This practice-based paper provides a case study of a new initiative developed by Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board with support from South East Technological University. The My Voice, My Choice Initiative is an inclusive approach to engaging learners with intellectual disabilities in Higher Education (HE). The learners were…

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…

Higher education institutions are key players in promoting lifelong learning. By offering a variety of educational programmes in different modalities, they address the diverse needs and interests of learners. By establishing flexible learning pathways, they help ensure continuity of learning throughout life. And by maintaining close interaction…

Futures research is gaining increased prominence in educational research and development (Tesar, 2021), and particularly now as we emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has provided a lever for change and an opportunity for innovation in learning, teaching and assessment (Hall et al., 2020; Jandric et al., 2022; Tesar, 2020). Designing…

In this study, we investigated factors predictive of disconnection, or not being in education, employment, or training (NEET), among young adults with at least a 2-year college degree. We also explored the extent to which disconnection influences civic participation and well-being among NEETs with and without college degrees. The authors used 2012…

The transition to Higher Education, while often exciting, is demanding for many students. Successful transition necessitates learning the conventions of scholarly conversation, including how to read and create work in an academic context. Knowledge of academic literacy practices is an important part of this process but these discourses and…

The recent drive for the internationalization of curricula, together with calls for the internationalization of the sub-discipline of urban geography beyond the "west", and the growing shift towards learning-centred paradigms in higher education, provided impetus for the design and delivery of an upper level undergraduate urban geography…

Much has been written about why students engage in academic studies at university, with less attention given to the concept of disengagement. Understanding the risks and factors associated with student disengagement from learning provides opportunities for targeted remediation. The aims of this review were to (i) explore how student disengagement…

Student engagement has become increasingly important in higher education in recent years. Influenced internationally by government drivers to improve student outcomes, many countries and institutions have participated in surveys such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and its progeny, the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement…

Research into the use of innovative information and communications technology (ICT) for academic purposes is growing quickly. Much of the current research explores the opportunities presented by ICT and social media as innovative tools for teaching and enhancing student learning (O'Brien & Glowatz, 2013; Duncan & Barczyk, 2013). This paper…

Student engagement is a key predictor of academic performance, persistence and retention in higher education. While many studies have identified how aspects of the college environment influence engagement, fewer have specifically focused on emotional intelligence (EI). In this study, we sought to explore whether EI could predict cognitive and/or…

Within higher education, students' voices are frequently overlooked in the design of teaching approaches, courses and curricula. In this paper we outline the theoretical background to arguments for including students as partners in pedagogical planning processes. We present examples where students have worked collaboratively in design processes,…

This qualitative study examines both the process and effects of a relational-centred international education partnership between MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, and Ireland's Athlone Institute of Technology. It also seeks to capture the meaning of and the transformative effects of the international education partnership on students and…

This publication contains the papers presented at the 5th Annual Conference of National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) and the 9th Galway Symposium. Presenters from across Ireland and overseas share their perspectives. The theme of engagement touches on the very heart of what a "higher" education…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…