Distance education and blended learning the focus of AIT event
Photo: Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn, a lecturer in Technical Communication and Instructional Design at the University of Limerick.
Covid-19 has reignited the debate on online delivery and blended learning, a seminar in Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) will hear next week.
The seminar, organised by Academic Writing Centre Co-Ordinator at AIT Emer Connolly, will hear from a University of Limerick lecturer who has carried out research in this area over a number of years.
‘Engaging Effectively with Distance Education Students’ will take place online on Tuesday, November 17 at 11am. It will examine how blended learning has become a vital component of teaching and learning at third level.
Ironically, the event was scheduled to take place on campus in AIT earlier this year but had to be postponed and moved online due to the pandemic.
Dr Ann Marcus-Quinn, who is a lecturer in Technical Communication and Instructional Design at the University of Limerick, will deliver a presentation on how to engage effectively with distance students on taught programmes.
She has been awarded both national and international funding for her research and last year she was part of an EU-wide research team E-Read (Evolution of Reading in the Age of Digitalisation) on digital learning.
Dr Marcus-Quinn stresses the importance of online teaching amid the Covid-19 pandemic and well into the future.
"With Covid-19 and the pivot to online there is no doubt that online programmes will be necessary for the foreseeable future," said Dr Marcus-Quinn.
"Clear communication is vitally important in online communication: among colleagues who are teaching online and also between teaching staff and learners.
"Good communication with students is imperative if a positive online space is to be created and nurtured.
"Talking with colleagues is also necessary in order that students have a clear picture of what they can expect from their online space. This is especially important if you are going to try to assess the online discussion or chat," she added.
Ms Connolly says the online realm has never been more important, particularly in the face of a pandemic such as Covid-19.
“Back in March all lecturers and tutors were suddenly teaching all of their classes online and learners were logging on to attend their classes. Many had engaged in blended learning before but for so many others it was a new phenomenon and created many challenges. It meant profound changes for both teaching staff and learners.
“While it was a case of doing the best everyone could in the face of a pandemic, it has also resulted in a rethink of how we are delivering our programmes in the long-term,” said Ms Connolly.
The seminar is part of the National Seminar Series, funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Tickets for the online event are available at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/engaging-effectively-with-distance-education-students-tickets-124399601557?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch