CIT Teaching & Learning Unit

Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates

As well as being a momentous day for the many hundreds of students who graduated from MTU last week, it was also a very special occasion for 11 of our staff members. We congratulate those who graduated with a teaching and learning qualification last week, ranging from a postgraduate certificate right through to a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

These colleagues have demonstrated their unwavering dedication to teaching and learning and commitment to enhancing the learning experience of their students. Throughout their programme of study, these graduates, have engaged in rigorous research, cultivated innovative teaching methods, and explored the intricacies of learning becoming champions of inclusive classrooms, advocates for diversity, and leaders of educational change. They have learned that being a great educator is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about fostering critical thinking, empathy, and adaptability.

This programme is available to all MTU staff free of charge so if you are interested in studying an individual teaching and learning module or considering the possibility of undertaking a teaching and learning qualification in the future, from postgraduate certificate to postgraduate diploma to masters, the feedback and reflections from some of these recent graduates might be useful:

“This has been a very positive experience and I highly recommend it to all as it helps you explore and refine your teaching and learning practice, and also equips you with the skills to continually explore and improve”. Padraig Herbert

“It was a very worthwhile experience which helped me improve my teaching. It also gave me an insight into how other MTU staff approach the design of their learning experiences which assisted my own development”. Damien Markey

“I would strongly advise all teaching staff to take even one module offered from the TLU. I’m teaching over 20 years in CIT/MTU and am only sorry that these modules and qualifications were not available back when I joined. However, it’s never too late, and I have found that taking the course has allowed me to re-assess my teaching practice and align it with best practice. It has really given me a new energy for teaching. In particular, given current and future challenges for assessment, this has really helped in creating new assessment methods. I can now confidently make changes to my practice, as I know the teaching methods are supported by research”. Leonard O’Driscoll

“I enjoyed doing it. It was a great help during emergency remote delivery”. Eleanor Attridge

“I really enjoyed the MA programme and I would encourage all teaching staff to undertake some of these modules. The programme design allowed me to engage in a broad range of modules - some of which were very new to me such as curriculum design & evaluation and learning technology. It also helped to shine a spotlight on my own teaching and research supervision practice and make improvements”. Geraldine Sheedy

A major benefit of possessing an additional teaching and learning focused qualification is the ability to deploy and adapt new practices which are beneficial for both the student and the lecturer. Leonard reflected on his new approaches to teaching practice:

“One key change was to divert my attention away from obsessively covering content (leading unfortunately to surface learning), to focusing more on pushing learners to gain greater depth of learning. This means placing a clear focus on the student-led learning approach, rather than teacher-led (which, with the best will in the world, it is easy to fall back into). In practical terms, this means seeing content as supporting learning, rather than being focus. This also meant revisiting and redesigning assessments to clearly and strongly align them with module learning outcomes. It has meant a switch from traditional assessment of learning, to learner-focused assessment for learning. In practice, this usually means directing the students to engage with the assessment brief from the outset. A line I loved was that by doing so, we should “trap them into learning”.

Geraldine commented:

“The module on Assessment & Feedback is probably the one that has most influenced my teaching and particularly the way in which I deliver feedback. The tutors don't just teach about good practice - they also model it”.

Equally, Eleanor has found more efficient ways to incorporate assessment and feedback particularly in relation to the functionality of Canvas which has proven very beneficial. When asked to reflect on what practice will be taken forward into his teaching practice, Padraig suggested

“the use of qualitative research methods, focus groups, to try to uncover how our learners perceptions may differ from mine or how I would perceive theirs, and thus attempting to generate resources informed by such evidence”.

Damien was keen to emphasise his new familiarity with current areas of pedagogic research which “I can incorporate into my own work. I also have the confidence to contribute to these areas of research from my own experience”.

We again wish our new graduates the best of luck and many congratulations for undertaking a teaching and learning qualification which shows their commitment to continuing professional development.

If you are interested in learning more about what is involved or enrolling on any module(s) as part of this programme, then please contact:

• Dr. Tom O’Mahony (tom.omahony@mtu.ie), Programme Coordinator