AISHE-J - The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
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Engaging Students through Extracurricular Programmes: A Virtual Platform in the COVID-19 Era
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This case study of our collective response as staff and students engaged in extracurricular activities is a vital contribution to the understanding of student life in the COVID-19 era. First, we introduce our extracurricular programmes. We then position our work within the context of COVID-19 and our response - utilising and enhancing an established virtual platform. We argue extracurricular activities can continue to thrive in the virtual environment providing benefits for students and staff alike. To illustrate this, we offer two personal vignettes from staff and students at NUI Galway, concluding with the opportunities and challenges of a virtual platform.
Learning at a distance but not a distance learner: Meeting the needs of a diverse body of students post COVID-19
No full textResearchers have a significant role to play in addressing the challenges that COVID-19 presents for example, to our health, education, psychological, economic and social wellbeing. The aim of this ongoing PhD study is to learn from the experiences of graduates who completed a PhD on a part-time basis within the university sector in Ireland. The preliminary research findings shed light on how we might support future generations of researchers, who may not “fit the mold” (Gardner, 2008) of the traditional full-time research student, situated in the academic institution. In line with recent findings from the UK PRES Postgraduate Researcher Experience Survey (Higher Education Academy, 2017), respondents preferred face-to-face contact over interaction through remote or digital communication media. This article raises the question of how face-to-face and digital technology can complement each other for future learners and what can we (e.g. academic and support staff and postgraduate researchers) learn from our own experiences of learning in a socially distanced climate
The student experience of final year in an undergraduate degree programme in Education Studies
No full textThis case study explores the student experience of the final year of a four year undergraduate degree in ‘Education Studies’, with a focus on the perceived impact of curriculum design of the programme. The context is an Irish college of education, and the programme structure has been designed to allow for flexibility to accommodate varying student interests and professional pathways. As the first full iteration of the programme came to a close, it was considered an opportune time to ascertain if the programme was meeting its curriculum design objectives in terms of preparation for the chosen professional pathway post-graduation from both the student and staff perspective. Literature explored included learning ecologies, work-based learning, and the final year experience. Data was collected through a student survey, individual interviews with self-selecting students, and a focus-group interview with the programme development team. Findings suggest that students could clearly identify the development of skills, knowledge and competencies for the workplace through an internship; also highlighted was value in undertaking a dissertation for researching a topic of personal interest, with it noted as a challenging, intense experience. Having appropriate levels and different types of support for students facing the challenges in final year was a significant outcome. A model emerged for final year support in three contexts: pedagogic, workplace and research, and we argue that this is a main research contribution that this study makes to educational research. A discussion of implications for curriculum development in ‘Education Studies’ highlights the need for ‘cohesion’ workshops to be integrated to final year to synthesise student learning, embedding a formalised support structure in order for students to have a greater understanding of choices available to them post-graduation, and introducing a scaffolded approach to ePortfolio development to encourage innovation.
The Silk Road to online teaching during COVID
No full textReflection on facilitating online teaching during COVID-1
Virtual communication for student group projects: the COVID-19 effect
No full textAbstract.
With higher education forced online, the concept of virtual communication has become the new norm. However, virtuality can bring additional complexity to the communication process which can be problematic for students working on group projects. The objective of our research is to explain how the method of virtual communication can influence the quality of communication for learning and thus impact student-group performance. Qualitative data were gathered using audio, non-participant observation, and interviews on three MSc student groups, pre and post campus lockdown in March 2020 owing to COVID-19. As a result, we identified that face-to-face communication in a synchronous environment is characterized by effective interactions among group members who share ideas, information and clarification while virtual communication in asynchronous environments is less critical, explorative and exploitative. The study’s practical contribution recommends educators guide students towards using synchronous technology for collaborating on group projects. By locating our qualitative study in the researc
Delivering Library Services in a time of crisis: Technological Higher Education Association Libraries responding to COVID-19 from March – August 2020
No full textAbstract.
This paper presents the experience of eight Irish academic libraries from the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) from March – August 2020 while delivering library services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It presents a snapshot of their experience at this time outlining the challenges faced by libraries in closing their doors and pivoting to delivering library services only. For much of this time library buildings were closed to students thereby making, study desks, group spaces, PCs, access to collections and to library staff at information desks unavailable. Instead library staff worked remotely directing students to the vast array of resources available online from our library websites. Information Desks were replaced with online chat, emails, phone calls and extensive help in the form of guides made available from library websites. Libraries have been offering blended approaches i.e. mix of online and traditional resources for years but this pivot to online only, posed challenges. This article outlines how the THEA sector responded to these challenges and discusses the value of collaboration across the sector and the benefits of this collaborative approach in a time of crisis
The Impact of COVID-19 on Irish Higher Education: Special Issue Part 1: Introduction to the Issue
No full textUsing Blackboard (VLE) to support teaching practice of academic staff in response to COVID-19.
No full textThis article outlines the applied development of a Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) module to support academic staff at Trinity College Dublin with their pedagogical practice in the new paradigm. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland, and its enforcing of an emergency ‘pivot’ to online delivery, has led to major and significant changes in teaching and learning practices at Trinity. Faculty engagement with the VLE prior to the pivot would likely have been described as moderate and firmly perceived as a remote digital content repository, rather than potentially adding value to the enhancement of teaching and learning (Farrelly, Raftery, & Harding, 2018; O'Rourke, Rooney, & Boylan, 2015). Practice changes in response to COVID-19 have impacted profoundly on both staff and students alike. This article describes an initiative by Trinity’s Academic Practice & eLearning[1] (AP) team to support faculty within this Blackboard module as they prepare for an ongoing ‘emergency pivot’ to continued online delivery.
[1] https://www.tcd.ie/CAPSL
Silver-lining of COVID-19: A Virtual Community of Practice for Faculty Development
No full textCommunities of practice are becoming more common within higher education, yet little research has explored how these social learning networks, especially the virtual ones, can enhance faculty development. This paper describes the experience of a virtual community of practice (VCoP) initiative at a research-intensive Irish university, during the COVID-19 pandemic to share ideas and good practice as well as foster learning in a safe, supportive, encouraging and inclusive virtual environment. Though this initiative is still in its early days, we consider VCoPs to be an innovative method for faculty development through collaborative learning and enhancement of a sense of community for all
Supporting Student Engagement and Partnership in Higher Education Decision-Making during the Pandemic: A reflection from the National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP)
No full textThis reflective article was drawn together from the experiences of student and staff team members at the National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP) during the period of the initial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Irish higher education, and is supported by the work of national partner organisations in assessing that impact. The article examines some of the key challenges for student engagement in decision-making in higher education institutions, as well as the way in which student partnerships may change and emerge as a result