Higher Education (HE) career professionals play a significant role in supporting students to explore their career options and to find meaningful work. This poster presentation describes a D.Ed.study at Trinity College Dublin that explores if and how AI-augmented learning can enhance the employability outcomes of non-traditional pathway students.

The study seeks to identify how and if career educators can leverage the potential of AI in their professional practice to enhance the employability outcomes of both bachelor and post-graduate students.. It seeks to understand how careers educators perceive the benefits and challenges of integrating AI into their professional practice and to understand the perceptions and challenges faced by non-traditional student cohorts in accessing and developing AI-related career skills. Most importantly, it seeks to find if non-traditional pathway students cohorts find AI-augmented careers learning to be beneficial and generate positive outcomes.

The study employs a case study approach in the D. Ed. student’s work place, a HE College of Business. The research questions, design and early research findings are presented, in the context of implications for practice and policy. Early findings include World Cafe outcomes with EMEA business school career educators and AI-based behavioural assessment simulations.

The podcast format in education offers a flexible and effective alternative format for presenting content (Conroy & Kidd, 2022) and evidence suggests podcasts can effectively support the development of a community of practice (Begum, 2023). The Unlocking Universal Design for Learning (UDL) podcast series was developed to nurture the existing UDL community of practice by extending practice sharing beyond face-to-face and online presentations. In addition, the podcast complements existing digital resources by offering an alternative format to engage in professional learning thereby modelling a key aspect of the UDL approach, specifically presenting content in multiple formats.

This poster presents the process of developing and launching the podcast and initial feedback from users. The poster offers insights for colleagues working in academic development, the specific area of inclusive practice and universal design and the design and development of podcasts for professional learning.

References:

Begum, S. (2023) “Using podcasts to create an online community”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education [Preprint], (29). Available at: https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi29.1118.

Conroy, D., & Kidd, W. (2022). Using podcasts to cultivate learner–teacher rapport in higher education settings. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 60(6), 861–871. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2022.2102528

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Digital Badge is the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning open course, designed to support staff in tertiary education to design inclusive and welcoming learning environments and experiences. This course introduces staff to the UDL approach to teaching, learning and assessment and offers an opportunity to explore strategies and tools to apply this approach in practice, including the UDL framework (CAST, 2024)*. Two formats of the badge are available to Irish tertiary professionals each academic year: a national rollout and local rollouts within individual institutions facilitated by locally based colleagues. A concern for facilitators of local-level rollouts at two institutions was the lack of opportunities to engage in discourse around inclusive practice with colleagues beyond their own institution. To address this concern, the facilitators collaborated to deliver the badge simultaneously in February - April 2025 with the aim of enriching participants’ and facilitators’ experiences by providing new opportunities for collaboration and trying new ways of working together.

This practice paper presents the findings from this pilot rollout of the UDL badge and offers insights into the specific collaboration in relation to the UDL digital badge, and, more broadly, for inter-institutional collaborations.

* CAST. (2024). The UDL Guidelines.

Pharmacology and bacteriology are foundational yet challenging subjects for healthcare students, often requiring mastery of complex theoretical knowledge and clinical application skills. To address these challenges, Vevox, a real-time digital polling and engagement tool, was integrated into pharmacology and bacteriology teaching for medical and nursing students at the University of Galway. Through interactive quizzes, live polls and immediate feedback, traditional lectures were transformed into dynamic, student-centered learning experiences that promoted active learning, retrieval practice, critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Students reported greater engagement, enhanced understanding of complex concepts and increased confidence in applying knowledge to patient care. Peer evaluations confirmed that Vevox activities aligned strongly with module learning outcomes and fostered an inclusive, participative classroom environment. Challenges, including variable digital literacy and technical barriers, were mitigated through introductory sessions, clear guidance and backup plans. Evaluation of student performance, participation rates and feedback surveys demonstrated clear improvements in knowledge retention and student satisfaction. This practitioner paper provides practical strategies for integrating accessible digital tools to enhance engagement and learning outcomes in pharmacology and bacteriology education, with insights applicable across healthcare professional programmes in both hybrid and in-person settings.

‘Enhancing Academic Engagement: CAT1 (crucial academic training) and student support teams’ presents an undergraduate student-informed pilot project that aims to address the problem of engagement in higher education and the widening knowledge-gap between post-primary and higher education students. This paper presents the design, implementation, and qualitative and quantitative results of a 2024 student-informed case study at Dublin City University (DCU) Ireland, which resulted in two outcomes: a CAT1 online learning page and student support teams.

By combining learnings from an undergraduate student advisory group, the project was developed and piloted with twenty-eight first-year undergraduate music students in 2024. The project combines digital learning software Loop (powered by Moodle), a timetable plan, challenge-based learning, onsite learning environments (libraries, writing centres, student supports), student-led support teams, and four onsite seminars for targeted skill acquisition in six key areas: Timetabling; Navigating the DCU Library; Notetaking and Effective Reading; Academic Referencing; Critical Thinking and Academic Writing; and Assignment Writing.

The pilot project, informed by learning theory and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework (UDLL, AHEAD 2016) aimed to combat concerns surrounding student engagement and address the lost connections between students, their subjects, and wider university services to, ultimately, set students up for academic success.

The ongoing impact of generative AI (GenAI) has led to a lack of knowledge and clarity, as well as increasing levels of apprehension among those working in higher education. To address this in Munster Technological University (MTU), the Department of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) curated a series of talks aimed to support staff with the most current perspectives from those leading the GenAI conversation. Contributors included Prof. Mairead Pratschke from the University of Manchester, Prof. Richard Watermeyer from the University of Bristol, Prof. Peter Bryant from the University of Sydney and Dr Richard Whittle from the University of Salford.

This series of talks offered a fast-paced exploration of how GenAI is reshaping higher education. Some of the key issues discussed included the implications of GenAI for academic labour and leadership, the clear and urgent need for GenAI literacy among educators and what happens when cheap knowledge meets a financially precarious sector. This paper will reflect upon, review and synthesise the ideas presented in these talks, with an eye on the fast changing nature of this space. Finally the impact of this series on MTU staff will be shared.

Three university collaborators from distinct disciplines leverage their digital literacies while co-designing a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) for the Regional University Network (RUN-EU), a European Union initiative. Their collaboration was grounded in the Triple Helix Model of university-industry-government interaction, aligning closely with Skillnet Ireland’s approach to fostering innovation through cross-sector partnerships (Jacob, 2024). Through iterative planning sessions, they constructed a framework for undergraduate and post-graduate learning. They leveraged collaborative digital tools (e.g., SharePoint, Trello, and Zoom) and adopted agile methodologies for course co-design. The process demanded fluency in digital pedagogies, an ethical use of artificial intelligence while working with open data sets, inter-institutional communication protocols, and virtual learning environments compliant with European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) standards.

This strategic engagement fostered mutual growth in digital competencies and co-created a framework for hybrid teaching that was inclusive, scalable, and transferable across the RUN-EU alliance. The project’s success underscores the transformative potential of structured digital collaborations informed by the triple helix, which calls for dynamic alignment between academic innovation, governmental policy, and industrial applicability (European Commission, 2021). Their collaboration exemplifies how transnational academic partnerships can serve as living laboratories for the development of future-ready digital skillsets.

This paper outlines research by lecturers in SETU towards empowering partnership of educators and students to implement and evaluate media and technology-based assessment for an undergraduate Media and post graduate Education programme.

We advocate that the critical ingredients to Digital Transformation journey in Tertiary education is an alignment with UNESCO’s ESD with its innovative pedagogical approach and trans-disciplinary nature. We believe to empower and include the students in design results in increased student satisfaction and success and a sense of community, this is supported by the literature. (Dzubian et al, 2018, R Ní Bheoláin, R Lowney, F O'Riordan, 2020). We have taken measures to redesign a module/ curriculum in each programme (Media/Education) to demonstrate the integration of Digital skills and digital competences.

This research will feed into policy for teaching and learning in SETU and the sustainability of educational resources in Ireland. We present emerging practice in relation to using GenAI for education and research, designing and redesigning curriculum and assessments and exploring new modules, their design approach and justification analysis.

Digital transformation encompasses knowledge sharing, socio- technical barriers and enablers in HEIs, existing and emerging issues with compatibility, integration, dependencies of systems and people to deliver content and knowledge to all students equally without privilege or exclusion. As teaching and learning quality standards become more complicated, we are cognisant of the significant shift in awareness, knowledge, skills and competencies of links with digital literacies within educated cohorts of teachers, lecturers and facilitators so that they can empower students as partners in teaching and learning for critical and higher order thinking and learning. We present our research which illustrates enhanced media and digital competency, greater Student Engagement and critical thinking skills.

We recommend that educationalists need to embrace agility and change at HE to administer and deliver curriculum using non-standard applications. In order to provide evidence to develop HE policy in this space we present the our (re-)design of modules to meet learning outcomes through adopting technology. There are tensions in global societal research discourses about emerging technologies such as AI and scant social scientific research on societal attitudes towards AI; its value and limitations in education, fears and emotions about AI technology which requires redress. Without adequate guidance or policy lecturers advocating for the use of EdTech and AI in the classroom are challenged to demonstrate understanding the socio-cultural legitimacy of AI in Irish society.

Known to help with student learning (Flink et al., 2019), immersive learning environments (ILEs) are learning situations that are constructed using a variety of techniques and software tools, including game-based learning, simulation-based learning and virtual 3D worlds. ILEs are distinguished from other learning methods by their ability to simulate realistic scenarios and environments that give learners the opportunity to practice skills and interact with other learners on theirown terms by engaging their optimum learning style. Applying adaptive learning techniques can further accentuate the teacher or lecturers toolkit and increate the potential to be inclusive, flexible, personalised and engaging for students(Holmes et al., 2019).

As generative AI technologies have become increasingly powerful and available, online assessments need to be reviewed and re-evaluated to maintain their educational value. Open-book online quizzes have long been an effective tool for engaging students and reinforcing fundamental knowledge and skills. However, the ease of using AI to complete these quizzes may undermine their intended purpose. Students are likely to have access to many generative AI tools, including an institutional version of MS Copilot Chat which is included within Office 365. It has become more powerful in 2025 and is now powered by GPT-4o, with file upload, code interpreter and data protection. Agentic tools are emerging for automating the completion of online quizzes.

This presentation will explore the findings of a short 2025 study using MS Copilot Chat, to answer a series of online quizzes used for continuous assessment in a first-year quantitative techniques module. The results will be compared to previously published results for ChatGPT for the same quizzes (Raftery 2025), and consider the accuracy of answers, the ease of use and the usefulness of explanations for students. The implications will be discussed, along with considerations for whether and how to integrate generative AI into the learning and assessment process.

Raftery, D. (2023). Will ChatGPT pass the online quizzes? Adapting an assessment strategy in the age of generative AI. Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning 7(1) https://doi.org/10.22554/ijtel.v7i1.114

This practitioner paper explores the intersection of creativity, improvisation and educational technology in higher education, with a specific focus on student collaboration during digital marketing projects.

Drawing on principles from theatre-based improvisation, such as spontaneity, active listening and the foundational ‘Yes, and’ technique, this approach integrates improv exercises into sessions where students use EdTech tools (such as Padlet, Miro or Jamboard) to brainstorm campaign ideas.

The aim is to foster a psychologically safe, low-pressure environment that encourages divergent thinking and imaginative risk-taking, addressing a common challenge where students may default to conventional ideas in digital group work.

Early classroom observations suggest that introducing improv-inspired methods helps students unlock more original, playful and effective concepts when working in shared digital spaces. The paper will share practical examples of how specific improv games are adapted for the EdTech classroom, along with reflections on student engagement and creative output.

The session will include a brief interactive demonstration to engage the audience in experiencing the techniques firsthand. Overall, the paper argues that theatrical improvisation can be a powerful pedagogical tool for enhancing collaborative creativity in tech-supported learning environments.

This practitioner research paper investigates how the integration of creativity and technology enhances learner engagement in third-level language classrooms. Drawing on reflective practice, the study explores the use of multimedia ePortfolios, gamification apps, and digital tools to support learner autonomy, motivation, and meaningful language use. By embedding these tools into everyday teaching practice, language modules became more interactive, student-centred, and aligned with diverse learner needs.

In response to the ILTA 2025 conference theme, “Are we there yet? The hereness and not-yetness of AI and educational technology,” this paper focuses on the “hereness” of widely available technologies already enriching classroom practice. While it does not centre on artificial intelligence, it addresses concerns around plagiarism and academic integrity by highlighting how process-based, creative assessments—such as multimedia submissions and in-class engagement through gamified platforms—can act as both motivational tools and ethical safeguards.

The session will present practical strategies, student feedback, and examples of implementation, offering insights for educators looking to reimagine language learning through flexible, creative, and digitally-supported pedagogies.

Based on research carried out by Manchester Metropolitan University, AI Assess is a tool developed by SETU which allows lecturers to evaluate the extent to which their module’s assessment strategy is protected from AI tool misuse.
Manchester Metropolitan University conducted research on a total of nine characteristics and their effect on the likelihood of students to use AI tools when completing assessments. A link to this research is available at: https://aiinhighered.com/assessments
How it works:
Using the information discovered from this research, SETU developed AI Assess to give a quantifiable measure to the level of susceptibility of a educator’s assessment strategy. It reformats the research into a series of questions for educators to answer. It then performs a calculation to return a score related to how well protected the assessment is from AI misuse. Feedback is provided to inform educators on how to make the assessment more secure across each assessment characteristic.
This tool allows educators to see the cause and effect of different assessment formats and strategies and allows for more informed decisions to be made when setting assessments in this new AI captivated world. It is expected that as research changes and as more educators use the tool that amendments can be made to improve the quality of the tool’s output.

Practical project work fosters transferable 21^st century skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving, helping students tackle real-world problems they might encounter in industry. The challenges associated with student engagement are widely acknowledged, and in practical subjects like Computing, the advent of GenAI has compounded these issues. Redesigning assessment is one way to tackle this.

This practitioner paper presents the transition to an agile framework within a Team Project module for second-year undergraduate Computing students. The redesign aimed to boost engagement, enhance collaboration, and align with industry practices. Students completed five two-week sprints, engaging with agile concepts such as product backlogs, sprint planning, scrum meetings, retrospectives and showcases.

The new approach led to noticeably higher engagement, with students responding well to the iterative structure and frequent opportunities for feedback and reflection. Faculty observed improved team dynamics, greater accountability, and more consistent project delivery. This paper outlines the practical aspects of implementation including module structure, staff and student support, technologies used, common challenges, and lessons learned.

Most Level 8’s include a capstone module on independent undergraduate research (UR), whereby students are facilitated through one-on-one academic supervision to solve a problem. Whilst the format can vary across disciplines, the advantages of the final year project (FYP) remain the same, fostering key graduate attributes in critical thinking, problem solving and research dissemination. The FYP is a core assessment tool, providing demonstratable proof of programme learning outcomes. The Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Network (est. 2016) strives to highlight the value of UR through our annual student SURE Conference and journal (SURE-J). We have recently expanded into Europe through the Erasmus+ project Posters in Brussels, highlighting the utility of UR to also promote student advocacy. The use of generative AI is now widespread amongst students, leading to concern regarding their capacity to independently synthesize information or think critically. UR provides an opportunity, now more important than ever in this age of misinformation, to teach students fact checking skills. Moreover, it can be used to force students to produce and report upon genuinely authentic and bespoke work independently. Despite frequently stated research ambitions, the resourcing of UR remains insufficient across the TU/IoT Sector. The time is now to change this.

In recent years, a growing number of students are entering Higher Education in Ireland through alternative entry pathways (Keane, 2013). Consequently, institutions must now meet the educational and holistic needs of an increasingly diverse student population.

It is the responsibility of higher education institutions to support students in developing the required study skills required to succeed at this level. The most effective way to enhance study skills is to embed them within the curriculum (Gibbs, 1994; Cottrell, 2001). However, if this is not a feasible option, an alternative delivery method must be developed, one which will engage students even if participation is voluntary.

In response to this need, the Centre for Academic Practice in SETU developed the Higher Education Learner Programme (HELP). This is an online Study Skills programme that was delivered through multiple platforms. Student input was acquired throughout, and elements of content were co-created with students. In this way, we built a programme that could be adapted based on student feedback and whereby students could see that they were part of a larger community with others who had tread the same path before them.

In this presentation, we will present our findings on the effectiveness of this approach.