Teaching – Page 40 – Digital Learning Dispatches

Awards, Digital Learning, Quality, Teaching

New Lecturer Teaching Excellence Award

We are delighted to report that Orna Farrell in the Open Education Unit was a worthy recipient of a 2017 President’s Teaching Excellence Award under the New Lecturer/Tutor Category. Orna has been actively involved in a number of teaching-related initiatives since her appointment to the NIDL, including the Y1 Feedback project and development and piloting of Head Start Online. She is currently completing her PhD on the use of ePortfolios in education and continues to play an important role in the on-going redesign of DCU Connected programmes. Congratulations Orna!

About us, Development, Digital Learning, Research, Teaching

NIDL Establishes the Ideas Lab

In May 2017, the NIDL Ideas Lab was established under the leadership of Associate Professor Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl to help foster a stronger culture of innovation in teaching and learning. As the figure below illustrates, The Ideas Lab shares a common interest in new learning designs and models of Blended, On-line and Digital (BOLD) education and will focus primarily on externally funded projects and exploring the potential of alternative teaching approaches, including MOOCs.

NIDL Structue

Currently the NIDL Ideas Lab team, which at this stage includes three new staff, with more people in time, is working on the Fáilte ar Líne project. This is a new project supported by the Irish government and DCU in the development of an Irish language and cultural online degree programme.

The overarching philosophy of The Ideas Lab is to create a space where learning and digital innovation seed, blossom and grow.

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