CPID Podcasts

The Academic Practice Series

The Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development (CPID) within the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) supports staff development and scholarship, Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS), and Educational research in learning, teaching, and assessment.

This Podcast Series has been developed by CPID Staff involved in teaching on the taught programmes, supporting the PASS initiative, and engaging in educational research. This series consists of eight podcasts. Four podcasts explore various educational concepts and topics taught on the various programmes, offered by the centre, with well-known Educational Academics and Experts. One podcast discusses the PASS programme. And the remaining podcasts focus on SATLE funded educational research projects.

This series has been funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the Higher Education Authority, and the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development.

1. Action Research for Educators – In Conversation with Jack Whitehead

Jack Whitehead is a Visiting Professor of Education with the University of Cumbria and was previously an Adjunct Professor at the Liverpool Hope University and a Lecturer in Education with University of Bath. Jack’s professional career has embraced a discipline of educational research, which recognizes the contribution of enhancing professionalism in education by adding the educational knowledge generated by individual educators to the professional knowledge-base of education, through Action Research and the development of Living Educational Theories. Living educational theory is a paradigm for scientific research in the academic discipline of education in which a teacher theorises her/his own professional practice. Jack has conducted workshops on Action Research, Living Educational Theory Research, Coaching, Mentoring, and Professional Development throughout the world from the UK, to China, Africa, Australia, USA, and South America.

Dr. Mike Russell, who teaches an Action Research for Educators module on the CPID programmes within the Technological University of the Shannon, speaks with Jack about how Action Research and Living Educational Theory can be employed by teaching staff within Higher Education to research and improve their own pedagogical practice.

This podcast was recorded in February 2024 and was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the Higher Education Authority, and the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development Department within the Technological University of the Shannon.

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2. Exploring Care and Relational Pedagogies in Higher Education

Dr Karen Gravett is Associate Professor and Associate Head (Research) at the Surrey Institute of Education, where her research focuses on the Sociology of Higher Education. She explores how theoretically informed approaches can help us to understand education and society: for example, in the areas of digital education, student engagement, relational pedagogies, belonging and literacy practices. She is Director of the Language, Literacies and Learning research group, and a member of the Society for Research in Higher Education Governing Council. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and an Honorary Associate Professor for the Centre for Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) at Deakin University. Her recent publications include Critical Practice in Higher Education (forthcoming, 2025) and Relational Pedagogies: Connections and Mattering in Higher Education (2023).

Dr Catherine-Ann O’ Connell, a Senior Lecturer with CPID, discusses with Karen the topic of Exploring Care and Relational Pedagogies in Higher Education.

This podcast was recorded in June 2024 and was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the Higher Education Authority, and the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development Department within the Technological University of the Shannon.

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3. The Changing Landscape of Educational Technology in Higher Education

Martin Oliver is a Professor of Education and Technology at the Institute of Education in University College London (UCL). Throughout his career he has combined research, teaching and service roles, working at various times as an educational developer, learning technologist, programme leader and Head of the IOE’s Learning Technologies Unit. He was the Pro-Director for Academic Development at the UCL Institute of Education, a role that incorporates the responsibilities of Vice Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to that, he served as Head of Department for Culture, Communication and Media; and Head of the Centre for Doctoral Education, a role that included serving as Faculty Graduate Tutor. He is currently Programme Leader for the EdD, a doctoral programme for education professionals.

Dr Geraldine McDermott, Senior Lecturer with CPID, discusses with Martin – The changing landscape of educational technology in Higher Education.

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4. Embedding Education for Sustainable Development in Learning and Teaching

Valerie Lewis is the Director of the Take 1 Programme, which supports post primary schools to communicate, raise awareness of, and embed Education for Sustainable Development in learning and teaching, as part of a transformative ‘whole school’ curriculum approach. The Take 1 Programme is funded by the Department of Education under Priority 2: Transforming Learning Environments, as part of ESD to 2030, Ireland’s Second National Strategy on ESD.

Dr Noelle O’ Connor, Senior Lecturer with the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness (Limerick) and CPID, talks with Valerie on the topic of Embedding Education for Sustainable Development in Learning and Teaching.

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5. Exploring Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS): Weekly, timetabled sessions run for first year students by more experienced PASS leaders

William Carey (SFHEA) is a Certified Trainer with the European Centre for SI-PASS at Lund University, Sweden. As a UK-based, European-focused, Educational and Academic Developer, Will is deeply interested in the partnership between learners/educators to inform/enhance learning and teaching practices. His involvement with SI-PASS began in 2000 and he acknowledge the impact this peer-learning model has had in shaping his professional practice in the classroom and beyond. As an International Certified Trainer for SI-PASS (Supplemental Instruction / Peer Assisted Study Sessions) at the European Centre for SI-PASS (Lund University, Sweden) he has worked with over 400 staff and more than 60 institutions across Europe to implement, train, and evaluate SI-PASS programmes. He fell in love with Ireland whilst working at Munster Technological University, where he contributed to the Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Student Experience agenda, including focussing on two institution-wide SATLE projects (co-creating Assessment and Feedback practices, and designing a development programme for early career academics) whilst also supporting colleagues across 30+ projects to introduce their own learning and teaching initiatives. His research interests include student-staff partnership; third space professionals; peer learning; and co-creation of assessment and feedback. He is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Peer Learning and Chair of the European First Year Experience Network and Conference Series.”

Aoife Walsh, PASS Coordinator with CPID, discusses with Will the topic of “Exploring Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS): weekly, timetabled sessions run for first year students by more experienced PASS Leaders.

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6. Using Accessible VR for Interdisciplinary Teaching, Learning and Collaboration

Dr. Martina Cleary is a lecturer, artist, writer and researcher based in the Dept. of Fine Art & Education at TUS and (PI) of the ADEPT Research Group. Her areas of research focus include; Neurodiversity in Art & Education, New Media & Immersive Technologies, Socially Engaged Arts & Activism. She holds a PhD from the European Centre for Photographic Research e(CPR), an MEd from Aalto University of Art, Design & Architecture, Helsinki, and an MA from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki. Over the past two decades her work has been presented in over eleven countries, supported by the Arts Councils of Ireland, Finland and Canada, CREATE Ireland, The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning Ireland, The Finnish Institute London, The Finnish Cultural Foundation and various regional Arts Offices both nationally and internationally. She has served on the Board of Directors of PhotoIreland and been an invited artist, consultant or lecturer for GMIT, The EU Urban Development Project Helsinki, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, The School of Visual Arts Imatra, The Free Arts School of Helsinki, Cardiff School of Art & Design and Moore College of Art & Design Philadelphia.

Martina discusses with Dr. Mike Russell, a lecturer in both the CPID and Computer-Software departments at TUS, her SATLE funded project – Using Accessible VR for Interdisciplinary Teaching, Learning and Collaboration. The aim of the project was to explore the use of accessible user-friendly VR to enable staff and learners from BA to PhD level, to creatively interact and engage within virtual reality. The Focus was on exploring the potential of VR for creative and interdisciplinary collaboration, content creation and the showcasing of projects through the use of virtual spaces, and live events. Examples of the output from the research can be found at Adept Research Group projects and Martina Cleary.com

This podcast was recorded in May 2024 and was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the Higher Education Authority, and the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development Department within the Technological University of the Shannon.

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7. Sustainable food production in a Higher Education Learning Restaurant, utilising Vertical Aeroponic Tower Gardens

Seán Connell is a Senior Lecturer in Hotel and Catering TUS. His research interests focus on learning and teaching innovations for hospitality, tourism and leisure education.

Sean speaks with Dr. Mike Russell, a lecturer with CPID, about the SATLE funded project that he undertook with other colleagues from TUS: Dr Noelle O’Connor, Dr Emma Reardon, Ms Nicola Ryan, Ms Nora Shine, and Mr John Lydon. The project – Sustainable food production in a higher education learning restaurant utilising vertical aeroponic Tower Gardens – examined the process of producing vegetables and herbs from germination through to harvest for use as an ingredient in herbal teas and restaurant dishes using aeroponics systems. The tower gardens use a soil free, nutrient enriched, oxygenated water system and low wattage water pump and LED lights to grow produce. Third year hotel management students, in their Environmental Management and Resource Efficiency module, examined the efficiency of using the tower gardens to produce herbs for herbal teas as opposed to buying in branded teas.

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8. Exploring the use of Immersive Technologies to Enhance the Student Experience

Dr. Geraldine McDermott is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher within the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development in TUS. She currently teaches on the MA in Academic Practice, focusing primarily on digital learning and teaching and educational research. She has a specific interest in digital education and supports academic and professional staff as they explore digital solutions to encourage active learning, student engagement and collaboration. She is actively involved in researching emerging technologies and their role in education, and her current research projects include a focus on Immersive Technologies (VR/AR), Artificial Intelligence, and Multimodality. She is a member of the European Regional University Network (RUN-EU) Steering Group for TUS and the Future Advanced Pedagogy and Skills Academy (FAPSA) of RUN-EU, which supports the pedagogical development of learning opportunities for students across the RUN-EU partners.

In this episode Geraldine speaks with Dr. Mike Russell, a lecturer in both the CPID and Computer-Software departments at TUS, about her SATLE funded project, Exploring the Use of Immersive Technologies to Enhance the Student Experience.

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