Student success at college is not just achieving high grades The National Forum for Teaching and Learning defines student success as the process by which students fulfil their potential and flourish at college and in society. This is a broader activity than simply achieving high grades. Psychosocial competencies are core to the definition of student success: these are the ‘soft skills’ or ‘non-cognitive skills’ that enable students to cope well with learning challenges, engage deeply in learning, and develop their identities as learners and as active citizens. Transitions are a key issue within this priority area, with transitions such as the move from school to college presenting both challenges and opportunities for students.
Initiative
Teaching and Learning Together: Strategies to Support Student Success at National College of Ireland
About this initiative
This initiative focuses on introducing teaching fellowships and re-purposing three modules from our MA in Education Practice to develop a stack of credit-bearing micro-credentials that will enhance the professional development of those who teach at National College of Ireland (NCI), and underpin innovation in assessment. The three modules identified for development as micro-credentials are:
• Strategies of Learning and Teaching (10 ECTS)
• Practicum in Educational Practice (10 ECTS)
• Educational Assessment and Feedback (5 ECTS)
The first two of these micro-credentials – Strategies of Learning and Teaching and the Practicum in Educational Practice – will be primarily focused on the professional development needs of staff in their first year of teaching. They will form the basis of a ‘New to Teaching’ programme, putting existing provision in this domain on a more formal, structured footing. Strategies of Learning and Teaching will equip new lecturers with core pedagogical skills and knowledge for teaching, while the Practicum in Educational Practice will provide structured mentoring as they teach during their first year. The third of these micro-credentials, Educational Assessment and Feedback, will enhance the professional development of all staff who teach at NCI. It will focus on innovation in educational assessment and build on experiences of assessment re-design in the context of COVID-19. The introduction of two teaching fellowships and the recruitment and appointment of fellows (or associates) are central to this proposal. Teaching fellows will collaborate on the development and delivery of the micro-credentials and provide structured mentoring for those ‘New to Teaching’ through the Practicum in Educational Practice.
Lead organisations
Affiliated organisations
Linked open educational resources
Initiative details
Funding programmes SATLE
Themes Student Success
Award year
2020Funding amount (€)
35000Contributors
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