University College Cork
Strategic Plan for
Learning and Teaching
2009 - 2012
1
Contents
1
Vision and Mission
3
2
Background and Context
4
3.
Infrastructure
5
4
Ionad Bairre
5
5
Widening Access & CACE
6
6
NAIRTL
6
7
Undergraduate Education
6
8
Postgraduate Students and Researchers
7
9
Strategic Goals
7
10
Key Projects
8
Undergraduate Education and Widening Access
Postgraduate Education and Research Staff
Technology
8
9
9
11
Targets
9
12
Planning and Acknowledgements
12
13
Monitoring and Evaluation
12
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1. Vision and Mission
Vision
Our vision is of a community of scholars which includes all our staff and all our students, a university where
effective and imaginative teaching and learning approaches including innovative and creative curricula
design, are fostered and supported, where teaching and learning enjoy parity of esteem with research,
where a student-centred approach to research-led teaching is rooted in the culture, and where students and
teachers enjoy their teaching and learning experiences.
This vision is embedded in the University’s Strategic Plan 2009-2012:
High quality research-led teaching is at the core of our mission. We will enhance innovative and
inclusive teaching and learning activities and strengthen the fundamental linkages between research,
teaching and learning. We will maximise opportunities for students’ intellectual and creative development
so that our graduates are effective as lifelong learners and inquirers. We will provide access to the best
affordable learning facilities where students and academics will work in communities of scholarship; where
opportunities are created for all students to engage in and be challenged by appropriate scholarly activity
from their first year of undergraduate studies; and where students will enjoy the highest possible quality
learning experience.
Mission
We will continue to develop an effective and research-informed array of teaching strategies and build
capacity of teachers to adapt to the needs of students, including the encouragement of transferable skills to
support the academic and personal development of our students. High quality research enhanced teaching
and learning is at the core of our mission. We will support innovative and inclusive teaching and learning
activities and strengthen the fundamental linkages between research, teaching and learning. We will
maximise opportunities for all students’ intellectual and creative development so that our graduates are
effective life-long learners and inquirers. We will provide access to the best learning facilities, both campusbased and online, where students and academics will work as communities of scholars. There will be
opportunities for all students to engage in scholarly activity from their first year of undergraduate studies and
enjoy the highest quality learning experience.
We will continue to establish significant links with first and second level education and further education
providers. Reflecting national educational strategic priorities, we will continue to widen educational
participation to include all sections of the community, through collaborative partnerships with educational
providers, community groups and other relevant stakeholders in the region. We will develop pathways of
progression to the university from UCC’s Centre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) and other
educational providers and in this regard, demonstrate recognition of prior learning. We are committed to the
best utilisation of learning technologies in support of flexible learning that will provide inclusive access
opportunities for the lifelong learner.
We will encourage, recognise and reward good practice in teaching and learning, and the role of assessment
in learning. We will endeavour to attract the finest staff and students and provide high quality graduates who
are ready to take their place in the workforce and the world.
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2. Background and Context
Currently there are a number of key drivers for change in teaching and learning in higher education. These
include the Higher Education Authority (HEA) strategic goals and related national higher education policy,
the Bologna action lines, and initiatives such as the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation, the
National Development Plan, aimed at building Ireland’s smart economy. There are also local drivers, such as
staff and student expectations and regional initiatives.
Ionad Bairre, the UCC Teaching and Learning Centre, is an academic centre whose work is based on a
scholarly, research-based approach to teaching and learning. Ionad Bairre is a key element of the support
structure for UCC staff in teaching and learning. The Centre provides opportunities for professional
development and promotes research and scholarship into teaching, learning and assessment. Ionad Bairre
has developed innovative teaching approaches across all disciplines. The impact of regular lunchtime
seminars has had a positive effect on teaching and learning practices, and champions for supporting and
enhancing teaching and learning exist in all four Colleges. Since 2004, more than half of the academic staff
has taken part in the Centre’s support activities, and nearly 200 staff have completed an accredited
programme in teaching and learning.
UCC’s Centre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) very successfully provides opportunities in lifelong learning for all adults irrespective of age and previous educational achievements and offers a range of
shorter non-accredited courses to fully accredited degree and graduate degree programmes. Increasingly,
CACE is engaging with external partners such as regional employers where CACE offers onsite Continuing
Professional Development (CPD) programmes while simultaneously developing new, and strengthening
existing, community links in outreach centres across the Munster region.
The research and development work in teaching and learning, carried out by UCC and partners, has
impacted nationally and internationally, informing thinking and practice in higher education. It has also
impacted locally on student learning throughout UCC as lecturers continue to develop their curricular design,
teaching strategies, and assessment approaches. Staff from all four Colleges in UCC have published
nationally and internationally on innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
The key elements of UCC’s teaching and learning strategy are:
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Enhancement of teaching and learning infrastructure
Professionalisation of staff development in Teaching and Learning.
Integration of research, teaching and learning to enhance scholarship and improve student learning.
A continued emphasis on undergraduate education, with an increasing focus on students becoming
participants in research
Foster transferrable skills initiatives that prepare students for the transition from university to the
workplace
Development of graduate education to include inter-institutional projects and programmes on
learning and teaching.
Recognising innovative and excellent teaching through institutional awards
Building and leading regional, national and international networks
Provision of lifelong learning opportunities
Development of an online learning environment in recognition of, and to help facilitate, the greater
presence at tertiary level of the non-traditional entrant student and to grow the capacity for
international education
Our Plan is strongly influenced by international developments in research-informed teaching, and sets out
our commitment to strengthen the student educational experience through high quality research, researchbased learning and scholarship of teaching and learning. Our plan acknowledges the parity of esteem
between research and teaching and learning and emphasises the benefits for undergraduate education,
postgraduate training and staff development.
Our work is supported by collaborative links with other higher education institutions including the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Australian
Learning and Teaching Council. The impact of this can be seen in the academic programmes developed for
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staff, and in the growth of communities of learners engaged in research-enhanced teaching and learning.
The impact is also witnessed in contributions to national and international publications and the development
of collaborative projects within Ireland. UCC will continue to lead the promotion of a Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning (SoTL) in Ireland, and maintain close links with the International Society for the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL).
3. Infrastructure
By 2012, UCC will have embedded a vision of higher education where all students are engaged in and
challenged by appropriate scholarly activity, from first year undergraduate to fourth level. By embedding a
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) approach, teachers and learners will be scholars and life-long
enquirers. Peer review of practice and engagement with continuous professional development will become
part of the culture.
The teaching and learning infrastructure will be enhanced by extending the menu of professional
development programmes for teaching staff and by developing projects that exploit the full potential of library
and IT facilities. The development of on-line programmes will be supported. Collaborative interdisciplinary
programmes will continue to be developed at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and new degree
models, including double degrees and joint PhDs, will continue to be initiated. Steps will be taken to further
opportunities for outreach, lifelong learning and continuing professional development. A centrally-located
‘Hub’ will be developed to house learning and other supports and an improved e-environment for students
will be created through the development of the ‘Student Portal’.
4. Ionad Bairre
Ionad Bairre, UCC’s Teaching and Learning Centre, aims to:
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Improve the Teaching and Learning infrastructure, especially by strengthening the University’s
Teaching and Learning Team
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Encourage a scholarly approach to teaching and learning to prepare staff to engage with an
increasingly diverse student population. Further develop and support a research-informed approach
to teaching, learning and assessment
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Continue to collaborate with and be represented on the management board of the National Academy
for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL), and encourage all staff to engage
with the opportunities it provides locally, nationally and internationally.
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Enhance the quality of teaching and learning through further development of a peer review culture.
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Provide academic staff with an opportunity to represent good teaching within our university, through
the production of annual publications, so that the student experience of learning will be made public
and examples of good practice will be disseminated.
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Ensure the student voice is encouraged and heeded, feeding into curriculum planning and design of
assessment methods.
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Contribute to the implementation of the Bologna action lines, especially in relation to the Learning
Outcomes approach.
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Establish a Teaching and Learning committee at Academic Council and in each of the four colleges,
which will ensure that each discipline/school website will include examples of good teaching.
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Identify champions for teaching and learning within each discipline.
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Continue to identify original, innovative and relevant aspects of Teaching and Learning to act as the
focus of research for Ionad Bairre, thereby continuing its international authority in the area.
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Organise seminar series where staff and students are invited to contribute and participate in
imaginative approaches to teaching and sharing across disciplines.
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Encourage all new academic staff, who do not have a teaching qualification, to complete the
Certificate programme in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education within the first three years of
their appointment.
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Further strengthen the teaching and learning infrastructure by developing links that exploit the full
potential of the library, IT and learning technologies.
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Foster the use of quality assurance tools in teaching programmes according to European standards.
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Ensure that, on quality review panels, at least one reviewer on each panel has a pedagogical
background in the discipline.
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Contribute to the development of key policies in probation, staff development and promotion.
5. Widening Access & CACE
UCC will grow its contribution to the wider community through links with first and second levels, via outreach
and teacher-mentoring activities, via the University’s Access Office and via direct engagements with the local
and regional community through such initiatives as the ‘Science Shops’. CACE’s role is central to the
provision of services that allow the lifelong and returning student to participate in tertiary education. UCC
has progressively widened participation through an inclusive environment that embraces diversity and in
addition to CACE, UCC appointed a Director of Access (recently retired and whose activities have are
continuing through the Office of the Vice-President for the Student Experience) to ensure that the objectives
of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008-2013 are achieved. There will also be at
UCC a greater recognition of the validity of prior learning. Staff development in learning and teaching through
Ionad Bairre will support the equality of access strategic priority of the university as we endeavour to further
increase access to all sections of the community, through collaborative partnerships with educational
providers, community groups and other relevant stakeholders in the region.
The current development by the Office of the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning of an e-learning
strategy for UCC and the creation of an environment that will facilitate this, will contribute significantly to
local, regional and national commitments to widen access to third level education.
6. National Academy for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning
The National Academy for the Integration of Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) is a SIF-funded project led by
UCC, which promotes innovation, supports development and sustains good practice that links research with
teaching and learning in thirty eight higher education institutions. Since its establishment in 2007, the
National Academy has made significant progress on a number of its objectives. National collaborative
working groups have advanced many of the objectives including development of a national framework for the
professional development of supervisors of postgraduate students, implementation of the Bologna action
lines, development of principles that will guide the process of establishing and developing accredited
programmes in teaching and learning in higher education. Key events including regular conferences,
seminars, and workshops have been organised in higher education institutions nationally that have served to
develop good practice in integrating research, teaching and learning. In addition, NAIRTL has promoted the
implementation of a Learning Outcomes Approach to Teaching and Learning through support of a series of
national and international workshops to accompany the handbook A Practical Guide to Writing and Using
Learning Outcomes. Grants are disbursed annually to individuals and groups for projects that will enhance
teaching and learning through research. The outputs of these projects include conference papers, training
programmes, seminars, journal papers, interactive software, education programmes, workshop resource
materials, websites, handbooks, e-learning courses, public lectures, etc. all of which enhance teaching and
learning through integration with research. Publications are produced annually and serve as a resource to
enhance the capacity of teachers to integrate research and teaching. In addition, the Academy has
developed a programme of National Awards for Excellence in Teaching, which recognises and rewards
teachers who have been successful in uniting their dual roles as teacher and researcher.
7. Undergraduate Education
UCC has a clear commitment to excellence in education at third level. Close liaison between Ionad Bairre
and the research community ensures that emphasis is now firmly on the integration of research skills into
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undergraduate curricula from the first year of all degree programmes. By treating students as scholars from
the time they enter UCC, we aim to build their capacity to take up their roles as future researchers; a
seamless transition to fourth level is created, with students regarding research as part of their intellectual
landscape from University entrance to life-long learning. UCC has an exemplary track record in integrating
research, teaching and learning and has made a significant contribution to national development in this field
through the UCC-led National Academy for Integration of Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL).
UCC’s teaching and learning strategy is designed to help all students maximize their potential and build their
capacity to develop careers and potential to contribute as researchers in future academic and work-place
settings, and as citizens. Internationally recognised graduate attributes are being fostered, with appropriate
guidance throughout the undergraduate experience. Courses and programmes which engage students in
research and enquiry at undergraduate level are being highlighted and rewarded.
UCC aspires to give students a complete learning experience by providing students with learning
opportunities which are complimentary to academic learning. This includes learning activities such as work
based learning, study abroad opportunities, employability and transferable skills training and reflective
learning from extracurricular activities. UCC’s commitment to these ideals is reflected in the ‘Life Matters’
programme, whose aims include enhancing the students’ experience by promoting students’ well-being and
life skills.
8. Postgraduate Students (research and taught) and Researchers
UCC has developed a new College-based Graduate School support structure, and is now well positioned to
deliver the new paradigm of PhD student training through providing leadership in the development of generic
and specialist skills modules and programmes. UCC has strong partnerships with other Universities and
Institutes in Ireland, Europe and North America, underpinning the development of inter-institutional
programmes.
Ionad Bairre, UCC, will continue to lead a collaborative Graduate Studies project to provide support and
development for postgraduate teaching assistants. An accredited course with learning outcomes,
assessment and teaching strategies, underpinned by theories of teaching and learning, will continue to
support graduate teaching assistants. This work will be expanded to include career development in teaching
and learning for researchers.
UCC, through NAIRTL, will coordinate the Scholarship of Teaching Project on Graduate Education, following
on from the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) campus leadership
initiative.
9. Strategic Goals
a. We will enhance the quality of the teaching and learning experience at undergraduate and
postgraduate levels through innovation and appropriate investment in infrastructure, staff and
resources for Ionad Bairre, the university’s Teaching and Learning support centre.
b. We will continue to develop a creative dialogue on teaching and learning and assessment, building
capacity of students and teachers to allow imaginative approaches to teaching and learning. We will
generate and foster new ways of thinking and will produce innovative, entrepreneurial graduates who
will be prepared to contribute to the needs of current and future workforces and the wider
community.
c.
We will create flexibility within programmes to encourage and grow capacity to cater for online
learning and teaching for a diverse and international student body. A pedagogical framework will
underpin
technology
use.
d. We will, in general and via CACE particularly, support widening participation through an inclusive
environment that embraces diversity and equality and contribute to the achievement of the objectives
of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008-2013.
e. We will inform and influence higher education policy through continued leadership of the National
Academy for Integration of Research and Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL). Through the National
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Academy we will benchmark our approaches with national and international good practice. Through
partnership and collaborative approaches we will ensure that all of our activities are cost effective,
without compromising on quality.
10. Key Projects
The Office of the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning is comprised of three key units:
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Ionad Bairre, UCC’s Teaching and Learning Centre;
The Centre for Adult & Continuing Education (CACE)
The UCC-led National Academy for Integration of Research in Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL).
Tangential to this reporting structure however is an outward vision of a network of cross-university
collaborations, as well as engagement with external stakeholders, to enhance the student learning
experience and the following were all discussed at an extensive open-forum discussion group, held in early
2009, that sought contributions from internal and external/regional stakeholders (see section 12 for details of
contributing local and external stakeholders).
Undergraduate Education and Widening Access
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Embed research-enhanced teaching and learning approaches into the undergraduate curricula
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Enhance flexibility in the delivery and structure of the curriculum
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Introduce a revised annual student survey to evaluate modules
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Support the work of the relevant offices in widening participation to enhance inclusivity
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Encourage learning through social engagement, such as work experience, field courses and other
off-campus activities in an effort to embed such in the curriculum. Encourage social engagement
through teaching by supports for such initiatives as the ‘Science Shops’
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Liaise with and support units in the collective development of a foundation year to facilitate access
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Support links with first and second level education and further education providers
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Promote assessment for learning, by mapping and evaluating current assessment practice and
developing authentic and innovative strategies
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Promote flexible use of on-campus teaching spaces to reflect diverse approaches to teaching and
learning
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Continue to support students’ academic, personal, social and cultural needs, paying particular
attention to first year students
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Continue to improve flexibility in our programmes and exploit the opportunities created by the
Bologna action lines
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Increase flexibility for the learner by extending interdisciplinary programmes, implementing newer
degree models and by establishing improved opportunities for Continuing Professional Development
and Lifelong Learning
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Update and enhance the portfolio of generic university modules and introduce a programme for
talented/motivated students
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Fully implement the model for the governance of interdisciplinary programmes in UCC. Further
develop interdisciplinary programmes to match student demand and collaborate with other
institutions in joint programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels
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Develop a university wide model to enhance graduate employability by the provision of increased
opportunities for work based learning, study abroad options and the provision of employability and
transferable skills training to students
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Review the curriculum to identify opportunities for inter-institutional/inter-college rationalisation and
development
Postgraduate Education and Research Staff
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Develop a Doctorate Programme in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
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Provide support for postgraduate students in their roles as teaching assistants
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Embed research-enhanced teaching and learning approaches into postgraduate curricula
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Provide courses in teaching, learning and assessment for research staff
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Continue to liaise with and build collaborations with the University’s Graduate Studies Office and with
Deans/Heads of Colleges’ Graduate Studies areas
Technology
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Underpin the use of information and communication technologies with pedagogical theory and good
practice
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Build teaching and learning resources on the UCC website
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Continue to align learning technologies and teaching and learning
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Plan and implement technology to enable the remote delivery of on-line programmes
11. Targets
By 2012:
Target 1
Teaching will include on-going enquiry, which involves the embedding of a research-informed approach to
teaching, learning and assessment.
KPIs:
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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through: 1) the provision of Support for Teaching and
Learning Lunchtime Seminar Series sharing good practice across discipline, 2) the provision of
Certificate, Diploma and Masters in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 3) the provision of
workshops for specific communities involved in teaching such as research staff, librarians and
technical officers, as well as orientation for new academic staff. It is envisaged that by 2012, UCC
will have at least 500 staff members who will have participated in one or more strands of this CPD
programme offered by Ionad Bairre.
A system of credit for staff in the form of certificates of participation (for a minimum number of
seminars/workshops) will be in place
Harnessing
and
complete
updating
of
CORA
(Cork
Open
Research
Archive
http://cora.ucc.ie/advanced-search ) to serve as evidence of implementation of this key target and as
a repository of Teaching and Learning materials, both in terms of disciplinary and professional CPD
Target 2:
Provide support for postgraduate students in their role as teaching assistants.
KPIs:
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Establishment and development of PG6003 Teaching and Learning for Graduate Studies
Postgraduate students present and publish their research enquiry into their own teaching
Inter-institutional collaboration in provision of teaching and learning support for postgraduate
students
Target 3:
9
Curricula will increasingly contain activities in which students carry out authentic, original research
themselves.
KPIs:
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50% of Schools within UCC will have submitted an application for funding to encourage the
embedding of authentic research into undergraduate programmes, such as the grant scheme
administered by Ionad Bairre.
All modules that incorporate elements of student research will make this visible in the Book of
Modules, via module descriptors, learning outcomes or modes of assessment.
Produce a framework document outlining the US/Canadian universities schemes on work-based
practice which creates a database matching unpaid research work for students to academic staff
needs.
Target 4:
Introduce a programme for talented/motivated undergraduate students,
KPIs:
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Development of an accredited multi-disciplinary programme for motivated undergraduate students
with competitive entry criteria for acceptance on programme
Programme will foster critical thinking and original research at undergraduate level
A suite of programme elements will be available to participating students, including seminar series,
article clubs, research showcases, electronic journal publishing – upon which reflective learning and
research findings will be assessed.
Target 5:
Curricula will be designed and constantly adapted on the basis of systematic inquiry into teaching and
learning, within a culture of peer review and support.
KPIs:
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Documentary evidence of such curricula visible in portfolios of practice, publications and conference
presentations by staff across all disciplines
Staff will share good practice of such curricula across disciplinary boundaries in the Support for
Teaching and Learning Seminar Series and Accredited Programmes, building a network across the
University.
Establishment of an online archive via further development of the Teaching and Learning website.
The student voice will be captured through innovative evaluation methods to feed into curriculum
design and assessment, making learning visible.
Support of the development of a student evaluation/survey system.
University wide quality assurance of teaching and learning in accordance with European/Bologna
standards.
Target 6:
Institutional recognition, in the form of excellence awards, and awards for research into innovative teaching.
KPIs:
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Generate greater recognition and prestige of the Awards through effective communication and more
prominent advertisement internally via website and externally via UCC’s Media & Communications’
media contacts.
Increase by a target of 25% the numbers of applicants for the Awards.
Establishment, with consensus from all stakeholders, of an internal database of projects that can be
used as a reference/learning tool of best teaching scholarship and practices.
Provide opportunities for Awards winners to deliver a seminar showcase on their award-winning
applications and by extension, provide the opportunity for other UCC to benefit from same.
Target 7:
10
Expand the list of peer-reviewed journals that effect citation count to include journals that have a
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) focus.
KPIs:
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The leading teaching and learning journals visible on citation list
Establishment of an annually updated database of UCC publications based on scholarship in
teaching and learning
Target 8:
Building Teaching and Learning infrastructure at UCC:
KPIs:
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There will be a greater visibility and awareness of Ionad Bairre, the Centre for Teaching and
Learning at UCC, by securing its own physical space and developing its online/virtual visibility.
There will be formal arrangements linking Ionad Bairre across the 4 Colleges. Ionad Bairre will have
formal links with key internal centres such as the Graduate Studies Office, the Research Office, the
Library, the Learning Technologies Unit, the Audio Visual Services, and the Disability Support Office.
Formation of a Teaching and Learning Committee at Academic Council that will be central to policymaking and staff development.
Strong national and international contacts. UCC will continue to lead the SIF-funded National
Academy for the Integration of Teaching and Learning.
Establishment of a state-of-the-art centrally-located “hub” that will integrate central teaching support
and student services and that will further encourage all students’ engagement with university life by
providing extended access to campus online and physical facilities
Target 9:
Develop a Doctorate Programme in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
KPIs:
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Various models will be mapped and scoped.
Ionad Bairre will explore and define its role in developing and/or validating postgraduate
programmes that are embedded within Ionad Bairre and the disciplines.
Target 10:
Integration and development of technology in the classroom and development of a distance learning
environment at UCC to meet societal needs and reflecting national educational policy.
KPIs:
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Information and communication technologies will be informed by pedagogical theory and good
practice.
Teaching and Learning resources will be available on the UCC website
Alignment of learning technologies and teaching and learning.
Plan and implement technology to enable the remote delivery of on-line programmes and it is
anticipated that by 2012, 40% or greater of programmes at UCC will contain an element of distance
learning.
Target 11:
Fostering student opportunities for intellectual growth outside of the classroom, in preparation for all aspects
of professional and academic life beyond graduation.
KPIs:
 Number of programmes with embedded work-based learning or employability and transferable skills
development modules
 Increasing numbers of students studying abroad as part of their programmes of study
 Increased collaborations with other institutions in joint programmes at undergraduate and
postgraduate levels
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12. Planning and Acknowledgements
This plan was developed by means of an inclusive university-wide process involving consultation with
students, staff, external agencies and other key stakeholders such as Cork City and County Vocational
Education Committees, Cork Institute of Technology, the National Association of Principals & Deputy
Principals.
13. Monitoring and Evaluation
A robust evaluation will be conducted, via a yearly Operational Plan with tracked aims and achievements, to
assess how well the overall plan is being implemented.
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