Winner of the Jennifer Burke Award 2014:
Dr Barry Ryan, DIT, presents Lights, Camera….Learn! at EdTech2014. 

 

finalists

Lights, Camera…..Learn: Student Generated Digital Learning Assets

Dr Barry Ryan, DIT

Summary

Student generated digital assets as reusable learning objects for peer assisted learning and science communication with community partners.

Detailed description

Learning for many undergraduate students is a passive process; typified by a consumer-like,  assessment-orientated attitude. This innovation introduced an assessment for learning  approach in which student researched, designed and created digital videos were used as  reusable peer-created learning objects and as a springboard for science communication with  local community partners. The use and integration of multimedia technology was central to the scope of this project; however, other ideas including subject threshold concepts, the requirement for both active and authentic social constructivist learning, and student empowerment were also pivotal. Innovation evaluation suggested students appreciated an alternative method of learning and community engagement; although they were more reserved about the time requirement for this learning style. Practitioners can introduce student produced digital media as an alternative student centred learning approach whilst simultaneously developing student soft skills. More generally; assessments for learning, aligned to a community partner, can provide an authentic learning experience.

METIS: An Online Environment for Initial Teacher Education

Dr Enda Donlon, MDI

Summary

METIS (https://metis.materdei.ie) is a custom-built online environment for Initial Teacher Education, developed by @donenda

Detailed description

METIS is a custom-built online environment for Initial Teacher Education  developed at the Mater Dei Institute of Education. The central aim of the project is to facilitate the professional growth of student-teachers. It forms a central data repository where information relating to all School Placements (SP) undertaken by student-teachers accumulates as they progress through their ITE programme, including all schemes of work, professional development goals, reflective statements, assessment feedback from tutors, lesson plans and teaching resources. There are currently three separate interfaces (student-teachers, SP tutors and SP administration staff) with a fourth (placement schools) to be piloted in 2014. A recent evaluation finds that METIS contributes positively to the professional development of student-teachers in several ways, which include enabling better support for and communication with student-teachers by SP tutors throughout the duration of school placements, greater self-directed learning by student-teachers, and improvements in structure and organisation in undertaking SP-related activities.

Using Multimodal Technology to Bilingually and Critically Explore Children’s Literature

Dr Patricia Kennon and Dr Liam Mac Amhlaigh,  NUIM

Summary

A BEd module using multimodal technology to bilingually encounter children’s literature and co-construct a collaborative learning community (140 including spaces)

Detailed description

An elective module that is believed to be a ‘first’ in Irish teacher-education:  a dual-language, blended-learning approach to children’s literature, supporting student teachers in creating enriching links between theory and practice. The elective design developed sensitivity to the pedagogical potential of story, scaffolding the students’ identities as reflective practitioners in the study of literature for younger readers.

Through online, collaborative, in-class and off-campus encounters with 10 novels for young people (five in both Irish and English), students contextualised their own individual reading experiences within an evolving interpretative community.  An interdisciplinary, research-oriented and learner-centred philosophy informed assessment for, and of, learning as students worked bilingually to design and deliver videoed and in-class pair presentations describing and introducing the novels as well as independently leading and managing an electronic discussion forum.  Undertaking personal and professional journeys, participants reflected on a socio-cultural continuum, developing their potential as advocates of children’s literature.

A new IT module delivery approach, where students teach, learn & assess, using social media & online tools

Danielle Martin, Shannon College

Summary

New IT module delivery approach, where the students teach, learn & assess, using new skills in social media & online tools to create & share multimedia content online

Detailed description

Since 2010 a new “IT for Business” module delivery approach has evolved.  A mix of lectures and small-group tutorials enable development of new transferable IT skills.  Student-groups must research core IT-topics, share their learning in multimedia format in wiki-pages and in Prezi teaching-videos.  Students create short online-survey questions on IT-topics for the exam.  The project involves developing a website on a favourite topic. Course admin is wiki-based, where sign-up sheets, schedules, results and outlines evolve in real time incorporating students’ queries.  A social network on ning is for discussion, technical support, chat and broadcast-messages.  The rationale for change was in response to student evaluations which demanded more practical learning.  A significant failure rate and an international cohort of students questioned the success and suitability of lecture-only delivery and essay-style exams.  Now attendance is up, the failure rate is down, and, in evaluations, students give the module a consistent thumbs up!