Information & Communications Technology (ICT)

Ezine 1.

This research ezine on Digital Technology in Our Schools: Learning from Research and Practice preceded our webinar on the same topic in collaboration with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). Click here to discover several intriguing ICT articles that will support teachers wishing to incorporate more digital learning opportunities in their classrooms.

Ezine 2.

This ezine features a study on Post-primary Student Perspectives on Teaching and Learning during Covid-19 School Closures, findings of independent research into the impact of the pandemic on science teaching and learning in Irish Primary and Post-primary schools, and an ERSI study among other resources. Click here to read more.

First broadcast date: 16 October 2019

The Teaching Council hosted a joint webinar with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) on 16 October 2019. The theme of Digital Technology in Our Schools: Learning from Research and Practice was discussed by the following panellists, chaired by the Teaching Council’s Director Tomás Ó Ruairc:

• Anthony Kilcoyne (Deputy Director of Digital Technologies, Professional Development Service for Teachers)
• Dr Tony Hall (Senior Lecturer in Educational Technology and Deputy Head of School of Education, National University of Ireland Galway)
• Susan Rushe (Primary Teacher at Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, Co. Galway)
• Maria O'Donovan (Post-Primary Teacher at Meánscoil San Nioclás, Rinn O gCuanach, Co Phort Láirge, & John Coolahan Research Support Framework recipient)

Webinar Timings

00.00-00.06 – Introductions

00.06-00.14 – Hallmarks and principles of integrated digital technology in education and teaching & learning.

00.14-00.17 – Terminology and ensuring meaningful learning and engagement.

00.17-00.19 – Why integrate digital technology into teaching & learning?

00.19-00.21 – How to interpret evidence? Re-examining what evidence of impact looks like

00.21-00.23 – Examples of integrating digital technology.

00.23-00.25 – Advice on introducing new technology to the school and community.

00.25-00.26 – How to reach the whole school and community with new technology.

00.26-00.27 – Flipping the traditional roles – learning from the students.

00.27-00.30 – Trusting students to help with whole school implementation of new technology.

00.30-00.31 – Structures and supports for implementing new technology and the associated conversations.

00.31-00.32 – What can be done to support schools?

00.32-00.36 – How can schools ensure that all voices are heard and how to contextualise evidence-based practice?

00.36-00.39 – Support for implementing frameworks.

00.39-00.41 – How to make students producers of tech, not just consumers of tech?

00.41-00.43 – The importance of the whole class environment for introducing integrated technology.

00.43-00.45 – How to help students and teachers not just be passive users of technology.

00.45-00.52 – BYOD – Bring Your Own Device

00.52-00.54 – Does technology make the teacher redundant in the classroom?

00.54-00.57 – Potential of integrating technology to nurture teacher creativity

00.57-01.01 – The next step to integrating technology in the classroom

01.01-01.04 – Closing Remarks

To access the ebooks below, registered teachers must be logged in to the Teaching Council's online library here. 

A step-by-step guide to accessing the Online Library can be found here. 

Teaching Children Online: A Conversation-based Approach

(C. Meskill and N. Anthony) 2018

What does best practice in online education look like? How can educators make use of the affordances offered by online environments to bring out the best in the children they teach? This book answers all questions with experienced teachers, novice educators and teacher educators in mind. Meskill and Anthony offer a wealth of examples of what successful online teaching looks like, and provide a rich source of practical, conversation-based strategies for optimising online learning. This book will inspire anyone teaching or planning to teach fully online, or in a blended or hybrid format, by demonstrating how well-constructed online conversations constitute powerful teaching.

Creativity & Critique in Online Learning: Exploring and Examining Innovations in Online Pedagogy

(J. Baxter, G. Callaghan and J. McAvoy) 2018

This book explores emerging practices in online teaching and learning facilitated by the development of educational technology. The volume examines core themes in distance education including online education at scale, embodiment in online environments, connectivity in online education, and the personalisation of learning experiences within online education. The first section of the book examines online teaching tools and explores how they are being used to enhance and promote student learning. The second looks at some of the broader challenges encountered by online teachers and those responsible for designing online learning material. This edited collection will be of value to scholars of online education as well as practitioners and policy makers.

Practical Pedagogy: 40 New Ways to Teach and Learn

(M. Sharples) 2019

Practical Pedagogy provides an accessible guide to new and emerging innovations in education organised around six themes – Personalisation, Connectivity, Reflection, Extension, Embodiment, and Scale. This book is a compilation of the 40 most relevant pedagogies, covering:

• innovative ways to teach and learn;
• how pedagogies are adopted in new ways for a digital age;
• evidence on how and why different methods of teaching work, including case studies set in classrooms, informal settings, and online learning spaces;
• and practical implications of the latest research into the science of learning.

Practical Pedagogy is a comprehensive source of information for new and experienced teachers, policy makers, educational researchers and anyone interested in new ways to teach and learn.

Jump-Start Your Online Classroom: Mastering five challenges in five days

(D. Stein, C. Wanstreet) 2017

Jump-Start Your Online Classroom prepares online instructors for the successful management and delivery of online courses by offering a variety of tools and activities which can enhance the teaching and learning experience for all, while also adapting to the challenge of any online environment. Five challenges are presented, each designed to be addressed in five days. The challenges may be summarised as follows:

• to make the transition to online teaching;
• to build online spaces for learning;
• to prepare students for online learning;
• to manage and facilitate the online classroom;
• and to assess learner outcomes in an online classroom. 

The book addresses everyday problems and suggests solutions which  may create the optimal environment for a meaningful online educational experience.

53 Interesting Ways to Support Online Learning

(R. Sharpe) 2016

53 practical ideas for facilitating and enhancing online (or digital) learning are presented in this book. Topics include: helping students to get started; supporting student contributions; making learning personalised; encouraging students to spend more time on task; and helping students to develop their learning and progress beyond their current courses. Well-designed courses enable learners to construct their own understandings, complete collaborative tasks and participate in communities beyond the limits of their course or institution.

Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Inclusive Classroom

(S. McKeown, A. McGlashon) 2015

Runner up in Teach Secondary's Technology and Innovation Awards 2014 sponsored by Lego, this book provides lots of simple practical ideas showing teachers and support staff how they can use ICT to boost the achievement of all pupils. How can you use ICT to boost the achievement of all your pupils? This practical teachers’ guide will help you to unlock the enormous potential of new technology in order to enhance pupils’ learning, particularly for young people with additional needs. With fifty illustrated case studies and twenty starter activities, this practical resource will help you to introduce new technology into the inclusive classroom, each designed to help enhance your pupils’ 21st century skills in relation to apps, podcasting, wikis, gaming, digital art, and much more. Whether you're already tech-savvy or simply looking to get started with ICT, this book is full of brilliant ideas on how to engage learners of all abilities using technology.

To access the articles below, registered teachers must be logged in to the Teaching Council’s online library here.

A step-by-step guide to accessing the online library can be found here.

Primary schools and ICT – what can we teach the pupils? Education Journal, 122, 24-25, Selwyn, N., 2010.

This article focuses on the use of ICT in primary schools in Great Britain. It notes the recommendation of the "Rose Review" of the primary curriculum stating the need of all children to leave primary schools familiar with the internet as a source of information and as a means of communication. It mentions proposals for change to primary ICT which include establishing a dialogic approach to school ICT and encouraging a democratic approach to school ICT.

The Potential of ICTs in Education Worldwide: A Review of Several International Studies. Bulgarian Comparative Education Society, Kachakova, V., 2020.

The potential of ICTs in education is often seen as a remedy for almost all educational problems. Different international organizations (OECD, IEA, World Bank, etc.) study the impact of ICTs on education worldwide and their conclusions do not confirm the high expectations. Policymakers should not hyperbolize the positive effects that ICTs could have for reducing the inequality in education. There is a need for responsible implementation of educational reforms and changes in the ways of learning and teaching through ICTs.

The Discourse on ICT Teacher Professional Development Needs: The Case of a South African Teachers' Union. International Journal of Education & Development using Information & Communication Technology, 14(2), 17-37, Dlamini, R., Mbatha, K., 2018.

This exploratory study was conducted within the framework of a teachers' union to understand members' preparedness to integrate ICT tools in their teaching practices. Findings indicate the need for in-service professional development activities in the use of ICT for teaching, in teaching in multicultural environments, and in classroom management. Equally important is the role of school management and administration in the adoption and integration of ICT tools in education. In addition, the research provided clear evidence that despite the huge investments into ICT infrastructure by government, inequalities in ICT competencies among teachers remain. 

The following articles are not available through the Teaching Council’s online library, but are freely available through open access databases via the links provided:

Hybrid Pedagogies: Nurturing teaching presence in multi-modal learning spaces. Routledge Open Research 2023, 2:2, O'Ceallaigh, T., Connolly, C., and O Brien, E. 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted teaching and learning practices. Students and Educators are reflecting on their practices and experiences over the past 18 months and the demand for new modes of teaching and learning have emerged. One such mode is Hybrid-Flexible or HyFlex. This paper firstly defines HyFlex and examines its strengths and shortcomings with a particular focus on pedagogy. Universal design principles and instructional strategies are then outlined and the notion of presence in the HyFlex teaching and learning environment is considered.  In particular, it considers the role of teaching presence and how it might be redefined in a Hyflex environment to ensure cohesive, coordinated quality provision.

The Trajectory of Computer Science Education Policy in Ireland: A Document Analysis Narrative. European Journal of Education, 365-379, Connolly, C., Rowan Byrne J., Odlum, E. 2022.

The launch of a Computer Science curriculum specification in upper secondary schools in Ireland in 2018 was a landmark and a historic development in Irish education. Addressing the historical policy decisions adopted towards establishing the specification, this paper presents an analysis of developments from the 1970s as revealed in key policies and other documents. Developments in a global context are presented in comparison with curricula in other countries and some similarities and differences identified. The article uncovers consequences of the specification for the national curriculum, key skills integration and computer science teacher preparation.

Students’ perspectives on Twitter as a pedagogical tool to enhance learning in the post-primary second language classroom. Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 5(1), Bell, C., Cahill, K., 2020.

This study looks at students’ thoughts on the use of social media –namely Twitter –to enhance the learning of a second language in a post-primary French classroom in Ireland. A controlled group of fifth year students took part in the study. They submitted reflective diaries via email and interviews were conducted and recorded. The results of this study suggest that the use of Twitter in language teaching has a future but has to be implemented properly and gradually.

Kinia Podcast

Kinia (formerly Camara Education Ireland) is an education focused non-profit, charity and social enterprise, and we want to make sure future focused skills and learning opportunities are available for all children and young people.

The Kinia Podcast is made for educators who want to enhance their practice using technology. They provide practical tips and have conversations about how you can get the most out of technology in your classroom, youth club or school. They also look at areas like STEAM, Computer Science, Digital Skills and much more!

Edtech from Ireland #ictedu

Bernie Goldbach shares observations about edtech, teaching, and learning in support of ictedu.ie.

*The Teaching Council does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or integrity of material accessed via these resources. The inclusion of these resources does not imply Teaching Council endorsement of any products, services, views, or information described or offered in any such resources.