaching within their own school, conduct a SWOT analysis and develop a plan for en-hancing both in their school. It was viewed by participants as an excellent initiative because it pro-vided a unique forum for schools to network and collaborate on a com-mon theme. The value of networking was obvi-ous as participants shared their

In 2010, WIT’s School of Education launched the School of Excellence Award (SEA) initiative this year in conjunction with the Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny Education Centres. The aims of the School of Excellence Award are to: Promote and recognise

schools committed to excel-lence in the region;

Promote reflective practice amongst teachers and schools;

Strengthen links between schools in the region and WIT’s School of Education and Professional Develop-ment;

Create a network of teachers in the region who are com-mitted to their ongoing CPD;

Celebrate their success.

In 2010/11, twenty five primary schools from Wicklow, Carlow, Kil-kenny, Wexford, Waterford and South Tipperary participated in the initiative. The theme for the School Excellence Awards 2010/11 was Classroom Management: Team Teaching. Participants were encour-

Connecting with schools – the School of Excellence Award Initiative

Page 2 September/October 2011

ON WIT

Photo: Participants in the SEA initiative pictured with Dr. John Wall,

Head of School, and Dr. Orison Carlile of the School of Education at the

April awards ceremony.

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has over 10,000 students and 1000 staff and offers tuition and research programmes in various areas from Higher Certificate to Degree to PhD.

Focus on the School of Education and Professional Development

On Saturday 5th March 2011, the School of Education held its inaugu-ral ‘Teaching Matters’ Research Col-loquium was held at WIT. This collo-quium offered successful graduates of the MA in Teaching & Learning, MA in Management in Education and the MSc in Primary Science Education the opportunity to pre-sent their research findings to an audience of their peers in the field of education. The central themes of the collo-quium included: Mentoring Assessment

Reflective Practice Student Support Education Management Emerging Technologies The aim of the colloquium was to profile current research in the field of Education undertaken by teach-ers across the spectrum of primary, secondary and third level educa-tion. With over 100 delegates, pre-dominantly teachers in primary and secondary education, it served as a celebration of teaching research and the continuing professional development of teachers in Ireland. Key note speakers included Dr. Mark Patrick Hederman, Abbot of

Glenstal Abbey, Aine Lawlor, CEO of the Teaching Council of Ireland and Dr. Anne Looney, CEA of the Na-tional Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Aine Lawlor outlined the importance of the Teaching Council in ensuring that the teach-ing profession upholds the highest standards of professionalism while Dr. Looney addressed current chal-lenges with respect to assessment

of learning. Dr. Hederman stressed the importance of Creative teachers making creative classrooms which, in turn, make for creative children. It is planned to host an Education Research Conference at WIT, based on the success of this inaugural event on an annual basis.

Re-connecting with graduates – the Teaching Matters Colloquium

approaches to teaching in order to ensure the optimal learning experi-ence for an ever-changing student body. While it would be impossible to do justice to all of the innovative

WIT has always placed a strong em-phasis on teaching and learning and, throughout the institution, individual lecturers and lecturing teams are constantly adapting their

approaches being taken here, the following examples, drawn from the School of Business, give a flavour of the work being done at WIT.

Focus on Teaching and Learning

Page 3 Volume 2 Issue 1

Photo: Dr John Wall, Head of School of Education, Ms Mary Fenton, Head of Department, Adult & Continuing Education, Dr Mark Patrick Hederman, Abbot of Glenstal Abbey, Dr Orison Carlile, School of Educa-tion attending the Teaching Matters Research Colloquium.

Using Problem-Based Learning in a Module on Leadership in Organisa-tions In an attempt to enhance student engagement in the learning proc-ess, improve knowledge retention and encourage students to develop their own leadership capabilities, Business lecturer Anne Sweeney on leadership on the Bachelor of Busi-ness Year 3 programme at WIT now delivers her course on leadership on the Bachelor of Business Studies Year 3 programme using a Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach. The adoption of a more experiential approach to learning was an at-tempt to move beyond typical learning outcomes to convey knowledge and develop critical thinking, and is intended to provide students with concrete experiences to develop their capabilities in ar-eas like team leadership, problem-solving and information literacy. By focusing on problems that real managers encounter in real organi-

sations, students are encouraged to think and act like managers and during this process, they learn about leadership. Results have been positive with high attendance and participation rates at PBL work-shops, an increased awareness and understanding of the leadership literature, and evidence of peer tutoring within student groups. Supporting the Transition to Third-Level Business Education – the ‘Business Learning and Practice’ Module. Delivered by lecturers Darrin Taylor and Mabel McManus to students on a Level 6 and a Level pro-gramme, Business Learning & Prac-tice orients first-year students to higher-level education, enabling engagement with the Institute, School, Courses, Lecturers, and Classmates. Students are engaged in a non-lecture format wherein and em-powered to take responsibility for

their own learning and to develop core skill-sets to effectively partici-pate and progress in business. Ac-tive in-class participation involves students in various activities and assignments facilitating develop-ment and honing of those skills (inter alia: project- and time-management; business research; group-work; brainstorming; mind-mapping; discussion and study groups; critical thinking; reflective learning). Group-work critically in-tegrates students sooner and bet-ter, improving self-confidence and course engagement. Synchronous modules in Econom-ics, Accounting, Management, and Professional Written Communica-tions enable students apply them-selves in project management, study skills, and exam preparation. A dedicated ICT lab-hour facilitates real-time planning and fulfilment of projects; and Moodle (WIT’s virtual learning environment) is actively utilised as a delivery as well as sub-mission medium.

the projects or approaches pre-sented

Have achieved the aim of the award scheme; Have demonstrated innovative practice in design, delivery, as-sessment and/or support of stu-dent learning; Have benefited learners and col-leagues; Are or can be sustainable and of benefit to a wider range of learn-ers across the Institute; Have contributed to achieving the strategic aims of the School or service and of the Institute.

Projects submitted for this award have focused on a wide range of areas including:

The 2011 award for the Enhance-ment of the Student Experience through Innovation went to the staff of the Research Support Unit. This award, an initiative of the WIT Quality Office, is open to all – ad-ministrative, technical as well as academic staff - and aims to recog-nise, reward and share innovative practices by WIT staff that have en-hanced the student learning experi-ence at the Institute. Individual and groups submit post-ers showing innovations in practice that they have designed and imple-mented. In evaluating the posters, the judging panel considers how

The first-year experience; Assessment and student feed-back; Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching, including knowl-edge transfer; Flexible learning and teaching; Services supporting student learning; Innovation in the management, administration and student/staff support aspects of the learning environment; Innovative enabling systems in the learning environment; Transfer of discipline-specific knowledge and generic skills to students.

Enhancement of the Student Experience through Innovation

Page 4 September/October 2011

Changing the way we do things in the classroom – innovative ap-

proaches to teaching and learning

WIT annually presents awards to staff members who have demon-strated excellence in teaching or in postgraduate supervision, as well as to individuals or teams who have introduced innovations to enhance the student experience. Excellence in Teaching The annual award for Excellence in Teaching aims to recognise, encour-age and reward sustained excel-lence in teaching. In making the award, the judging panel interviews nominated lecturers and considers the performance of nominees in a range of areas including: current teaching activities; ability to select or develop ap-

propriate teaching strategies and implement them effectively; scholarship in teaching

participation in professional development activities, contributions to the literature on teaching, research into aspects of teaching, descriptions of steps taken to evaluate and improve teach-ing,

encouragement to students to participate in appropriate pro-fessional activities;

enthusiasm for, and commitment to, mentorship and pastoral care of students; assistance given in furthering stu-

dent’ careers and encouraging external/internal collaborations; training and supervision, including

contributions to departmental and WIT-wide education programs; development of materials, tools

and techniques for teaching of students;

innovative use of materials. In 2011, Excellence in Teaching Awards were presented to Business lecturer Colette Kirwan and Com-puting lecturer Brendan Lyng by WIT’s Acting President Mr. Tony McFeely at an awards ceremony attended by many colleagues as well as families and friends. Further information on the Excel-

lence Awards is available from Suz-

anne Kiely in the Development Of-

fice, Neil Quinlan in the Quality Of-

fice or Siobhan Harkin in the Strate-

gic Research Projects Office.

Exemplifying Excellence – WIT’s Annual Excellence Awards

sultation with key stakeholders in education both regionally and na-tionally. The course offers modules dealing with contemporary aspects of edu-cation, which will appeal to a broad group of education professionals. Participants will gain a range of theoretical and practical approaches to education, and can choose from a range of modules appropriate to their professional and personal in-terests. The philosophy of WIT’s School of Education and Professional Develop-ment is to encourage students to become reflective practitioners and

In time for the academic year 2011- 2012, the School of Education and Professional Development has launched a new taught postgraduate course, a Flexible Learning Masters in Education. This new course offers education professionals a flexible route to a Level 9 postgraduate qualification by allowing them to choose modules which match their professional interests and practice. The programme is aimed at profes-sionals across the spectrum of edu-cation and training, and is designed to meet the diversity of their educa-tional roles. The need for this course was identified through con-

commit to their continuing profes-sional development. The Masters in Education adds to the School of Edu-cation’s portfolio of postgraduate courses, which offers relevant post-graduate opportunities (Level 9 courses) to teachers, lecturers, trainers and education professionals in the South East region. For further information, please con-

tact the Postgraduate Administrator,

School of Education and Profes-

sional Development, WIT, College

Street Campus, Waterford. Tel. +353

(0) 51 302 225,email pgace@wit.ie.

Page 5 Volume 2 Issue 1

Focus on Postgraduate Education

Blazing a new trail – WIT’s School of Education launches FLAME (Flexible Learning MA in Education)

One of WIT’s newest postgraduate programmes received national rec-ognition in 2011, when the MSC in Innovative Technology Engineering was received the Postgradireland Postgraduate Course of the Year – Engineering Award 2011. The award was received on behalf of WIT by course leader, Dr. Austin Coffey, at a ceremony in the Mansion House, Dublin. The MSc in Innovative Technology Engineering degree aims to produce graduates with strong skills in criti-cal thinking and with the creative attitude necessary to instigate fu-ture developments in their chosen engineering specialisation. The course cements a link between en-gineering and science, giving gradu-ates the technical and professional abilities to succeed in high value sectors such as Medical Devices,

Pharmaceutical, Green Technol-ogy, Information and Communi-cations Technology, New Busi-ness Development and Aca-demic Research sectors. WIT can boast nearly a 100% record of course graduates gaining em-ployment in these sectors. The awards are voted for by stu-dents and judged by an inde-pendent panel of industry ex-perts. The Engineering Award this year was adjudicated by the professional body, Engineers Ireland. In making their decision the judges place employability at the very top of their criteria. Further information about the MSc in Innovative Technology Engineering can be found on at www.wit.ie/innovate.

research workshops and a cumula-tive paper series coupled with inde-pendent research and virtual liai-son, thus maintaining a balance be-tween peer-learning and self-led learning within the programme, while guiding the candidate through the doctoral process. Offered as a natural progression from an MBA or equivalent Mas-ters, senior executives in manage-ment roles combine workplace and professional engagement with the scholarly rigour of an academic in-

The Doctorate of Business Admini-stration offered by the School of Business at WIT is the first of its kind in an Institute of Technology and the first credit-based DBA to be offered in Ireland. The programme focuses on the skills required to contribute to the enrichment of trans-disciplinary professional prac-tice in management, and to lead organisations facing a complex global business environment. Based on an innovative design, the DBA incorporates professional and

stitution as they undertake inde-pendent research at an advanced level and seek to make a significant contribution to knowledge and pro-fessional practice through the evaluation of business management structures, contexts and processes. The next intake for this bi-annual programme is September 2012. For further information, please contact Dr Felicity Kelliher, DBA Programme Leader, WIT (fkelliher@wit.ie).

Breaking new ground in Business – the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)

National Recognition for Innovative Technology Engineering Programme

Page 6 September/October 2011

Photo: Dr. Austin Coffey receiving the award on behalf of WIT from Alec McAllister, Engineers Ireland, at the awards ceremony in Dublin.

INNOVATION 12 Conference IADT February 1st - 4th 2012. Visit http://interaction12.ixda.org/home/ for

more details.

Events

Page 7 September/October 2011

The fourth Annual Edition of ICERI2011 (4th International Conference of Education, Research and Innova-tion) will be held in Madrid (Spain) on the 14th, 15th and 16th of November, 2011. The general aim of the conference is to promote international collaboration in Education and Research in all educational fields and disciplines.

Learning by Developing - New Ways to Learn

Conference on Creativity in Higher Education

May 8th – 11th 2012 in Finland Tracks a) How to learn creativity b) How to teach creativity c) Creative management in a Higher Education Institution d) Developing a creative region http://lbdconference.laurea.fi

Seminar: How can student success be promoted through the use of Peer Mentoring? This seminar will launch the empirical research findings of a three year study into the role played by Peer Mentoring in promoting a smooth transition to university and in combating student attrition in the first year of Higher Education. The seminar will launch valuable tools that may be utilised by colleagues wishing to set up their own Peer Mentoring Programme. Such tools will include: The Seminar is being hosted by Dr Robin Clark & Dr Jane Andrews, Engineering Education Research Group, Aston University on 3rd November 2011 from 0930 –1530 in collaboration with research partners. To book a place or for further details contact: Dr Jane Andrews, j.e.andrews@aston.ac.uk

www.lin.ie