AISHE-J

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2022): Special Issue: Student Engagement and Partnership in Irish Higher Education A Special Issue co-edited by NStEP and AISHE

Vol 13, No 3 (2021): Fall 2021

From Introduction to the Issue – Moira Maguire and Ronan Bree

We are delighted to welcome you to our Autumn 2021 issue. In recent months, for many, we have witnessed a return to our physical campuses, another significant milestone and transition for the Irish higher education sector. While not yet exactly the ‘full’, ‘normal’ return many had envisaged, it has been made possible by a committed collaboration across institution-wide teams. This was also very evident during recent graduation ceremonies which took place at many institutions, and we extend our congratulations to the class of 2021 who have shown incredible strength and resilience. Complementing the return to campuses, the sector is in a position now to reflect on the experiences and learnings from the COVID-19 induced move to digital spaces for teaching and learning. In addition, it is of value to pause now and recognise how the concept of community and togetherness had such a valued impact in recent months, in how everyone supported each other to get through unprecedented circumstances.

In this issue of AISHE-J, our last of 2021, we are excited to share the work of four teams. The topics being discussed are far reaching, but collectively they provide insights that will be of interest to readers across the sector.

In their submission, Trinity College Dublin’s Patrick Phillips and Krystyna Szczepanska provide a unique insight into the issues careers services staff often meet when supporting international students. In their submission, the authors present their findings following engagement with the literature and subsequent interviews with six staff members in careers services at Irish Universities. The insights presented will be of interest to many stakeholder groups in higher education, who may be teaching, supporting and working with international students. Becoming aware of the transition and cultural adaptation for these students, as well as their career aspirations and expectations can support and enhance how we collaborate on their learning and career journeys. Realising the career goals that are instilled in some students, and how they view careers supports across institutions, can help us as a community to enhance how we all work together, and value how the sector understands the needs of culturally diverse students.

Munster Technology University’s Brigid Lucey and her co-authors Roisin Spriggs, Katie O’Brien, Craig Muphy and Angela Wright present an article detailing their experiences and insights from a true team effort involving mentoring on several levels, with peer learning occurring across two institutions (MTU and University College Cork). With two students having engaged with their lecturer-mentor, the team developed and ran a student-led webinar with 86 biomedical undergraduate science students to guide them in writing high quality, practical laboratory reports. We learn about the collaboration between the two students and their mentor, as well as the mentoring role taken on by the students in how they led the webinar with fellow undergraduates in attendance. The process of how the webinar was conducted is presented and complemented by both the results of an evaluation with attendees, and reflections from the team.

Our next paper, by Briony Supple, Siobhan O’Neill and Guangbo Hao of University College Cork and Alex Pentek of the National Sculpture Factory, Cork, discusses an innovative collaboration between an engineering lecturer, an artist and faculty from learning and teaching. The paper presents a case study of the use of origami in Engineering Education. ‘By engaging with origami as an artform, whose geometry and economy of line contain a certain aesthetic, students can make exciting discoveries and the creation of new complex articulated forms of their own. This helps to inform and inspire the design process in successful advanced robotic and engineering design.’ (p.5). This approach is rooted in the concept of making to enhance learning and teaching and the authors introduce the term ‘makerlearning’ – this encompasses the feature necessary to support making as a ‘learning ethos’ (p.2).

The final paper, ‘Researching Inclusion in HE: A Narrative of Initial Enquiry’, by Sandra Nolan and Susan Flynn, is a reflection on the preliminary stage of a postgraduate study that explored inclusivity in higher education. This short paper takes the form of a braided essay with alternating inputs from supervisor and postgraduate study. These explore how the ‘…value of lived experience, conversations, creating a sense of belonging and understanding for all learners can bring a richness and depth to the research journey’ (p.1).

We really hope you enjoy reading the current issue. As you may be aware, our next issue is a collaboration with The National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP) on student engagement and partnership in Irish higher education. Collaborating with NStEP has been a wonderful experience for everyone at AISHE-J, and we hope the issue will be of interest to all stakeholders across the higher education sector and beyond. We are already excited by the range, number and quality of submissions we have received for consideration. We are particularly delighted that we have been able to recruit a panel of student reviewers for the special issue and this is something that we hope to continue and develop.

Coming back to the current issue, sincere thanks to the authors who submitted their impressive work to AISHE-J, and to our team of dedicated reviewers for supporting both the journal and the authors despite their busy schedules and workloads, we are very grateful.

Stay safe everyone.

Vol 13, No 2 (2021): Summer 2021

Full issue here. After a two-part special issue The Impact of COVID-19 on Irish Higher Education, Vol 12, No 3 (2020) and Vol 13, No 1 (2021), we return to our normal format!

From Introduction to the Issue – Moira Maguire, Morag Munro, and Bernadette Brereton

We are delighted to welcome you to our Summer 2021 issue. This issue comes at the end of what has been another academic year that has challenged all of us in higher education in many ways. Over the past three issues of AISHE-J, colleagues and students have shared their responses to and their experiences of adapting to emergency remote learning and teaching and the ‘new normal’. Despite concerns about new COVID variants, the vaccination progress has contributed to a sense of greater optimism. There is a sense in which this is reflected in this issue: we have five interesting empirical articles spanning a wide range of disciplines and topics.

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is an art-based education programme increasingly used in the education of healthcare professions. In Visual Thinking Strategies for Speech and Language Therapy Students, Alice Lee, Sarah Cronin and Fiona Gibbon from UCC discuss a study which examined the effect of VTS in the context of Speech and Language therapy education, over five years. They found that VTS may stimulate more frequent use of linguistic features associated with critical thinking, reasoning and general observation skills in students. This improvement in observation and reasoning skills is significant, given that speech and language therapists implement these skills when interpreting and analysing assessment results, when devising treatment and management plans for patients or clients, and when working in cross- disciplinary teams.

In An Overview of the Redevelopment of a Computer Science Support Centre and the Associated Pedagogy Impacts, Mark Noone, Amy Thompson and Aidan Mooney shine a light upon the impact of dedicated support for Computer Science students within the context of Irish higher education. They discuss the redevelopment and relaunch of the Computer Science Centre at Maynooth University. The evidence indicates that this has been very successful, with a  dramatic  increase  in  attendance.  Significantly,  those   first-year   students   who   used the centre performed better on  average  in  programming  modules  than  those  who  did  not. These findings add to the evidence for the value of learning support. The authors conclude by presenting some of the initial steps taken to develop nation-wide collaboration to enhance support for computing students.

In Ireland, Computer Science has very recently been made available as a Leaving Certificate subject. In Lecturers’ Perceptions of the Leaving Certificate Computer Science Curriculum and its Influence on Higher Education in Ireland, Fiona Redmond presents findings from a qualitative study with six Computer Science lecturers. She found that lecturers were not very familiar with the Leaving Certificate Computer Science syllabus and were surprised at the level of overlap between this and some of the material they taught in higher education. She notes that ‘While lecturers expressed full support towards adapting their pedagogy, if necessary, they showed concerns over the perceived syllabus overlap and teaching a mixed ability class.’ (p.180). The study highlights the need to raise awareness of the Leaving Certificate syllabus within computing departments.

Any form of learner handover (whereby information about students is shared between staff) must both benefit stakeholders and generate minimal risk. In Medical School Staff Perspectives on Sharing Sensitive Student Information, Dervla Kelly, Sarah Harney and Helena McKeague from UL’s School of Medicine report on a study which considered the duties and role dimensions of medical school staff in how they deal with sensitive student information in context of learner handovers. The authors identify and discuss four themes underpinning current learner handover practice: values, processes, personal approaches and contextual feedback, and outline some key recommendations for future practice.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a field that has received a lot of attention in the popular discourse in recent years but Patrick Philips in Trinity College, Dublin found a dearth of academic consideration of this topic. In A qualitative exploration of Postgraduate Students’ Understanding of Emotional Intelligence and its Potential Impact on their Future Career Development, the understanding of postgraduate students of business of the key concepts within this approach was considered and the contributions of the topic to the career paths of the students was also examined. Students were found to have a reasonable knowledge of EI with an expressed wish to know more, while EI was also found to be a vital contributing factor to students’ on-going career development.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our reviewers and of course, to all the authors who have shared their work in this issue. We hope you enjoy it, and we wish you all a safe and peaceful summer.

Current Issue Vol 13, No 1 (2021) Special Issue: The Impact of COVID-19 on Irish Higher Education: Special Issue Part 2

Introduction to the Issue

Moira Maguire & Ronan Bree

We are delighted to welcome you to this first issue of AISHE-J for 2021 that includes Part 2 of our Special Issues on the impact of COVID-19 on Irish Higher Education. When we issued the original call for contributions to a COVID-19 Special Issue, in April 2020, we could not have foreseen that we would be engaged in emergency remote learning and teaching almost a year later. There was an overwhelming response to our call, from staff and students across many disciplines and areas of higher education. Some of the earliest papers were published as part of our Summer 2020 issue (Volume 12 (2)) and 19 papers were published in Part 1 of the Special Issue in October 2020 (Volume 12(3)). Since then, Ireland has endured further lockdowns. It hasn’t been easy, with many going through extremely difficult and trying personal times. Our mental health, wellbeing and the need for caring and understanding are more important now than ever, as the majority of our means of interaction and communication with each other remain virtual.

In the Higher Education system, educators nationally have had to embrace innovation and creativity and move most of their teaching online, even practical classes this term in many cases, while students have shown their strength and resilience, while also contributing to, informing and supporting the transition. Our daily conversations have taken on new vernacular; ‘Sorry, you’re on mute’, ‘I’m just going to share my screen’ and ‘We lost you for a minute there’. Even meeting etiquette has changed – for example we wait in lobbies to be admitted, we raise our hands to speak, while we are often “conscious there’s only X minutes left” towards the end of a meeting – and of course the popular wave as we leave.

It is important to share and learn from our collective experiences. To do this, we need collaborative partnerships and evidence-based examples, openly shared amongst the HE community to learn from each other and illuminate the path ahead. In this issue, we are pleased to present 7 further articles, that comprise part 2 of our COVID-19 Special Issue. We are also delighted to present two further articles that that are concerned with assessment and lifelong learning, and a book review.

In a paper that is likely to strike a chord with many readers, Daithí Kearney and Adèle Commins, Dundalk Institute of Technology, consider the impact of the pandemic on participation in Erasmus and other international mobility programmes. While internationalisation is broader than these, these initiatives play an important role in personal development, developing c utural awareness and employability. The authors discuss the many educational and wider benefits of international experiences and argue that. ‘… we should not ignore the value of international experiences for staff and students when the opportunities for travel return’ (p. 13) In ‘Teaching Maths in the Time of COVID: The Good, the Bad and Missing Factors,’ Maryna Lishchynska and Catherine Palmer, Munster Technological University, compare emergency remote delivery (ERD) and traditional face-to-face delivery of mathematics. They report that the learning process was the aspect most affected by ERD, with students taking a more passive approach. They discuss a range of strategies to enhance lecturer-student interaction in the online context and these are likely to be of interest in mathematics and beyond.

The next two papers focus on the student perspective. In ‘Conference 2020 and beyond- Space Oddity or Space Odyssey?’, Mags Amond, Maeve Gallagher, Emily Emer Neenan, Jane O’Connell and Tanya Zubrzycki, Trinity College Dublin, discuss the challenges of suddenly ‘pivoting’ a well-established student research conference online. They draw on their experience to make a number of very useful recommendations that will be of interest to AISHE-J readers. Shriya Varghese, a Trinity College Dublin medical graduate, provides a student perspective on the impact of the pandemic on the final medical examinations. The article provides a valuable insight into what this was like for the students who were affected. She argues for an increased role of online learning and simulations in the medical curriculum and looks forward to ‘… seeing the innovative ways in which students and educators progress in a post pandemic world’ (p.3).

University College Dublin’s Linda Yang presents the findings of research with business postgraduate students which examined both the positive and negative aspects of their online learning experience. This timely study provided an opportunity to identify elements of teaching practice that can be effectively delivered at distance, while at the same time recognise those that benefit most from face-to-face interaction. Linda’s findings suggest ‘…the foundation for an effective online experience is engagement’. A very interesting and important study to reflect on, as we all begin to navigate the future landscape of HE in Ireland with our students.

Marie Finnegan of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology examines the impact of the emergency shift online on both student performance and the student experience in an Economics module. She reports that, while performance was marginally better pre-COVID, student perceptions of their achievement of the learning outcomes was less favourable. For some students, access to learning was negatively impacted and rates of social interaction were low. She suggests ‘ In addition, lecturers need to be trained in explicitly facilitating and measuring social interaction in their modules. Such social interaction takes on more importance in the context of a pandemic when students are forced online to continue with their studies’ (p.19).

We also hear from Julia Priess-Buchheit of Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Germany, and her fellow team members who participated in the #EUvsVirus hackathon. In their rapid response, the authors detail their hackathon project entitled ‘Trust in Science’ where they developed an output aiming to assist public understanding and support for evidence-based information. As can be seen in the article, the authors outline the design of the online learning environment they developed that ‘promises to support sustainable, beneficial learning by not only informing learners, but also encouraging them to construct and articulate their own views’. Its focus is to encourage undergraduates and secondary school students in transition to ‘…recognise, understand and appreciate research’.

The final contribution to the second part of the Special Issue is from Carina Ginty of Galway- Mayo Institute of Technology who discusses factors that enabled the transition to online learning and teaching at the institute level. The ongoing digital transformation was enabled by the capacity building of the Learning and Teaching Office and enhancement initiatives including the iNOTE professional development pathway and the DigitalEd Knowledge platform. She pays tribute to ‘ the enormity of what was achieved in higher education, in a short space of time through dedication, collaboration, and innovation in moving teaching, learning and assessment online’ (p. 15).

The other papers also speak to priorities in learning and teaching. Suzanne Fergus, Ektaa Hirani, Nawal Parkar and Stewart Brian Kirton of the University of Hertfordshire in the UK present research on student behaviour in relation to summative and formative assessment on 1st Chemistry modules. The research focused on the use of a free online tool, PeerWise, that allows students to generate their own multiple-choice questions. This was selected as the ‘…variety and number of requirements within PeerWise presents a useful platform to analyse in detail any differences in student contributions between a formative and summative task’ (p.6), this enabled analysis of the level and quality of student engagement. They found that ‘The quality of engagement across a formative and summative online assignment is consistent in relation to the questions created however, the formative cohorts adopt short cuts in some respects such as explanations, number of answer options and providing constructive comments. Summative assignment criteria will directly influence strategic engagement as evidenced by the quality of student comments and explanations.’ (p.19-20).

Independent scholar Liz Doherty’s paper deals with lifelong learning for Irish traditional musicians. She proposes a new framework, TradLABB, that captures learning in two dimensions. The horizontal dimension (Beginner-Competent-Advanced-Expert) captures progression and milestones, while the vertical focuses on ‘…the deeper, experiential learning and living aspect of becoming a traditional musician’ (p.8). This framework ‘…presents an opportunity for teachers and learners to clearly and strategically consider the individual’s learning journey and furnishes them with practical tools to prompt reflection and encourage discourse about the hitherto tacit process of learning’ (p. 12).

Our final contribution is a book review. Breda Brennan, Dundalk Institute of Technology, reviews the ‘Handbook of Quality Assurance for University Teaching’, edited by Roger Ellis and Elaine Hogard. This is a significant tome that includes 36 chapters by 48 contributors. It represents an ‘…authoritative repository of a very large volume of research and case studies carried out over an extensive time period’ and ‘…explores not only the current knowledge and practices in higher education QA but how we got here and why’. This is a vey thorough and useful review of a book that is likely to be an essential reference for anyone engaged in quality assurance.

All of us at AISHE-J would like to thank everyone who made this issue possible, at a very challenging time for many: the authors for taking time to document and share their work for publication at AISHE-J, our reviewers for their time, expertise and constructive input and our readers for their support and encouragement.

Finally, we are delighted to announce that the February 2022 issue will be another Special Issue, in partnership with NStEP (National Student Engagement Programme): ‘Student Engagement and Partnership in Ireland’. The call for papers has been announced and full details are available on our website, or by clicking here.

We really hope you enjoy reading the current issue; stay safe everyone.

The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE-J) and the National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP) are delighted to announce a call for contributions to a Special Issue on ‘Student Engagement and Partnership in Ireland’. This is jointly edited by NStEP and AISHE and submissions will be reviewed by both academic experts and student reviewers. The Special Issue will be published February 2022.

We invite submissions from students and staff from across higher education with an interest in enhancing the role of students as decision-makers in the learning community. We encourage joint student-staff submissions and student papers.

Both student engagement in decision-making and the intertwined concept of students as partners, have become a core feature of enhancement activities across Irish higher education. Meaningful engagement with students as a core constituent of the learning community re-imagines the relationship between students and staff, providing opportunity to foster a deeper connection to the institution and opens up the possibility of co-creating change. However, developing an authentic vision of engagement that truly involves the student as an influential partner is challenging. This Special Issue provides an opportunity to gather practice, perspectives, and experiences of the process of engagement and partnership between students and staff. We welcome submissions that can provide an understanding of the challenges and enablers to authenticity in student engagement practices, policies, and processes, and would encourage students and staff to collaborate and co-author.

We are seeking:

1. Rapid Responses – short articles (1,000-2,000 words) that reflect on or critically consider current experiences of student engagement and partnership in Irish higher education.   We would welcome rapid responses co-authored by staff and students.
2. Full papers (no more than 5,000 words) that reflect on and critically consider key issues in student engagement and/or partnership within the context of Irish higher education and beyond. We are particularly interested in papers that explore the processes of student engagement and partnership practices.
3. Experiences – short pieces (500 – 1,000 words) – short reflective pieces that focus on experiences of student engagement in decision-making and fostering meaningful partnerships.

We welcome contributions that address any aspects of the following:

• Learning and teaching
• Assessment and feedback
• Student representation and peer-to-peer initiatives
• Governance and quality arrangements
• Institution-wide initiatives
• Discipline-specific issues
• Processes of engagement and partnership
• Models of partnership
• Values, concepts, and theories
• Future-focus and emerging trends
• Sustainability of practices
• The experiences of educators and students
• Diversity and inclusion in student engagement
• Tools to promote engagement and partnership
• Student engagement and partnership in a post COVID-19 world.

Early submissions: 30^th June 2021

Final submission: 30^th September 2021

Publication: 28th February 2022

Please submit via the journal website: https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/about

We are particularly keen to hear from students!

Student expressions of interest

Before deciding to commit to writing a full submission, there is an opportunity to submit an expression of interest. AISHE and NStEP will then contact you to discuss the expression of interest and offer any advice on how best to get started and support you through the process. Just contact info AT aishe DOT org.

There will be further opportunities offered later in the year to support students who may wish to write a submission for the Special Issue. AISHE and NStEP will announce further details in due course, including opportunities for staff and student co-authors to explore how to achieve the most from your partnership.

Full issue here.

From Introduction to the Issue – Ronan Bree, Sylvia Huntley Moore, Moira Maguire and Morag Munro

Special Issue: The Impact of COVID-19 on Irish Higher Education (Part 1)

We are very pleased to welcome you to this significant issue of AISHE-J: Part 1 of our Special Issues on the impact of COVID-19 on Irish Higher Education. On March 12th 2020, in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic and as part of a National lockdown, the physical doors of Irish Higher Education Institutions were ordered to close. The lights were switched off, the doors locked. As a national community, we entered an uncertain and testing time on many levels. In the words of U2’s Bono, we were “not all in the same boat” but were “going through the same storm”. It was life changing.

The impact on Higher Education was, and continues to be, significant. In April of this year, we issued a call for contributions for a Special Issue of AISHE-J to explore this. We received an unprecedented response, in terms of the range of academic disciplines represented and number of submissions. While some of the early contributions were published in the Summer issue of Volume 12, the response to the call has been so great that the Special Issue has become two Special Issues; we will publish additional papers as Part 2 in February 2021.

This issue, the last of Volume 12, presents 19 articles, research pieces and rapid responses from the perspective of many stakeholders, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, lecturers, professional and support staff. These contributions provide a ‘snapshot’ of Irish Higher Education at an unprecedented time and represent ways of making sense of the tremendous changes. They evidence innovative and caring practices as well as the many challenges faced and the various impacts of these and identify opportunities.

Pedagogical and learner support challenges and responses are explored by many contributors. Unsurprisingly, many discuss the challenge of moving face-to-face learning, teaching and support activities online, providing useful insights into what works and why.

David Hamill, Trinity College Dublin, discusses the implementation of a VLE-based, teaching practice support module developed to support the needs of a broad academic community as the transition to online learning began. Mary Delaney and colleagues present the experience of eight Irish academic libraries from the Technological Higher Education Association as traditional library services were replaced with online communication technologies and Library staff worked to ensure student and staff access to collections and resources. The experience of moving an academic writing workshop with library staff to a virtual format is outlined by Helen Fallon and Laura Connaughton from Maynooth University. Here, the authors present the new task-oriented format of their virtual workshop, combined with an evaluation in addition to learnings from engaging with the Zoom platform.

For Deirdre Casey of Cork Institute of Technology, COVID-19 “presented huge obstacles but also opportunities for change”. In her rapid response article, she details how, due to the abrupt closure of the physical campus, their academic learning centre went through a fundamental rethinking of how academic support was being provided and how online platforms could make their service more robust and able to respond to the growing needs of students for academic support, human connection and reassurance. In their article, ‘Engaging Students through Extracurricular Programmes: A Virtual Platform in the COVID-19 Era’, Lorraine Tansey and colleagues at NUI Galway focus on the extracurricular activities, a very important aspect of student life. They explain how they have used a virtual platform to ensure that extracurricular activities can ‘thrive’ online.

Some papers offer discipline-specific perspectives and insights. Chanel Watson and RCSI colleagues note that in 2019 the WHO announced that 2020 was due to be designated the year of the nurse and midwife. In recent times, the contribution nurses and midwives make to the wellbeing of other has indeed never been so visible. Their article discusses the recent impact on nurse educators and their practice while it reiterates the need for a planned approach, with robust evaluation needed to determine the effectiveness of new ways of supporting students

In their paper ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Teaching and Undergraduate Children’s Nursing Module’, Katie Hill and colleagues the methods they used to deliver a Nursing module completely online, identifying challenges and enablers.

Effective communication for student group projects in a perennial challenge. A study by Trinity College’s Michela Valente and Michelle MacMahon examines the impact and additional complexities that can arise when this communication occurs virtually, ultimately how this could potentially even compromise the performance of the group.

Several papers offer insights into the experiences of staff and students from a range of perspectives during the early stages of the pandemic as the Higher Education community pivoted to the online environment with unprecedented speed.

Individual perspectives are offered by Bernard Drumm, a newly appointed lecturer and Angelina Jong, a third-year international undergraduate student in the Department of Life & Health Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology. They reflect on the ways their teaching and learning approaches and practices were affected by the closure of their College and how they rose to the subsequent pedagogic, social and technological challenges. Like Jong, O’Shea writes from her perspective as an undergraduate student. As a first-year student in the process of transitioning to college who contracted COVID-19, Grace O’Shea provides first-hand insights into the physical and mental effects of the virus and the impact on student learning. Beth McKeague, who had just completed her third year at Maynooth University also highlights the challenges faced by students and making a call for ‘…understanding and compassion if we are all to get through this together and in one piece’.

Susan Flynn and Gina Noonan provide an Institution-wide perspective through their discussion of the qualitative results of a survey of academic staff at the Institute of Technology, Carlow conducted to ascertain their experiences of the ‘online pivot’. Their findings were ‘…overwhelmingly positive in terms of the willingness of lecturers to overcome professionally engrained habits and practices, to find ways to engage and support our students and to develop their own style and ownership of remote teaching’, however they point to the need to prioritise the ongoing support of teaching staff. Linda Yang and colleagues’ paper highlights the way in which an academic department within an Irish research-intensive University addressed the challenge of upskilling academic staff through a virtual community of practice to provide peer support and share best practice in digital teaching and learning.

Our final set of papers consider the legacy of COVID-19 on Irish HE. The response to the pandemic has highlighted the importance of student engagement in decision making. In their invited article, Oisín Hassan and colleagues from the National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP) reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on student engagement in decision making, noting the ‘… significant (and perhaps, unexpected) influence on dialogue on the role of student partnership in Institutional decision-making, and particularly on teaching, learning and assessment’. This offers opportunities in a time of challenge but needs to be supported by capacity building. They conclude ‘The new narrative of co-creation is one that staff and students across Irish Higher Education must nurture, if an inclusive and democratic learning community is to be realised’. Complementing this, in Students as Partners: A model to promote student engagement in post-COVID-19 teaching and learning, Dale Whelehan, Education Officer of the Students Union at Trinity College Dublin, proposes some ways in which we might foster a culture of student partnership as we move into a post-COVID-19 Higher Education system.

For many of those identified as part of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (NAP), the pandemic brought both educational challenges and opportunities. In COVID-19 ‘Targets’ the National Access Plan, Linda Cardiff and Michele Kehoe from Trinity College Dublin argue that the next iteration of the plan should reflect the immediate and longer-term impact of the changes that have been experienced in education, while giving voice to a wider target group. Using ‘…PhotoVoice research, journaling, Design Thinking workshops and semi structured interviews..’ Threase Finnegan-Kessie and colleagues explored the experiences of staff and students. Their findings highlight the emphasis on functional delivery and they argue that ‘… for Higher Education to remain relevant and to provide graduates with the skills they need to tackle the challenges they will face as a result of COVID-19, we must readjust the system so there is equal emphasis placed on making social, emotional and functional progress’.

Executive functioning skills “are the set of cognitive processes required to enable higher order thinking and are associated with self-regulation and academic success.” In The Role of Executive Functioning Skills in Achieving Academic Success and Navigating Current Pandemic Uncertainties: Introducing ExS, Kavanagh et al. from NUI Galway discuss how the ExS online programme, a recently launched autonomous online learning tool designed to help students become more aware of their executive functioning skills, can provide support to students who may be feeling overwhelmed by the changes to their learning environment as well as their social and personal lives. Finally, in The Potential of Design Thinking to Enable Change in Higher Education, Vaugh et al. from Maynooth University argue that a design thinking-based approach could empower Higher Education staff with the tools, attitudes and abilities required to identify and deal with future challenges and uncertainty, while fostering innovation organisational change.

This issue offers an insight into the challenges faced by the higher education sector and the people who are part of it while also highlighting creativity, care, resilience and the need for ongoing support. We hope you will enjoy reading it. We would like to express our very sincere gratitude to all those who made this issue possible. We would like to thank our reviewers for their generosity and thoroughness at a particularly challenging time and our contributors who have taken the time to share their ideas and experiences. Stay safe everyone.

AISHE-J Special Issue on COVID-19 and Irish Higher Education.  A reminder that the deadline for submissions is the 1st of September.  Please see https://www.aishe-j.org/2020/04/30/special-issue-covid-19-and-irish-higher-education-call-for-contributions/  for details and contact: info AT aishe DOT org, with any queries.

Full issue here.

From Introduction to the Issue – Moira Maguire, Morag Munro, Bernadette Brereton,  Ronan Bree, Sylvia Huntley Moore

We are delighted to welcome you to this varied and thought-provoking second issue of Volume 12. When we published issue 1, at the end of February this year, concern about the COVID-19 virus was mounting, however few could have foreseen what a significant impact it would have on our lives and societies. The physical closure of all Irish educational establishments in March 2020 forced a shift to ‘emergency remote teaching’ that has been very challenging. Colleagues across higher education have responded to this with innovation, flexibility and care. In April 2020, AISHE-J issued a call for papers for a Special Issue on COVID-19 and Irish Higher Education. This will be published in October 2020, however the current issue includes 7 ‘Rapid Responses’ that share practices, experiences or discuss issues in relation to impact of the COVID-19 emergency over the past 3 months.

In our first paper, ‘Student perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on learning’, Katie Hill and Rebecca Fitzgerald use Gibbs’ reflective cycle to explore their experiences as students and as novice teachers on a postgraduate diploma in nurse education during the COVID emergency. They conclude that ‘…the experience posed many challenges, resulting in reduced engagement and disrupted learning opportunities. However, there were also some positives with online learning including flexibility of learning such as completing activities at the students’ pace and being able to learn in a location convenient for the student.’ and suggest that ‘a hybrid approach for future learning opportunities could be beneficial with increased staff and student engagement through interactive activities’ (p.6).

Many readers will be familiar with ‘Gasta’, a 5-minute presentation format characterised by audience engagement and lots of fun. Chaired by Tom Farrelly (Institute of Technology, Tralee), it is a very popular feature of the Irish Learning Technology Association’s annual EdTech Conference. In ‘Gasta Goes Global as a rapid community response to COVID-19’, Tom and colleagues Gearoid Ó Suilleabhán (Cork Institute of Technology) and Ken McCarthy (Waterford Institute of Technology), discuss how they successfully adapted this face-to-face format as a high-profile online event. Seven well-known learning technology experts participated in ‘GastaGoesGlobal’ as ‘Gastateers’, discussing the future of Higher Education post-COVID-19 in front of an international audience. The authors conclude: ‘If the Gasta online event and the general ‘pivot to online’ has taught us anything it is that online conferences can be both meaningful and engaging. Indeed, online makes possible events that would be difficult, if not impossible to achieve in the face-to-face world.’ (p.8).

In April 2020, a 3-day, large-scale event organised by the European Commission, termed the ‘EUvsVirus Hackathon project’ took place online. It was conceived as a pan-European rapid response to the unprecedented challenges and negative effects which COVID-19 restrictions were having in European society. In her Rapid Response ‘EUvsVirus Hackathon project: A case study from a mentor’s perspective’, Bernadette Brereton (Dundalk Institute of Technology) provides a personal insight to her mentoring experience on this European project’s ‘Remote Working and Education Challenge’, where she also supported teams participating in both the ‘E-learning methods and tools’ and ‘University-specific challenges’ categories.

A key challenge generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has been the imperative to rapidly shift to provision of remote assessments and exams. In ‘Rewriting the (exam) script? Assessing student learning in an unusual end-of-year context’, Jonny Johnston and Ciara O’Farrell discuss the approach taken by the Centre for Academic Practice, Trinity College Dublin, in their development of a reference resource outlining potential methods for repurposing exam questions for novel use in open-book contexts. Jonny and Ciara note that ‘as a development team, our role within the institution is that of change agent, provoking and enabling academics to reflect on how they might enhance their own practices in teaching, learning, and assessment, rather than cleaving to a directive role’ (p.3). In developing the resource, they thus ‘needed to find a way to encourage reflection and insight into the need to re-design and reframe questions without being either prescriptive or risking being perceived as directive in our advice to AISHE-J Volume 12, Number 1 (Spring 2020) Page 3 disciplinary academics’ (pp.5-6). They achieved this by providing questions prompting direct engagement with specific exam style questions and also by providing multiple potential modifications for better use. The resulting open-source resource provides colleagues across the sector with an excellent reference for similar redevelopment of remote exams and assessments.

For a number of years, Brendan O’Connell, a lecturer in medieval literature at Trinity College Dublin, has utilised the poem ‘Cleanness’, an anonymous text which has been interpreted as a response to the fourteenth century Black Death, as the focus for his ‘Surviving Trauma in the Middle Ages’ class. In ‘Teaching Literary Responses to the Black Death during the COVID-19 Pandemic’, Brendan provides a fascinating case study of the challenges and opportunities he experienced in teaching the poem in the immediate aftermath of the closure of Irish universities in March 2020. In order to support his students to adapt to the sudden closure, and cognisant of the pressures facing them due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brendan’s approach was to provide a framework for students to explore the text and associated resources in their own time, along with online discussion boards for class discussions. He notes that his students ‘responded strongly to the unexpected relevance of the text, and drew useful comparisons and contrasts between medieval and modern responses to pandemics and contagious illness’. He found that utilising discussion boards ‘allowed all students to engage, and helped a number of quiet students find their voice in the classroom’ (p.4). He concludes that the experience ‘has changed the way I will teach the text in future, even when we return to our classrooms’. (p.4).

The rapid response paper ‘Learning at a distance but not a distance learner: meeting the needs of a diverse body of students post COVID-19’ from Maeve O’Regan (Trinity College Dublin) is based on questionnaire responses from five universities considering the sources of doctoral programme information, training and support that the participants had accessed from the academic institution (face-to-face and online) during candidature. The preliminary results illustrate how dynamic interaction and the availability of information and support that is timely and meets the learner’s personal circumstances was key to academic progression and satisfaction for participants.

The final COVID-19 response in the Letters and Announcements, is a poem, ‘The Silk Road To Online Teaching During COVID’. Ashamole Clive (Trinity College Dublin) has written a poem about the challenges of facilitating online learning during the pandemic. Her insights are likely to resonate with many readers.

The issue also includes a very interesting selection of papers that deal with specific aspects of learning, teaching and assessment.

In their paper, ‘The student experience of final year in an undergraduate degree programme in Education Studies’, Roisin Donnelly (Technological University Dublin), Julie Uí Choistealbha (Marino Institute of Education) and Marian Fitzmaurice (Marino Institute of Education) examine the impact of curriculum design on final-year student experience on an Education Studies programme. It ‘… explores the key elements of dissertation, ePortfolio and internship from a student and staff (programme team) perspective’ (p.3). The authors surveyed and interviewed graduates and conducted a focus group with the programme team. Students ‘…identified the development of skills, knowledge and competencies for the workplace through the internship, and highlighted the value in undertaking the dissertation process as it enabled them to research a topic of personal interest, and develop research skills, but was also a challenging and intense experience’ (p.29). The authors draw on the findings to present a model for student support across 3 contexts: pedagogic, workplace and research and this is likely to be of considerable interest to colleagues who teach, or provide support for, professionally-orientated programmes.

The TEAM Project: Insights from developing a national project focused on enhancing
assessment in science and health practical sessions with digital technologies’ by Ronan Bree, Olya Antropova (both Dundalk Institute of Technology) and colleagues from Dundalk Institute of Technology, Athlone Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Carlow and Institute of Technology Sligo reports on a multi-institution enhancement project: Technology Enhanced Assessment Methods (TEAM). The TEAM project was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and ‘…represented a 2-year, multi-institutional approach that aimed to incorporate digital technologies to enhance the manner in which assessment takes place in science and health practical settings’ (p.4). The project focused on the design, assessment and feedback of practical and clinical skills sessions in Science and Health programmes in 42 pilot projects across the 4 partner institutions. Working with 1,600 students, the project incorporated the use of a variety of technological tools to enhance student learning and success and the work is likely to be of interest to anyone involved with teaching and assessing laboratory or other practical learning.

Finally, in ‘Approaching assignments: A recipe for reflection’, Trish Ganly of the Irish
Management Institute, draws on her own experiences as a student and educator, to support AISHE-J Volume 12, Number 1 (Spring 2020) Page 5 postgraduate students to develop their voices as academic writers. She presents and explains a 10-step process that provides a structured approach to assignments. The paper also includes a useful pre-submissions checklist. As Ganly notes, ‘Developing as a critical writer requires commitment, time, effort, practice and actively listening to feedback to enhance these skills and, for me, is a lifelong journey.’ (p.8) and this paper is likely to be a useful resource to support that journey.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the authors and reviewers who have
contributed to this issue. We would also like to remind you that we will be accepting submissions for consideration for the Special Issue ‘COVID-19 and Irish Higher Education’ until the 1st of September 2020. Full details are available here https://www.aishe-j.org/2020/04/30/specialissue- covid-19-and-irish-higher-education-call-for-contributions/ If you have an idea for a contribution that you would like to discuss, please contact any member of the editorial team and we will be delighted to help. We would also like to hear from potential reviewers.

Finally, we hope that you enjoy the issue and stay safe and well over the coming months.

PDF of this call here.

The COVID 19 emergency has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives right now and this has had an enormous impact on all sectors of education.  Nationally, and internationally, educators and students are responding with incredible ingenuity, flexibility and most of all, care for each other.  The physical closure of our Higher Education Institutions has forced us to shift almost all learning and teaching activity online in a way that, until very recently, would have been unimaginable.    This poses numerous challenges but also presents opportunities. If nothing, the fact that the country was able to shift to online delivery with little advance warning is a testament to both the technology now at our disposal and the flexibility and dedication of educators and students. Likely this sequence of events will have lasting effects on teaching and learning going forward.

In response to this unprecedented situation, The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE-J) invites colleagues to share experiences and responses and to reflect on the immediate and longer-term impacts of these changes.

We are seeking:

1. Rapid Responses – short articles (1,000-2,000 words) that share practices developed in response to the COVID 19 situation OR present short case studies of responses OR consider specific issues and/or experiences.  We would welcome rapid responses co-authored by staff and students.

2. Full papers (no more than 5,000 words) that reflect on and critically consider these changes in the context of the Irish higher education landscape. and beyond.

3. The Student Perspective – short pieces (500 – 1,000 words) written by students that address the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on their learning and wider experience.

For all categories, we welcome submissions that consider the impact of the COVID-19  emergency on any aspect of:

• Learning, teaching and assessment in higher education,
• Student support,
• The student experience,including student engagement,
• The experiences of educators and students including lesser represented groups,
• Responses and impacts specific to disciplines,
• Digital capacity, including the digital divide,
• Research.

In addition, we would also welcome full papers that consider:

• National or sectoral responses,
• Institutional responses,
• Quality Assurance,
• Impacts on student and newly qualified health professionals.
• Implications for the long-term future of higher education.
• Implications for the future of research in HE.

Key dates.

The deadline for all submissions is 1^st September 2020 for consideration for the Special Issue (31^st October).

Decisions to authors – 20^th September 2020

Deadline for final revised submissions – 14^th October 2020

Submissions should be made via the AISHE-J website https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/about.  We would be delighted to discuss any ideas you might have for a submission.  Please contact the email address below, or any member of the AISHE-J editorial team. We would also like to hear from those interested in reviewing these submissions.  Please contact: info AT aishe DOT org

Please note, we can also consider Rapid Responses for inclusion in the June 2020 issue of the journal  If you would like to submit a short paper for consideration for this earlier publication, please submit by 21^st May 2020 and include a brief note to the editor indicating that you would like this to be considered for June.

Format.

Please follow the guidelines below when preparing your submission.  Submissions should be made via the AISHE-J website https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/about

• Arial font – 11 point.
• Title case
• Maximum 3 levels of heading:
• (Heading L1 -a dd, Heading L2 add, Heading L3 add)
• Please keep tables and graphs to a minimum and ensure that they are clearly labelled consecutively, i.e. Figure 1,2,…..; Table 1, 2….
• If the paper reports research with human participants, this must have ethical approval.
• Referencing should follow APA
• Rapid responses:  1,000-2,000 words, excluding references and abstract.
• Full papers: maximum 5,000 words, excluding references and abstract.

Full issue here.

From Introduction to the Issue – Moira Maguire, Morag Munro and Ronan Bree

We are delighted to welcome you to the first issue of volume 12. We have an interesting and varied collection of papers and we hope that you will enjoy them.

In our first article, Francesca Keogh. Alice Lee and Fiona Gibbon, from University College Cork, discuss the use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) whereby students are facilitated to view, examine and interpret pieces of art. VTS is ‘… a tool which can assist students to develop observation, communication, team working and critical-thinking skills…through engagement and participation in group thought and discussion processes’ (p.2). In ‘Visual Thinking Strategies: Experiences of an Arts-based Curriculum in an Irish University Medicine and Health Faculty’, the authors report a qualitative, descriptive study of facilitators’ and students’ experiences of its use on a number of healthcare undergraduate programmes. This study is unique in exploring the perspectives of facilitators as well as students. Both groups were positive about the role of VTS in skill development, however facilitators felt that greater student engagement was needed to realise the full potential of the approach. Issues such as quantity and timing of deliver and class sizes also emerged. The authors highlight the need for further research on the impact of VTS on learning and particularly on the transfer of this learning to clinical settings.

Unlike disciplines such as medicine or legal studies, students in the arts and humanities are less likely to be consciously engaged in the development of a ‘professional identity’. In ‘Service Learning As A Means To Develop Geography Graduates’ Professional Identity’, Marie Mahon, Therese Conway, Maura Farrell and John McDonagh from the National University of Ireland, Galway, discuss how service learning, “…a pedagogical approach that emphasises experiential learning, and particularly critical reflection on those experience…s” (p5) can enable disciplines such as rural geography to support students in the development of a professional identity. Using a case study example of a Master’s module, the authors examine service learning as “a participatory and reflexive approach to teaching and learning, using methods that link the application of academic knowledge of rural geography and more applied skills to a practice-based setting” (p3). They conclude that service learning has significant potential to develop students’ professional identity, as well as having scope to provide spaces of professional socialisation. They also highlight that academic staff have a pivotal role to play in supporting students to “…construct a narrative of professionalisation … that guides students towards developing a professional self with consequent links to a range of employability attributes” (p15).

Aidan Mooney and James Lockwood from Maynooth University present their novel
Computational Thinking (CT) test with first year computer science (CS) students. CT is defined by the authors as “the thought processes required in decomposing problems and constructing solutions that are encountered in CS”. The authors initially draw on the literature to highlight how CT scores correlate with academic achievement, and hence could act as a predictor of academic success. In addition, they highlight that CT has improved understanding of how programming centres on problem solving while also improving female attitudes to programming. In this article, the authors present their findings from working with first year students who took their CT tests and completed surveys on CS and CT. The aim was to gather and analyse perceptions of first year undergraduates who had been exposed to two semesters of CS, and to see if a change in those perceptions was observed during that experience, as well as compare data from the CT tests taken by the students. Comparing their CS survey results, one can see the students’ perceptions of certain aspects of CS change, such as an increased awareness of the importance of solving problems being central in CS. The authors also provide an insight into the responses between various demographics such as those who had prior
programming experience vs. no experience, ordinary vs. higher level maths in schools and
gender. The authors complete their article with a view to the future, identifying how cross-institute comparisons would be of interest while perhaps comparing with Institutes using Java as a first programming language would complement this further.

Instructional videos can be very powerful learning and teaching tools, but many educators feel they don’t have the skills or the confidence to develop their own. The final article ‘Practical Recommendations on the Production of Video Teaching Resources’ will be an invaluable resource for anyone who would like to produce their own educational videos. Karen Dunne, Ronan Bree (Dundalk Institute of Technology), Vivienne Duggan and Deirdre Campion (University College Dublin) provide a step-by-step guide to the entire process: planning shooting, editing and sharing. The article provides an incredibly clear and comprehensive explanation of each of these stages. The authors consider the ethical issues associated with video production and also povide clear guidance on editing for Universal Design for Learning (ULD). The use of illustrations and practical tips ensure that this article will be of use to novices in addition to those more experienced in developing videos. We hope that you enjoy the issue and we would like to express our sincere thanks to all the authors and reviewers. Finally, we would like to remind you that we are also accepting papers for consideration for the Summer 2020 issue and beyond. If you have an idea for a contribution that you would like to discuss, please contact us, or any member of the editorial team and we will be delighted to help.

Full issue here.

From Introduction to the Issue – Moira Maguire and Bernadette Brereton

We are delighted to welcome you to this last issue of volume 11. As 2019 begins to draw to a close, our thoughts turn to 2020 and we will shortly be issuing a call for contributions for a Special Issue (Autumn 2020) celebrating the work of the Centres for Learning and Teaching across the island of Ireland. These centres have played a very important role in enhancing learning and teaching and promoting professional development for all those who teach in higher education. We hope that this Special Issue will offer an opportunity to celebrate this work and critically consider its impact to date as well as future developments. We would like to include a wide range of perspectives in a wide variety of formats and full details, including dates and deadlines will be released shortly on the AISHE website https://www.aishe.org/ and will be circulated via the higher education networks.

Turning back to the current issue, we are delighted to present three diverse and interesting contributions that deal with critical thinking, digital badging and assessment and the role of digital learning in preparing for study abroad.

How do you teach students how to think?’ This over-arching question for teachers of all disciplines forms the opening to ‘Teaching Critical Thinking and Critical Consciousness through Literature in Third Level Education’ in which Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) lecturer Christa de Brun reflects on the means by which modern (twentieth century) literature can be a successful vehicle for promoting and teaching critical thinking in higher level. De Brun posits that for learning to be truly ‘transformative’, it needs to enable students to alter their points of view as well as their ‘habits of the mind’. Using a variety of methods such as tutorials, literature circles and critical reviews, the author reports a shift in student perspective through the process of the work to a ‘more inclusive world-view’, with follow-on interviews with students giving positive feedback on their deepened understanding of the twin concepts of ‘ideology’ and ‘hegemony’ and a truly ‘transformed’ approach to learning. The resulting self-reported increase in assertiveness is one which could make all teachers undertake to develop the critical thinking skills of their student learners.

Digital badges are increasingly used to evidence learning in higher education and beyond. In ‘Innovating with Digital Badges in Assessment: A Case Study using Digital Badges in an Undergraduate University Module’, Crystal Fulton discusses the use of digital badging to promote student engagement with a Social Media & Computing module. In the first year of implementation ‘…badges were matched to individual skills…’ (p. 7) and while this was effective, there was a significant impact on staff workload. In the second year, the approach was modified and badges were awarded by themes. Fulton reports that this allowed students to engage more deeply with their learning and assessment. Student feedback was very positive. Fulton notes that ‘Students valued the process of learning skills, with success marked by thematic digital badges.’ (p.9). The article includes useful advice for those interested in adopting digital badges in their own practice.

Marta Giralt, Liam Murray and Silvia Benini highlight the importance of preparation in ensuring that the learning potential of mobility periods abroad are fully realised and they offer a valuable insight into the role of digital learning in helping to achieve this. Their article ‘Applying Digital Learning to Facilitate Student Transitions within Higher Education Mobility Programmes: Implementing the ‘Digilanguages.ie’ portal’, provides a useful discussion of current trends in the area and focuses on the Digilanguages online portal. This initiative was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and ‘…offers OER and activities targeting, inter alia, Third Level Institutions, first year students, students studying abroad, and in-service language teachers.’ (p.6) and it ‘…serves as a support, personal development platform, and pedagogical repository for both learning and teaching languages.’ (p.6). The article reports on a pilot study involving second-year students taking an International Business Spanish module. Students responded very positively and the authors recommend that Digilanguages be used to prepare students for the period abroad, either as an autonomous online programme or integrated into traditional classes.

We hope that you enjoy these articles and find them useful. It has been a real pleasure dealing with our authors and reviewers and we would like to express our sincere thanks to all who contributed to this issue. Finally, we would like to remind readers that we are also accepting papers for consideration for the Summer 2020 issue and beyond. If you have an idea for a contribution that you would like to discuss, please contact us, or any member of the editorial team and we will be delighted to help.

Full issue here.

From Introduction to the Issue: Assessment and Feedback in the 21st Century: Lessons Learnt from the Past and Future Directions – Anna Serbati, Valentina Grion, Sally Brown

“The ways we assess our students can really make a difference to how student learn […]. If we find our systems do not allow us to implement a really valuable assessment innovation,  for example, then we must find ways to change the system. We need to ensure that decisions about assessment strategies are based on the best available evidence-based research on assessment, rather than on custom and practice or what is easy to do” (Brown, 2005, p. 88).

This suggestion, represented, for the two Italian authors of this editorial, Anna Serbati and Valentina Grion, one of the main stimuli, to decide to engage in an intensive research program on assessment and feedback in HE some years ago. The first step they undertook was that to open a dialogue with some international colleagues, researchers and practitioners from US, UK and Ireland, who are not only experienced researchers that had already the chance to study and research assessment and feedback practices in their context, but also people who share the same passion and perspective about the central role of students in assessment processes, including the UK author, Sally Brown.

Following on from this collaboration, together we established the international research group, “PAFIR” (Peer Assessment and Feedback International Research group), devoted to improving assessment practices in higher education. This extended intercultural sharing and subsequent debate led to several initiatives such as the two conferences held in Padova in 2017 and 2018, some reciprocal study visits and Erasmus exchanges, a joint program of research and publications (Grion & Serbati in Sambell, McDowell & Montgomery, 2017; Sambell; Brown; Race in Grion & Serbati, 2018; Sambell, Brown & Race in Grion, Serbati, Felisatti, Li, 2019 and in this issue, Li & Grion, 2019; Nicol, Serbati, & Tracchi, 2019).

Among these outputs, the current special issue represents a quite thoughtful and, we hope, comprehensive current synthesis of this pathway achieved together, as well as a new starting point for further evidence-based studies on new assessment practices in HE.
AISHE, The All Ireland Society for Higher Education, dedicated to the promotion of good practice in learning and teaching, enthusiastically welcomed our offer to share our collective thoughts and research findings in the AISHE-Journal and the opening of debates on these topics across the wider international community.

With the aim of valuing both research and practices in the field of assessment and feedback, this special issue is composed of two sections of peer reviewed papers: the first is devoted to theoretical and empirical studies from an academic perspective; the second one, entitled Conversazioni, focuses on experiences and practices, offering a more narrative approach from practitioners’ point of view.

The first section, devoted to theoretical and empirical studies, begins with the article by Sambell, Brown and Race. Building on their extensive research experience, the authors offer a broad perspective on assessment practices in HE. They discuss eight challenges aimed at supporting academics, who teach and assess students in the twenty-first century and who wish to make assessment integral to student learning, fit-for-purpose, valid and reliable, inclusive and manageable for assessors. They conclude with a call to make assessment truly authentic in order to be meaningful for students and become a valid, lifelong learning tool.

In the second article in this section, Li and Grion present a study aimed at exploring how peer assessment works and what contributes to students’ learning gain. In the context of a blended Masters-level course in an Italian University, the authors analyse 41 students’ responses to online surveys together with their online written interactions when they participated in a peer assessment activity, in order to identify cognitive processes that lead to learning enhancement. The authors discuss some of the benefits associated with giving and receiving peer feedback and they conclude with some significant implications for researchers and practitioners in education, who are interested in integrating peer assessment with their teaching/learning activities.

This discussion around feedback in higher education continues with the paper offered by Nicol, Serbati and Tracchi, who present research on peer review in the context of competence portfolio preparation for university students in Education. Findings of the study show that both reviewing and receiving reviews can prompt deep reflective thinking, as evidenced by changes in the students’ portfolios analysed. The discussion focuses on the value of peer review in promoting reflection, on ways of extending this method, and on its relationship with coaching practices.

In the fourth article, Aricò discusses his approach to teaching Macro-economics at the UK University of East Anglia, based on pedagogic approaches including self-assessment and peer-instruction, as well as technology-enhanced learning through Student Response Systems. Analysing qualitative data, the author identifies students’ perceptions of their learning experiences when using these approaches. He highlights the effectiveness of the approach as a valid support of student learning, and as a means of enhancing their self-efficacy beliefs. He argues that his pedagogic approach seems to be especially welcomed by students coming from an international background and is particularly effective for students who are struggling with their learning.

Brady, Fellenz and Devitt conclude the first section by presenting a reflective paper from the educator’s point of view, describing an experience of educational interventions using simulation games to support teaching, learning and assessment in higher education. The authors discuss three unplanned and unexpected consequences and identify lessons learnt that will be of value to academics in designing and deploying effective and meaningful technology-supported educational and assessment innovations, particularly for those which take an assessment for/as learning perspective.

The second section, called Conversazioni and focused on diverse experiences and practices, starts with the paper by Curtis and Anderson. Shedding light on a North American perspective on the meaning of ‘assessment’ as a specific method of inquiry to determine the extent to which program-level objectives are met or not met in an educational setting, the authors offer a fruitful discussion aimed at demonstrating the benefits we can obtain by linking assessment at the programme-level with students’ feedback. They suggest a framework through which assessment information can change and improve both the programme and the success of individual students.

O’Neill next offers a reflection on assessment overload in higher education from an Irish perspective, considering both staff and students’ assessment load. She argues that the solutions developed to reduce assessment load do not necessarily provide answers to all the complex associated issues. This conversation piece explores the topic and presents some potential actions to address this challenge at a national and institutional level, by discussing aspects including possible frameworks, professional development, streamlining assessment and feedback, the balanced use of continuous assessment and feedback and wider strategies to improve assessment literacy.

The paper offered by Fotheringham presents research findings from a longitudinal study of students making the transition from pre-HE colleges to a Scottish university with a specific focus on assessment issues. She argues that data from interviews with staff and students suggest that although students are offered pre-entry transition support while they study at college, they face further challenges, particularly in relation to assessment, when arriving at university. Her findings indicate that lecturers who take time to make their requirements explicit and create opportunities for students to understand what is valued by the university can usefully provide the key to successful transition.

Finally, the last paper by Restiglian offers an inside view of the school context, aiming at investigating learning benefits of using peer review in primary and secondary schools in Italy by learning from higher education practice. In the experience presented, her pupils were asked to review their classmates’ assessment products using established criteria facilitated by teachers, and to provide each other with feedback. The teachers’ written narratives and interviews, as well as the students’ products and responses to three questionnaires were collected and analysed. Results so far show that teachers appreciated the peer review model as a valid instrument for making students active in their learning, thereby becoming more reflective in approaching their assignments and as a result, activating processes of self-assessment among their pupils.

Together the articles in this special issue argue for a purposeful and strategic imperative to involve students and fellow academics in our enterprise to enhance the learning and achievements of our students by making assessment truly concerned with and central to learning. We are grateful to the AISHE-J Editorial Board for hosting our research findings, discussions and reflections here as well as to all the experts, researchers and practitioners in assessment and feedback who contributed to this joint venture.

References.

Brown, S. (2018). Assessment imperatives: reflections on ways of using assessment to engage students and foster learning in V. Grion & A. Serbati (eds). Assessment of Learning or Assessment for Learning? Towards a Culture of Sustainable Assessment in Higher Education. (pp. 87-95). Lecce: Pensa MultiMedia.

Brown, S. (2005). Assessment for learning. Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 1, 81-89.

Grion V. & Serbati, A. (2017). Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. Nuove Prospettive e Pratiche di Valutazione all’università. Lecce: Pensa multimedia (translation into Italian and editors of Sambell, K., McDowell, L. & Montgomery, C. (2013). Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. London: Routledge.)

Grion, V., Serbati, A., Felisatti, E & Li, L. (2019). Peer feedback and technology-enhanced assessment as critical issues to foster student learning. [Editorial]. Italian Journal of Educational Research, X11 (Special Issue), 9-14.

Race, P. (2018). Reflections on Assessment Conference, University of Padua, March 2017. In V. Grion & A. Serbati (eds). Assessment of Learning or Assessment for Learning? Towards a Culture of Sustainable Assessment in Higher Education. (pp. 97- 102). Lecce: Pensa MultiMedia.

Sambell, K. (2018). Towards Assessment for Learning in Higher Education in V. Grion & A. Serbati (eds). Assessment of Learning or Assessment for Learning? Towards a Culture of Sustainable Assessment in Higher Education. (pp. 31-45). Lecce: Pensa MultiMedia.

Sambell, K., Brown, S. & Race, P. (2019). Assessment as a locus for engagement: priorities and practicalities. Italian Journal of Educational Research, X11 (Special Issue), 45-61

From Introduction to the issue by Moira Maguire, AISHE-J Editor

A very warm welcome to the first issue of volume 11 and my first as Editor. I would like to
express my sincere gratitude to Saranne Magennis, the former Editor, for her very generous (and ongoing) support and wise counsel. Dr Brett Becker continues as Technical Editor and I am delighted to introduce an expanded editorial team that includes Dr Bernadette Brereton, Dr Cornelia Connolly, Dr Ekaterina Kozina, Dr Morag Munro, in addition to AISHE-J’s first Editor, Sylvia Huntley Moore. We are looking forward to building on Saranne’s strong legacy and continuing to serve the Irish learning and teaching community.

We have a full issue that includes a diverse range of interesting and useful papers spanning a wide spectrum of contexts and disciplines. Four of the papers in this issue were presented originally as part of the inaugural All Ireland Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Further and Higher Education (AILTA), and more papers from this conference will appear later in this volume. The conference took place on the 30th October 2018 in Marino Institute of Education, Dublin. This conference was a collaboration between AISHE and the Learning Innovation Network (LIN) and was generously supported by the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA). Over 100 delegates from all over Ireland and both Higher and Further Education gathered to explore the theme ‘Using evidence to enhance learning’. Professor Roni Bamber delivered an excellent keynote address on ‘Supporting and evidencing student transitions’ that was very warmly received. The conference is planned again for 2020 and a date will be announced soon so do watch out for it.

A number of the papers tackle current issues in assessment. Assessing very large student
numbers can be particularly challenging and in ‘Engaging large cohorts of students in online formative assessment to reinforce essential learning for summative assessment.’ Colette Lyng and Evelyn Kelleher report on the use of assessment in a large first year Nursing module. They found that the use of online quizzes offered many benefits for staff and students. Continuing the assessment theme, ‘Irish Medical Science Education: An Exploration of the Experiences and Attitudes of Undergraduate Students with Respect to Assessment Practices’, a paper by Mary McGrath, Lloyd Scott and Pauline Logue-Collins, shares some findings from a study of students’ experiences of assessment on Medical Science programmes. The students reported experi-ence of a wide range of assessment, however the study identified a gap between what students’ experiences and their preferences. The authors conclude that more programme-focused ap-proaches are needed, along with support for developing assessment literacy in students.

Digital classroom response systems have proven an effective way to provide formative feedback in classrooms. However, the focus on products (answers) rather than process (methods) has rendered them less useful in STEM setting. Seamus McLoone, Christine Kelly and Michael Jennings provide a comprehensive account of the UniDoodle system, a classroom response system specifically designed for STEM disciplines. They also report an evaluation of its use in Electronic Engineering and Mathematics disciplines in both Ireland and Australia. The evaluation drew on evidence from students and staff and indicated that UniDoodle enhanced interaction and engagement in class. It is particularly encouraging to note that lecturers ‘…felt that it allowed both them and their students to receive significantly more useful feedback compared to other similar available student response systems.’

Retention rates, particularly in STEM subjects in the institutes of technology, have been very much in the news in Ireland recently. In their timely paper, Michael Keane and Geraldine Gray report their study that investigated the extent to which pre-enrolment characteristics academic performance within first year computing and engineering programmes in two institutes of technology. They found that prior educational attainment, particularly in mathematics, is an important predictor but, in contrast to previous studies, Leaving Certificate English performance was not.

Two papers explicitly consider opportunities offered by Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) to enhance learning. Marie Finnegan and Carina Ginty discuss the potential of Moodle, a VLE, to facilitate social constructivism. In their paper ‘Moodle and Social Constructivism: Is Moodle Being Used as Constructed? A Case Study Analysis of Moodle Use in Teaching and Learning in an Irish Higher Educational Institute’, they report on a study at GMIT with students and lecturers that explores this question and they conclude that while it does support scaffolding to a limited extent, there are significant barriers to realizing its full potential. Una Carthy’s paper ‘Virtual Space for Language Learning in the Institute of Technology Sector’ highlights the challenges in making space for languages within packed curricula. She argues that virtual learning spaces may offer a solution and discusses some of examples.

Professional development is significant driver of enhancement and two of our papers consider this from different angles. Sue Tangney and Claire Flay Petty focus on early to mid-career development for academic staff. In ‘Developing early to mid-career academic staff in a changing university environment’ they discuss findings from a ‘world café’ with graduates from an accredited professional development programme in a UK university. The authors draw on the findings to make a number of useful recommendations for more purposeful approaches to professional development for early to mid-career staff. Denise MacGiolla Rí positions self-evaluation as a process rather than a practice in her paper ‘‘Am I doing a good job? Theories of change guiding lecturers’ self-evaluative practices in a third level Institute of Technology’. Her study of 16 lecturers identified 5 theories of change, and ‘…offers an alternative approach to how academic work is ‘valued’, judged and understood from the lecturer’s perspective.’

In ‘Here’s my story: Mature students’ narratives of Further Education’, Paula Dunne provides an insight into the experiences an under-researched cohort of learners. While the experiences of mature students in Higher Education have been well investigated, there has been much less attention paid to mature students in Further Education, notwithstanding the fact that they represent a sizeable proportion of Further Education students. Dunne uses narrative inquiry to explores the experiences of five mature students who had returned to Further Education. The findings indicate very positive experiences, particularly ‘…the students’ pride in their academic achievements and a resulting new-found confidence’ and the paper gives us an insightful account of their journeys.

I hope that you will find these papers as interesting and useful as I do. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard of the editorial team and to thank all our reviewers for their invaluable work. I am also very pleased to announce that the next issue, scheduled for 30th June, will be a Special Issue, with Guest Editor Dr Anna Serbati from the University of Padova. It will include papers from the conference ‘Fostering learning through assessment: feedback and technology-enhanced assessment in higher education’/ ‘Promuovere l’apprendi-mento attraverso la valutazione: feedback e technology-enhanced assessment all’Università’, held in Padova in November 2018.

I would like to remind readers that we are also accepting papers for consideration for the final issue of this volume (October) and beyond. If you have an idea for a contribution that you would like to discuss, please contact me or any member of the editorial team and we will be happy to assist.

Finally, let me say what a pleasure it has been dealing with our many authors and reviewers whose hard work, patience and perseverance has brought AISHE-J Volume 11:1 to fruition.

Thank you.

From the Introduction to the Issue by Saranne Magennis:

Welcome to the final issue of Volume 10 (2018) of The All Ireland Journal of
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. It will be the last issue of my tenure as
editor as I step down from the role at midnight tonight. For that reason, I have
allowed myself a little leeway in the format of this issue, though of course the heart of
it remains the creative work of our authors who have contributed the results of their
research to the journal. However, I have included some invited reflections on the
nature and importance of writing and journals in this issue and these have been
produced in free format at the discretion of the authors and are to be thought of as
personal, though grounded in knowledge, experience and a commitment to the
scholarly.

Turning to the contents of this issue, we have a most interesting paper from Brigid
Lucey, Sarah O’Sullivan, Louise Collins and Ruairi Ó Céilleachair from Cork Institute
of Technology. In a paper entitled “Staff mentoring in Higher Education: the case for
a mentored mentoring continuum” they report on a case study in which they explored
“ a mentored mentoring continuum” and compared it dyadic or group mentoring
approaches. The authors contend that the increased support for mentors and
mentees offered by this model, can lead to a greater potential for learning for both
the mentor and the mentored.

In “A Critical Evaluation of the Integration of a Blended Learning Approach into a
Multimedia Applications Module’’- Lucia Cloonan, Irene Hayden, of Galway-Mayo
Institute of Technology consider the issue of how blended learning design principles
are implemented into existing modules in the discipline of multimedia studies,
addressing a gap in the existing literature. The paper offers a critical evaluation of the
integration of a blended learning pedagogical approach into a multimedia
applications module. Their findings suggest that a good blend of theory, delivered
synchronously online while students also have face-to-face practical classes in
laboratories, may be optimum. Inconclusive results in relation to whether students
learned more in the synchronous online lecture than in the face-to-face lecture
suggest that further research is neeed in this area.

“Research Informed Teaching in a Graduate Taught Programme: a Pedagogical
Model for Teachers and Students” by Deborah Wallace, Olive Lennon, Justin King
and Peter Doran of University College Dublin, investigate the potential of the
Research-Teaching Nexus in a graduate taught MSc in Clinical and Translational
Research, using the Healey & Jenkins pedagogical model as a curriculum
development tool for teachers and a framework for students to develop their research
skill set. Mapping of their module learning outcomes onto this model enabled the
authors to examine research-teaching linkages in the curriculum, together with
teaching strategies and learning experiences. The approach has allowed the authors
to highlight areas for development by means of a curriculum evaluation tool and has
offered students a structure for expanding awareness of what constitutes research
and a framework for research driven continuous professional development.

“A Road Less Travelled, a Road Nonetheless” situates itself in the globalized and
digitalized learning environments with which we are familiar and its findings
acknowledge the potential of newer delivery models. However, the author suggests
that while many educators view the move to digitalization of learning as a natural
progression, a decision or a choice, for others it is a requirement they feel is imposed
upon them. Employing a self-study methodology, supported by naturalistic diaries
and analysed through the process of content data analysis, the study explores a
journey with four academics who have moved from a traditional class-based lecturing
methodology to one where online live teaching is a requirement for the programmes
they deliver. In an interesting discussion, concerns about their practices and their
pedagogy, and their professional identity that are forcing the educators to explore
and questions about their roles within a higher education space are considered.

In a newly minted section, which may well be for one issue only, we have four invited
reflections, each of which has emerges in the context of the development of AISHE-J.
Our dear friend and staunch supporter, Professor Sally Brown, has written what I
might characterize as a manifesto for those of us who care about learning teaching
and assessment – it is a call to write when there is no time to write because but it
really matters. Sally argues that the time and effort it takes to write in scholarly and
reflective ways about our varied practice, sharing innovations and achievements
across many boundaries, is well rewarded through many mutual benefits.

Bernadette Brereton and Karen Dunne, who have written, reviewed and edited for
AISHE-J have offered a comprehensive reflection on their journey with institutional
colleagues in disparate disciplines, in a professional development context. The
shared journey proved fruitful collaboration in teaching, learning and assessment, as
professional development co- mentors and as academic editing partners. Bernie and
Karen give us their personal reflections on a shared journey in friendship, illumination
and engagement.

Moira Maguire has contributed a reflection on the role of AISHE-J in the teaching and
learning community in Ireland in the years since it was established and on its impact
on the output of teaching and learning research in that period. She highlights the part
it plays in supporting an inclusive community of scholars.

The final piece in this section is in interview format, contributed by Alison Farrell and
Saranne Magennis. We have called our piece “A Conversation with the Editor” albeit
one who will cease to be the editor as soon as the issue is published. Following
some friendly conversations Alison suggested that a good way to capture my
reflections might be an interview format. At a pre-retirement course, kindly funded by
Maynooth University, the facilitator suggested that it is important to mark an
important transition like retirement by addressing ones colleagues at any function
that may be held. This piece has something in common with such a speech. I am
delighted to have had the opportunity to reflect on what the AISHE-J has been to me
in the seven years I have served as editor and, and in the 20 issues that it has been
m y privilege to produce. On Friday October 26th, 2018 Alison and I sat and
conversed. The following article is based on that conversation.

In closing, I wish to record my thanks to the many colleagues and friends with whom I
have been able to share the most enjoyable task of editing AISHE-J. The authors,
peer reviewers and guest editors are the heart of the journal and any success I have
had has been as a result of their efforts as well as my own. They have my gratitude
and appreciation. All my colleagues on the Editorial Board and the AISHE-J
committee are likewise due a debt of gratitude and I hope that I will continue to enjoy
into the future the friendships we have built in this shared endeavour. Were I to
name all the people who have contributed over the years I have been editor, the
Editorial might well exceed the word limit for our research papers. Yet without the journal, thanks and appreciation can seem hollow and impersonal. That would
not be in tune with the ethos I have sought for AISHE-J. Reflecting on this I am
going to mention three people by name and I would ask you to consider them as
representatives drawn from a wide and vibrant network. I have chosen them to
represent in a sense a past, a present that is coming to its close and a future that I
know will be bright. Around each one there is a network of connections and
relationships and I name them to represent those communities.

First I would like to thank Sylvia Huntley Moore, the first editor of AISHE-J, who had
the enthusiasm and persistence to bring us all to the point of establishing the journal.
Because of her work and that of those who worked with her, I was able to take over a
functioning journal and take it forward. I was not faced with a blank space because
she had already filled in that space.

If Sylvia is named to represent the beginning, my friend and former colleague from
Queens University in Belfast Linda Carey is named to represent the middle. Serving
as Deputy Editor for many years, Linda offered consistent encouragement and
support without which I would not have taken on the role. I learned from and drew on
her writing expertise throughout me time as editor. Her contribution to the
development of AISHE-J has been very great indeed. She has my thanks and
appreciation, both personal and professional.

Finally, I would like to thank Moira Maguire, representing the future of AISHE-J.
Moira has been a stalwart member of the team for some years and there are
certainly issues that saw the light of day only because of her work. She too has my
thanks and my good wishes for her future in the role. I know that she and her team
will bring the journal forward to its next stage of development and will maintain the
mission, the friendship and the scholarly approaches that we all value.
And so with the issue introduced and my thanks to so many recorded, it remains for
me to commend to you AISHE-J Volume 10, Number 3, Autumn 2018.

— Saranne Magennis, October 31, 2018.

AISHE-J Volume 10, Number 2 is out now.

From the Introduction to Volume 10, Number 1

The EU Report on the Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe begins: ‘the economic
crisis has been a wake-up call, forcing us to focus on issues that really matter. Education is
one of these fundamental issues, as it provides the key to build and sustain our future’
(https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/fbd4c2aa-aeb7-41ac-ab4ca94feea9eb1f/language-en/format-PDF/source-66201074). Any understanding of the role of education in society must consider the on-going process of ‘massification’, (increased access to third level education) which has greatly increased the numbers and types of choices which higher level students must make. The possibilities of which disciplines to choose, where to study and under what conditions (full or part-time) are more broad-ranging now than at any time. It is telling that these changes are occurring at a time when uncertainty in the labour market may lead to the dwindling legitimisation of formal education, so that the benefits of continuing education dwindle in comparison to its obvious costs and disadvantages. In light of such pluralism, student choices regarding third level education become highly speculative.

Therefore, in light of such rapid changes, we should perhaps remind ourselves of the many
varied benefits of continuing education. While education often functions as a gateway to a
professional career, it can also offer many additional benefits. For example, in a recent
interview, British artist Ellie Goulding spoke of the poverty she experienced growing up and the impact that this had upon her, in particular, on one occasion when the bailiffs seized the family television: ‘I understood that I had a lot of friends who didn’t live in the same situation as me and I knew my only way out of this was though education. I worked really hard in school. Really hard. I don’t think I was intelligent but I feel like I worked so hard I kind of made myself’ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/ellie-goulding-i-understood-that-myonly-way-out-was-through-edu/).

This view of education as a powerful tool for self-determination (‘I made myself’), freedom
from financial constraints and positive mental health is in stark contrast to the traditional image of higher level education which could arguably be considered ‘removed’; with a campus at a physical distance from surrounding neighbourhoods and a teaching staff at a psychological distance from students and their communities. Increasingly, higher level education (HE) has developed a strong emphasis on becoming more inclusive through widened access and greater diversity. This is in keeping with the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030 (also known as the Hunt Report) which stresses the renewal of the ‘civic mission’ of HE and stresses that: ‘higher education institutions need to become more firmly embedded in the social and economic contexts of the communities they live in and serve’ (http://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2017/06/National-Strategy-for-Higher-Education-2030.pdf).

Institutionally, the need for change is more crucial now than at any time. This can include the provision of blended learning and fully online courses where online supervision, feedback andforums reduce or preclude the need for face-to-face tuition. This in turn can allow students to combine further education with employment duties, family commitments or even hobbies and interests leading to a greater work-life balance. The rise in the provision of MOOCs (massively open online courses) with the numbers of students who have signed up for at least one online course having passed 35 million in 2015 is also a positive sign of such change.

Improvements can also centre on improved use of technology enhanced learning (TEL) within established face-to-face courses, which can harness students’ existing technological skillsets to advantage within the field of education. One excellent example of this is mobile learning (or M-Learning) whereby the utilisation of digital resources, presented in parallel with a traditional tutorial approach, can aid in the identification of problematic knowledge and enhance the learning experience of learners.

But why is inclusivity so important in this time of institutional and societal change? What
added value does it provide in the higher education world; to learners; to teachers; to college managers; to the communities in which colleges are situated; and to the society which these communities comprise? What (if any) is the relationship between HE and the creation of strong, dynamic communities with engaged, informed citizens? In other words, how can HE: ‘enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good (https://www.carnegiefoundation.org)

These are some of the fields of enquiry which this joint special issue of the All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE-J) and the European Sociological Association Sociology of Education Research Network examines, in particular the crucial role that education plays in conserving, producing, transmitting and validating knowledge. Individual academic practices can change and evolve with time and experience. However, to develop a culture of inclusivity within higher education, it is essential that we investigate these changes in the widest possible context. It is also essential that we consider shifts in higher education policy and the ways such shifts may foster a culture of inclusivity. Moreover, it is crucial that such developments be considered in the European context to encourage the understanding of academic and professional staff in Europe.

Inclusivity can be achieved at many different levels. Specific actors can be empowered, such as students, teachers, and parents, but educational institutions and, at the highest level, national or supranational policy makers can have an enormous impact on organizational developments. One emergent theme is that inclusivity in education can lead to empowering change while another considers the personal and professional aspects of development, all framed in the context of Irish, European and global perspectives. Through theoretical, conceptual and practical examinations of socio-cultural phenomena at higher level, the joint issue provides an in-depth view of the complex ways that changes in personal and professional practice and the establishment of communities of learners throughout the higher education sector can support the emergence of transformations at institutional level.

In 2016, the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education published the National Professional Development Framework (PDF) which aimed to support and structure the professional development of higher education professionals (https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/PD-Framework-FINAL.pdf). A national PD pilot project (led by Roisín Donnelly, with the support of the then Director of the National Forum Terry Maguire) was then carried out which aimed to publicise and highlight the framework and PD in higher education. The invited article Supporting Teaching And Learning Transformations Through The National Professional Development Framework: Establishing And Recognising An Inclusive Community Of Practice For All Who Teach In Irish Higher Education by Donnelly and Maguire places this important project in the context of recent developments and pressures in higher education. The authors reflect on the values of the framework and present the key themes of the project which centre on the positive personal and professional outcomes stemming from engagement with the framework; the importance of establishing a community of practice underpinning this engagement; and the transformative power of the framework at an institutional level.

The paper by Caregnato, Raizer, Grisa and Miorando highlights the almost fourfold increase that has been achieved in the number of students entering higher level in Brazil in the 21st century. This rapid expansion has opened higher education to an increasing number of students from lower income backgrounds but has not been achieved without challenges. The authors of this paper analyse data from a range of sources to obtain insights into the social and economic backgrounds of Brazilian higher education students and the stratification that exists in higher education; particularly in relation to the perceived devaluation of qualifications obtained in less prestigious institutions and the lack of social mobility and innovation this may accord graduates. This work highlights the fact that many challenges to inclusivity remain, and must continue to be addressed, whilst also acknowledging the significant progress that has been achieved to date.

In the paper, Educational Upward Mobility From Precarious Backgrounds: Studying As A Process Of Ontological Assurance, Antonia Kupfer considers the impact of higher education on student success and upward mobility. Detailing empirical evidence gathered in the UK and Austria, she considers the means by which higher level education which teaches independence of thought and inclusivity of approach can have positive life-changing outcomes. She also examines a range of measures by which HE institutions can foster inclusivity.

“I Can See What You Mean”: Encouraging Higher Education Educators To Reflect Upon Their Teaching And Learning Practice When Engaging With Blind/Vision Impaired Learners is by Quirke, McCarthy and Mc Guckin. It reviews the challenges faced by blind and visually impaired students as they engage with higher education and examines the opportunities that arise for educators to engage positively with these learners, thereby improving their pedagogies. Greater inclusivity in higher education not only benefits students with disabilities (who previously have been underrepresented in higher education) but also their educators; who by examining and modifying their teaching methods to facilitate these learners may deepen their insights into their own professional practice. As well as outlining practical ways in which teaching methods can be modified to support visually impaired and blind students this article also directs educators towards a range of both on- and off-campus supports for additional guidance. This paper provides an opportunity for educators to develop their own practice whilst simultaneously facilitating greater inclusivity within the higher education student body.

The review of (Maguire et al., 2017) Teachers as Learners: Exploring the impact of accredited professional development on learning and assessment in Irish Higher Education is submitted by Margaret Keane. Irish higher education sector has experienced an increasing emphasis in recent years on the role of professional development in the enhancing of teaching and learning practices. This book is of particular relevance to higher education teachers, as it documents the successful development and implemention of an inclusive and evidence-based professional development framework.

In her review of (Hughes, 2017) Encouraging Diversity In Higher Education: Supporting
Student Success, Mairead McKiernan contextualizes the author’s charting of the rise in
massification in higher education in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. Large-scale
projects in these jurisdictions promoted HE in order to widen access and increase inclusivity. Therefore, with widening student diversity and higher attendance rates must arise changes in teaching and learning practice. As a HE practitioner, McKiernan considers the mainly collaborative teaching methods being considered in light of changing student needs and skillsets. This special issue of the All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE-J) has examined key themes examined in relation to change as a means of empowerment; the personal and professional aspects of development and inclusivity from the European perspective. In doing so it has sought to illuminate the complex relationship between inclusivity and organizational change in higher level education. We express our thanks to all who have contributed to the issue and we trust that our readers will find it useful as they continue on their own journeys in higher education.

Bernadette Brereton and Karen Dunne

28th February, 2018

From the Introduction to Volume 9, Number 3

Welcome, readers, colleagues and friends to the issue of AISHE–J that brings 2017, Volume 9, to a close. On this final day of October, it gives me great pleasure to to bring you an issue that examines an interesting range of themes in higher education: a strong practical focus is combined with a theoretical base that will, I believe, be of benefit to practitioners from across the disciplines. In addition to five substantial articles, two book reviews are included, each with a practical focus. It is with these that I begin my comments; Shelagh Waddington in her review of Frith, May, and Pockington (2017) The Student’s Guide to Peer Mentoring, introduces a brief, accessoible and thoroughly accessible to peer mentoring. Aimed at students, its appeal will, in her view, extend beyond the student population. Bob Lawlor reviews Barrett, Terry (2017) A New Model of Problem-based learning: Inspiring Concepts, Practice Strategies and Case Studies from Higher Education. Maynooth: AISHE. His positive appreciation of the book is clear, not least in his closing instruction which is to enjoy!

Before commenting on the papers that make up the body of the issue, I will take the occasion of these reviews to consider the practical resource for the community that is provided by the groaing number of AISHE publications that are available under the Creative Commons Licence through the AISHE website. These include books on a variety of topics, published by AISHE or by AISHE in collaboration with other organizations. Recent examples include the Academic Practice Guides from November 2015, Maguire, M., Harding, N., Noonan, G. & O’Connor, T. (Eds). (2017). Teachers as learners: exploring the impact of accredited professional development in learning and teaching in Irish Higher Education. Maynooth: AISHE, to be reviewed in the next issue and, Terry Barrett, (2017). A New Model of Problem based learning: Inspiring Concepts, Practice Strategies and Case Studies from Higher Education. These two volumes are part of the AISHE Readings series, which dates back to 2005. For the practitioner within the higher education community, they represent a sharing of experience, innovation and analysis that can be uniquely beneficial because of the combination of Irish and international perspectives.

The recognition of both national perspectives and commonality with intrnational colleagues is well represented in the papers presented in this issue. Geraldine McDermott presents a qualitative interview study which explores the extent to which the cultural nature of their design and delivery of online courses is considered in one Irish higher education institution. As online provision grows, a need to consider the diverse background of students increases in importance. The study indicates that although there is an awareness of diverse learning needs of students, culture was not considered either in the design or delivery phases of their courses. The recommendations for addressing, included in the paper will provide valuable assistance for colleagues facing the issue.

Ronan Bree discusses engaging with digital resources to enrich a key element of the student learning experience in science based modules, namely the practical component. In a paper entitled: “Preparing Students for Science Practical Sessions: Engaging with Digital Resources to Enrich the Learning Experience” Bree recognizes that students can “acquire and develop hands-on skills in a powerful learning environment”, that of the practical. Bree has studied how preparation for the practical can impact on learning. The preparation used in the study went beyond the traditional scenario in which “students are required to read pre-prepared text in a paper-based laboratory manual before entering the session. The text provides background to the principle/theory/technique being examined.” In many cases the text is not read, and therefore practial time is reduced as the material is explained. As Bree explains, a “customised pre-practical video was recorded, edited and circulated to students prior to a laboratory session,” together with a smartphone app-based quiz on the content, to be completed before the practical session. The paper gives the reader “an overview of the approach implemented, insights from its evaluation, and recommendations for educators aiming to implement the pre-practical concept.”

Elske Ammenwerth also considers the issue of online learning int her paper entitled “Envisioning changing role of university teacher in online instructional environments” Reflecting that the adoption of online teaching by university teachers is low, the author explores why university teachers seem unable to take over the new roles that are needed for online teaching. Showing an awareness of the manner in which online teaching challenges the traditional roles of university teachers and its impact on the changing role  of the teacher, the author argues that online teaching impacts upon and and redefines the traditional face-to-face teaching.

Ammenwerth argues that University teachers are not well “equipped to respond to the pedagogical and technical challenges of online learning” because they are socialized as content experts; insufficiently trained in sufficient training in online teaching; and university teachers are evaluated based on their research.The essay explores the many implications for the pedagogical training of university teachers and suggests ways in which the situation might be improved.

Moira Maguire and Brid Delahunt have contributed an excellent resource in the form of a practical, step-by-step guide to undertaking thematic analysis in the area of teaching and learning. The work was developed in the context of the NDLR and was available from that source. However, respoding to requests from colleagues, the authors have updated the work and translated it into an extremely clear and useful guide to the process for inclusion in this issue. While there are other introductions available to this prevalent approach to qualitative anaylsis, a particular benefit of this contribution is that it includes what is best described as a worked example. This adds to the accessibility of a treatment of the topic that was already a model of clarity. For the novice or experienced qualitative researcher, and for colleagues teaching quaitative data analysis, this guide to thematic analysis will assist its reader in credible qualitative research through supporting “his or her ability to understand, describe and interpret experiences and perceptions is key to uncovering meaning in particular circumstances and contexts.”

In a paper entitled “Keeping it Real”: A review of the benefits, challenges and steps towards implementing authentic assessment, Vanessa Murphy, James Fox, Sinead Freeman and Nicola Hughes present the findings of a literature review on authentic assessment. The review is part of a a collaborative research project by lecturers from diverse disciplines in a large higher education institute. Taking assessment as an integral part of the learning process, it considers the potential of alternative methods of assessment, including authentic assessment, to benefit the learner. Active student learning, improved achievement and greater retention of information, are among the benefits considered in addition to “providing students with valuable real world experiences in a safe, supportive environment.”

In addition to the benefits, the authors discuss the challenges that may be may be encountered, including student resistance, large groups and time constraints. Among the most useful aspects of the paper is the “guidance template, in the form of an infographic, which outlines a number of steps has been developed from the literature” through which Murphy et al hope to “demystify the process and … encourage lecturers to introduce methods of authentic assessment into their teaching”.

I trust hope that you will find AISHE-J Volume 9 Number 3 (2017) informative and inspiring to you in your practice and that you will find the authors’ contributions of value both in your work and your collegiality. I would like to thank all of our authors for their work and for their patience as their papers progressed through the stages towards publication. I would also like to thank our peer reviewers who gave their time and expertise so generously. Without their contribution the journal could not have developed and it thrives only because so many experts give of their knowledge without recompense beyond our deep appreciation. Likewise, colleagues who support the journal with copy editing, proofreading, technical support and the many other tasks that are required to bring the journal to publication are deserving of sincere thanks.

Finally, I would like to remind our readers that AISHE-J invites submissions from colleagues in all discipline areas, and particularly welcomes submissions from early career researchers. We have scope to publish papers from academics, educational developers, and colleagues engaged in e-learning, information skills and student support. New works on any topic in relation to the development of teaching and learning in higher education are therefore appropriate. The key criterion is that submissions focus on higher education. We look forward to seeing your submissions. The Spring issue of Volume 10 is well underway and will appear on 28 February, 2018. There is time, however, to submit towards the Summer 2018 issue, which like this will be a general issue.

Without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to bring you AISHE-J Volume 9:3, on this last day of October 2017.

Saranne Magennis, 31 October 2017

From the Introduction to Volume 9, Number 2

As the month of June comes to an end it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Summer issue of the All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE–J). Published by the All Ireland Society for Higher Education (AISHE), our open access journal of research into teaching and learning is designed to provide a for forum collegial interaction.

In a paper entitled “The Impact of a Constructivist Approach to Assessment and Feedback on Student Satisfaction and Learning: A case-study” Tom O’ Mahony explores assessment principles applied to different cases in higher education. In doing so he illuminates some core attributes of models that support learning. It is interesting to note that the cases involved in the study are distinguished according to the assessment instruments used: specifically, unseen examinations and coursework based on a two-stage written paper. These are fairly well known instruments in higher education but the reflection and interventions described draw out their potential for the support of learning rather than using them as evaluation tools. Another point worth noting, especially in the context of our final piece in the current issue, are that the data were collected over an extended period, without the rush to publish so prevalent in the corporate institution of today. Interventions described are designed to communicate with the learners and to support learning. At the heart of the approach is the opportunity for the learners to apply feedback received in their final assignment, thus benefitting from their learning in their grades.

It is unsurprising that the learners indicated, in the case of both instruments, that they were highly satisfied with the assessment methodology: the supportive process, rather than the selected assessment instruments seemed to be key. This is significant in that “it illustrates how both understanding and learner satisfaction can be enhanced by evidence-based assessment practices that focus on the assessment process”.

On the surface Grant’s paper, “Formative test-driven development for programming practicals”, with its focus on automated testing may seem to contrast sharply with that of O’Mahony. However, in each case, the primary purpose is to develop assessment that supports learning. Grant explores the value of contemporaneous formative feedback in computer programming practicals and questions why automated testing, a key feature of industrial software development, remains less than widely in the delivery of computer programming courses.

This study “examines the effect of adopting a signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005)” of test driven development that utilizes formative automated testing in applied programming laboratories. Informed by the literature on formative feedback, “laboratory sessions were redesigned to incorporate automated formative feedback that combined lecturer-supplied test cases with industry-standard software testing frameworks.” Tools designed for staff use are described and will be informative for readers wishing to consider the approach in their own teaching. The author reports that: “The approach discussed is shown to provide improved certainty of completion and correctness. Student feedback particularly noted the easy penalty-free access to formative feedback within familiar programming environments.”
In our third article we move to another discipline with a paper entitled: “Peer Assessment in Medical Science: An exploration of one programmes approach to peer assessment including staff and student perceptions” contributed by Mary F McGrath, Lloyd Scott and Pauline Logue-Collins. The framework here is again an acceptance of the widely held view that assessment is fundamental to the learning process in higher education. The authors argue that the assessment strategy employed in a given programme plays a major role in “how, what and when students engage” and as a result, it influences the depth of learning that they achieve. They believe that: “A well-structured holistic approach to assessment within a programme can be of a major benefit to both students and academics.”

The paper argues that the use of Peer Assessment (PA), among other formative tools, can assist in developing of self-directed independent learners. The paper presents an exploratory review of the current assessment methodology in use in the B.Sc. (Hons) Medical Science degree programme in GMIT. The aim is to develop a framework for the cohesive inclusion of PA as an approach to assessment. Among the interesting findings of the study, is that there can be “a marked lack of transparency and detail in relation to assessment strategy in the module documentation. As the student perceptions and experiences of assessment and PA are generally positive it is argued that the programme and the students “would benefit from a more structured programmatic approach to the inclusion of PA”.

In our Reflections Journeys and Reports section, we have a paper that illustrates a common experience of colleagues in the higher education sector today: doing many things at once. This too resonates with the final contribution to the issue. The author is both a postgraduate student and a facilitator, educator and coach. The paper shares a personal reflection on engaging with two leadership development approaches, namely that of Goleman’s (2000) leadership styles and of Silsbee’s (2010) coaching. This is a reflective paper rather than a critique of the two named two leadership development frameworks. The reflections is based on the author’s individual interpretation and use of the frameworks but is nonetheless relevant for other educators, coaches and professionals.

The paper provides a succinct insight into Goleman (2000) and Silsbee’s (2010) frameworks while maintaining a focus on sharing a personal journey of related to these frameworks within a single context. The author states that: “The application and reflection has resulted in a heightening of self-awareness, enriching presence, allowing unlearning and relearning which continues to frame everyday practice and modus operandi.” The stated intention of the paper is “to open up new ways of reflective practice and thinking for the reader, encouraging reflection on possibilities for experimenting with integrating leadership styles and coaching voices into their practice.” It is intended to encourage the reader to reflect on the usefulness of the models for their specific context. I have no doubt that it will also encourage reflection on other models and approaches that we incorporate into our every day practice: we will be the better for it.

The final contribution to this issue is a book review. There is a measure of serendipity associated with its arrival in the issue. It arose, at least in part, because both of the authors had received the book as a gift. In one of our conversations we found similarities and differences in our reaction. We decided to see if we could produce a review that would capture a shared response. The result is the “Review of The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber (University of Toronto Press, 2016).” The book offers a manifesto of the slow professor, counselling against the crisis language, instrumentality, utility based knowledge and the sheer speed of contemporary academia, favouring instead a more reflective and collegial journey towards understanding. On perhaps a lighter note, and lighter notes are both needed and allowed as June gives way to July, the volume is full of apt, sometimes witty, and always insightful quotations from a range of contemporary, and some not so contemporary, authors on the diverse topic of higher education today.

We hope that you will find AISHE-J Volume 9 Number 2 (2017) of value to you in your practice and that you will find the content supportive of your work and your collegiality. As always we would like to thank our authors for their work and patience as their papers progressed through the stages towards publication. We would also like to thank our peer reviewers who gave their time and expertise so generously. The journal could not be published without them.

Finally, we would like to remind our readers that AISHE-J invites submissions from colleagues in all discipline areas, and particularly welcomes submissions from early career researchers. We have scope to publish papers from academics, educational developers, and colleagues engaged in e-learning, information skills and student support. New works on any topic in relation to the development of teaching and learning in higher education are therefore appropriate. The key criterion is that submissions focus on higher education. We look forward to seeing your submissions.

Saranne Magennis, June 30th, 2017

An excerpt from the Introduction to Volume 9, Number 1

The current issue of AISHE-J has come about through collaboration with colleagues the International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy (ICEP). ICEP is an annual event that brings together researchers and practitioners in the field of third-level education to discuss means and methods of improving student engagement. A key factor in achieving this has been to offer delegates, authors and presenters opportunities to share their experiences with each other. This is reflected in the overarching theme of espoused by ICEP, ‘the voice of the educator’.

The development of ICEP has been interesting: the first ICEP conference was held in Dublin at Griffith College where many of the original ICEP members were based. Since then it has been hosted by University College Dublin; Maynooth University; National College of Ireland; Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown; Athlone Institute of Technology; Sligo Institute of Technology; and the College of Computing Technology.
This year ICEP is proud to be returning to Griffith College for its 10th anniversary homecoming.

In the last decade, ICEP has grown from strength to strength, attracting the attention of many prominent members of the teaching and learning community. This is apparent in the calibre and diversity of papers presented to date and in the relentless commitment of the steering committee and founding members. It is further evidenced in the recognition of ICEP as a T&L Partner by the Irish National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, a status shared with AISHE.

This AISHE-J / ICEP joint issue is important for both ICEP and AISHE-J. Many members of the ICEP steering committee and the AISHE executive have worked side by side for years, but until now have not formalized these efforts in a manner as significant as this issue. As two of the core functions of ICEP are the sharing of best practice and dissemination of research findings, through this issue we hope to find a wider discussion channel, leading to a more varied audience than we traditionally enjoy. This not just in terms of readership, but also at the authorial and editorial levels as well. AISHE–J has a stated mission towards early career writers. Some of the authors in this issue, who have presented and published at ICEP several times, have now published their first journal article in the area of teaching and learning. Similarly, we hope that through this issue some long-time AISHE-J readers and authors consider attending and perhaps presenting at ICEP in the future.

The ICEP steering committee would be delighted to receive submissions for this year’s 10th anniversary conference to be held in Dublin at Griffith College, with a date to be fixed soon for late November or early December. We also welcome all readers to join us for what we hope will be the best ICEP yet. For more information please keep your eye on www.icep.ie and consider joining our mailing list. If you have a specific question or comment, feel free to directly contact any members of the ICEP steering committee, whose contact details can be found on our website.

To our readers, we hope that you will find the issue informative and productive in terms of
supporting your practice. We would also like to encourage you to consider submitting your work to the journal and, if you would be prepared to devote some time to the ongoing work of AISHE-J, to register as a peer reviewer in your area of expertise.

It would be remiss of us to close this introduction to the issue without registering our
appreciation of the work everyone who has contributed to the issue, as authors, peer reviewers, and editors in their various roles. On this occasion, it is also important to thank the ICEP steering committee and the wider ICEP community for making the issue possible. Without the work of ICEP, in listening to the voices of the higher education community, and in facilitating the work of that community in relation to topics such as presented in this issue, the discourse and the practice of higher education would be much the poorer.

Introducing the final issue of 2016, we commented that the contributions of the authors
demonstrated a gratifying level of commitment to the student. Although the topics and
educational contexts of the papers presented are at somewhat of a remove from those of the last issue the same sense student-centredness is present in this issue. On that satisfying note, it gives us great pleasure to bring you the Volume 9 Number 1, Spring 2017 issue of AISHE-J.

Brett A. Becker, ICEP Steering Committee, Technical Editor AISHE-J
Saranne Magennis, Editor AISHE-J
28th February 2017

An excerpt from the Introduction to Volume 8, Number 3

The current issue of AISHE-J was conceived as an opportunity for colleagues across the higher education community to share their responses, individual and collective, to the National Forum for Teaching and Learning’s work on the theme assessment of, for and as learning. In producing an issue themed around the issue of assessment in its many forms and educational contexts, we at AISHE-J are signaling our own appreciation of the importance of the theme. The result is an issue that explores the theme through reflection on practice, research into particular aspects and offers models for innovation. The theme of assessment for learning, with timely feedback designed to promote engagement with learning, is particularly strongly emphasized in the issue. Our contributors have investigated the benefits of technology and engagement with peers in providing feedback that enhances learning. There is a strong concern that assessment should assist the student to effectively across the whole programme, rather than in multiple isolated modules.

In itself, this issue indicates an ongoing and comprehensive debate about the theme.
Moreover, based on the work that is in process, of which we are aware, but which is not yet at the stage for reporting, we believe that the theme will continue to give rise to a lively and useful debate in the coming year and we hope that AISHE-J will be able to bring you further reflections in forthcoming issues. In addition, AISHE, in collaboration with the learning Innovation Network (LIN) will be bring out a book on the impact of accredited professional development on assessment in the early part of 2017. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the National forum for this work (and for this issue?) with funding support from the National Forum.

We would like to record our thanks to all those who have contributed to the issue, as authors, reviewers, and editors in their various roles. To our readers, we hope that you will find the issue informative and enjoyable. We would also like to encourage you to consider  submitting your work to the journal and, if you would be prepared to devote some time to the ongoing work of AISHE-J, to register as a peer reviewer in your area of expertise.
As we have been reading through the contributions for this issue, one of the most gratifying aspects is the level of commitment demonstrated to the student by all authors. There is a lively sense of student-centred approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in the educational contexts of the papers presented here. On that satisfying note, it gives us great pleasure to bring you the Volume 8 Number 3, Autumn 2016 issue of AISHE-J.

The AISHE-J Editorial Team