Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning 2019-2022 +
DCU-IUA EDTL
The Irish Universities Association (IUA) Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning Project 2019-2021
This video provides insight into some of the main achievements of the EDTL project at DCU, 2019-2022.
The Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning in Irish Universities Project (EDTL) ran from January 2019 to November 2022, funded through the Irish Higher Education Authority’s Innovation and Transformation programme and co-ordinated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA). The project aimed to enhance the digital attributes and educational experiences of Irish university students.
At DCU, the project team co-ordinated a number of staff and student initiatives, including:
- Professional learning for staff in digital teaching and assessment
- Enhancements to DCU learning technologies
- Development of staff-facing resources
- Student digital upskilling sessions and supporting resources
- Research and dissemination of project initiatives, including focus groups with DCU students on their perspectives on digital skills
The DCU project team comprised TEU staff Suzanne Stone and Rob Lowney, supported by student interns Laura Anne Scanlon and Sinéad Mooney.
The DCU team worked closely with DCU Students' Union and partners from the six other universities to support various EDTL initiatives.
Participants
The TEU partnered with academic teams from across the five faculties who wanted to develop their professional knowledge and skills around assessment and using technology to support and enhance assessment. Suzanne Stone and Rob Lowney provided tailored professional learning in a number of different areas. Although the project has concluded, the TEU remains committed to developing DCU staff digital education skills, so interested teams are welcome to make contact to discuss their learning needs.
What were the benefits?
Participants who engaged in the EDTL professional learning programme were eligible to be awarded the digital badge Getting Started with Personal and Professional Digital Capacity, offered by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.
Previous participants have indicated they benefitted from the sense of community and collegiality generated by engaging in this type of learning with colleagues. It gave them the space to discuss assessment issues facing them as a team and make plans to address them and to enhance students' assessment experience with technology. Most of all, it improved their confidence around using technology in assessment.
What areas can be explored?
The areas and topics to be explored as part of the programme of professional learning were decided by the participants. Here are some sample workshops from which participants chose:
- Introducing flexibility in technology-enhanced assessment
- Transforming assessment with learning portfolios
- Mobile-enabled formative assessment
- Group work
- Group assessment with technology
- Peer review and peer assessment
- Student feedback workshop
- Fundamentals of technology-enhanced assessment
- Loop and assessment: the basics
- Loop and assessment: advanced
- Creating consistency and transparency in technology-enhanced assessment
- Transitioning from examinations to continuous assessment
- Discussion activities for assessment
These are non-exhaustive and participants were not confined to these alone. Again - the programme is guided by participants' own needs and wishes.
Should any teams wish to engage in professional learning, please contact the TEU. Although the EDTL project has concluded, many of its activities are sustained through the regular work of the TEU.
Staff resources
Open Education Resource (OER) of Technology-Enhanced Assessment Exemplars
Faculty who have employed traditional assessment methods for some time often have difficulty conceptualising the possibilities that digital technologies can afford. Discussions with them have highlighted the need for a bank of technology-enhanced assessment exemplars across a range of disciplines. These exemplars can offer inspiration and guidance for those academics who lack experience in using digital assessments.
If you have an exemplar of your own you would like to add to the OER, complete this form.
The EDTL Approach
Visit the EDTL project site, where the national project team drawn from the seven Irish universities, have curated a selection of resources to support effective online teaching, presented as 'The EDTL Approach'.
The #IUADigEd Community
Explore the community webinar recordings covering a variety of topics related to digital education.
Digital skills resource hub
Aimed at both staff and students, this hub, Digi-Skills.ie is a curated one-stop-shop of resources around digital skills, aligned to each of the five areas of the DigComp framework. It can be used by students if they are looking to develop skills in particular areas, or staff can point to or embed these resources in their modules and programmes to help students.
Student resources
DCU Digi-Town
Follow DCU Digi-Town on Instagram to pick up quick tips for upskilling on all things digital, and learn about upcoming in-person sessions.
Student perspectives on digital skills
Each year from 2020 to 2022, the DCU EDTL project team conducted focus group interviews with DCU students to ascertain their perspectives on digital skills and digital assessment.
This publication shares emergent findings, grouped into three high-level themes.
There are also recommendations on how DCU can build on the work of EDTL to continue enhancing digital teaching for staff and digital learning and upskilling for students.
Lowney, R. & Stone, S. (2021) Crowd-sourcing an OER: Exemplars and Case Studies of Technology-Enhanced Assessment. [Oral Presentation], EdTech, Online
Flynn, S., Munro, M., Byrne, J., Hamill, D., Lowney, R., Molloy, K., Moloney, D., O'Callaghan, C., O'Connor, M., O'Reilly, M., Scrochi, C. and Stone, S. (2021) The EDTL Approach: From Emergency Remote Teaching to Effective Remote Teaching. [Oral Presentation], EdTech, Online
Farrell, O., Brunton, J., Buckley, K., Donaldson, L., Farrelly, T., Lowney, R., Mihaescu, V. and Stone, S. (2020) Practical and pedagogical ways to assess your students online. [Invited Oral Presentation], EDEN European Online and Distance Learning Week 2020, Online
Flynn, S, O'Riordan, F., O'Gallchoir, R., Scanlon, L., Ryan, B. & Lowney, R. (2020) Consider Technology to Support Academic Integrity. [Oral Presentation], #IUADigEd Webinar Series, Online
Stone, S. & Lowney, R. (2020) Mapping Universal Design for Learning & Academic Integrity principles to Moodle assessment tools. [Oral Presentation], MoodleMoot Ireland & UK, Online
Lowney, R. & Stone, S. (2020) Crowdsourcing an OER. [Oral Presentation], MoodleMoot Ireland & UK, Online
Stone, S., & Lowney, R. (2020) Crowd sourcing Technology Enhanced Assessment. [Oral Presentation], Association for Learning Technology Summer Summit, Online
Lowney, R. & Stone, S. (2020) Assessment and digital competences: building capacity with academic staff. [Oral Presentation], Association for Learning Technology Summer Summit, Online
Lowney, R., O'Connor, M., Gilmartin, A., Scanlon, L. & Farrell, O. (2020) EDTL Approach: Consider Communication & Engagement. #IUADigEd Webinar Series, Online
Flynn, S. & Lowney, R. (2020) Pedagogy First: Concept and Practice. [Invited Oral Presentation], CCT Excellence in Teaching Series, Online
Lowney, R. & Stone, S. (2020) Assessment and digital competences: building capacity with academic staff. [Invited Oral Presentation], AHE conference panel - looking to 2021 (A joint Assessment in Higher Education conference (UK) and Transforming Assessment webinar panel session), Online
Lowney, R. & Stone, S. (2020) Insights into Delivering a Structured Professional Learning Programme for Academic Staff. [Invited Oral Presentation], Exploring Models of Success: Professional Development of Higher Education, Further Education and Training, and English Language Education Staff, Dublin, Ireland
Stone, S. & Lowney, R. (2019) Professional Learning for Digital Assessment. [Poster Presentation ], International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy, Limerick, Ireland
Lowney, R. & Stone, S. (2019) Crowdsourcing an OER of Technology-Enhanced Assessment Exemplars. [Oral Presentation], Association for Learning Technology Winter Conference, Online