Pictured at the Conferring Ceremony on Wednesday, 27th October were (left to right): Dr Neil Maddox, Department of Law, Margaret Keane, Centre for teaching and Learning, Dr Alison Hood, Dean of Teaching and Learning, Dr Morag Munro, Office of the Dean of Teaching and Learning, Dr Edana Richardson, Department of Law.
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The Centre for Teaching and Learning is proud to congratulate our first group of participants to graduate from the new Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Teaching, Learning and Assessment for staff teaching in Maynooth University. The diploma is a flexible 60-credit programme aimed at providing those who teach in Maynooth University with the opportunity to engage with the theory, concepts, and contemporary approaches of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education and to consider how these influence their own disciplines and practice.
Attending the recent conferring ceremony, programme director and Dean of Teaching and Learning, Dr Alison Hood, said ‘This is an important milestone in our provision of accredited professional development opportunities for staff within the University and we are already seeing the impact the programme is having through various initiatives across the faculties and through the work of those engaged on the flexible modules of the programme. I congratulate the first of our graduates from the programme and look forward to this positive effect continuing into the future.’
Margaret Keane, Programme Lead, said ‘We are very proud to congratulate this year’s graduates; Denis Casey and Adrian Kirwan, Critical Skills, and Neil Maddox and Edana Richardson, Department of Law, on their achievement in completing the Diploma, particularly during very difficult times. It is testament to their acknowledgement of the value of professional development in their teaching practice as well as their passion for supporting their own students through the quality provision of teaching, learning and Assessment.’ She also thanked programme lecturers, Adeline Cooney and Morag Munro, and administrator, Clare Cullen, for their valued input in bringing the new programme to its full delivery during the past two difficult years.
Speaking of their experience of participating in the programme, Edana Richardson and Neill Maddox, who attended the conferring ceremony, offered insights to what completing the programme meant for them:
"I was surprised how much of the material about teaching and learning that I encountered on the Diploma, I had never come across before. I learned a great deal and together with the extensive opportunities to reflect on my teaching practice that the course provided, my teaching has changed and improved as a result. I found the Diploma rigorous and worthwhile." Neil Maddox.
Reiterating this, Edana noted “I am very glad that I completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Teaching, Learning and Assessment and I want to thank Margaret, Morag, Adeline and the rest of the team for putting together this programme. For me, the programme made me reflect on my teaching and assessment practices, it gave me the language needed to discuss and develop these practices in an effective way, and it showed me different methods, processes, and techniques for improving my students’ learning and assessment experience. One aspect of the programme that I particularly enjoyed was meeting colleagues from across the University and learning about their approach to teaching.” Edana Richardson.
Click here for full information on the PDHETL programme. If you have any questions about the programme, contact ctlprogrammes@mu.ie