CIT Teaching & Learning Unit

Tuesday,

12^th January 2016

The Teaching Voice - Voice Protection and Projection; The Theoretical and Practical Aspects of the Teaching Voice

Presenter: Séamus Brennan MA MEd

This workshop was presented in two parts.:

• Part one covered positive vocal health. The aim was to enable participants to understand how the voice works and how it should be protected. It pointed out the differences between voice problems and voice disorders, suggested ways of dealing with problems such as laryngitis, hoarseness and vocal fatigue and included “classroom” strategies for protecting the voice.
• Part two showed participants how to evaluate their personal voice quality and find their natural speaking pitch. It included instruction in a proven method of safe and effective voice production. Each participant received a practice sheet and tips for improving and carrying power of the voice.

Tuesday,

12^th January 2016

Recognition of Prior Learning

Presenter: Dr Irene Sheridan, Head of CIT Extended Campus.

CIT has been at the forefront of developments in the recognition of prior learning in Ireland since the mid-1990’s. The workshop briefly explored what is meant by prior learning and the means by which it can be recognised and given value in the context of higher education. Policy and practice in CIT as well as the implications for teaching and assessment and the available staff and student supports were also considered.

Wednesday,

13^th January 2016

Blackboard Induction

Presenter: Darragh Coakley, Department of Technology-Enhanced Learning

In this initial training session, participants were provided with training on the role that Blackboard plays in CIT and how it can be utilised to best serve a variety of approaches to teaching and learning.

Some of the information covered in this session included:

• The role of Blackboard in CIT and how Blackboard communicates with other CIT IT systems.
• Customising Blackboard and the Blackboard layout to suit your training requirements.
• Uploading, editing and organising learning content and best practice for making it available to students.
• Searching and adding rich media for supporting teaching and learning
• The basics of offering assessments and grading students in Blackboard.

Wednesday,

13^th January 2016

Addressing Some Common IT Problems

Presenter: Tom Bonner, IT Services

This workshop consisted of information on IT Services support mechanisms as well as the basic systems and IT infrastructure they provide to all staff.

In light of the wide range of input that IT has to the staff working environment, a short Q&A session was held where some issues were addressable on the spot and others were queued for attention later.

Wednesday,

13^th January 2016

Introduction to Web For Faculty

Presenter: Dr Stephen Cassidy

Web for Faculty is a web-based application which enables academic staff to:

• view student records
• access and download class lists
• email students individually and in groups
• enter module assessment grades
• generate and print grade sheets

This session aimed to provide users of Web for Faculty with an overview of the system and its functions.

Wednesday,

13^th January 2016

Teaching Tools for New Lecturers; The Course Journey: Preparing for the Trek, Mapping The Journey, Identifying Key Markers, Reflecting And Reaching the Destination in One Piece

Presenter: Dr Siobhán O’Sullivan

Meeting students for the first time can be a daunting experience for the student and lecturer alike. This initial meeting albeit stressful and anxiety provoking for both parties can be constructively used to:

• Convey the value of a lecture.
• Establish the course ground rules.
• Map the course structure identifying key points in the course where for example assessments take place.
• Find out where students are at in terms of their prior knowledge.
• Determine what their and your expectations are.

This clarity from the beginning will make students .less anxious as they feel their journey ahead is clearly mapped out and both students and lecturer are working together to achieve the course goals.

Thursday,

14^th January 2016

Assessing Learning Groups: A Seminar Funded by The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching And Learning in Higher Education

Presenter: Professor Brian Bowe, Head of Learning Development in the College of Engineering & Built Environment, DIT.

The learning objectives of this seminar were to:

• Discuss a range of assessment approaches that support group work
• Develop group assessment strategies that support collaborative learning
• Apply peer assessment approaches to group work activities

In higher education, collaborative and cooperative learning is valued because of the range and quality of learning outcomes that can be associated with these learning activities. However, assessing group work is acknowledged as a difficult process.

Instructors tend to have reservations and concerns about the assessment process. Often a single group mark is assigned. This is particularly true for large class sizes when the alternatives are not deemed viable. The impact of this practice on learning is often not fully considered.

The presentation will explore this topic and offer solutions that allow both the process and product of the collaborative learning to be assessed. The problem of assessing the contribution of individuals within groups will be examined. A particular focus will be to address these issues (individual versus group and product versus process) in the context of large classes.

For the workshop, participants applied the ideas discussed in the presentation to real cases. Prior to the event, registered participants were invited to submit examples from their teaching context for consideration. A selection of these were then considered during the workshop and participants were encouraged to develop a viable assessment strategy that would support learning in these varied contexts. The workshop concluded with a critique of the strategies.

Thursday,

14^th January 2016

Including Students with Disabilities in Teaching and Learning

Presenter: Ruth Murphy, Acting Disability Support Officer and Jamie Googan , Graduate intern CIT Access Service

Students with learning differences, disabilities and health conditions are increasingly making themselves known at third level. The session looked at some methods of creating a more inclusive learning environment, including using the principles of accessible information and universal design for learning in lectures. It also addressed ways of supporting students using the needs assessment information sent to lecturers by the Disability Support Service (DSS).

Jamie Googan gave his perspective as a recent CIT graduate who was registered with the DSS on what made a difference for him during his studies.

Thursday,

14^th January 2016

How can Assistive Technology Assist Students?

Presenter: Mark Burleigh, Assistive Technology Officer

This presentation showcased some of the latest technology tools that are provided to students in CIT. These technology tools enable students to maximize their academic potential. Samples of these technologies include dictation technology, mind mapping technology and grammar checking technology. In this session there was also an opportunity for attendees to have a practical hands-on demonstration of some of these technological tools.