CIT Teaching & Learning Unit

Project TITLE

Development of Home Economics Educational Digital Video Series Demonstrating Various Textile and Craft Processes 

Project Lead

Maeve Murphy (maeve.murphy@mtu.ie) 

Project Status

• In Progress

Project Lead Home Department

• MTU Cork - Humanities - Tourism & Hospitality 

Alignment to HEA and NFETLHE SATLE 2023-24 Themes

• Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 
• Digital Transformation in the Tertiary Sector 

Alignment to MTU Strategy Themes

• Learner Education & Experience

Project Description

In 2021, MTU’s Tourism & Hospitality Department launched a BA (Hons) Home Economics & Business programme with a protected pathway with UCC’s Professional Masters in Education and in 2022, a Professional Diploma in Education for upskilling teachers in Home Economics. Incoming students on these courses need to bridge the gap from secondary to third level education, hence the project aims to develop a series of educational videos demonstrating textile and craft-related processes to support students’ knowledge.  

These videos, recorded with the help of MTU’s Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) team, will improve the quality of current resources, offering clearer visuals and text accommodating audio and visual learners. The project also involves student consultation to identify areas where additional support is needed, with recordings planned for release in the 2025/2026 academic year. These resources aim to deepen student understanding, boost engagement and confidence, and contribute to a more sustainable and enriched learning experience.  

What is the anticipated impact of this project?

This project will enhance student learning, improve teaching experiences, and establish a sustainable, widely accessible resource hub that can impact the broader educational landscape in textiles and crafts. 

Our aim is to create 18-25 instructional videos on a range textile techniques, including sewing darts, seams, sleeves, collars, zips, and more. These resources are designed to scaffold students' learning throughout the programmes, providing step-by-step guidance that supports skill development at each stage of their progression. Each video will feature verbal instructions alongside a clear success criteria enabling students to critically assess their work and gain a deeper understand the processes involved. 

The digital resources will support over 150 Home Economics students at MTU in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, while also enhancing the faculty's teaching experience by providing innovative, flexible tools for instruction. The videos will also benefit students in other disciplines within the university and wider afield as we plan to disseminate through a dedicated YouTube channel. This initiative will help address the nationwide shortage of Home Economics specific textile resources in post-primary Home Economics classrooms, offering accessible, high-quality content that can support teachers and students across Ireland. By bridging this resource gap, the project aims to foster a deeper understanding of textile techniques and ensure more consistent learning outcomes in Home Economics education. 

These resources can also be utilised by Home Economists in various community settings including Family Resource Centres, further broadening the project’s impact by producing accessible resources for textile and craft. 

HOW Will the outputs of this project be DISSEMINATED?

The outputs of this project will be disseminated through: 

Canvas 

• The project team will initially upload instructional videos related to key processes on the Canvas platform, ensuring easy and streamlined access for students. These videos will be embedded directly within the textiles modules, and their content will build in complexity as students' progress through the programme. This approach ensures that students can develop their skills incrementally, accessing the right level of difficulty at each stage of their learning. 

YouTube 

• Our long-term goal is to bridge the gap in the availability of textile resources by publishing these instructional videos on a dedicated YouTube channel. This will not only make the resources accessible to a global audience of students and educators, but also serve as valuable teaching aids in post-primary classrooms, addressing a known shortage of textile-related teaching materials. 

Social Media  

• To increase visibility, the team will promote the videos on the Tourism & Hospitality Department's social media pages, sharing snippets and teasers to attract attention to the full content on YouTube.  

National Conference 2025 

• In autumn 2025, we will present these digital resources at the Association of Teachers of Home Economics (ATHE) annual conference, a significant gathering of post-primary teachers and students of Home Economics. This conference provides an ideal national platform for sharing our resources with an audience that values and appreciates textiles education. We anticipate that our materials will be warmly received and appreciated by educators committed to enhancing teaching practices in this field. 

By making these high-quality instructional videos widely available, the project aims to position Home Economics at MTU Cork as a leader in textile and craft education. This approach will have a lasting impact on student learning, teaching practices, and the broader educational landscape in these disciplines. 

Team Members