Shining a Light on the National Professional Development Framework for all who Teach in Irish Higher Education: Why it Matters, How it Works.

In higher education, we have become increasingly aware of the narrative of being part of a knowledge-based economy, and know there are strong, compelling reasons for continuous professional development (PD) to support our role as educators. For anyone who teaches and supports learning in Irish higher education, PD is fundamental for remaining current in their role, it provides the drive to progress their career, and to deal with change in the sector. Prior to 2016, there has not been a mechanism or route in place nationally to give structure, focus and support to individual academic staff to avail of relevant PD and utilise it to realise their full potential in their teaching role. Promisingly, there are more PD opportunities to choose from nowadays for those teaching in Irish HE than ever before, but negotiating the labyrinth can remain difficult. This article discusses a key strand of the workplan of the National Forum (NF) for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning - the formation and early implementation of the National Professional Development Framework (PDF) for all who teach in higher education (HE). This important work is leading towards national recognition of an individual’s commitment to professionalism in teaching. By deepening sectoral understanding of the PDF itself and raising awareness of the recent pilot study implementation with staff who teach in universities, institutes of technology and private colleges, we are adding to the long-standing debate about the possible connections between professionalisation of teaching and improvements in student learning experiences and outcomes. We have structured the article using a series of questions, to highlight what is unique about this PD Framework, its underpinning values and distinctive domains

Establishing and Sustaining National Partnerships in Professional Development and the Recognition of Open Courses in Teaching and Learning Through Digital Badges.

This article discusses a national partnership in Irish higher education between the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and the sector. The partnership initiative focussed on the scalable design and development of a suite of open-access professional development (PD) courses in teaching and learning. The empirical work explored the role and value of digital badges as professional recognition for open courses, and in particular the transformative experience of the collaborative course design teams from teachers into teachers-as-designers. Each course has been mapped to Ireland’s national PD framework for all staff who teach. This initiative aimed to provide multiple nationally developed access points to PD opportunities and recognise engagement through digital badges. The partnership with course designers from institutions across Ireland was multifaceted, and their transformation from novice creators of digital content is explored here. Lessons learnt relate to developing consensus on national criteria and associated evidence forscalable open courses, ensuring quality assurance and supporting teams working in partnership. A framework of triple-loop learning was used for conceptualising the different phases of development of the collaborating teams and the sectoral learning around partnerships and nationally recognised collaborative course design

Supporting Teaching and Learning Transformations Through the National Professional Development Framework: Establishing and Recognising an Inclusive Community of Practice for All Who Teach in Irish Higher Education.

The Natonal Forum (NF) for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning has recently completed an inital implementaton of the Natonal Professional Development Framework (PDF) for all who teach in higher educaton. Prior to the publicaton of the PD Framework in 2016, there was no mechanism or route in place natonally to give structure, focus and support to individual staf to avail of relevant professional development and utlise it to realise their full potental in their teaching role. This important work is deepening sectoral understanding of the PDF itself and leading towards natonal recogniton of an individual’s commitment to their professional development across the universites, insttutes of technology and private colleges. This artcle is writen as a refectve commentary on this key natonal initatve in Irish higher educaton. It outlines the challenge in the development of the framework, that it must be relevant in a diversity of insttutonal contexts and approaches of professional development across the sector. The framework, to be sustainable, required an inherent inclusivity and fexibility that enables all staf who teach, regardless of the context within which they work, to engage with it to support their professional development throughout their career. This paper explores other themes that emerged during the development and subsequent implementaton of the framework including: the personal and professional aspects of development for those who teach; change as a means of individual empowerment; an emergent community of practce supportng implementaton; and supportng the emergence of transformatons at insttutonal level

Cascading Conversations Across Professional Development Open Courses and Community in Teaching and Learning in Irish Higher Education: Embedding and Sustaining the National Perspective from Within.

This study is aimed atteaching and learning staff,academic leaders/senior managers, educational/academic developers, and will offer an opportunity to explore together the long-term vision of a valued and informed teaching and learning culture in Irish higher education and the impact of national conversations on professional development in teaching and learning.The momentum in PD offered by the success of the Open Courses, the sudden national move to online/remote teaching and learning in recent months, and the evolving education policy context (in Ireland), have combined to present a unique opportunity to make strategic forward motion regarding teaching and learning enhancement.By the end of this session, delegates will be able to: •Critically discuss the Irish framework of professional development of all who teach in higher education and the national conversations taking place on teaching and learning pre-and-during covid times.•Explore the approach taken to implementing a suite of 20 flexible open-access professional development (PD) Open Courses for national recognition.•Challenge current conversations around professional development, in particular on their ability or inability to empower academics to make a difference to individual practice and collective T&L responsibility.•Reflect on lessons learnt from this work including how this PD initiative can encourage the HE community to consider how top-down initiatives influence informal T&L conversationsand vice vers