Category: Best in e-Learning

Samsung Digital Media Awards 2013

Hibernia College

Professional Diploma in Education

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Contents Contents ..................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction................................................................................................................ 3

Strategy ...................................................................................................................... 3

Objectives.......................................................................................................... 3 Planning ............................................................................................................ 4

Execution........................................................................................................... 5 Budget ............................................................................................................... 5

Design ........................................................................................................................ 6

Rationale ........................................................................................................... 6

Concept ............................................................................................................. 6 Consumer engagement ..................................................................................... 6 User experience ................................................................................................ 7

Innovation .................................................................................................................. 8

Content .............................................................................................................. 8 Creativity ........................................................................................................... 9

Results ...................................................................................................................... 10

Visitors ............................................................................................................ 10

Benefits ........................................................................................................... 10 Return on investment ...................................................................................... 12

Access and Instructions ............................................................................................. 14

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Introduction

Hibernia College (HC) is an online, third-level institution delivering web-based educational

programmes. The goal of HC is to be a global leader in the delivery of unique and

competitively distinctive academic programming. Utilisation of the Internet and other state-

of the-art technologies are the primary methodologies used to implement the company’s

strategy of high quality, value-added and student-centred educational programmes.

HC is striving to become a centre of excellence in online distance education. The college

makes web-based third level courses of the highest quality accessible to students in Ireland

and internationally, which are specifically designed to meet the new conditions and new

educational needs of the knowledge age.

The College mission is to promote lifelong learning by offering web-based programmes that

facilitate students who cannot attend or be accommodated by traditional, on-campus

courses to access specific, vocationally relevant accredited Higher Education programmes.

The Professional Diploma in Education (PDE), a level 8 award, was initially accredited by

the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) in 2009 and was developed in

response to national demand for such a programme being made available in a blended

learning format. Extensive consultation with various stakeholders in the education arena

led to the development of the PDE and it has been designed to facilitate the qualification of

post-primary teachers in specific curriculum areas (Gaeilge, Mathematics, Physics,

Chemistry and Modern Languages) where a particular shortage has been identified.

Strategy

Objectives

The Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) provides subject-qualified graduates with the

skills, knowledge and ability to obtain employment and practice as a competent, qualified

post-primary school teacher. It aims to make full use of the new methods of distance

education made possible by the advances in information technology to provide a flexible

means of study to students.

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A sound underpinning of key issues such as inclusion and differentiation, classroom

management, history, sociology, philosophy and psychology of education is provided, as

well as an in depth understanding of the methodologies of their chosen subjects and the

ability to deliver this in a manner that maximises learning.

The PDE:

• Offers a student-centred, flexible, supported learning opportunity imparting high

expertise together with the development of the broader skills and mental

capabilities necessary to compete effectively in the modern marketplace

• Assembles the best available academic teams from around the world to develop and

author up-to-date learning opportunities of the highest quality

• Delivers a high quality, web-based, part-time, accessible learning opportunity at

postgraduate level

• Promotes a lifelong web-based learning opportunity by facilitating students – many

of whom are mature professionals– who cannot attend or be accommodated by

traditional, on-campus courses

Planning

Following requests from the post-primary sector, HC reviewed the provision of courses in

Ireland that lead to a post-primary school teacher’s qualification. This indicated that

demand for the award far exceeded supply and that there was a need for a programme

delivered in a flexible manner that did not require the student to give up their current

employment or move away from home. Further consultation with principals highlighted a

number of curriculum areas where there is a national shortage of post-primary teachers.

The majority of offerings required student teachers to live near or travel to universities to

pursue a full-time course usually lasting one academic year and typically did not attract

graduates who had already secured employment outside the sector. Other providers were

largely oversubscribed with between 2,000 and 2,500 graduates applying for approximately

800 places a year. It was envisioned that HC PDE would broaden the provision of post-

primary teacher education in Ireland.

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Execution

In Spring 2008, HC undertook a nationwide consultation exercise with post-primary school

principals across Ireland. A greater understanding of existing PDE offerings was achieved

through subsequent discussion groups. An Advisory Board was then established and met on

a regular basis to give insight and information on the current programme and also provide

suggestions as to how a new blended programme could be offered.

Academic staff of the College involved in the design of the programme met with a HETAC

panel of experts on the 16th September 2009 to examine the programme submission. The

panel of experts recommended validation of the programme subject to the Teaching

Council’s general conditions of approval. Accreditation was granted by the Teaching Council

in the 2010/2011 academic year after initial review of the programme.

The programme recruited learners during the summer of 2011 following Teaching Council

Professional Accreditation. The initial cohort of learners (Oct 11) will graduate in October

2013. Subsequent cohorts were inducted in March 2012 (Mar 12) and October 2012 (Oct

12).

Budget

In the 2012/2013 academic year a total budget of €1.8m was assigned to the development

and delivery of the project. This included €1.25m in direct teaching and student supervision

costs, €250k on online content development and €300k on the provision and support of

learning services to students. Student fees are funded entirely by the student themselves

with no subvention from the State.

Hibernia College, as an international provider of higher education, recognises the

importance of community engagement in providing education programmes that meet local,

national and international needs. Experience gained from working with the wider

community is used to inform curriculum design and delivery and also improve the

opportunities and quality of the student learning experience.

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Design

Rationale

Demographic studies indicate that Post-Primary School Enrolments will increase by 58,463

between now and 2020. At a ratio of 19:1 this would require 3011 new teachers over and

above the normal annual requirement of about 1700. Given the need for new teachers, and

the State’s cuts in HE funding, there is a need for the private sector to make provision.

As an online provider, technology plays a key role in the delivery of all programmes at HC.

The PDE is a blended-learning programme with the online portion delivered through

HELMS – the virtual learning environment. The online elements of the course are delivered

through a combination of:

Online interactive Flash-based lessons

Supplementary downloads, for example, lesson transcripts, audio files for mobile

media and downloadable lessons

Discussion forums

Online community

Synchronous online tutorials

Concept

Delivery of the programme is designed to be ‘invisible’ to the student; technology is

considered a facilitator to learning and no part of the system should present usability

problems. All elements of the learning management system are designed with the most

technically-inexperienced user in mind.

HELMS combines open-source software, enterprise online tutorial software and a digital

library. The effectiveness of HELMS and any technical difficulties experienced are regularly

monitored to assure ongoing suitability. The combination of in-house development and

open-source community development allows HC to remain at the cutting edge of learning

technologies online.

Consumer engagement

All new users are initially surveyed by the College to determine available ICT resources.

Each cohort of students is required to attend an onsite induction day where they are

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introduced to all academic departments as well as the online environment in HELMS.

Students are shown important aspects of HELMS, including support systems, online lessons,

library services and the social media tools used to promote peer support and interaction.

Within the initial induction period of 2 weeks students are requested to perform various

tasks within HELMS and also take part in an online trial of our synchronous tutorial

software (AT&T Connect). A 10-15 minute demonstration is all that is required for all users

to understand the basic functionality of the synchronous software. For example, with a trial

for a new intake of PDE students, there are typically up to 150 students invited to take part

in a trial over 2.5 hours, with approximately 30 students logging in at 30-minute intervals.

By the end of the 2.5 hours, the vast majority of these students will have successfully logged

on, listened to the demo and tested that their audio and microphones are working

successfully. Review has shown there to be minimum issues in all areas and our technical

support team fully support any technical issues encountered.

User experience

A recent survey (July 2012) indicates that 97.5% of students think tutors are good or

excellent and that 94% think the content is good or excellent (Scale used is Excellent, Good,

Satisfactory, Fair, Poor).

Regular updating of the PDE site with new features and ensuring that the online interactive

sessions allow for a high-quality learning experience is a very important aspect of the

service the College provides.

The tools used by the college are constantly revised, expanded and updated. There is an in-

house technical team as well as the active Open Source Community regularly developing

enhancement to HELMS. Recent additions have included increased tracking for our

students, increased social media tools as well as improved reporting facilities for staff. Web

2.0 community-building features offers students much greater scope for informal

communication among themselves. Richer collaborative tools are proven to encourage

student engagement on learning management systems. The social collaboration encouraged

through the sites provides peer and tutor support to students.

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Enhanced reporting and tracking also allows both staff and faculty the tools for detecting

weaker or problem students. Feedback demonstrates that academic support and support

for struggling students is well managed and implemented effectively; there are strong

systems in place for monitoring student participation, engagement, performance and

achievement and the evidence confirms that these systems are effective in early

identification of learners who require interventions and additional support.

Using AT&T for the online interactive sessions has proven very effective. The AT&T tool

enables high-quality delivery that is robust and engaging. The software is used on a daily

basis and proves to be very popular and user friendly with participants in terms of

installation and functionality. General feedback from participants is that they find the

software easy to use with the image-based icons leading to an intuitive feel.

Technical support is provided by the College’s Helpdesk. The team are fully trained to

advise on any technical and software problems staff, faculty or students may encounter

while using the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and the AT&T software. A survey of

students undertaken in July 2012 confirms a high level of satisfaction with the technical

support offered.

Innovation

Content

The PDE is a 60-credit, 24-month programme consisting of one module of Foundations of

Education (10 credits), one module of Teaching Methodologies, encompassing two subject

methodologies (10 credits), one module of School Experience Professional Practice

encompassing three blocks of School Experience (20 credits) and one module of Developing

the Professional Teacher (20 credits).

The programme is modular in its structure and delivery. Students progress towards an

award by passing individual modules. In some instances, there is a requirement for an

element of a module to be passed as well as the overall module. Modular assessment of

attainment of learning outcomes is embraced throughout the programme. It is possible for a

student leaving the programme prior to its scheduled end date to take any credit with them.

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In the PDE, full consideration is given to the issues of module completion and the suitability

of the current module structure in the context of HETAC requirements. Stakeholder

feedback and module assessment results indicate a normal distribution of results indicating

a positive and normal engagement with the prescribed material.

Creativity

The PDE offers a blended learning experience, including interactive online sessions offering

maximum flexibility with on-site classroom sessions, reinforcing student integration into

the learning experience. The unique Higher Education Learning Management System

(HELMS) combines all the benefits of accessibility and flexibility inherent in online

education with a high level of interaction between students and their peers and between

students and their tutors. The design of online interactive sessions utilises a robust

pedagogical model to incorporate various elements that provide a comprehensive

multimedia learning experience for students.

The college selects faculty with special expertise from around the world to create courses of

the highest quality. The design of the courses and of student participation is based on a

philosophy of education that seeks to combine advanced expertise with the development of

the broader skills that are required for success in the modern marketplace. These skills

include IT skills, and analytical and research skills, which can give graduates the ability to

search out and exploit information and which can enhance their creative and leadership

capacities.

The Knowledge Management Team (KMT), is involved in all aspects of module planning to

ensure a more holistic approach that seeks better integration of the on-demand online

lessons, the live online tutorials and the face-to-face onsite elements of each module.

Detailed information on all modules is available within the virtual learning environment

(VLE), so students have all the information they require, easily available from a centralised

place.

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Video is used at the start of each module to provide overviews to students of the module

content and how it will tie in with the assessment strategy. This has proven to be a more

effective way of communicating with students than merely sending them printed materials.

Student engagement and interaction has been enhanced by placing a greater emphasis on

the use of blogs and module forums. Independent tasks are evidenced in blog contributions.

Topical questions for each lesson are posted on the forums and tutors are required to

actively engage with students on the forum to encourage group learning, active discussion

and debate and sharing of ideas using cooperative learning strategies.

Learning Diaries (ePortfolios) enable students to document their learning during the

programme and are suitable for continued use as newly qualified teachers using cloud

storage to access and complete their portfolios for subsequent accreditation by the

Teaching Council.

Results

Visitors

The PDE programme has grown in terms of student numbers as well as the number of

modules on offer. Of the students presently enrolled, there are students from every county

in Ireland. Of the total PDE student body (469 students), there are currently 184 enrolled in

the initial Cohort (Oct 11), the Mar 12 cohort has 95 students enrolled and the Oct 12 cohort

has 190 students. The spring 2013 enrolment target is 170 students.

The July 2012 student survey indicated a lot of positive feedback from students undertaking

various modules on the programme. Student comments included remarks such as “I think

this is an excellent module and feel I have learned a great deal while studying it. Overall I am

very impressed with the Hibernia Course and find it works very well for me” and “I really

enjoyed my learning experience during this module and it covered everything possible. I

feel I have gathered very valuable knowledge and experience.”

Benefits

The PDE programme provides post-primary teacher education to people who were

previously unable to access it because of supply, geography or life commitments.

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The programme addresses teacher recruitment requirements for the 21st century by

providing suitably qualified and high quality teachers at no cost to the state. With regards to

subject specificity, the programme is addressing the particular shortage in qualified Irish

teachers – several of them have been offered jobs before even qualifying.

Ultimately, the main strength of the programme is the content, delivery, faculty and

technologies as well as the College commitment to high academic standards and the

implementation of rigorous policies and procedures to maintain this that has resulted in the

programme acquiring a positive reputation to date.

The PDE programme delivery model supports access, transfer and progression, the

accumulation of credit and lifelong learning in line with National Qualifications Authority of

Ireland (NQAI) policy and best practice and is for the most part in full compliance with

Teaching Council requirements.

Highly interactive learning technologies that are continually reviewed, updated and

resourced with a strong support team ensure minimal disruption to learners and rapid

resolution to any technical difficulties. Students and tutors have indicated that the HELMS

VLE is user-friendly and very accessible.

Excellent community and sector links, including a dedicated school partnership liaison

team, which are continually expanding as the programme advances, have helped strengthen

the programme and knowledge of sector requirements as well as current thinking in post-

primary education internationally.

The general quality of the feedback is a particular strength of the programme with an

emphasis on appreciative comments and suggestions to extend students’ thinking and

practice.

Mentors in placement schools have volunteered positive and informative feedback and

external examiners have commented on the overall quality of student teachers which

reflected very well on the quality of support and preparation provided by HC. There is also a

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high level of student satisfaction in the content and delivery of the programme and its

ability to adequately prepare them for careers as teachers.

Return on investment

Research data from surveys undertaken by HC indicate that, besides excellent student

retention rates, students undertaking blended learning programmes enjoy their experience

and also the flexibility that this format provides. HC graduates consider lifelong learning a

more realistic proposition and may be induced to continue on other programs the college

offers, for example the Masters of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MATL).

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers is another area that provides

further development potential for HC both through word-of-mouth from participating

stakeholders in the programme and for graduates who are aware of the quality and

flexibility this educational approach holds.

Through the PDE programme, the College has a number of sectoral links across Ireland.

Sector engagement ensures interaction with professional bodies, organisations, individual

schools and so on goes beyond that required for the delivery of the programme. The

purpose of the engagement is to ensure HC remains firmly rooted in the heart of activities

associated with the training of post-primary school teachers in Ireland. HC seeks feedback

and recommendations to further strengthen the programme to maximise the benefit to its

graduates and to the post-primary school sector in Ireland. The degree and type of

engagement has increased over the lifespan of the programme to date and has been of

benefit to the College as well as the sector, particularly schools who value the opportunity to

inform the training of teachers.

Faculty further strengthen their knowledge of current issues and practice and are afforded

the opportunity and ability to engage in critical debate through attendance at conferences

dedicated to education. These links with the wider educational community benefit students

and the College alike in ensuring faculty are in dialogue with peers and are informed about

the most current and relevant issues for teacher education nationally and internationally.

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The College has established relationships with a range of associations with a view to

collaboration in order to inform students of developments and to provide a platform for

these organisations whereby they can disseminate information and resources.

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Access and Instructions The PDE web site can be accessed by using the link: http://ppe.hiberniacollege.com/

Login details:

User name: samsungdma

Password: sf@begno

In the PDE programme, there are four main modules, containing ‘strands’ of subject areas,

which contain multiple (usually 8) ‘session pages’ with Tasks containing less than 3 hours of

learning each.

For direct access to featured resources you can click on the module, strand, sample session

and associated interactive presentation links below to visit each:

1. Foundations of Education

History of Education

Session 4: Intermediate/Secondary Education 1878–1967

Interactive presentation: Intermediate/Secondary Education 1878–

1967

Sociology of Education

Session 1: Education and Society

Interactive presentation: Education and Society

2. Methodologies of Education

Chemistry TM

Session 1: Curriculum and Change - Starting to Teach Chemistry

Interactive presentation: Curriculum and Change - Starting to Teach

Chemistry

Gaeilge (Irish) Teaching Methodology

Seisiún 7: Cothú Cruinnis sa Ghaeilge

Interactive presentation: Cothú Cruinnis sa Ghaeilge

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3. School Experience & Professional Practice – (These release to GSTs at 3 different stages

of Teaching Practice (TP))

SEPP 1

Session 1: The General Teaching Context

Interactive presentation: The General Teaching Context

SEPP 2

Session 7: Planning for Good Behaviour

Interactive presentation: Planning for Good Behaviour

SEPP 3

Session 6: Introduction to the Restorative Classroom

Interactive presentation: Introduction to the Restorative Classroom

4. Developing the Professional Teacher – (the BISEN and Research Methods sessions)

Behavioural Issues and Special Educational Needs

Session 3: General Learning Difficulties and Assessed Syndromes

Interactive presentation: General Learning Difficulties and Assessed

Syndromes

Research Methods

Session 1: Improving Educational Practice and the Role of Research in

Teaching

Interactive presentation: Improving Educational Practice and the

Role of Research in Teaching