Creating Access to Education with Progression Pathways via Blended Learning of Deaf Studies at Third Level in Ireland: Open Innovation with Digital Assets

Irish Sign Language (ISL) is an indigenous language of Ireland and is recognized by the EU as a natural language. It is a language separate from the other languages used in Ireland, including Irish, English and, in Northern Ireland, British Sign Language. Some 6,500 Deaf people use ISL on the island of Ireland. Deaf people are the most under-represented of all disadvantaged groups at third level, posing two challenges: (1) getting Deaf people into third level and (2) presenting education in an accessible form. Two higher education institutions, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, Dublin (ITB) have partnered to create a unique elearning environment based on MOODLE as the learning management system, in the delivery of Deaf Studies programmes at TCD. We intend to create access to education plus the provision of progression pathways into and through third level in the Irish National Quality Framework within the European Bologna model. We deliver third level programmes to students online to resolves problems of time, geography and access, maximizing multi-functional uses of digital assets across our programmes. Signed languages are visual-gestural languages and online content is required to be multi-modal in nature and utilize rich-media learning objects. This presents many important challenges, including (1) Universal design in an online curriculum for Deaf students, (2) Assessing signed language interpreting skill in an online context, (3) Using the Signs of Ireland corpus in blended learning contexts in a MOODLE environment and (4) Issues of assessment in an elearning context. In this paper, we introduce the Irish Deaf community and their language; the educational context that leads to disadvantage and negative outcomes in employment and our work to date in developing accessible elearning with progression pathways for Deaf Studies programmes at TCD

Signs of Access in a Digital World: Online Delivery of Deaf Studies Curricula in Ireland at Third Level,

Irish Sign Language (ISL), an indigenous language of Ireland, is recognized by the European Union as a natural language. It is a language separate from the other languages used in Ireland, including English, Irish, and, in Northern Ireland, British Sign Language. Some 5,000 Deaf people use ISL. Given the history of suppression of signed languages across the EU, the average Deaf person leaves school with a reading age of 8.5 to 9 years. Given this, it is no surprise that Deaf people are the most under-represented of all disadvantaged groups at third level. This poses two challenges: (1) getting Deaf people into third level and (2) presenting education in an accessible form

Towards Blended Learning for Deaf Studies at Third Level in Ireland,

Irish Sign Language (ISL), an indigenous language of Ireland, is recognized by the EU as a natural language. It is a language seperate from the other languages used in Ireland, including English, Irish, and, in Northern Ireland

Molecules with multiple personalities: how switchable materials could revolutionise chemical sensing

Worldwide, the demand for sensing devices that can conform with the requirements of large-scale wireless sensor network (WSN) deployments is rising exponentially. Typically, sensors should be very low cost, low power (essentially self-sustaining), yet very rugged and reliable. At present, functioning WSN deployments involve physical transducers only, such as thermistors, accelerometers, photodetectors, or flow meters, to monitor quantities like temperature, movement, light level and liquid level/flow. Remote, widely distributed monitoring of molecular targets remains relatively unexplored, except in the case of targets that can be detected directly using ‘non-contact’ techniques like spectroscopy. This paper will address the issues inhibiting the close integration of chemical sensing with WSNs and suggest strategies based on fundamental materials science that may offer routes to new sensing surfaces that can switch between different modes of behaviour (e.g. active-passive, expand-contract)

Prognostic Indicators and Outcome Measures for Surgical Removal of Symptomatic Nonadvanced Cataract

This article is made available in accordance with the publisher's public repositories policy.Objectives To report changes in perceived visual functioning after surgery for symptomatic cataract with preoperative corrected distance visual acuity [CDVA] of 0.4 logMAR or better (Snellen equivalent, 20/50) and to investigate the relationship between any observed changes and preoperative physical characteristics and psychophysical consequences of the lens opacity and any changes in psychophysical findings after the procedure. Methods Eighty-five patients with cataract completed a validated questionnaire concerning functional vision satisfaction and a series of visual performance assessments before and 2 months after cataract surgery. The lens optical density and Lens Opacities Classification System III score of the cataract were recorded. Correlations between changes in the Rasch-analyzed questionnaire score and changes in visual performance after cataract surgery, as well as preoperative psychophysical measures, lens optical density, and Lens Opacities Classification System III score, were determined. Results The mean (SD) questionnaire score improved from 2.15 (0.36) to 1.54 (0.41) (P > .05 for both). Conclusion Psychophysical tests alternative to CDVA better represent improvements in self-reported visual functioning following removal of symptomatic nonadvanced cataract

Management development in Small and Medium Sized Firms in The Republic of Ireland: An Investigation of Contingency Factors and Management Development Activities

Purpose The development of managerial skills is an important priority for small and medium sized firm globally yet we have few insights about the predictors and types of management development (MD) activities in SMEs. To date studies of MD have not sufficiently differentiated between small and medium sized firms. In this paper we investigate the impact of three sets of predictors (contextual, technology and innovation activities, behavioural and skill) on six dimensions of MD (formal internal development, formal internal with an external expert, formal external development, one-to-one MD activities, budget for MD and experiential focused MD). Design/methodology/approach Survey of 360 SMEs in Ireland involving 401 manager and owner managers in small and medium sized firms. Findings Our findings reveal that firm size is an important predictor of the six dimensions of MD investigated in this study. We also found that in terms of the different categories of predictors dimensions of the SME technological and innovation capacity explained differences between small and medium sized firm such as technologically improved product/service, changes existing products and services and process innovation. We also found the age of the firm, the existence of a clearly articulated business strategy and formal strategic planning approaches were significant. Research / practical / policy implications Overall our findings highlight significant differences between small and medium firms which have important research and policy implications. Management development is a government priority for supporting Irish SMEs. We address a fundamental problem providing insight into predictors of management development activities. Originality/value This is a large survey of SMEs in the Republic of Ireland. The findings have important theoretical and policy implications

Prognostic Indicators and Outcome Measures for Surgical Removal of Symptomatic Nonadvanced Cataract

Objectives: To report changes in perceived visual functioning after surgery for symptomatic cataract with pre-operative corrected distance visual acuity [CDVA] of 0.4 logMar or better (Snellen equivalent, 20/50) and to investigate the relationship between any observed changes and preoperative physical characteristics and psycho-physical consquences of the lens opacity and any changes in psychophysical findings after the procedure

SME Manager Skills and Practices Survey (2020)

Survey questions for assessing manager skills and practices in Small to Medium Enterprises under the Improving management development standards in SMEs in Ireland. A project funded by the European Union via the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) - No SRSS/C2019/05