Teaching & Learning Strategy

In developing a Teaching and Learning Strategy, the Institute intends to provide student-centred learning that empowers individual learners, and to ensure continuously evolving innovative approaches to teaching and learning, effective support and guidance structures and a curriculum that is focused on the learner.

Teaching and learning remains the core activity of IT Sligo. It refers to all the activities – formal and informal – that support or influence students’ development of knowledge, skills, competencies, attitudes, values and practices. These refer not only to what takes place in the ‘teaching moment’ in the lecture theatre, laboratory, workshop or work site, but to the structures and processes that facilitate this activity. Most importantly, it relates to the communication processes that take place between ‘educator’ and ‘learners’ though it does not presume that these terms are always identical with ‘lecturers’ and ’students’: teaching and learning is a complex and multi-directional set of activities from which all can gain.

The five pillars of IT Sligo Teaching and Learning strategy are:

• Student-centred
• Ensuring fairness and consistency
• Relevant to the employability of the graduate
• Facilitating access, transfer and progession opportunities
• Continuous professional development of academic staff

Student Centered
IT Sligo will equip graduates with the advanced knowledge, skills and competencies to be employable, and ensure that they are prepared for career flexibility and/or higher level study in their chosen field. The student experience will be enriched in a manner that attracts, engages, stimulates and challenges students while preparing them to learn independently, think critically, and contribute responsibly to a diverse society.

IT Sligo will actively develop learner-centred discovery, reflective, problem based and solution based learning strategies of teaching and learning. There will be a broad range of ways that students may demonstrate achievement and excellence through an increase in use of formative assessment techniques.

The Institute will provide courses at a range of levels that allow flexible pathways with diverse entry and certificated exit points that facilitate access to life-long learning and meet the needs of students, the professions and employers.

Ensuring fairness and consistency
A basic tenant of education to the wider population is that all students are treated on an equal basis with fairness and consistency, while responding to the individual needs of students. To achieve this, IT Sligo will promote a culture of continuous reflection and planning on teaching and learning strategies to achieve an appropriate mix of teaching and learning styles, methods of assessment, and organisation of course components.

Policies and procedures for the assurance of the quality and standards of its programmes and awards must be continuously monitored and enhanced to build the capacity of the Institute to respond to external change. It is important to foster a culture which recognises the role of quality, and quality assurance, in its work. On-going evaluations, external reviews and benchmarking assessments are required in order to provide effective quality assurance in teaching and learning. The QA strategy, policy and procedures have a formal status and are publicly available. They include a role for students and other stakeholders.

Relevant to the employability of the graduate
Curricula should be intellectually stimulating and challenging and relevant to the employability of the graduate. The professional attributes of students is engendered through appropriate work experience and effective integration of teaching, professional portfolios and research activities.

Curricula and teaching models will be developed that are inclusive of different cultures and provide students with an international perspective.

Facilitating access, transfer and progession opportunities
In catering for learning pathways that accommodate a broad range of students we will use flexible modes of delivery for mature-aged students; students with non-traditional profiles; and those who seek upskilling while in full-time employment. Students’ transferable skills will be developed including mastery and practical application of knowledge; communication skills; critical evaluation; creativity; teamwork; problem-solving and decision-making; and responsiveness to the Irish and international strategic developments.

Student support systems will be maintained, that facilitate a high quality experience for all students irrespective of their location and mode of study.

Continuous professional development of academic staff Staff development opportunities will be provided relating to third level teaching and learning and research at Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Higher Diploma and Masters in Education. Excellence in teaching and learning will be identified, promoted, recognised and rewarded.