Teach Digi
The UCC Centre for Digital Education (CDE) was delighted to launch ‘Teach Digi’ in June 2020 – a series of responsive digital educational training supports for UCC staff. This, delivered in conjunction with the IUA’s ‘Enhancing Digital Teaching & Learning’ project (IUA EDTL), aims to support UCC staff in their digital education professional development along with existing university wide supports.
The Irish word for Digital is Digiteach and so we are playing with that word by breaking it up into Teach Digi – which literally means 'House of Digital'. While we realise most people will read the word as the English word ‘Teach’, we are using the Irish word ‘Teach’. Both meanings make sense and are appropriate to what we are doing in the Centre for Digital Education, supporting UCC staff in their digital education professional development.
The Report from the Findings of the Irish National Digital Experience Survey, which was launched in May 2020, found that institutions need to “Ensure dedicated time, and recognition/reward, to support staff who teach as they engage in formal and informal professional development related to the digital aspects of their roles.” In establishing a dedicated series of professional development resources for UCC staff, Teach Digi aims to address the digital education needs of staff during the Covid19 pandemic in a meaningful and responsive way. The findings of the Irish National Digital Experience (INDEx) Survey have provided an evidence base for our training, alongside informal and formal feedback from both UCC staff and students. In our Autumn training schedule, we used ‘The EDTL Approach’ as the underpinning framework for design and delivery. We ensured there were synergies on our training with the EDTL community webinar series in terms of relevant themes and subject matters, as well as incorporating this schedule into our training schedule. This was mutually beneficial in that UCC staff could benefit from the expertise of a national project team as well as expanding our IUA EDTL community base.
The IUA EDTL Project Lead in UCC, Ms. Clíodhna O’Callaghan, was responsible for the design, establishment, and management of this innovative initiative. Clíodhna works within the Centre for Digital Education (CDE) in UCC and this was a training initiative that would always be collaborative in its nature. Therefore, along with the Instructional Design team within the CDE and the Head of the CDE, Tom O’Mara, this was a collaboration with the team in the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning (CIRTL) as well as with colleagues across the University, for example, in the Disability Support Service, in IT Services and the Office for the Vice President of Teaching & Learning (OVPLT).
Teach Digi ‘Ag Caint’ is a UCC staff digital education training series and is informed and underpinned by the student feedback as collated in the UCC Students Union Survey, October 2020. This feedback was summarised into five pillars, presented in the below graphic. The Teach Digi training series, in conjunction with the IUA ‘Enhancing Digital Teaching & Learning’ project, has as one of its four key pillars, ‘Students as Partners’. Therefore, ensuring the student voice is front and centre to our training is vital and no better way to ensure this than to directly reference their feedback as a framework for our training. The staff led sessions are hosted by the EDTL Project Lead, Clíodhna O’Callaghan and the student led sessions are hosted by our Student Associate Intern, Ms. Catherine Dawson.
‘Ag Caint’ is the Irish for ‘chatting’ or ‘talking’ and the format of this training series includes a short ‘chat’ with a lecturer and a separate session with a student/learner in UCC on each of the five pillars. These are informal in nature, however, focus firmly on some practical advice for staff on how they can adapt their teaching to incorporate some simple and accessible advice from the lived experience of both staff and students of online teaching and learning in UCC.
A downloadable PDF version of the above infographic can be found at the following link:
Below you will find our 'Ag Caint' recorded sessions. The student feedback pillars have informed all of these short recorded sessions.
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Click the following link to listen to Sinéad Roche, UCC SU Communications & Engagement Officer & Stephen O'Riordan, UCC SU Education Officer speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan: Ag Caint le UCC SU Education - Crossover Podcast |
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Click the following link to listen to Adel Coleman, Graduate Attributes Programme Manager & Dr. Eithne Hunt, Academic Advisor, Graduate Attributes speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Adel Coleman & Dr. Eithne Hunt |
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Click the following link to listen to Eleanor Donoghue, Head, Career Services & Brian Mulcahy, 3rd Year Student, Computing & Applied Psychology speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Eleanor Donoghue & Brian Mulcahy |
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Click the following link to listen to James Northridge, Manager, Inclusive UCC & Daisy Garde, 3rd Year Biotechnology Student speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le James Northridge & Daisy Garde |
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Click the following link to listen to Tom O'Mara, Head, Centre for Digital Education speak with Clíodhna O’Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Tom O'Mara |
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Click the following link to listen to Colette McKenna, Director of UCC Library Services & Cara Long, Student, BIS speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Colette McKenna & Cara Long |
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Click the following link to listen to Prof. Luigina Ciolfi, Professor of Human Computer Interaction, School of Applied Psychology & Thomas Forde, 2nd Year BA in Psychology and Computing speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Prof. Luigina Ciolfi & Thomas Forde Summary of Key Points - Professor Luigina Ciolfi & Thomas Forde |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Loretta Goff, Research Support Officer, Academic Integrity Project speak with Clíodhna O’Callaghan: Ag Caint le Dr. Loretta Goff |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Mohammed Abdulla, Lecturer, Physiology Department & Ethan Shamis, Student, Graduate Entry Medicine speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Dr. Mohammed Abdulla & Ethan Shamis |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Amanullah de Sondy, Head, Study of Religions & Amano Miura, Final Year Student, Religion & Politics speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Stephen O'Riordan: Ag Caint le Dr. Amanullah de Sondy & Amano Miura |
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Click the following link to listen to Prof. Paul McSweeney, Vice-President for Learning & Teaching speak with Clíodhna O’Callaghan: Ag Caint le Prof. Paul McSweeney |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student / Former UCCSU Education Officer Eimear Curtin, where they discuss how overwhelm was the biggest issue for students (and how staff responded to accommodate this), how accessibility and online recordings were the biggest 'pro' for students over the past year but lack of social interaction was the biggest 'con’, and how all feedback from this year needs to be taken into account, along with the pandemic restrictions, going forward: Ag Caint le Eimear Curtin |
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Click the following link to listen to Prof. John O’Halloran, Interim President speak with Clíodhna O’Callaghan, where Prof. O’Halloran reflects on key moments in time since the onset of Covid-19 and shares some stories and insights into experience of leading the University during a global pandemic: Ag Caint le Prof. John O'Halloran |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Ger Culley, Director of IT Services, & Clíodhna O’Callaghan, discuss what worked, what didn’t work, and plans for the future as well as IT Services, pedagogy first approach, Zoom, cyber security, lecture recording and much more: Ag Caint le Dr. Ger Culley |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Briony Supple & James Cronin from the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning (CIRTL) speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan about keeping things simple and stripping back your curriculum, frameworks to support UCC staff in reviewing their curriculum in the context of what has been learned while teaching remotely and preparing for next academic year, the growing importance and impact of a 'community of practice' and how it worked for their accredited programmes, and much more: Ag Caint le CIRTL |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC International Student (MSc in Mathematical Modelling & Self-Learning Systems) Anoosha Sachan, where they discuss what outreach from the university and societies means to many international students, the difficulty of interacting with other students if not a big social media user, the challenge of transitioning from the workplace, difficulty of dealing with isolation under Covid-19 restrictions, and the benefits of recorded lectures and having exams at home: Ag Caint le Anoosha Sachan |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Séamus Ó Tuama, Director of Adult Continuing Education (ACE) & Lyndsey El Amoud, Assistant Director of ACE speak with Clíodhna O'Callaghan about how Adult Continuing Education moved their extensive suite of accredited programmes and short courses online, their most successful year ever in their 75th anniversary, what worked & didn't work, and much more: Ag Caint le Adult Continuing Education |  |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student (1st Year Arts) Síofra Kelleher, where they discuss the benefits of online recordings of lectures, the importance of study spaces, transition for first years, and accessibility options: Ag Caint le Síofra Kelleher | |
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Click the following link to listen to Olive Byrne, Head of Access, & Clíodhna O'Callaghan discuss how the Access offices (The Disability Support Service, The Mature Student Office & UCC Plus+) moved their services online, the opportunities and challenges as well as the plans for the future: Ag Caint le Olive Byrne | |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Anne Gannon, Staff Development & Wellbeing Manager, & Clíodhna O'Callaghan, discuss the impact of moving this service online, the opportunities, challenges, key messages and plans for the future: Ag Caint le Dr. Anne Gannon | |
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Click the following link to listen to UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson speak with UCC Student (PME 1) Hannah O’Connor about her experience of teaching and learning online, and they discuss student engagement, breakout rooms, challenges and opportunities, the practical aspects of teaching science, and lab-based teaching and learning: Ag Caint le Hannah O'Connor |
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Click the following link to listen to Kathy Bradley, Coordinator of The Skills Centre, & Clíodhna O'Callaghan, discuss the impact of moving the Skills Centre online, the opportunities, challenges, key messages and plans for the future: Ag Caint le Kathy Bradley | |
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Click the following link to listen to Dr. Siobhán Cusack, Head of Student Records & Examinations & Clíodhna O'Callaghan, discuss the impact of moving SREO online, the opportunities, challenges, key messages and plans for the future: Ag Caint le Dr. Siobhán Cusack | |
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Click the following link to listen to Siobhán Mortell, Language Teacher, Department of German, & Clíodhna O'Callaghan, discuss how the student pillars of feedback informed her teaching and learning, what worked and didn't work in teaching and learning, and some tips for colleagues: Ag Caint le Siobhán Mortell |
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Staff Perspective |
Student Perspective |
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| Pillar 5: Chunking Content |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Dr. Philipp Hoevel, School of Mathematical Sciences: Ag Caint le Dr. Philipp Hoevel |  |
Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student Emily Gleave: Ag Caint le Emily Gleave |
| Pillar 4: Certainty |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Dr. Angela Flynn, School of Nursing & Midwifery: Ag Caint le Dr. Angela Flynn |  |
Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student David Giles: Ag Caint le David Giles |
| Pillar 3: Flexibility |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between Clíodhna O'Callaghan & Dr. Orla Lynch, Criminology: Ag Caint le Dr. Orla Lynch |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student Irina Fernandes: Ag Caint le Irina Fernandes |
| Pillar 2: Regular Interactions |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between Clíodhna O'Callaghan and Dr. Sharon Lambert, School of Applied Psychology: Ag Caint le Dr. Sharon Lambert |  |
Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student Méabh Lonergan: Ag Caint le Méabh Lonergan |
| Pillar 1: Clarity |
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Click the following link to listen to the conversation between Tom O'Mara and Dr. Simon Woodworth, CUBS: Ag Caint le Dr. Simon Woodworth |  |
Click the following link to listen to the conversation between UCC EDTL Student Intern Catherine Dawson & UCC Student Adam Compagno: Ag Caint le Adam Compagno |
Click the following link to view a PDF which summarises the key points from both the staff and student sessions:
The below sessions focus on resources, tips and tools for getting started with teaching remotely/online in UCC.
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In this series, we use ‘The EDTL Approach’ as its underpinning framework which informs the content, design, and delivery of this staff training. This training consists of live webinars/workshops. Clíodhna O’Callaghan commences the series with a webinar focused specifically on the EDTL approach and how that came to be. What follows is a series of workshops that focuses on reflection, creating activities, communication and engagement, assessment and feedback, considerations for lab-based subjects and a student led webinar. This webinar is led by our Student Associate Intern, Ms. Catherine Dawson, who speaks about The EDTL Approach designed by the IUA EDTL student intern team, by students for students.
| Webinar/Workshop | Context |
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| The EDTL Approach - Planning for Effective Remote Teaching during Covid-19 |
Clíodhna O'Callaghan, Project Lead for the IUA
EDTL Project in UCC will present this webinar on the EDTL Approach which has been developed to support effective remote teaching in the context of COVID-19 and outlines a pathway with key considerations for those who are adapting a programme/module that is normally taught, wholly or partly, face-to-face.
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| Creating Activities for Remote Teaching | This session will open with a presentation about ideas for remote teaching activities. For example, activities on Teams, Canvas Quizzes, Polling, and eTivities. This will be followed by a scenario-based group task using Breakout Rooms. The session will finish with a Q&A. |
| Communication and Engagement | This session will open with a presentation about how to engage students and build community, making a communication plan for your course, and making your module student-friendly. It will be followed by a practical demonstration of how to apply some of these concepts to your course. The session will finish with a Q&A. |
| Assessment and Feedback | This session will open with a discussion from CIRTL on how to manage the assessment process for the semester 1 exams. It will explore some key considerations when moving assessment online. A short group task will follow. The session will finish with a Q&A. |
| Considerations for UCC Lab-Based Subjects |
Dr. Dave Otway, Dr, Aoife O'Sullivan & Dr. Ian O'Connor will discuss lab based approaches for remote teaching and learning in the context of Covid19.
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| EDTL Approach - For Students, by Students |
The National IUA Student Intern, Ruairí Ó Gallchoir and UCC's IUA Student Intern, Catherine Dawson will be presenting 'The EDTL Approach - For Students, by Students' advice on how to change to online learning. As mentioned in the title, this advice was created by the IUA student interns from all seven universities across the country. It is all-encompassing advice and methods for everything from day to day wellbeing to how to structure your learning.
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This Teach Digi series focuses on ‘Getting Started’ with remote teaching in UCC.
| Topic | Context |
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Thinking About Teaching Online |
In this session, Dr Sarah Thelen will introduce you to: (1) common mindsets and approaches that shape online teaching, (2) some of the false dichotomies in popular perceptions of online learning, (3) examples of successful online teaching, and (4) the next steps you need to take before actually teaching online. |
Play to Your Strengths |
Dr Sarah Thelen leads a self-directed workshop in which participants will think through important foundational elements of teaching online including: pedagogy, comfort with technology, using familiar tools, and working within the limits imposed by reality. |
(Re)Writing Your Syllabus |
In this session, Dr Sarah Thelen explains how to update syou syllabus for online deliver including: (1) revising for clarity and transparency, (2) drafting a communication policy, (3) explaining the teaching and learning strategies, (4) being as consistent as possible, and (5) updating the module outline. |
Engaging Your Students |
In this session, Patrick Kiely (CIRTL) outlines some strategies and approaches to engaging your students. |
5 Steps to a Student-Friendly Module |
In this session, Dr Sarah Thelen explains what she means by “student-friendly” and why it’s so important -- especially for online teaching. She then walks through 5 simple ways to make your module more student-friendly including (1) chunking content, (2) having consistent (and simple) slides, (3) using meaningful names for files, recordings, etc., (4) deleting outdated information, and (5) removing unnecessary menu items. |
Finding Teaching Materials |
In this session, Dr Sarah Thelen discusses some key considerations before adding readings, images, or videos to your teaching (pedagogy, practicality, and copyright) as well as some good sources for teaching materials. |
Accessibility |
In this session, Brian Butler, Michelle O'Halloran and Sophie Gahan discuss: (1) ensuring your Canvas course is accessible, (2) preparing accessible content, and (3) Universal Design for Learning. This will include demonstrations of SensusAccess, the Canvas Accessibility Checker, and screen-reading software as it navigates content on Canvas. |
Using Discussions in Online Learning |
In this session, Dr Briony Supple explores some key ideas to consider when integrating discussions into your teaching including: (1) types of discussions, (2) using discussions as an assessment method, and (3) how to encourage participation. |
Group Work |
In this session, Dr Catherine O’Mahony, CIRTL, and Dr João Costa & Dr Wesley O’Brien from the School of Education, UCC, discuss reasons to use group work in teaching as well as some examples of good practice. |
Video |
In this session Sophie Gahan talks about Video for Learning and Teaching in UCC. Ways of using video are discussed, as well as what tools are available for teaching and assessing students. Some examples of video practice in UCC are outlined, as well as tips for home recording. |
Podcasting |
In this session Kieran Hurley from UCC 98.3FM looks at how to structure the content of a podcast with some worked examples, explores podcasting as a form of assessment and finally some useful links. |
| Topic | Context |
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Enhancing Student Interaction in Live Online Classess - Roundtable Event |
This webinar considers interaction as a shared endeavour and offers some tips from students and educators on how to help students feel comfortable and confident interacting in online classes and breakout groups. Guest speakers include Dr. Julie Byrne, Assistant Professor for Online Education & Development, TCD, Eimear Curtin, UCC SU Education Officer, Catherine Dawson, UCC IUA EDTL Student Associate Intern, and the session is moderated by Clíodhna O’Callaghan, Digital Education Officer & Project Lead for the IUA EDTL Project in UCC. |
Microsoft Teams - Roundtable Event |
In the following roundtable event, Christopher McElligott & Marian Twomey (IT Services Teaching & Learning Team), together with Clíodhna O'Callaghan (EDTL Project Lead, CDE) & Stephen O'Riordan (EDTL Student Intern, CDE), present a general overview of teaching with Teams, an overview of the Teams-Canvas integration, and an update on new and upcoming features in Teams. |
Inclusive Learning - Roundtable Event |
The following roundtable shares practical steps on how you can adopt an inclusive mindset and approach to learning design to ensure you’re creating learning experiences for all. Guest speakers include James Northridge, Project Lead, Inclusive UCC, Sinéad Roche, UCC SU Education Officer, Clíodhna O'Callaghan, EDTL Project Lead, CDE, UCC, & Stephen O'Riordan, EDTL Student Intern, CDE, UCC. They discuss actionable steps you can take to adopt an inclusive design mindset, common pitfalls when creating inclusive learning materials (and how to avoid them!), and three key takeaways for making your materials more digitally inclusive. |
Please contact Ms. Clíodhna O’Callaghan, Digital Education Officer & Project Lead for the IUA ‘Enhancing Digital Teaching & Learning’ project on c.ocallaghan@ucc.ie
