Project Lead:
Dr. Katie Power (Katie.Power@mtu.ie)
Project Status
In Progress
Project Lead Home Department:
MTU Cork - Business - Marketing and International Business
Alignment to HEA and NFETLHE SATLE 2022-23 Themes
- Education for Sustainable Development (ESD);
- Digital Transformation in the Tertiary Sector;
- Best Practice in Upholding and Cultivating Academic Integrity;
Alignment to MTU Strategy Themes
- Learner Education & Experience;
- People & Community;
Project Description
The objective of this project is to establish a framework for student, staff and industry early engagement in the development and design of new and the enhancement of existing learning spaces at MTU.
What is the anticipated impact of this project?
A strategic framework will be developed to be used and relied upon across the university in space planning and use. The framework will provide a systematic approach to mapping consistent engagement with key stakeholders in the development and use of learning spaces at MTU. A sample space will be chosen as an exemplar pilot in the application of the framework. The framework will be created through multiple means – text, images, recordings to adhere to a Universal Design for Learning inclusive approach for all types of learners.
A range of resources will be developed to support colleagues to adopt best practices in engaging with stakeholders (students, staff and industry partners) to create and redesign learning spaces e.g. workshops, bitesize recordings, information sessions.
Potentially all students and staff across the university will be impacted byu this project as they will have the opportunity to partake in decision-making for spaces (classrooms, laboratories and informal spaces).
A sample space will be chosen to pilot the strategic framework and therefore students, staff and industry partners involved with the specific learning space will be directly impacted. For example – a neuro diverse quiet learning space/ outdoor learning space.
The Team will hold information sessions across the MTU campuses on how the framework supports an authentic engagement with stakeholders in the design and configuration of spaces thereby potentially impacting all staff and students in the university.
What will the outputs of this project be?
The key outputs anticipated from this project are as follows:
- A framework to engage stakeholders for learner space design. It will comprise of a stepped process to be followed by staff in departments/Buildings and Estates/management to adopt a consistent and inclusive approach to hear from students, staff and industry partners on their needs and desires for MTU learning spaces.
- A pilot case study to trouble shoot and benchmark use of the framework in respect of the design of a specific learning space. The team will strategically choose a learning space which is being redesigned or created for the pilot of the framework, such a space might be an automotive lab space.
- An MTU seminar on Learning Space Design with a guest speaker, such as Mick Healey, who has published widely on the design of learning spaces.
Team Members:
- Prof. Ger Kelly, Vice Head iEd Hub
- Ms. Teresa Murphy, Project Leader, Corporate Affairs
- Ms. Fiona O’Flynn, Head of Department, International Medical Commencement Programme, School of STEM, North Campus (Kerry)
- Dr. Michael O’Mahony, Process Energy and Transport Engineering, Bishopstown Campus, Cork
- Dr. Katie Power, Head of Department, Marketing and International Business, MTU, Bishopstown Campus, Cork
- Ms. Val Renehan, Head of Department, Media Communications, MTU Crawford College of Art & Design (Bishopstown & Envision Centre, Sober Lane Campus), Cork
- Ms. Martina Hunt, Academic Administration & Student Affairs Manager, Kerry Campus
