All Ireland Society for Higher Education
| Name: | Fiona O'Riordan |
|---|---|
| Email: | fiona.oriordan@gcd.ie |
| Institution: | Griffith College Dublin |
This paper is, in part, as a result of research which was conducted as part of a thesis completed in June 2007, to fulfil the requirements for a Masters in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The research epistemology is constructionism, based in the interpretive paradigm using phenomoneological research method. For the purpose of the research it is accepted that wider access to higher education is a positive advancement. Education should not be the reserve of the elite; everyone should be entitled to experience higher education if her are motivated and committed to doing so. Our responsibility as lecturers, is to light the fire within the students, to set off some spark of interest that will galvinise them into deeper learning. The research explores the teaching pedagogies across five faculties in a private provider of higher education in Dublin, Griffith College Dublin. The research surveyed second year full time students in each faculty, in relation to their experience in four key teaching and learning areas; teaching methods, teaching resources, assessment methods, and the teaching environment. The findings from this research was then used as a working basis for a storytelling workshop with lecturers in the college. A group of twenty lecturers were invited to participate in the session. The session started with the sharing of the research findings regarding engaging pedagogy. Then the group was sub divided into five groups and each group was presented with a different profile of students, based on the student mixes experienced in Griffith College Dublin. Each group was asked to develop a pedagogy to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment for the group of students given in their profile. The groups were cognisant of the research findings presented to them at the commencement of the workshop. Each group developed a story around their student profile, suggesting suitable pedagogy. They presented their story to the rest of the group asking for input / suggestions. The final stories were collated and circulated to all involved, to be used as a resource for lecturers when designing pedagogy for subsequent student groups. The aim would be to develop this resource to share with all lecturers in the college, thereby contributing to the reflective collective nature of teaching that is the scholarship of teaching.