‘Munster will learn as never before where Finbar taught’
UCC PREPARES FOR ITS FIRST TERM OF THE COVID ERA
THE publication of the Leaving Cert results on Monday will kick start the final leg of a race for third level places for the coming year.
But how will that look in the COVID era? Will students be attending lectures in universities, institutes of technology and other third level institutions, will students have to learn from home, tuning in online for lectures or will it be combination of both? How will it work?
Cliodhna O’Callaghan, from Baile Mhúirne in Gaeltacht Mhúscraí, had been working for a number of years in UCC’s student outreach department but took up a new role in December.
“Having worked in UCC for five years I took up a project management role last December on an exciting IUA (Irish Universities Association) project called ‘Enhancing Digital Teaching & Learning’ (EDTL).”
This is a 3 year project, which is funded through the HEA’s Innovation and Transformation Programme, and is aimed at enhancing the digital attributes and educational experiences of Irish university students through enabling the mainstreamed and integrated use of digital technologies across the teaching and learning process.”
The project aims to mainstream digital in teaching and learning activities in Irish Universities, by addressing the professional development of all who teach or support teaching and learning.
While it’s tempting to think that the role automatically means the gradual migration of student lectures to online portals and more and more learning taking place virtually, there’s more to it than that and COVID compelled Clíodhna to tackle the issues head on sooner than she would have liked.
“On taking up this role I could never have imagined how relevant this work would become in 2020!
“When the staff in UCC downed tools on that March 12, I’m sure they could never imagined how many new digital tools they would be learning about remotely and within such a short space of time.”
A combination of lectures on campus and online will form the core of a blended learning approach in UCC in the coming year but the most important element of this is that it will be driven by the pedagogic needs of the student or lecturer and the class.
“Our work is not technology-led, instead we aim to start with pedagogical needs of a group or individual, and consider how technology might be used to support these,” she said.
The project is not led by technology - but one of its main aims is to raise the level of digital competence across a class, school, faculty or discipline.
The other pillar of the project is that Clíodhna and her colleagues work in partnership with students at all levels of the project.
While those pillars would have been central to the project irrespective of COVID’s arrival, things change drastically in March.
“I have been working from home myself along with my colleagues in UCC since the 12th of March and count myself as very lucky in many ways in this context.
“I had the office space within my home already set up for work and study, as well as living in the beautiful countryside of Baile Mhúirne which I appreciated even more during those early days of lock-down.
“Not all staff have been in as good a situation and have faced quite challenging remote working situations.
“It must be said that regardless of the challenges everyone went above and beyond to ensure our students were always front and centre of our work, and that no student would experience any academic disadvantage as a result of the crisis and the unforeseen situation we all found ourselves it.”
“We are preparing for remote teaching for the coming academic year, bearing in mind that each school/department is taking their own approach to their teaching and learning and therefore it is critical that each student would stay in contact with their own programme coordinator/point of contact in relation to the programme delivery.
“It should be noted that in normal circumstances if we were preparing for online/ blended delivery of a whole programme, it could take up to two years in terms of the preparation.
“Now, we have a few months!” “Months that are already packed and bursting at the seams for most who have their own unique personal challenges to deal with.
“Teaching remotely or via blended learning is not simply a matter of directly mimicking what you are already doing in a live session.
“A lot of thought and planning is needed. Consistency is critical, as is communication.”
The IUA national team let by Dr. Sharon Flynn as overall project manager, have designed an approach for staff who are preparing for effective remote teaching in the year ahead.
“We have been delivering workshops all summer long at a national level, and we have all been working locally in our own universities on initiatives in this regard.”
In UCC, Cliodhna and her colleagues designed ‘ Teach Digi’, a bespoke programme for UCC staff supporting them as they prepare for the academic year of remote teaching.
Clíodhna acknowledges that the pace of change, accelerated by COVID, can sometimes feel overwhelming for staff who have been teaching a certain way for 20 years or more, and “simply knowing where to start, and someone they can ask any questions they might have to, means the world right now”.
During the summer Clíodhna and her colleagues have been conducting one to one sessions as well a team and departmental training sessions.
“Digital education, and technology in general, does not come easily to all, and some would even identify themselves as ‘ technophobes’, and to be honest I can empathise with them.
I started lecturing online myself in 2014 and it was a definite shock to the system. However, I embraced it, and admit to really enjoying it too.”
However, we are living in the digital age and we have a responsibility to our students, and to society at large, to ensure training and supports are in place for all staff who are expected to use digital in their teaching and learning.
“While this is still considered extraordinary times, and there has been so much uncertainty that could not be avoided, we do know that digital will feature in everything that we do, education and otherwise, well into the future.”
According to Clíodhna, UCC faces many challenges in the coming year due to COVID-19 and chief among these is providing the best possible experience for students.
“In a time of such uncertainty, our objective is to create structure and calm, and communicate with as much certainty as possible on how programmes will be delivered, and what they will look like.
“Our systems and frameworks in UCC are thankfully well prepared and resourced for the work that lies ahead.
“It is more so our staff that will need the support in learning new digital teaching skills and competencies, and while this will no doubt be challenging at times, we have supports in place that will help, like this IUA project for example.”
Within days the Leaving Cert results will be out, to be followed on Friday next, September 11, by the CAO offers. It’s shortly going to get very real in UCC as the commencement of term looms ever closer.
“First years are the Universities’ priority and an excellent orientation programme is currently being finalised to ensure as smooth as possible a transition into university.
“Regardless of the programme specific delivery, as every programme may differ slightly, communication will be critical, and that is a two way process.
“There’s no point in saying that everything will run smoothly- no doubt there will be bumps.
“This is very new for so many - That is not unique to UCC, we have to remember that this is a global crisis and therefore extraordinary times regardless of your perspective.
“However, we are working very closely with our students in working with them in terms of preparing for the year ahead.
“We have a student intern working on this IUA project in UCC, and in each of the Universities, as well as at a national level, and that ensures that our pillar of ‘students as partners’ in our work is meaningful and grounded at all times with the interests of our students being at the heart of our work.”