Induction by design: strategically supporting student transition into higher education

This qualitative study reports on an on-entry induction and socialisation intervention designed to support and retain students transitioning to higher education at an Irish private higher education institution. Following the intervention, a qualitative study was conducted with the aim of exploring new undergraduate student experiences of transitioning to higher education and their experiences of participating in the induction by design. Six themes emerged during the analytical process: academic experiences, expectations of higher education, the impact of college on life, induction by design, socialisation and the transition from school to college. Findings indicate that designed induction interventions which focus on the on-entry phase of the study lifecycle can have a positive impact on new higher education students

Open, future, online teaching: enabling excellence in the student experience

This mixed-methods study reports on a continuing professional development intervention (CPD), called #OpenTeach, designed to upskill part-team online teachers. CPD is recognised as crucial to the upskilling of educators to enhance the student learning experience. However, an important gap exists in the provision of CPD for part-time and online teachers who rarely have the opportunity to avail of campus-based resources (Beaton & Gilbert, 2013). To address this gap we need to better harness the potential of more flexible models of online education. Geographically dispersed online teachers require opportunities to engage with new learning designs, new digital competencies and new ways of embedding digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment. Accordingly, the #OpenTeach intervention addresses this challenge through a highly targeted CPD programme for part-time online teachers. The core of the initiative involves the development a short open online course on online teaching best practice. This course will develop the digital and pedagogical competencies of the 90 DCU Connected online teachers locally and will be open to online educators globally. The #OpenTeach: Professional Development for Open Online Educators project is funded by the Irish National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Teaching online is different: critical perspectives from the literature

Teaching online is different. In this report we attempt to explain why. This report arises from the #Openteach: Professional Development for Open Online Educators project, which is funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. In this project we plan to uncover and promote the keys to effective online teaching practice, while recognising that effective teaching is an art, craft and science. We aim to harness this knowledge to support the professional learning of online educators. Ultimately we want to support online students to learn online by helping and inspiring their educators. This report was developed to help lay a foundation for the project through a critical analysis of relevant literature

DCU case study: Using ABC to design an online teaching course for open online educators

How the ABC Learning Design Framework was used to design the #OpenTeach Professional Development course for Open Online Educator

Openteach pilot evaluation report

The aim of this evaluation report is to evaluate the pilot run of the #Openteach course in order to explore, understand and evaluate its impact on the professional learning experiences of the participants and to inform the iterative design process

DCU case study: Using ABC to design an online teaching course for open online educators

How the ABC Learning Design Framework was used to design the #OpenTeach Professional Development course for Open Online Educator

Melt-layer thickness measurements during crushing experiments on fresh-water ice

A stainless-steel platen with a centrally located pressure sensor on the front face, has been used to crush mono-crystalline, bubble-free fresh water ice samples. Two electrical conductors, located on the face of the pressure sensor, were connected to a bridge circuit so that the presence of liquid between the two conductors could be detected and its thickness measured. Video records of the ice/steel contact zone during crushing were obtained by mounting samples on a thick Plexiglass plate which permitted viewing through the specimen to the ice-steel interface. Total load and pressure records exhibited a sawtooth pattern due to the compliance of the ice and the testing apparatus, and spalling of ice from the contact zone. When the region of contact was in the vicinity of the pressure transducer, liquid was detected and peaks occurred in the liquid sensor output when load drops occurred. Contact between the platen and the ice consisted of low pressure zones of highly damaged crushed and/or refrozen ice, opaque in appearance, and transparent, high-pressure regions of relatively undamaged ice. Upper limits for the liquid-layer thickness on the high-pressure regions of relatively undamaged ice. Upper limits for the liquid-layer thickness on the high-pressure undamaged ice were ~3\ub5m on the sharp descending sides.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye