Coding theory is a major component of Applied Algebra. It has many applications in the mathematics of communications and has many links with other scientific disciplines, such as electrical engineering and computer science. Coding theory arises in almost every imaginable digital communications and storage system. In UCD, it is taught at the undergraduate level in the module MATH30180 An Introduction to Coding Theory.
Initiative
Thinking Well in a Changing World
About this initiative
his project aims to develop students’ metacognitive skills and graduate competencies whilst simultaneously cultivating their capacity for effective, responsible use of AI use, through collaborative blended learning in authentic, sustainability-focused contexts. This supports UCD’s General Education ambition: providing structured opportunities to develop core competencies including digital and AI literacy, sustainability awareness, innovation, and wellbeing.
Students completing ‘Thinking Well in a Changing World’ will leave with something that will serve them for life: the ability to think about their own thinking, to think collaboratively, and in turn how to apply that capacity to the defining challenges of their generation.
For students, the project will deliver:
- Measurable improvement in metacognitive awareness, evidenced through pre/post Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) scores, equipping students to plan, monitor, and regulate their learning independently and effectively. Essential for effective lifelong learning and ongoing transversal competence progression.
- Responsible AI literacy – moving from passive reliance to active, critical engagement supporting cognition. It will be assessed through reflective tasks and the General Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS), building the digital judgement essential for professional and civic life.
- Authentic interdisciplinary experience, collaborating across schools and colleges on a real-world sustainability challenge, developing communication, teamwork, and systems-thinking competencies directly aligned with UCD’s General Education competencies including the eight competencies at the core of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development framework.
- Supporting students in their progression as sustainability citizens.
- A critical reflection on learning, as both an assessment and developmental milestone, supporting students in articulating their growth as self-directed and lifelong learners
For the institution, the project will deliver:
- An open Discovery module with suite of reusable learning objects that the whole university student population can access.
- An evaluation report providing insight for future iterations and a peer-reviewed publication supporting wider adoption of the MDF approach across UCD.
| Project Lead | Professor Emma J O’Neill |
|---|---|
| College | UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences |
| School | UCD School of Veterinary Medicine |
| Partner College | UCD College of Social Sciences and Law |
Lead organisations
Affiliated organisations
Linked open educational resources
Contributors
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