NIDL – Page 28 – Digital Learning Dispatches

A highly successful Feedback Symposium was held at Maynooth University as the final deliverable of the Y1 Feedback project. The Symposium gave an opportunity for around 150 participants from across Irish higher education institutions to explore, discuss, and share approaches to enhancing feedback in first year. Each participant as part of their registration received a free copy of the literature review on contemporary feedback approaches published by the project team.

The programme included keynote presentations from a number of international experts on assessment and feedback, including Professor David Carless (video introduction), Professor Tansy Jessop, Professor David Nicol, and Dr. Naomi Winstone, author of a recently published Feedback Toolkit.

As part of the programme, and at the centre of the day, the Symposium also helped to showcase the range of technology-enabled feedback case studies developed by the Y1 Feedback project. Y1 Feedback case study participants collaborated across Maynooth University, Athlone IT, Dundalk IT, and Dublin City University. Several NIDL staff contributed presentations at the Symposium and case studies on topics ranging from learning analytics (Dr Mark Glynn), the use of Peer Wise (Dr Eamon Costello) and the adoption of programme-wide assessment and feedback strategy (led by Dr James Brunton.

The Y1 Feedback project team, led by Lisa O’Regan, and including Orna Farrell and Professor Mark Brown from the NIDL, is shown in the photo below. Congratulations to everyone involved in what was a very productive and rewarding professional collaboration.

In November 2016, the Student Success Toolbox project under the leadership of Dr James Brunton was a successful recipient of an Effective Practice Award at the Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate conference in Orlando. OLC is one of the largest professional bodies in the United States for higher educators with an interest in harnessing the potential of new digital technologies.

The award was presented during a gala luncheon event which attracted a large audience.

The NIDL has a close relationship with OLC with Professor Mark Brown contributing over several years to their well known leadership development programme and during the conference he also served on a high-level panel discussion, including professors Terry Anderson, Peter Shea and Karen Swan, exploring some of the lessons from the research literature on online learning. The room was full to capacity and generated favourable feedback in the conference evaluation.