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A Critical Review and Evaluation of a Pilot Fishmonger Training Programme in Order to Identify Potential Modifications to Produce an Improved Training Programme for Fishmongers
No full textFishmongers are highly skilled professionals working in a range of different types of businesses including supermarket fish counters, independent shops and mobile fish vans. Consumers expect fishmongers to have a broad range of knowledge and skills, and yet in Ireland and throughout Europe, there is no specific training available to become a fishmonger. Opportunities for career development is limited and the lack of specific accredited training for fishmongers is damaging the sector. In this study an evaluation of a Pilot Fishmonger Training Programme was carried out. The purpose of this was to identify potential modifications that could feasibly be introduced to produce an improved training programme for fishmongers. Seven participants from the pilot programme were interviewed along with one programme trainer and one mentor. Current fishmonger training practices in other countries was also reviewed in the study. The feedback from participants was largely positive with most reporting that they had enjoyed taking part in the programme, gained significant knowledge and skills, and had applied some aspects of the learning in the workplace. While it was found that many elements of the programme worked well and should remain unchanged, significant modifications will be required to produce an improved training programme for fishmongers. The recommended modifications that could feasibly be introduced to produce an improved programme include changes to the programme assessment strategy with a move away from written assignments to skills demonstrations. Learners should be given more opportunities for experiential learning particularly in the seafood quality assessment unit. Significant improvement in the content and quality of pre-course material for participants, trainers and mentors is also recommended. The application to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) for programme validation should be progressed as a priority, as accreditation will add significant value to the programme and benefit to learners. The potential introduction of blended learning to the programme was considered but the researcher concluded that it would bring limited benefits to the programme at this stage. Blended learning should not be incorporated into the fishmonger training programme until more research is carried out and there is evidence of its potential benefits to this type of programme and with this cohort of learners
Raised by my Motherland: A radio documentary on Lyudmila Matthews, an orphan, a survivor and a witness of Stalin’s Great Terror
No full textThis radio documentary, entitled Raised by my Motherland tells the story of Lyudmila Matthews. Lyudmila was a child in the Soviet Union when the series of repressions known as the Great Terror, or the Purges, orchestrated by Josef Stalin gained momentum. The Terror, through killings and forced starvation, resulted in the deaths of millions across the newly established Soviet Union and remains the most problematic aspect of the nations Communist history. The Terror destroyed Lyudmila’s family as her father fell victim to its ravages. Raised by My Motherland seeks to situate the story of this initial destruction of the family unit its proper historical context and then explore how Lyudmila, the one remaining survivor of that family navigated life in the Soviet Union as an orphan and experienced the unique nation as it was gradually moulded from above by its totalitarian leader, Stalin and then moulded again by his death. Lyudmila’s story is, considering her old age, a rare one and thus Raised by my Motherland places most of its emphasis on her voice as she reflects on her own Soviet Century. This is her account of that phenomenon which erupted in 1917, the memory and influence of which survives to this day, 100 years later
Ireland Informed: A Characterization of Science Reporting in the Irish Media
No full textScience and scientific advancement has the capacity to be an exciting topic for the Irish news consumer. Public understanding of science and scientific advancement is important for informed policy making, legislating and funding. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an understanding of the current landscape of science reporting in the Irish media and to assess if an adequate level of science coverage was achieved. The design of this research was both quantitative and qualitative, building on the research paradigm of Suleski and Ibaraki (2010). I identified and analysed the reporting of science news over a one-month period in 2018, across two television news shows, namely RTÉ News: Six One and TV3: 3News at 5.30, one tabloid and one broadsheet newspaper, namely the Irish Sun and the Irish Independent newspaper and two radio news shows, namely RTÉ Radio One: Morning Ireland and Today FM: The Last Word. Using a set of defined guidelines, 82 examples of science news reporting were identified during the study period and a content analysis was performed. It was found that 0.03% of science research published in peer reviewed journals reached the Irish media audience and there was an average of 1.7% science news coverage in Irish news content. The medical sciences received the most news coverage with an emphasis on cancer science. There was a focus on local relevance in the science news reports studied and although a tenancy toward negative news stories was anticipated, this was not observed. It was established that the level of science news coverage in the Irish media did not correspond to the appetite of the Irish news consumer and can therefore be deemed inadequate
Ireland Informed: A Characterization of Science Reporting in the Irish Media
No full textScience and scientific advancement has the capacity to be an exciting topic for the Irish news consumer. Public understanding of science and scientific advancement is important for informed policy making, legislating and funding. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an understanding of the current landscape of science reporting in the Irish media and to assess if an adequate level of science coverage was achieved. The design of this research was both quantitative and qualitative, building on the research paradigm of Suleski and Ibaraki (2010). I identified and analysed the reporting of science news over a one-month period in 2018, across two television news shows, namely RTÉ News: Six One and TV3: 3News at 5.30, one tabloid and one broadsheet newspaper, namely the Irish Sun and the Irish Independent newspaper and two radio news shows, namely RTÉ Radio One: Morning Ireland and Today FM: The Last Word. Using a set of defined guidelines, 82 examples of science news reporting were identified during the study period and a content analysis was performed. It was found that 0.03% of science research published in peer reviewed journals reached the Irish media audience and there was an average of 1.7% science news coverage in Irish news content. The medical sciences received the most news coverage with an emphasis on cancer science. There was a focus on local relevance in the science news reports studied and although a tenancy toward negative news stories was anticipated, this was not observed. It was established that the level of science news coverage in the Irish media did not correspond to the appetite of the Irish news consumer and can therefore be deemed inadequat
How Many ‘Likes’ Is My Life Worth: A radio documentary exploring the Psychological effects of social media.
No full textThe development of social media has been one of the biggest changes in society over the last 20 years. When it was first established, the premise was entangled with aiding people to communicate and form connections. Today, social media is widely utilised by account holders to present a ‘perfect’ version of themselves and project the best version of their lives to those who follow them. Mental health and well-being are an increasingly acknowledged aspect of an individual’s overall health, in society today. Over the last number of years, there has been an increase in young people suffering from mental health issues. Could there be a correlation between the development of social media and this growth in the number of young people struggling with their mental health? This documentary explores the world of social media and the way in which it is utilised, to discover whether the way we interact with it is affecting people psychologically. The listener is brought on a journey, hearing from a range of mental health professionals, a tech expert and social media users. The voices throughout give an insight into how we use social media, how it can negatively affect us and how frequent users feel it may be negatively impacting their lives. The unearthed facts and opinions explain how social media is changing our brains and affecting the development of one’s sense of self, and how the facilitation of comparisons on social media is causing general anxiety, depression and has links with eating disorders. This accompanying document outlines the research journey of the subject of this documentary by referring to relevant literature and studies conducted in this area. This document also explains the creative and technical process that led to the final edit of the documentary ‘How Many ‘Likes’ is My Life Worth’
The Effectiveness of Hospitality Education in Developing Graduate Competencies.
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to establish the effectiveness of hospitality education in developing the competencies that graduates need to be successful in industry. With the rise in global tourism, the need for highly skilled and well-trained employees has never been greater. According to the Irish Hospitality Institute (2016) attracting skilled employees continues to be a challenge for many businesses, despite the growth in availability of hospitality management courses over the past twenty years. This study builds on existing research and brings new insights into the perceptions of both hospitality managers and lecturers on graduate competencies and how pedagogical practice can develop these. There is a need to examine the teaching approaches used in hospitality and their ability to shape practice as academia does not operate in isolation and the labour needs for the industry into the future will be more diverse (Lugosi et al., 2009). The research objectives for this study follow three strands of enquiry: 1) To establish the graduate skills most sought by hospitality employers. 2) To ascertain hospitality lecturers’ perceptions about these skills for employability in the sector. 3) To understand to what extent lecturers adapt their pedagogy to deliver on the desired skills and competencies. The research methodology undertaken for this study follows an interpretivist/constructivist approach using qualitative research. The data collection methods involve both unstructured and semi-structured interviews which were chosen to gather the necessary information and insights to assist in answering the objectives. The research reveals that traditional skills such as teamwork and problem-solving are still highly valued in the hospitality industry. Other outcomes encompass more modern day skills to include greater emphasis on the importance of grooming and the lucrative art of upselling. Disclosed also are new insights into teaching strategies where group case studiesand the discussion method appear to enhance greater communication and internships help to develop critical thinkers. Finally, the study makes recommendations for higher institutions to address these findings which include the deployment of those teaching strategies which develop graduate skills and more support for lecturers in their implementation. Areas worthy of further study are highlighted to include more research on smaller class sizes and the contribution technology makes to education
Reputation: When a News story damages a good name.
No full textHave you ever stopped to think about the people involved in a news story you have read, watched or heard? Have you ever wondered how they felt, how they were treated by the journalist(s) covering the story and what happened them after the journalists moved on? In my radio documentary, and supporting thesis document, I set out to meet some people whose good name was tarnished by a news story in which they featured. I find out if journalistic ethics were adhered to or completely removed from the reality of the coverage. I also discover the real and lasting impact of having one's reputation questioned, dissected and ultimately tarnished because it was linked to a negative news story. The documentary also endeavors to explore the concept of reputation and its standing in the legal system whilst a tabloid editor reveals the pressures on paper to produce factually correct content in a very competitive market
Improvisation as a Training Method to Develop Effective Teams in the Workplace with a Focus on Promoting Confidence, Interpersonal Skills and Relationship Building.
No full textThe purpose of this research is to determine the usefulness of improvisation training (improv) as a training method to develop effective teams in the workplace with a focus on promoting confidence, interpersonal skills and relationship building. Most adults spend the majority of their working life in the workplace and for most organisations employees are structured in teams across all levels of the organisation. As a result, the effectiveness of the team unit is critical to organisation success. Improv as an art form has grown in popularity over recent decades as a form of training in the workplace, with participants claiming benefits in areas such as innovation, risk taking, collaboration and team building. As popular as it has grown, research into its ffectiveness into the workplace has not grown at the same rate with much research focussed on areas such as innovation. Much of the existing research focuses on one organisation, whereas this study conducts research across a number of different organisations across different industries. With this research, the researcher is taking an in-depth study on three key soft skill components considered critical for an effective team; confidence, interpersonal skills and relationship building, and the impact improv training has on the development of these skills. The conclusion of the research not only found that improv training has benefit team effectiveness but also that participants considered it to be the most positive team development training or team building undertaken
One Recovery – Two Regions: A radio documentary exploring the urban-rural divide in Ireland. Providing an insight into the lives of commuters
No full textOne Recovery - Two Regions is a twenty-minute radio documentary that gives the audience an insight into the daily obstacles that those who live in rural Ireland face due to an unbalanced recovery. Documenting the stories from two commuters who work in different environments and locations but endure a similar routine. The audience is then brought on a journey to explore what initiatives are being done to minimise the urban-rural divide. It examines what programmes are working in conjunction with those experiencing this lifestyle and the government. Amongst all, it reveals that there are ways to develop rural life to sustain an attractive region for future generations. The research discovers that commuting has become a standard of acceptance, which has lasting knock-on effects to those commuting and the people around them. The experiences and knowledge shared throughout One Recovery – Two Regions gives a voice to those not often heard and can ignite a passion to change circumstances
Raised by my Motherland: A radio documentary on Lyudmila Matthews, an orphan, a survivor and a witness of Stalin’s Great Terror
No full textThis radio documentary, entitled Raised by my Motherland tells the story of Lyudmila Matthews. Lyudmila was a child in the Soviet Union when the series of repressions known as the Great Terror, or the Purges, orchestrated by Josef Stalin gained momentum. The Terror, through killings and forced starvation, resulted in the deaths of millions across the newly established Soviet Union and remains the most problematic aspect of the nations Communist history. The Terror destroyed Lyudmila’s family as her father fell victim to its ravages. Raised by My Motherland seeks to situate the story of this initial destruction of the family unit its proper historical context and then explore how Lyudmila, the one remaining survivor of that family navigated life in the Soviet Union as an orphan and experienced the unique nation as it was gradually moulded from above by its totalitarian leader, Stalin and then moulded again by his death. Lyudmila’s story is, considering her old age, a rare one and thus Raised by my Motherland places most of its emphasis on her voice as she reflects on her own Soviet Century. This is her account of that phenomenon which erupted in 1917, the memory and influence of which survives to this day, 100 years later