Teaching Portfolio Part 1 - Complete

Teaching Portfolio: Part 1
Student Name: Tracey Dalton

Word count: 17,000
Date: 13th January 2011
1. Context and Background

(i) My Current Teaching Responsibilities
I have been teaching at third level for the past 2 academic years and the current academic
year. I primarily teach a Higher National Diploma in 3d design in Dublin Institute of
Design, an Edexcel/Btech accredited course which spans two years full-time/part-time
study. This course enables students to become 3D Designers, with the option of
continuing to study at advanced entry level to second or third year, for a general degree
level course in Interior Design in Griffith College, Dublin or an honours degree in
Interior, Product and Furniture Design in DIT Mountjoy Square, or similar.
In the first year of the course I teach Drawing Techniques and Approaches teaching
students about colour theory, technical drawing, sketching, perspective drawing,
rendering techniques and model making. I also teach AutoCAD, starting with basic 2d
drawing, leading on to 3d AutoCAD. The students get various small projects to assess
their progress and learning, two essays and a written exam in Colour Theory. Halfway
through the college year around February the students are given a major project an
Apartment design. This leads on to lectures on planning, construction, ergonomics,
analysis of spaces, use of concept and sample boards etc. This is a substantial project
which spans approximately 12 weeks. In the second year of the course, the students move
on to commercial design. They must complete three projects: an office design, retail
design and hotel design.
In the upcoming academic year, there have been two new choices introduced as options
for students. The HND students can choose to major in Graphic Design or Product
Design as well as the existing option of Interior Design. I also teach short courses in 2d
AutoCAD which are City and Guilds awarded. I have taught Fs courses in the college
which were outsourced through tenders. These were 2d and 3d AutoCAD courses which
were full-time and ran for ten to twelve weeks.
(ii) A Summary of Prior Learning
I had been an interior designer for ten years before teaching and I completed art, design
and construction related courses prior to and during my career.
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A summary of prior learning would read as follows:

Education
1991 1992: Certificate in Fine Art, Ballyfermot Senior College, Dublin.
Course content: painting, life drawing, crafts, still life and photography.
1992 1996: BA Honours Degree in Spatial Design, DIT Mountjoy Square.
Course content: Interior design, fabric printing, autoCAD, furniture, theatre and
exhibition design, model making, philosophy & psychology of design, history of art &
design, professional practice and technical drawing.
1997 1998: Post Graduate Diploma in Graphic Repro. Technology, DIT Bolton St.
Course content: graphic design, QuarkXpress, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, printing,
print finishing, design administration and typography.
Jan. 2007 May 2007: Construction Studies Module, DIT Bolton St.
Course content: This was a night course in construction studies involving all areas of the
construction industry, including building, plumbing, joinery etc. through written and
detail drawing.
Work History
August 1996 September 1997:
Position: Graphic Designer
Company: Prospect Design ltd., Dublin.
Job Description: I designed flags, banners, leaflets and brochure using various computer
software. I often dealt with clients personally and over the phone.
August 1998 March 2003 and April 2004 to November 2005:
Position: Senior Interior Designer
Company: McNally Design Group, Dublin.
Job description: I worked for McNally design over a 7 year period and I rose from a junior
status. I developed projects from a clients brief, onto presentation stage and frequently to
finish, which involved preparation of tender drawings/packages for all trades involved and
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site visits. My skills gained from this position included presentation skills, liaising with
clients and suppliers within the building and fit-out trade; technical drawing, autoCAD,
perspective drawing, directing a design team, from builders to quantity surveyors,
purchasers, sales and marketing staff, working to strict deadlines and budgets. McNally
design is an international company, with a strong reputation in design for the leisure
industry i.e. pubs, restaurants, night clubs, cinemas, golf clubs etc. varying from traditional
to modern and from conservative to innovative.
May 2003 Aug. 2003:
Position: Interior Designer
Company: Peddle Thorp, Darwin, Australia.
Job Description: I was an interior designer/draftsperson, working on datacad software,
aiding architects in medium to large projects in the healthcare, domestic and commercial
sectors of the industry. I liaised with clients, presenting architectural drawings and sample
/presentation boards and dealing with interior and architectural issues. Peddle Thorp are a
large architectural corporation throughout Australia and SE Asia.
Dec. 2005 to July 2008:
Position: Senior Interior Designer
Company: Oppermann Associates, Dublin.
Job description: I entered Oppermann Associates as a senior designer.
This involved managing various projects over the time, from feasibility stage, planning
drawings, presentation, tender/construction drawings, site visits through to practical
completion. I gained a much greater knowledge of statutory issues, doing 2 planning
permissions and dealing with county councils. I managed junior designers on various
projects and on other projects. I worked solely with the client and my senior director.
I also worked with architects on public and private sector work, mainly at presentation
stage. Oppermann Associates is a prominent medium sized Architectural practice, with
interior projects from all sectors i.e. retail, leisure, corporate and domestic.
Due to the economic downturn, I was made redundant by Oppermann Associates. I am
still a designer but I have had to reinvent myself through teaching. I had to learn a lot of
new topics to become a good teacher. I had been using AutoCAD for almost 16 years, but
it is totally different to use something in a work setting as opposed to teaching someone
how to use it. The same applies to other topics such as retail design or history of design. I
have had to learn how to teach others through study, research, and trial and error over the
past three years.
(iii) An Individualized Learning Plan for Module 1
I have chosen to do the PG Diploma in Learning and Teaching because I have reached a
point in my teaching and design career where I feel I have reached a high personal
standard. I would like to grow and improve my teaching skills through the reflective
process which is predominant in this course and which not only talks about teaching, but
emphasizes the importance of good learning. I think it is probably a surprise to most
students on this course that the way students learn is not just about the way we teach.
I hope to learn new methods of teaching through the various lectures which the course
encompasses. It looks at all aspects of teaching and learning, through lesson planning,
reflective practice, micro-teaching, student centred learning etc. I am finding the course
very interesting and eye opening in many regards. I hope to improve my skills in certain
areas which I feel I am weaker at; For example, applying the unit outcomes in the correct
manner i.e. teaching the correct subject matter to cover the criteria to successfully
complete and learn a particular unit.
For example, problem solving strategies that involve thinking like a physicist wont be
of much help in solving problems of medical diagnosis. (Biggs, 2007, p.66)
I struggle between the concept of covering a unit as opposed to applying the learning to a
real world environment. My dilemma is that the two areas, while they should always
cross over, do not necessarily. There may be a subject on the course programme which I
feel may not have any use or bearing on a real life professional experience. I would like
to tie the two together and reach a satisfactory conclusion. I fluctuate between thinking I
have taken a surface approach to teaching rather than a deep approach and vice versa. I
am starting to realize, as I read literature on the subject of teaching and learning, that I
use both methods. It is making me reflect on this issue and ask myself if I am using the
correct method in the correct context. I try to spend more time on subjects I feel I need to
get a deep understanding of the practical issues of drawing, designing, researching,
specifying and quantifying etc. when managing a design project and I try to make it as
real to the workplace as possible. I realize now that this process is constructive
alignment(Biggs, 2007).
Constructive alignment is common sense. Mothers, like driving instructors,
use it all the time. What is the intended outcome? That the child can tie her
shoes. What is the TLA (teaching and learning activity)? Tying her shoes.
What is the assessment? How well she tied her shoes. (Biggs, 2007, p.61)
In other areas such as Professional Studies and Colour Theory I currently use more of
a surface approach as I feel these are items which you need to know about but they will
not necessarily be used in your everyday work. I have used exams for these topics as
opposed to essay type assignments.
In conclusion, I have many questions to ask myself about the quality of my teaching and
as to how much my students are learning. I hope to learn new methods to improve the
learning and work ethic of the weaker student, not taking the blame the student (Biggs,
2007, p.17) stance, which is the easy way out. I have a certain level of fear about the
balance of course workload and my own workload, but also a lot of excitement about
how much I will change, grow and learn by the end of Module 1.
Heavier workloads have become a fact of life for most lecturers..Managing your
workload may increasingly seem like a balancing act between teaching, research and
administration. (Race, 2001, p.222)
2. Personal Learning and Teaching Development at Third Level

a) Personal Learning & Teaching Philosophy Statement
What do you think are the aims of higher education?
Never mind the teaching feel the learning! (Race, 2001, p.1)
I think that the aim of higher education is to enhance the knowledge of the student, in a
particular chosen area, which the student has either previous knowledge of, or has an
interest in learning about the particular topic, or it is both of the above combined.
Higher education will delve deeper into the chosen area. Even if a student has never
studied the subject before, the third level institute/university will start at a basic level of
introduction to all students and will delve into the subject in depth, reaching a deep
knowledge of the subject by the end of the course. Factors that could come into this
process and usually do would be that the student must possess certain criteria to enter
a course in a particular chosen subject before they may gain entry to the 3 rd level
institution. These criteria are obtaining a certain minimal level of points from secondary
school examinations or possessing the appropriate grade in specific subjects which
would be compulsory for the course chosen. Alternatively they would have the required
professional qualification or third level qualification from previous studies in the case
of students wishing to obtain a place in a Post Graduate or Masters etc. level of study.
It is not always the case that previous criteria are required to enter a course ie. in
privately run institutions so the level of teaching in this case must start from the basics
of the topic and work to a higher level of knowledge. I work in this in this discipline
myself presently and have encountered the challenges this poses to both the teacher and
student.
What is your understanding of teaching, learning, knowledge or other key concepts in
higher education?
Teaching in higher education: My understanding of teaching in general is when a person
ie. the teacher imparts knowledge of a particular subject onto another who may have
some or no previous knowledge of a chosen / necessary area of study. This ranges from
the moment of birth when other living things/inanimate objects teach us the skills to
survive and slowly become more independent in the world, through to pre-school,
primary school, secondary school and onto higher education.
Teaching in higher education involves increasing the students knowledge of a particular
chosen area. It usually takes away the factor of being forced to study a topic, which
occurs in primary and secondary level, but this is not always the case. In some
circumstances the student may have wished to study a different course, but had not
obtained the required criteria, or they may be doing the course to get a particular job at
the end of it. Therefore they have chosen the topic you are teaching them as a second
preference. This adds to the challenge of how you will motivate them through your
teaching. To be a good teacher, I believe one must possess several criteria. These would
include passion, motivation, and higher knowledge of the subject matter, relevant work
experience, coherence, confidence and good organisational skills.
Good teaching is getting most students to use the level of cognitive processes needed to
achieve the intended outcomes that the more academic students use spontaneously
(Biggs, 2007, p.11)
Learning in higher education:
I think that learning in general is when we gain
knowledge on a particular topic through the use of the five senses, which we experience
from another living thing or inanimate object. Similarly to teaching, it is something
which we take part in from birth, through our primary and secondary school years and on
to third level education. We also learn many things through our life experiences outside
of state education, such as our life/work/travel experiences. Learning in higher education
is influenced by how we are taught by our teachers in the institute/university which we
are attending, but is also affected by the students perspective on learning.
This refers to Phenomenography (Sonnenman,1954; Marton, 1981) which states that
the student learning context refers to the idea that the learners perspective determines
what is learned. (Biggs, 2007, p.20) and Constructivism (Piaget, 1950), which
emphasise that the learner constructs knowledge with their own activities, building on
what they already know. (Biggs, 2007, p.21)
I would agree with these statements because the teacher may think that their method of
teaching is communicating the intended learning outcomes, but it is down to a multitude
of factors. The academic, diligent students may fully comprehend what the teacher is
communicating but the other students may not. There are two types of learning ie. deep
and surface. The goal is that through the quality of teaching complying with the
intended learning outcomes or goals, the weaker students will obtain the criteria required
to get to a deeper level of learning and knowledge about the chosen topic, rather than
skimming across the surface of the subject, just to gain enough knowledge to pass.
Knowledge in Higher Education: My understanding of knowledge in higher education
is when we have gone through the learning process about a topic through what we have
been taught. We then have knowledge on the subject that we didnt possess before. The
level of knowledge obtained is determined by the quality of teaching and the level of
subsequent additional learning that the student has carried out after the teaching. The
teaching could have taken a surface approach which would help the student gain only a
fraction of knowledge on the topic. If it took a deeper approach the student would be
given more information. However, the knowledge gained is then determined by the
students approach to learning. If the teacher took a deep approach to teaching and the
student only took a surface approach to learning the material, the knowledge gained is not
as great as it could be with a deep approach. The desire for the student to take a deep
approach is determined by factors about both teacher and student.
What are your personal and professional values, beliefs, goals and commitments about
learning?
Values and Beliefs: My personal and professional values and beliefs about learning would
be that social constructivism (Vygotsky, c.1929) is one of the most important aspects to
good quality learning in life and work. Without the guidance of others we cannot learn to
become the person we would like to be or achieve our goals. Of course, this could
become a negative, depending on who we learn from, which emphasizes the importance
of positive, passionate, motivational teaching.
Goals and Commitments: My personal and professional goals and commitments about
learning would be to gain knowledge through my current studies and past work
experience to improve my teaching skills and teaching methods. Then I can help my
students to learn more through constructive alignment (Biggs, 2007) of teaching. I hope
to learn to structure the course and project based criteria and curricula to teach deeply
about topics which will align directly with intended learning outcomes and that the
student will learn how to execute these activities to a high standard. This would apply to
the deep and surface learners alike. The goal is to help the surface learners to change into
deep learners.
What actions do you take to implement your intentions?
I intend to reflect on my teaching practice in various ways. These would include
reflective writing, tutor and peer assessment and the dissection of my course material to
date and use of group learning with students.
I will use the reflective writing process on a weekly basis to analyse my teaching
through anticipatory, contemporaneous and retrospective reflection (Loughran, 1996). I
can compare and contrast work through experiential learning with past lectures or classes.
I can make decisions or realisations during lectures due to issues that may arise and I can
make sure I am well prepared for upcoming lectures. Ever since I started teaching two
years ago, and recently started my PGD in Third Level Learning and Teaching, I find
myself improving my lectures from the year before. I believe this to be necessary, to keep
current and to find visually better and more user friendly ways of giving a particular
lecture.
Tutor and peer assessment will also help me to improve my teaching for better student
learning as they will give constructive criticism and positive feedback to emphasize areas
where I am achieving the intended learning outcomes, or not. Palmer (1998) argues that if
we want to grow in our practice we must look to our fellow teachers from whom we can
learn more about ourselves and our craft. As I have mentioned previously, I am reformatting my lectures as I work through the term. The lectures were sufficient last year,
but I am now using more efficient technology to do the lecture. I have also started to
incorporate more group learning into my class, where it is appropriate in practical class
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settings, and I have found it to be successful. For example, in a technical drawing class,
my students had to survey a room in groups of three and then to use their sketch to draw
it to scale. I kept the students in their groups of three, with only one student drawing the
survey to scale on the drawing board. It was generally the students with some previous
knowledge who took on this task and I found that the other two students learned from
watching that student, even more than if they were drawing alone. It also created a better
sense of community. I intend to incorporate more deep approaches to assessment. I
currently use a lot of deep approaches to project work, but other areas which are a single
topic or unit are assessed with an exam format. I hope to add experiential, hands on
methods of assessing these areas, along with the exam format. For example, in the
Professional Studies (of Interior Design) unit I give an exam which covers the
professional practice of a designer. I will introduce some action based projects, such as
contacting business and state bodies related to the field and making queries about a topic
eg. planning permission.
In conclusion, I believe the learning process as a teacher should be never ending. Striving
to gain more and more knowledge to impart to students in a socially constructive manner
is the goal for quality student learning; just throwing pebbles in the pond, .. I just
wanted teachers to believe in themselves and believe in the children (or students) they
taught. Waters (as cited by Wilby, 2010)
b) A Reflection on Practice and Summary of Learning
(Please see Appendix 1 for Evidence of Weekly Reflective Blog.)
Summary through weekly workshops are as follows:
Week 1: Induction
The first week of the course was about introduction to my fellow classmates, an overview
of the course and the written portfolio for module 1. We also had a group work session
where we had to think about what was good teaching and what was good learning. The
second question was more difficult to brainstorm and proved to be an opening point to
the module ahead of me. It was an eye opener really. I was also asked to write briefly
about why I am a teacher. This is what I wrote down on that day:
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I am a teacher because I love to pass knowledge to students, in my chosen field. I like

showing other people how to do things and use my real life experience to give answers to
problems when doing projects. I get a sense of achievement at the end of a class, when it
has gone well and I have helped everyone to the best of my abilities. I think it is a great
stepping stone from working in my chosen field, to them go on to teach others about my
work experiences. It makes me feel like I always have to be prepared and learn more, so
that I am keeping up to date wit current trends in my profession. I initially became a
teacher by fluke and cannot believe that I can stand in front of a class. It is great way to
overcome fear of talking in public.
I still agree with what I wrote down that day but can now see that it is quite teacher
centred and there is not much talk of learning and student centred teaching and learning.
Week 2: Student Centred Learning
The week before we set up our blogs we had a class with Vincent Farrell on 'Student
Centred Learning' which was extremely interesting. It showed a different method of
teaching called 'The Market Place' (The Teachers Toolkit by Paul Ginnis, 2002). It
makes the students learn for themselves and pass on the learning to each other. It allows
the teacher to become observer and background support. As a colleague stated the
following week, it was a 'Revelation!' This is one of many new learning experiences.
I have been using much more group work in my lectures and I intend to use the Student
Centred ethos when I find an appropriate lecture for it. I am in a visual field, so students
may spend more time making sure that there drawings are perfect. Vincent Farrell
mentioned that the only time it wasnt as successful for him was when he used it with a
group of fine art students. He mentioned a You Tube video called Confessions of a exlecturer by Robert Mazur, a former Physics professor at Harvard, which demonstrated
how student centred learning could be put into practice and how little students learn
through the rote method, in terms of real life skills.
The value of student centred learning is that it places learners at the heart of the learning
process and meeting their needs, is taken to a progressive step in which learner-centred
approaches mean that persons are able to learn what is relevant for them in ways that are
appropriate. Edwards (as cited by ONeill and McMahon, 2005)
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Week 3: Teaching Portfolio and Reflective Writing

In this session I was taught how to create a reflective blog using Blogger.com. I had not
known how to use this tool before. I have found it very useful and have been a consistent
blogger. I will endeavour to use this tool to reflect on my teaching in the future, into the
second module also, if necessary.
Other topics that emerged in this lecture were reflection, scholarship of teaching and the
teaching portfolio. We learned about Gibbs(1988) reflective cycle and experiential
learning; and also Kolb &Frys (1975) learning cycle model. This class was like a
synopsis of what was to come in the module. We learned about the three stages of
reflection anticipatory, contemporaneous and retrospective (Loughran, 1996). All of
this would emerge in reflections for my portfolio. We learned about the value of writing a
journal in our profession: Journal writing can be viewed through many different lenses:
as a form of self expression, as a record of events or as a form of therapy. It can be a
combination of these and other purposes. (Boud, 2001)
Week 4: Learning Theories
I found this class very interesting. We discussed various different theories such as:
Behaviorist Paradigm (Pavlov's Dog) by Ivan Pavlov(1849-1936), Reinforcement Theory
by B.F.Skinner (1904-1990) - the study of using both positive and negative rewards in
order to get the required outcome eg. penalties for handing an assignment in late. We did
cognitive exercises (how the brain processes problems) which showed that the brain can
omit and add things to something which is not there if it has seen it before. We also
learned about drip feeding information which is referred to as 'chunking' (Bruner). Social
Constructivism Vygotsky (1896-1934), tells us that without social interaction,
development and learning cannot take place.
On reflection, I can see how I have used some of these theories in my teaching. We
carried out the exercise of writing in words how to show someone how to tie a shoelace.
This showed us that it is important to explain things clearly to students. This reminded
me of some notes I put together on camera views and 3D rendering in AutoCAD.
I carried out a group exercise with my first years, using the how to tie a shoelace /
buckle a belt / make a paper airplane but through drawings only. It was very successful
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and enjoyable for the students and they learned that it is important to communicate
clearly to others with their designs.
Week 5: Lecture Design & Delivery
In this class with Risn Donnelly, we learned how to design a lecture in groups of three
and then one member of the group had to present the lecture design. We were also given
tips to break the class time into different teaching techniques eg. giving quick general
knowledge questions on return from a break. The most interesting thing I learned from
this lecture is about the crossover between being a teacher and a student at the same time.
Before the lecture I had been preparing my lecture for Technical drawing for first year
HND students. I was trying to figure out how I was going to organize each step of the
class - which is 2 hours long. In my group, we used my technical drawing lecture as a
template and it was all worked out clearly.
The next day I performed the lecture and it worked out very well with a great mix of
activities from teacher to student lecture, group survey of room, feedback on room sketch
and execution of survey on the drawing board. The students were then ready to perform
their home survey assignment for the following week.
Week 6: Lesson Planning and Interactive, Innovative Teaching Methods
In this lecture we looked how to set up a lesson plan and looked at statistics on how we
learn. It shows us that that only five per cent of learning occurs during lectures compared
to seventy five per cent from practice by doing something, or ninety per cent from
teaching others how to do something. This is quite a surprise, but I am relieved that about
fifty per cent of my teaching is involved in practice by doing something, such as drawing
or teaching autoCAD. M. Fitzmaurice (personal communication, October 13, 2010) cited
Carl Rogers: Learning how to learn is the element that is always of value now and in the
future. Rogers, 1938, p.18.
Teaching methods were analyzed in terms of advantages and disadvantages ie. lecturer
presentation, structured exercise, case study and group discussion. I have used all of these
methods, except case study. I find the chapter in The Lecturers Toolkit by Phil Race on
assessment methods relates to some of the issues that were raised in this class. I find them
a useful list to refer to for ideas on assessment which I can put into practice.
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Whether we think of ourselves as lecturers, or teachers, or facilitators of learning, the

most important thing we do for our students is to assess their work. (Race, 2001, p.31)
Week 7: Microteaching 1
For my first micro teaching session I chose to do an AutoCAD demo. Everything went to
plan and there were no problems in the session. I got good feedback from my tutor and
colleagues, some of which were that teaching in a computer lab has the best variation of
lesson time - with lecturing and then observing the students carry out the exercise. I
learned about new technologies I could use such as 'Screenr' and 'Jing' which are software
which enables you to record your screen and then save the recording, which could be emailed to students as tutorials on an autoCAD topic.
I enjoyed watching the rest of the team teach, even if some topics were a bit 'over my
head'. We had great feedback from each other and from our tutor. It was an enjoyable
session. I intend to use web software in the future when I am teaching CAD topics to see
if they are a useful aid to students.
Week 8: Educational Theory & Context
This week I had a class with Vincent Farrell which focused on the sociology of teaching
and learning. It covered 'academic tribes'. This looks at the difference between career and
research based lecturers (Macfarlane, 2004, p.7-8) and the epistemological differences
between soft and hard applied disciplines in relation to teaching, learning and assessment
(Trowler, 2006). We spoke about massification(Macfarlane, 2004, p.9) and its impact on
teaching and learning.
We also looked at the Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education (Lord
Browne, 2010) in the UK, which has come up with the theory that there should be no
limit to subscription to study at eg. Manchester University and that universities that are
under performing should be eventually closed if they don't 'pull up their socks'. The
students will get a 30 year loan from the state, for both full and part-time courses as part
of the proposed new system. It does promote competition and pushes universities to
excel. On the other hand, not everyone will be able to go to Manchester due to
geographical location and I do think that if universities closed down in other areas there
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has to be grey areas as to why things were not working. Some good lecturers would be
caught up in the fallout.
An article in a new system of education called The Melbourne Model (Fearn, 2009) was
discussed. See reflective blogs in Appendix for longer version of views on this.
In reference to this lecture, I am working in a private college myself and know about the
how profit can become the main concern to the management - especially if they are
concerned more with making a profit and not the quality of education and courses
available. In terms of personal goals, I aim to get out of this situation as soon as I can,
which may be later rather than sooner in the current economic downturn.
Week 9: Research Skills & Writing Tutorial

In this lecture, Risn Guilfoyle showed the class various ways of researching, using the
web. We learned about the why, where, when of a website and how we can use this to
assess the validity or suitability of a website for our needs. We learned about search
strategies and how we can narrow a search by using advanced searches. We were
introduced to the 'British Education Index' and 'Academic Search Premier'. Risn also
directed us through the DIT library website.
I found this class useful because there were many things that I was not aware of. It will
help me to gain information quicker when doing a search. It also helps me to search the
DIT library. I will use these strategies to help me research for my teaching portfolio.
Week 10: Practising with Learning & Teaching Media/Styles
In this lecture Muireann O'Keeffe demonstrated various digital medias/technologies and
tools. These included Wikis, Google Docs, Blogs, Micro-blogs - Twitter, the NDLR,
Social networking - Facebook, Social bookmarking - Delicious, discussion forums, Video
Sharing -You Tube, Podcasts and Txt tools. I learned a lot at this lecture about
technologies I have never used. I am interested in trying out video sharing - using
websites like 'Screenr' or 'Jing'. I am also interested in trying out 'Delicious'. I think that
these technologies could definitely aid my teaching and the video sharing could aid
student learning at home. I am sure I am not alone in thinking that I have lived without
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these things for so long but do see the advantages of them. I am going to try out creation
of a video and see if it benefits students.
Week 11: Micro Teaching 2
For my second micro-teaching class I decided to try something that I hadn't used before. I
got the inspiration from a night during 'Dublin Design Week' where I went to see 12
Professionals speak for 20 seconds on 15 slides using PowerPoint, on a chosen topic,
relating to their profession. I found out that this technique is called 'Pecha Kucha'.
I decided I would create my own topic relating to my field. I chose to do the topic of
'What does an Interior Designer do?'. It all worked out in the end and I think it came
across well and I achieved my goal. I was nervous before the presentation, but it probably
didn't show. Others in the group thought this was a useful technique to get around a big
class size, when presenting. It is not suitable for deeper topics, as the slide changes every
20 seconds. I enjoyed the presentations of the other members of the group. Some of it
was not my subject - and therefore - over my head eg. the maths in Eoin's 'electrical
engineering' lecture.
I am setting a presentation project for my first year interior/graphic/product design
students using the Pecha Kucha method in January. I am going to choose the topic
Where I come from? and get students to relate it to their chosen area for example,
using only graphic design to communicate. A lot of my students are international so it
should prove engaging and everyone will learn something new from it.
Week 12: Seminar on Critical Thinking @ Trinity Science Gallery
I attended the 'Critical Thinking' seminar at TCD. We broke into groups after the initial
opening talk. My group was The Arts - Art, Design, Media, Journalism, Architecture,
Languages and Music. We analyzed how we thought lecturer's and students should apply
critical thinking in their studies and how we would apply it - the main points made were the ability to see another view, take a deep approach to learning, accept when we can
come up with a better solution to a subject, to take the disobedient route/solution as a
result of critical research into theories/history of a subject - which results from stepping
back from something. We would apply it through reflection, innovation and Bloom's
taxonomy.
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On reflection, I thought the discussion was useful. I have to admit though, that after
reading 'Teaching for Quality Learning at University' by John Biggs, I feel that I knew a
lot of these theories beforehand. A lot of his theories and those he references in his book
were mentioned. I think it was a good method of recapping mentally. It would be a good
learning mechanism for anyone present who is not currently doing a teaching & learning
qualification. In the future, I will refer to literature by John Biggs and other literature by
authors such as Phil Race and Bruce McFarlane, which has been drawn to my attention
during the first module if I need help or advice on an issue in my teaching career.
Week 13: Student Inclusivity
This lecture was about including non-traditional students in the 3rd level environment.
These are students who may have learning difficulties because they have a physical or
mental disability, visual/hearing impairment, or students where English is their second or
even third language. It looked at ways to deal with this issue. The first is to include
disabled students in mainstream education, looking at the advantages and disadvantages
of this. The student could be 'integrated' or 'included'. (Jordan, Carlile & Stack, 2008)
The difference between these two words is that 'integration' implies that the student must
fit in with the mainstream class environment; whereas 'inclusion' implies that the disabled
student will be helped by the community to fit in, satisfying their learning needs. The text
also looks at schools/education specifically for disabled students, or segregated
education. (Jordan, Carlile & Stack, 2008) The main disadvantage is that the students are
not in contact with the mainstream students and it does not prepare them for the 'real
world' when they leave. Presently I don't have any disabled students in my classes. I do
have a lot of international students, so this is more of an issue for me. I already have
introduced methods of making exams easier for international students, such as allowing
them to draw diagrams to answer questions, where applicable. Luckily, the area which I
teach in is predominantly visual, so it is not as much of an issue.
Week 14:
a) The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
In this lecture, Marian Fitzmaurice referred to the fact that teaching is often referred to as
not being as scholarly an activity as other areas in education are, such as research,
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application of research integrating discoveries through research across disciplines. It

mentions Boyer's belief that we must forget about the teaching versus research debate
and accept that teaching should also be thought of as a scholarly activity. (Boyer, 1990)
Good SoTL involves critical reflection, a willingness to share pedagogic research with
other teachers, constantly evaluating our practice and keeping up to date with the latest
research in our field. This all leads to better student learning experiences. M.Fitzmaurice
(personal communication, December 8, 2010) referred to John Dewey (1933) and his
concept of comparing teaching and learning to buying and selling in a market. You
wouldnt buy a product which was not good quality.
This lecture also spoke of the biggest challenge to 3rd level teaching, being
massification, similar to points mentioned in Teaching with integrity (Macfarlane,
2004, pp. 9-11). The lectures also referred to enrolment of non-traditional learners
(Cottrell, 2001) and the impact this is having on third level education. M.Fitzmaurice
drew our attention to a journal article she had written on a case study carried out by the
DIT School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science, on problem based learning and
non-traditional students. An important point was that material to everyday life was
emphasized as much as possible (Fitzmaurice, 2010, p.49), which correlates with
Skelton (2005) and his view that as teachers work and interact with students in real-life
situations they create a local knowledge of teaching rooted in practice. Therefore,
teaching mirrors other professions, which they are teaching to students.
We can use our reflective portfolios to engage in the scholarship of teaching. Teaching
could be rewarded through 'excellence awards' and teaching fellowships to give an
incentive to engage in the SoTL, such as The Carnegie Foundation or the Advancement
of Teaching in the United States whose mission is to support tighter connections
between teaching practice, evidence of student learning, the communication and use of
this evidence, and structured opportunities to build knowledge. (retrieved November 24,
2009, from www.carnegiefoundation.org) and the NAIRTL in Ireland.
Critical Incident Analysis can be used to help us improve and reflect on our teaching. I
will use what I have learned in this lecture to complete my reflective portfolio and carry it
through my career. I have been practicing a lot of what has been mentioned here in my
portfolio to date.
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b) Facilitating Group Work

In this lecture we analyzed, in groups, what we thought of group work and its positives
and negatives. Some positives were brainstorming, as it helps the weaker students
through working as a team. Student centred learning, as it is a social experience, and it
encourages the students to work out problems for themselves. Some negatives were that
some members can be freeloaders, not everyone enjoys group work, there is usually a
dominant member of the group, there can be conflict with different personalities and it
can be hard to assess. A 'Template for group learning contract' was handed out which tied
in with the strategy designed by Tuckman ie. 'Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing'.
I found that this lecture is useful because there are techniques that are shown which could
be used for group work sessions with students, showing them how it works. Another good
point that came out of the session was the use of 'Peer Assessment' among student groups
to grade fairly and try to prevent freeloading in group work. I intend to highlight the
Tuckman strategy to students where applicable, when they are doing group work.
Week 15: Student Inclusivity / Portfolio Workshop
In week 15 Michelle Garvey from TCD gave us a lecture about the 'Trinity Inclusive
Curriculum' project (Garvey, 2010) she has been working on. It talks about issues of
inclusivity mentioned above. We took part in an on-line self assessment questionnaire on
inclusivity, which asks questions about our methods of teaching and whether they are
inclusive. Some of the issues mentioned are out of our control such as room lighting;
others were quite useful, such as legibility of power point lectures. The demo films were
quite useful. It takes a while to fill out the questionnaire, so could put tutors off
completing it. I will use what I have learned in this lecture to help me complete the
section of my portfolio which relates to this topic.
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3. Teaching Demonstrations and Reflections

Micro - Teaching Session 1: Lesson Plan
Please lecture notes for this session attached in Appendix 2.
Observers: Muireann OKeeffe and Team C
Observee: Tracey Dalton
Course Title: Higher National Diploma in 3D Design
Date: Wednesday 20th Oct. 2010
Class: 1st year full time/part-time
Length of lecture: (First 7-10mins of a ) 20-30mins lecture; 60mins. practical.
(Note: Full-time students have a 3 hour class for same lesson)
Class Lesson Title:
Introduction to 3D AutoCAD for use in Apartment Design Project.
Number: 1 of 4/5 (Term 2)
Aim:
The student has previously completed their 2D plan layout for their apartment project.
This lesson will introduce the student to the first steps we take to make the transition
from a 2D plan to a 3D model using AutoCAD.
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this class the student will be expected to be able to:
Navigate the Views toolbar to start to draw in a 3d view.
Master the basic modeling tools ie. Extrude, Subtract and Union.
Navigate the Visual Styles toolbar to enable viewing in different modes where
applicable.
To create a basic 3D model of their 2D plan.
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Micro - Teaching Session 1: Reflections

I. Framing:
What did you set out to do? What lesson did you set out to teach?
For my first micro teaching session I chose to do an autoCAD demonstration. The topic
was Moving from 2D CAD to 3D CAD with the 'Apartment Project'. It was first year
class in Interior Design, in term 2 to 3.
What was the rationale behind your approach?
I chose this demonstration / topic as a fool proof option, something I am confident to
teach. I also thought that it was something new to my colleagues which they would find
interesting, as nobody else would be using autoCAD for their teaching demonstration.
II. Implementation:
How did you present your material to your colleagues? What techniques did you choose
to employ and why?
I used my computer and the overhead projector screen to show the lesson and I handed
out my lesson plan which showed the various learning outcomes for the session. I was not
nervous because I felt that I knew the subject well and it was only for a short period of
time. Everything went to plan and there were no problems in the session.
What were your colleagues reactions to the lesson?
I got good feedback from my tutor and colleagues, some of which were that teaching in a
computer lab has the best variation of lesson time - with lecturing and then observing the
students carry out the exercise. I learned about new technologies I could use such as
'Screenr' and 'Jing' which are software which enables you to record your screen and then
save the recording, which could be e-mailed to students as tutorials on a CAD topic.
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III. Results:
What did you learn about your own teaching in terms of any of the following:
content, organization, delivery, style?
The organization of my lesson plan worked well. I showed finished rendered visuals
which would be achievable after 4 or 5 3d CAD lessons. Showing the student where they
would be getting to after a series of sessions. In terms of delivery, I learnt that I was
coherent and it was easy to follow what I was teaching. Unfortunately, my video taped
demonstration got corrupted, so I could not refer to it for critical analysis. However, I will
use my second micro-teaching session to assess my delivery in terms of body language
and verbal delivery.
Would you give the same class again? What did you do that you felt was successful?
Unsuccessful?
I would give the same class again. I have given this class several times before and I enjoy
it because the students get very excited when they see what they can achieve with the
help of 3d CAD. I felt that my colleagues had an interest and got excited about the end
product so it was a successful class in this regard. In this particular session I didnt feel
that anything went unsuccessfully. It was a fool proof topic when you know the
programme very well, of course.
How would you change your approach to this material or your methods of delivery in the
future?
For this particular lesson, I feel my approach to this material was appropriate. I might try
to move around the room more, but I have to move around the computer lab when
teaching anyway, helping students.
What were your reactions to receiving and giving feedback?
I enjoyed this experience. Receiving feedback was not an issue for me. It is good to get
feedback as normally we are not observed. In giving feedback, I do find that I am a visual
person and will usually comment on the use of good visual methods of teaching. Some of
my colleagues topics were subjects that I would not know a great deal about, but it is still
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possible to give feedback on their delivery. It is, of course, easier to give positive
feedback, but we all learned from each other.
What themes emerged in the feedback about your teaching? Anything surprising?
The advantage of teaching a subject which requires one to check on a one to one basis
whether students can master the techniques being taught, was said to be the best
combination for a teaching environment, as it is pro-active and students have little time to
get bored. There was no surprising feedback from this session. It is a very black and
white topic.
What were your strengths? How can you build upon them?
I was well prepared and took my colleagues slowly through to process. I spoke clearly
and was confident about the lesson. I can build upon this by always remembering to talk
to students about the intended learning outcomes at the beginning of a lesson so they
have an end goal in sight when they master the lesson.
What are some specific areas for improvement? Take the time to identify 2 specific action
steps for addressing these areas.
As mentioned above, I could identify the intended learning outcomes at the start of a
class more often. I could list these ILOs at the beginning of handouts and/or on the
overhead if applicable to the lesson. I could ask students at the end of a lesson if they feel
they have achieved the intended learning outcomes.
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Micro-Teaching Session 2: Lesson Plan

Please see PowerPoint handout notes for this session attached in Appendix 3.
Observers: Muireann OKeeffe and Team C
Course Title: 1st and 2nd year HND in 3D Design Part-Time
Date: Wednesday 17th Nov. 2010
Length of lecture: 7 minutes approx.
Inspiration: Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young
designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive
celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring
creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of chit
chat, it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20
seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a
rapid pace. (www.pecha-kucha.org, November 10, 2010)
I was at a Dublin Design Week Pecha Kucha night in the Sugar Club on 2 nd November
2010 where twelve professionals from various fields web design, product design ,
graphic design, advertising design, journalism, advertising and psychology. They
presented with 15 slides at 20 seconds each ie. 5 minutes on a topic relating to their field
which they are interested or passionate about.
Idea: I will give this exercise to students in relation to an upcoming project. I will give
permission to add a short video link of a max of 2 minutes.
Learning Outcomes:
- To communicate under a time restraint, getting a message across in a short time.
- Be innovative in use of powerpoint presentation using eye-catching text, graphics
and imagery.
My Chosen Topic: What does an Interior Designer Really do?
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Micro - Teaching Session 2: Reflections

I. Framing:
For my second micro-teaching class I decided to try something that I hadn't used before. I
got the inspiration from a night during 'Dublin Design Week' where I went to see twelve
professionals - mainly in the design field - speak for 20 seconds on 15 slides using
PowerPoint, on a chosen topic, relating to their profession. I thought that this could be a
useful tool for students to use to present on a topic or doing an interim critique during a
project.
I found out that this technique is called 'Pecha Kucha'. It was invented in Japan in 2003
by creative professionals and means 'the sound of chit-chat' in Japanese. Now 'Pecha
Kucha' nights take place all over the world. I decided I would create my own topic
relating to my field. I chose to do the topic of 'What does an Interior Designer do?'. This
was sparked off by an episode of 'Grand Designs' which particularly annoyed me. People
have a perception of what they think an interior designer does and I intended to give them
the facts.
II. Implementation:
How did you present your material to your colleagues? What techniques did you choose
to employ and why?
I presented my material on PowerPoint as mention above. I also handed out a copy of
the presentation in colour in handout form 6 slides per A4 size page (see attached),
along with a lesson plan explaining the Pecha Kucha method of presentation. I inserted
a You Tube video clip from Grand Designs Falmouth halfway through the slide
presentation. I used a lot of humour in the slide presentation, which helped to get my
message across.
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What were your colleagues reactions to the lesson?

My colleagues were in agreement with me about the ignorance of the presenter of Grand
Designs - Kevin McCloud and I got the message across. Others in the group thought this
was a useful technique to get around a big class size, when presenting a project topic. We
agreed that it is not suitable for deeper topics, as the slide changes every twenty seconds.
I also changed certain colleagues opinions on the topic.
III. Results:
What did you learn about your own teaching in terms of any of the following: content,
organization, delivery, style?
In terms of organization, I put a lot of effort into this presentation. It took several hours to
watch the episode of Grand Designs and write down the important quotes and pick the
audio clip. The Powerpoint presentation also took a lot of time. I took a gamble and
hoped it would pay off successfully. I think all of the time and effort was worth it as it
achieved the message I wanted to give and was a good use of the Pecha Kucha method.
Unsuccessful?
Yes, I would give the class again, or demonstrate the technique to be used as a method of
critique on a project concept especially when the class is quite big and time is lacking. I
felt that the use of the technique was successful in getting a message across in a short
amount of time. I dont think the demonstration was unsuccessful, but the one concern I
would have is that the students could use the excuse that they dont know how to time
their PowerPoint slides or even use PowerPoint, for that matter, so they would have to be
taught how to do this and download a copy of the software themselves.
future?
I was happy with the material presented and the method of delivery. I could use other
examples of Pecha Kucha to be found on the website Pecha Kucha 20x20 to give other
examples to students. It would be a good example of using example of using the internet
as a teaching aid.
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I enjoyed the presentations of the other members of the group. Some of it was not my
subject - and therefore - over my head eg. the mathematics in Eoin's 'electrical
engineering' lecture. I would need more than 10 minutes to figure out these mathematical
problems. I enjoyed the physics demo on the speed at which a car would topple on a turn
- by Shaun. He had added AV clips and animation software aswell as large visual
diagrams. It also had maths on the whiteboard. It definitely showed Shaun was trying
something different. I gave this feedback to my colleagues. It is more difficult to give
negative feedback but it can be constructive too.
The feedback given to me for this session was positive. It was a surprise to my colleagues
to see a technique used which only one of them was aware of, but there wasnt any
surprising feedback given to me. One colleague commented that it could not be used for
an in depth subject but this is a fact and is no surprise.
My strengths were that preparation and a good concept can pay off with this
presentation method. It can be built upon by using this work ethic in all teaching I do.
I could improve my PowerPoint and downloading skills.
I need to find out more presentation techniques in PowerPoint such as use of animation.
I could not extract the audio clip from the episode of Grand Designs Falmouth as I
had hoped to do, because it was copyright protected. However I could practice this
technique so I know how to add it seamlessly to a presentation.
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Tutor Assessment: Lesson Plan

Please see Tutor Observation form and Lecture Notes for this session in Appendix 4.
Observer: Muireann OKeeffe
Course: HND in 3D Design
Location: Dublin Institute of Design, 4th Floor, Dawson House, Dawson St., Dublin 2
Date: Monday 18th Oct. 2010
Time: 1.30pm to 3pm
Length of lecture: 20-30mins lecture; 60mins. practical.
(Note: Full-time students have a 3 hour class for same lesson)
Class Lesson Title: AutoCAD Lesson: Learn how to use the Drawing Tools:
Polygon, Ellipse, Arc & Donut
Number: 3 of 10 (Term 1)
Aim: The student will learn how to use the 4 commands and when the lecture is
completed they will complete an exercise using these 4 commands.
Learning Outcomes:
Master the use of the 4 drawing tools listed above.
Complete part/all of the exercise provided. (Part-time hours do not allow

enough time for full completion in class for some students)
Lesson Content:
Re-cap on last weeks lesson.
Demonstrate polygon tool. Student Practical.
Demonstrate arc tool. Student Practical.
Demonstrate ellipse tool. Student Practical.
Demonstrate donut tool. Student Practical.
Students practice the tools through use of activity hand-out.
Teacher assists students with issues or problems with activity.
29
Teacher discusses next lesson coming up after mid-term break.
Tutor Assessment: Reflections

I. Framing:
I had my tutor assessment with Muireann OKeeffe. It was a 2d CAD class with 1st year
HND students. The subject was 'drawing an ellipse, polygon, arc and donut'. The class
was a 1.5 hour session. Muireann observed for approximately forty minutes.
I chose to do this 2d CAD topic as my first tutor observation as it is a subject I know
well. I was confident to concentrate on clear delivery and interaction with students.
II. Implementation:
How did you present your material to the students/tutor? What techniques did you
choose to employ and why?
I used autoCAD on the overhead projector in a computer lab setting, with notes handed
out to students. I chose to take one drawing tool at a time and then get the students to try
it out for themselves, moving on when they had all completed the task. I used this
technique because it is the most pro-active teaching and learning experience.
What were the students/ tutors reactions to the lesson?
The session went well and I got good feedback from my tutor. Muireann gave me some
good advice - namely waiting for answers from students a bit longer and/or asking
questions of the students more. Also, she recommended some software I could use to do
demos like 'Screenr'. I was aware of Muireann in the room but I chose a tried and tested
class for my first assessment, so I wasn't particularly nervous. It was a good first
experience of tutor assessment.
III. Results:
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I learned that my delivery was coherent and the students could keep up with my pace of
teaching. The content was easy to understand and was just the right amount for this
session.
Unsuccessful?
I have given this class numerous times and it is successful. I felt that the students
successfully completely the tasks given, so that pace was right.
future?
I could explore more advanced setting with these drawing tools to see if students can deal
with them. I could also wait for students to respond to questions instead of telling them
the answers straight away.
I was very pleased with my tutors feedback as it was my first time being observed. She
thought I delivered well and the students were very engaged. I would be giving feedback
to students in this case and this is part and parcel of teaching in a lab setting, so it is
second nature to me, remembering to encourage and will the students to succeed and see
and end goal.
The themes were that I was clear and well paced. It was a pleasant surprise more than
anything, as I had been concerned that I may say a certain phrase a lot or have a certain
body language I am not aware of.
My strengths were my ability to deliver the lecture with clarity and the ability to interact
with students to see if they can carry out the exercises and have patience whilst doing so.
I can build on these strengths by continuing to use this method of teaching as it is a good
way of making students feel that they are achieving their goals in a nurturing way.
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Areas for improvement would be: using software to demonstrate tools that students could
use to practice at home. Another item mentioned by my tutor was to ask students more
questions and wait for answers. I have tried out some software and intend to use in the
future. I have taken the advice about asking questions more and waiting for answers and
use this frequently in my teaching now.
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Peer Assessment
Please see Peer Observation form and lecture notes for this session in Appendix 5.
Observer: Johanna Cleary ( for first hour only*)
Course: HND in 3D Design
Location: Dublin Institute of Design, 4th Floor, Dawson House, Dawson St., Dublin 2
Date: Tuesday 9th Nov 2010
Time: 10am to 12.45pm
Length of lecture: 2hr45mins lecture;
Class Lesson Title:
Part 1 (1 hour): 'Colour Schemes and Colour throughout Historical Periods'.
Part 2 (1.5 hours): Group sketching exercise in communicating without words.
Number: 6 of 10 (Term 1)
Learning Outcomes:
Understand the use of colour through historical periods.
Get an idea of how and why particular colours were used.
Communicate to others through imagery alone.
Work and communicate as a team.
Lesson Content:
Re-cap on last weeks lesson.
Lecture on colour through historical periods.
Commence with ancient historical periods.
Progress onto the Middle Ages.
Finish lecture through more modern history ending at 1900s.
Fifteen minute recess.
Hand out brief on communicating through sketching/imagery only.
Divide class into groups.
Observe sketching.
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Group presentation.
Peer Assessment: Reflections

I. Framing:
Fellow student Johanna Cleary assessed my teaching in my college - Dublin Institute of
Design. The class took place on Tuesday 9th Nov 2010. It was a 2hr45mins session. The
first half was 'Colour Schemes and Colour throughout Historical Periods'. Then there was
a group sketching exercise in communicating without words for the second half of the
class.
I was teaching the final lesson of five on Colour Theory. This was a final synopsis
showing 'Colour Schemes and Colour throughout Historical Periods' which incorporates
terms familiar to students from previous lessons. It gave an overview of colour through
history of art and design, rather than an in depth view as the students have a separate unit
in Historical and contextual referencing.
II. Implementation:
How did you present your material to the students? What techniques did you choose to
employ and why?
I presented my material on PowerPoint. I also handed out a copy of the presentation in
colour in handout form 6 slides per A4 size page (see attached). I used the colour
wheel/colour bands and tied them together with imagery which showed examples of each
type.
What were the students reactions to the lesson?
Some students were engaged, but others have a tendency to fidget and doodle through
this particular topic.
III. Results:
34
I learned from Johannas observation that my delivery was good and the content was well
organized but the slides came across a bit dull on the overhead.
Unsuccessful?
I would do the same class again. I felt the delivery and use of imagery helped to explain
the topic easily. Although, this subject does not interest everyone, so it is difficult to
engage all students in a semi darkened room.
future?
Through Johannas comments, I can see that there needs to be more student involvement
in this lecture, by asking them if they aware of the various historical periods mentioned,
or suggesting they visit buildings which reflect a certain period.
I received a lot of feedback from Johanna and there were lots of good tips for more
student engagement from her. I found this very helpful. This type of lecture doesnt easily
lend itself to giving feedback to students. It is a one way lecture which is why it is more
of a challenge. Students dont ask too many questions because some of them may feel
they already know about the subject or are not that interested in it.
I think the feedback was positive and had a theme of student engagement being required
more. The surprising thing was that I had not thought of relating the lecture to, Georgian
Dublin, for example. It has to be said though, that the Georgian era is just a small part of
colour theory, as it is covered by another lecturer in detail under the module of Historical
and Contextual Referencing.
35
My strengths were the clarity of my lecturing and the level of detail that went into my
lecture. I can build on this by getting into more detail with anecdotes about the various
images I am showing. Johanna also mentioned that I could incorporate the sociology of
the period into the lecture and how it affected the design of the period eg. Victorian
morality.
I could improve the student interactivity and engagement in this topic.
I could do this by introducing hands on exercises , which I do already as sketchbook
tasks, but they could be group exercises in class. I could bring students out on a field trip
to a Georgian / Victorian / Tudor building to show the design elements / colours in situ.
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4. Evidence from Practice:

a) Critical Incident Analysis
1. Choose a critical episode.
The incident I have chosen as a critical incident is the theft of my USB key by a part-time
first year HND Interior Design student.
2. Describe the incident.
When and where it happened:
The incident happened in April 2010. It took place in the computer lab in the college I
teach in (Dublin Institute of Design).
What actually happened?
I was teaching an autoCAD lesson in the computer lab. This class is three hours long. It
starts at 10am and runs until 1pm. I teach autoCAD for the first half of the class and I talk
to the students on a one to one basis, moving around the room in a clockwise direction.
The students sit on the perimeter of the room, at their computers. I talk to them about any
autoCAD issues they are having and I then ask them to show me their current work on
their project which was an apartment design project. I assess and give them
constructive criticism and advice on the work they have done.
At the beginning of the class, I switched on the lecturers computer and overhead
projector. I placed the USB key into the computer hard drive and I retrieved my current
lesson from it and commenced the lecture. On completion of the lecture I proceeded with
my one to one discussions with the students. I went around the room until I had got all of
the way around and arrived back at the lecturers computer. Bearing in mind, there may
have been a couple of students who may not have been happy with the feedback that they
received on their Apartment project, but this will generally be the case, as you have to
give honest, constructive criticism in order for them to learn and improve. When I had
37
seen all students, I proceeded to close the lesson on screen, turn off the computer and
unplug my USB key.
As I approached the computer I noticed that the USB key was not there anymore and the
lesson was still on screen. I was surprised and a bit shocked. There were two students
remaining in the room it had gone past 1 pm at this stage and I said instantaneously,
out of surprise, that my USB key was gone. Of course, the two students, one of whom
was sitting adjacent to the lecturers computer, said they had not taken it. I had not meant
to imply this and I knew they had not taken it.
What were you thinking and feeling at the time and just after the incident?
At the time and just after the incident I was shocked and confused. I was thinking about
all of the confidential information that was on the USB key and it was now in the hands
of a student. There were projects for the following year and various codes for exams,
along with students grading etc. I then went through a period of doubt in my mind and
wondered if I had removed the USB key myself and put in my pocket or placed it
somewhere else maybe into a students computer to show them something we had
discussed. However, I knew this was not the case. I dropped in to the design studio,
straight after class, where a few of the students from that class were having lunch. Most
students had gone out to lunch. I mentioned that my USB key was missing and that if
anyone had seen it they could hand it in. I did mention that I knew I probably wouldnt
get it back. I told my colleague and college director about the incident and suggested that
in their next class, after lunch with my colleague that he mention the incident to the
whole class and suggest that if anyone found the USB key they could place it
anonymously on top of the lockers outside of the staff room.
The Easter break followed this incident and it was on my mind every day over that time
and I was not sure if I wanted to teach a class, knowing that somebody had stolen from
me. I felt I was in a no win situation. Only one, or maybe two, people stole the key, so
everyone else was totally innocent. The worst part was knowing that the majority who
had not committed the theft would think that I thought of them as a thief. I would never
38
know who took the item, even though I naturally had suspicions of who it might be, my
suspicions could be completely wrong and there is no way of really knowing the truth. I
also felt that there would be a lack of respect or bitterness in the classroom if I was to
teach this class again. There is also the thought that some students would think that I
probably lost the key myself and nobody had stolen it. It had put me in a very difficult
situation. As Nadelson (2007) cites Simon et.al. (2003): educators were concerned about
academic integrity, particularly about how to respond when inappropriate behavior was
suspected in their classrooms.
I spoke to my college director and told him I was thinking about passing the class on to
another colleague even thought it would put me at a loss of three hours per week in pay.
He felt I was blowing it out of proportion and to forget about it. I spoke to a colleague,
whom I knew was looking for extra hours and could teach the subject competently. I
asked her if she would like to take the class for the last five weeks of the term. She said
she would be happy to take on the hours and she had met the class before so they would
be familiar with her. I did not tell her about the incident, as I didnt want her to go into
the class with this knowledge. My college director agreed that I should not tell her about
the incident and agreed to her taking over the class. I was concerned of how this would
have a lasting effect on me in the eyes of management, which has been found to be a
common concern among educators. Much has been written on this subject (McCabe,
2002; Simon, 2003; Bandura, 1991), summarized:
Being uncomfortable also related to the belief that there was not enough evidence to
report situations and that formal academic misconduct proceedings (against a student),
would reflect negatively on their performance. (Nadelson, 2007, p.7)
After the Easter holidays, my colleague started teaching autoCAD / Interior design to the
class. She informed me that everything had gone well and there were no comments made.
The following week she had completed her three hour session. At the end of the class, a
couple of students asked where I was and when I was coming back. She fetched another
colleague and he then asked the college director to speak to the class. He explained that
whether incorrectly or correctly, I had decided that I couldnt teach the class any longer.
There were comments such as we are thieves! and the college director told them they
39
had been given a competent lecturer and they would be taken care of until the end of
term, to get their assignments completed.
As I mentioned earlier, I felt I was in a no win situation, because if I had spoke to the
students about this issue I would have got the same response of you think we are
thieves! I was sorry that it had come to this. In a staff meeting, after the incident, the
college director said that it had been handled badly in general, taking some blame
himself.
3. Interrogate your description. Why did this incident stand out?
I think this incident stood out because I had been teaching for almost two years and had
taught many different classes - approximately fifteen and this had never happened
before. I had used my USB key many times and it had never been taken. There was
always a high level of trust between the students and me. I had sometimes gone home and
realized that I had forgotten to remove my USB key from the hard drive, but it was
always there, untouched and a member of staff had placed it in my drawer at my request.
What was going on?
As mentioned previously, I have described the setting and incident.
Where there different levels of behaviour or activity?
The students were sitting at their computer stations. There was interaction with tutor and
student. There were one or two students who may not have been completely happy with
the feedback on their projects.
Did personal bias or a particular mindset contribute to the event?
It is hard to answer this question, because in light of the incident, I could never be sure if
this was the case. However, I did recall the one or two students who were not happy with
their project feedback and wondered if I had angered or offended them, which lead to
them taking the USB key out of spite. I do recall one conversation clearly, where a
student asked for feedback on her layout plan. I could see that the layout was not working
functionally and told her that it might have to be looked at again. She was quite annoyed
and made the comment that she was hoping to get this issue sorted today. This is not
40
the way good learning occurs. To simply show her a better layout would have meant that
she was not problem solving for herself. The design process involves a lot of problem
solving hence the phrase back to the drawing board! In the architecture and design
industry, as a junior designer, you are told to re-design schemes by clients and senior
members of staff if they are not working. She needed to learn this lesson. However, I did
wonder if she was angered by the lack of full approval and possibly took the USB key,
but of course, this may not be the case at all. If she was in this mindset it would correlate
with studies in this area which find that some students blame teachers for leniency in
their environment:
Students reported that their propensity to act in a dishonest manner was
related to instructors leniency and the perceived probability of a faculty
members acting on observed misconduct. Interestingly, some students
blamed the teachers for inappropriate behavior because they felt that
certain faculty allowed students opportunities to be dishonest and thus
were culpable for the students actions. (Nadelson, 2007, p.2)
What questions, problems or issues are raised by the experience?
I think it raises the question of why a lecturer would carry their work around on a USB
key. I know that many do. Are they so busy with their work and overloaded with
commitments that they dont take the simple step of saving their work onto the college
server. The problem/issue it raises is how to deal with theft of property in the third level
environment. Without knowledge of who the thief is, there is no proof or ability to deal
with the matter. It raises the problem of knowing there is a thief in the class and how to
continue teaching the group. Should you forget about it and move on or deal with it as I
did in this scenario?
Can external sources (literature / research / theory) help?
I have tried to find literature/research and theory on the topic but I cannot find anything
directly relating to it. An article called Academic Misconduct by University Students by
Sandra Nadelson from her book Plagiary: Cross-Disciplinary Studies in Plagiarism,
Fabrication and Falsification. (2007) has been helpful as this critical incident is primarily
about a breach of trust and this article asks questions as to why students are dishonest. I
think Teaching with Integrity by Bruce Macfarlane (2004) may have some theories I
41
could apply, such as absolutist and situationist (Macfarlane, 2004, p.119) reactions to
scenarios such as mine. I probably could be said to have taken a situationist approach, in
choosing not to continue to teach the class. There is also a case study (Macfarlane, 2004,
pp. 74-76) on plagiarism which raises similar issues.
What were the influencing factors?
It is hard to say what the influencing factors were in this case, other than temptation, or
spite, as previously mentioned. As Nadelson (2007) cites Pulvers & Dierkhoff (1999)
Dishonest students found their classes to be impersonal and less satisfying; they also felt
that they received less individual attention than more honest students. This could be the
feelings of the perpetrator, but with this matter, it is impossible to conclude the existence
of a causal relationship. (Nadelson, 2007, p.2)
Could the event be interpreted differently from another point of view?
I do think it could be interpreted differently from another point of view. I know this first
hand because of the opinions of my college director. I think that unless you experience
property theft of this nature you might perceive the person to be blowing things out of
proportion. My college director and a colleague didnt seem to think it was a big deal, but
it is different when you have to teach a class again and deal with the situation. I also think
it could be interpreted differently by the students, who might think that I lost it myself or
I am accusing them of being a thief as I have discussed earlier.
Learning
What can be learned from this event/episode?
The most important thing that can be learned from this episode is the importance of
saving all course work onto the college server, so that it is unnecessary to carry around an
external drive. It is also very important to make sure to save your lecture notes to more
than one location. Luckily enough, I always carry out this practice and I did not lose any
work permanently, but this could be the case for other lecturers, some of which have told
me that this has happened to them. Also, I have witnessed students permanently lose their
work because their USB key was corrupted and they had not saved it to ant other
location.
42
How can it be made sense of in the light of past experiences / learning experiences in the
PG Diploma?
This precise issue has not been discussed so far in the PG Diploma, but I have read other
case studies in Teaching with Integrity by Bruce Macfarlane, which could be used as
guidance for how to deal with this incident through group opinion forums or peer
advice. It is the sort of issue which could give rise to differing opinions. I mentioned it
briefly in last weeks session (10th November 2010) and other class members came forth
with one story after the next, of theft or sabotage by students and lecturers. I had initially
thought that it wasnt a good topic for critical incident analysis because it is not a
course/learning topic but I do think it is an important issue in third level education in this
technological age.
Has this experience changed the understanding of aspects of practice?
I think it emphasizes the importance of an unspoken trust between teacher and students. I
had always enjoyed this trust and I still do, only for this one incident. I have learned my
lesson and always save each lecture to the server before I go to the classroom. The issue
will not occur if the temptation is not there in the first place. Another thing I have learned
is to only place current lectures on the USB key and then add and remove as the lecture is
required or completed. In a private college, we do not give out soft copies of lectures and
do not have a blackboard learning system like DIT Webcourses. Maybe this issue would
not arise if I could use this system.
There should also be a written Code of conduct in the student handbook which relates to
issues like this. Official procedures could be set up when and theft/plagiarism has
occurred. This has been proven in studies by McCabe et.al. (2001 to 2003) to make
students have greater morals and ethics: As a result, when collegiate honor codes are
used, students act in a more appropriate manner and are more likely to report other
students for honor code violations. (McCabe, Trevino & Butterfield, 2001).
How does it relate to Philosophy of Teaching?
I think it relates to the professional values and beliefs about teaching and learning in the
philosophy of teaching. The issue of trust, or lack of it, is one of the core values of
43
teaching and learning. When there is a property theft, whether between student/teacher or
student/fellow student, it breaks down that trust and it is a difficult situation to deal with
there can be theft in all aspects of our lives and we have to move on.
What can be done to progress a resolution of the problem it suggests?
As mentioned previously, prevention is the best cure, not allowing theft to occur in the
first place and a Code of Conduct could be set up to deal with issues like this.
Key principle driven interventions (Nadelson, 2007) against student misconduct are:
decreasing the opportunities students have to be academically dishonest and dealing
with academic dishonesty when it happens (McCabe and Pavela, 1997; Taylor et. al.,
2006)
4. Find a colleague to:
Share your account of the episode; Discuss your interpretation; Modify your analysis,
where necessary, in the light of peer suggestions, advice and perspective.
I have shared this incident with the colleague who taught the same class at that time. He
had to pose the question about the theft in his afternoon class. He is in agreement with me
about the incident. However, he stated that he cant get an understanding of what it feels
like because it has never happened to him and therefore doesnt know whether it would
bother him deeply. He agrees that it is an issue of trust and how to deal with breech of
trust. He has mentioned in the past that he didnt feel that the lecturer who took my place
was able to handle the job and he had also thought of me as a crutch to lean on; that I
held the class together and he felt at a loss. I regret this, but at the same time, I should not
have been thought of in this way he should feel as strong in his role. I wasnt aware of
this until I chose not to continue with teaching of this class. I am still not sure if it was the
right decision, but I would have looked like a pushover if I had continued. It was the
right decision for me at the time.
Curiously, when that class did their final presentation I was told that one student had
produced a very professional presentation. This student would not have been considered
at the top of the class. It turned out to be the student I had an instinct about, but you just
never know
44
b) Inclusive Teaching
Inclusion extends beyond equity and its associated legislative
frameworks to encompass approaches in which each individual is
valued and respected, differences between individuals are seen
positively and the diversity of an institutions social capital is seen as a
quality outcome. Cones et. al., 1983 (as cited by Griffiths, 2010, p.7)
As a case study for Inclusive Teaching I am choosing a full-time higher national
diploma in 3D Design, which I am currently teaching. The reason I am choosing this
class is because I am concerned about their progress and motivation. It is the first time I
have taught a class where I am worried that they do not have the passion or drive to
excel. They are also a good example of massification (Macfarlane, 2004) in third level
education. University students are no longer a small, socially homogenous elite who are
necessarily in love with their subject.(Booth, 1997)
What are the specific needs/requirements of these students?
To assess the specific needs/requirements of these students it is best to start with a
description of the students. As an overview, I find that students who study the same
course on a part-time basis tend to be more mature, usually working in a related field or a
totally different area ad there is usually a mix of mature, Irish and international students,
with no first generation students. The full-time classes tend to be smaller in size, younger,
with more first generation students and there is also a tendency to attract international
students from outside the European Union.
This specific class is small, with nine students. Firstly, it is made up of four Irish students.
Three of them, all male, are first generation students and one of them, a female, attended
the first year of a design degree in another design college. One of the males is very
talented and passionate about design, but has surprised me by not submitting projects to
deadline. The other two male students seem to be a bit distracted, with a low attention
span. One of them strikes me as having a possible learning disability but nothing has been
mentioned to me about this, so I cannot be sure. He has a very low attention span and is
producing sub-standard work, even though he is never absent. He does not seem to be
45
able to follow instruction. The other student is only slightly better. The female is a front
row student, with good design ability. However, she has also surprised me by not
submitting project work to deadline. Also, she does not always bring her project work in
for feedback on a week by week basis. These are all first generation students, more or
less, and I dont think they understand the concept of deadlines which may be weeks
down the line, or at the end of a term. They are still in a secondary school mindset. One
student has even referred to me as Miss several times and I had to ask him to stop doing
so. They all have specific needs/requirements and I am contemplating having a discussion
with them individually. However, this is not necessarily part of my job description and I
may need to discuss it with colleagues and management.
Secondly, there are five international students in the class. They comprise of an Estonian
and Brazilian female, two Chinese males and a Mauritian male. The Brazilian female, in
her mid twenties, is the most mature member of the class. She has studied and worked as
a graphic designer in Brazil. She has talent and a good work ethic and is a promising
student. She is also in Ireland to improve her English and have new life experiences. The
Estonian female is young and has studied tourism previously, but is a first generation
design student. She works well, getting average results, but has potential. The two
Chinese males are similar in ways, in that they are both talented artists and have
potential, but they struggle with the language barrier. One of them, from Hong Kong, has
only been in Ireland for five months and he especially struggles. I have given one written
exam this term, which they both failed, because of language issues. The Hong Kong male
is also in Ireland because his family are in the clothing retail business, specializing in
mens formal wear. He is here to improve his design and language skills in this sector and
bring his training and experience home with him. The Mauritian male is educated, in his
late twenties, with good English, but he is an absent student. As a private college, there
is an issue about the authenticity of reasons behind why non EU students choose to take
a course. They cannot obtain a visa to reside in this country, if studying on a part-time
basis, so therefore have to become full-time students and pay the fees that go along with
this. In my experience as a teacher, the majority of non-EU students are there for genuine
reasons, but there is one or two we have to monitor, including this student. The problem
46
is that in a private college, there is the issue of making a profit versus the integrity of the
college.
These
international
students
also
have
specific
needs
also
have
specific
needs/requirements, especially the Chinese students. The language barrier is the main
issue. In the past, the Chinese students have been a tightly knitted group and spoke in
Chinese to each other, creating a division in the class. My colleagues and I now request
that everybody speaks in English in class. This has not been too much of an issue in this
particular case as one student is from Hong Kong and the other from north China. This
may be worlds apart in their eyes. Another point to mention is the three female students
sit together in the front row, and the male students sit in the rows behind. The female
students seem to help each other more and take the work more seriously.
A case study referred to in Sandra Griffiths study on inclusivity mirrors some of my
experiences with classes I teach past and present:
As the small groups of five begin to form you notice that the
international students are sitting separately from other students
and the three females in the whole class are together.
(Griffiths, 2010, p.64)
Another excerpt from this case study is typical of my experience with Irish and Chinese
students in the past, but not with this particular class:
We have had difficulty with foreign students, particularly Chinese, who
often dont want to mix with our home students. Its hard to get a group mix
when we do laboratory projects as the Chinese students want to stay on their
own and our other students seem to know one another from school.
Lecturer in bioscience (cited by Griffiths, 2010, p.11)
How do these needs/requirements impact on their learning?
I feel that the Irish students seem to need to be constantly monitored and if they are not,
they dont know how to deal with distant deadlines. As a result, the stronger students
have ended up not submitting to deadline and the weaker students have ironically,
submitted to deadline. However, the lack of passion and drive results in a low mark on
their project work. Also, the three male Irish students tend to act as if they are in a boys
47
secondary school, with jokes passed and comments made. This will change with
experience and growing maturity. Another issue with all of the Irish students is that there
could be an element of parental influence. Some of them have come from private schools
and there may be a parent suggesting that they attend a private college, or that the
students are unmotivated and their parents are advising them about what path to take in
their lives. The needs of the international students primarily language difficulties do
impact on their learning because it is obviously more difficult to take in information,
communicate and submit written work in a second or third language. Some students cope
better than others with this issue.
How do these needs/requirements impact on your teaching?
The needs of the Irish students impact on my teaching because if I was teaching a more
mature class, there are certain things that they would know through life experience. This
is more to do with behaviour and a sense of self-responsibility and independence tan
academic ability, because this is not necessarily determined by age. I find one student in
particular requires extra attention. This is one of the Irish males, who I suspect has a
learning disability and attention span difficulties, but I cannot confirm this. He doesnt
seem to listen during lectures or read briefs correctly and will always misinterpret
something. He also chooses not to certain tasks because he doesnt like doing them. It is
quite child-like behaviour and is a product of his experiences in secondary education.
The international students are all students are all different, as mentioned previously, so
some of the impact on my teaching more than others. I always ask my Hong Kong
Chinese student if he understands everything when I am lecturing as he requested at the
beginning of the year that I talk a bit slower for him. The other Chinese student and the
Mauritian student impact on my teaching because they have a higher degree of nonattendance and lack of punctuality. This is all related to the fact that that they are also in
Ireland for economic reasons and usually have at least two jobs outside of college. It
means I have to take up class time repeating things that they have missed. I also get
despondent when I question their motives for being in college. I would like to reiterate
that most of my non-EU students are hard working, even with working outside of college
48
hours, and this is not the norm. The Brazilian and Estonian female students are no
problem to teach and language is less of an issue.
How do these needs/requirements impact on assessment?
The main impact on assessment from my Irish first generation students is that some of
them are not submitting all assignments on time and dont seem to understand the
seriousness of this. They have never had to present in front of a class before, so this is a
new challenge for them. The same applies to a few of the international students. I have to
allow for bad communication when presenting in front of a class, because of the language
difficulties. The projects I gave them for the first term were preparation for bigger
projects down the line. So, I may have expected too much of them, after three months of
college, but I did this to prepare them for the future. None of the students excelled on
these two projects. I am not used to this result in a class setting and usually find that there
are approximately ten to fifteen per cent of students who reach distinction or higher merit
in project work. In this case, the highest level was one higher merit. The projects were a
rendering assignment; and a space planning and design presentation.
What changes might you make to practice in light of your current knowledge of inclusive
teaching?
..recognize that individuals have multiple identities and general assumptions about
any particular group cannot be made. This all embracing concept of inclusion gives a
high priority to the unique nature of each individual. (Griffiths, 2010)
I would like to be able to guide this class in the right direction, to achieve as much as
possible in the two years I will be teaching them. To do this, I will make changes to
practice, but it will also involve hard work on behalf of the students. As mentioned
previously, I would like to have individual sessions with each member of the class and
ask them what their hopes and ambitions are for the course. I want to find out what their
likes and dislikes are in the course also and if there anything they find difficult or
uninteresting. This correlates with Griffiths (2010, pp.16-17) views that students value
being listened to, having a sense of belonging and when teachers express interest in a
49
students background. I would also like to ask pertinent questions as to what some
students motives are for doing a design related course. This could be done as a
questionnaire, but may not be as successful.
The students who have the ability to be high achievers need to be told that they have to
adhere to deadlines and take a more mature attitude to the course. I would also
incentivize the gifted students to aim for advanced entry into other design colleges,
through working hard to achieve a portfolio of a high standard. I will continue to try to
find methods which allow non-English speaking students (as a first language) to pass
written exams. As mentioned by Jordan et.al. (2008), there may be assistive technologies
available, which convert one language to another quite easily, or I can allow students to
use diagrams and symbols to describe an answer to an exam question. This isnt as big of
an issue in a design based course, as most of the projects are visually based and
continually assessed. The presentation of projects to the group is difficult to overcome, as
it is out of my remit to try to improve the language skills of students, without appearing
offensive or patronizing. Also, a lot of international students will eventually return home,
so they may not have the incentive to speak English fluently, at presentation level. The
most important thing is to help become the best designer they can possibly be.
The main issue is that most teachers do not have any training in dealing with ethnic
differences and disabilities, so they rely on their own common sense.
50
References
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Kurtines & J.L.Gewirtz (Eds.), Handbook of Moral Behaviorand Development
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Biggs, J. & Tang, C. (2007). Teaching for Quality Learning at University. (3rd Ed.).
Berkshire: SRHE & Open University Press.
Booth, A. (1997). Listening to students:experiences and expectations. 22(2), p.205
Boud, D. (2001). Using journal writing to enhance reflective practice. In English, L. M.
and Gillen, M.A. (Eds.) Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education. New
Directions in Adult and Continuing Education No. 90. San Francisco: JosseyBass, 9-18.
Browne, Lord E. J. (2010). Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education.
The Investment Case for Higher Education. Independent review of Higher
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Cottrell, S. (2001). Teaching study skills and supporting learning skills. Basingstoke,
UK: Palgrave.
Cones, Jahna, & Noonan (1983). Exploring racial Assumptions with Faculty.
New Directions for teaching and learning, No 16. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Dewey, J. (1933) How we think. Chicago: Henry Regenry
Fearn, H. (2009, January 8). The Wizards of Oz.
The Times Higher Education Supplement.
Fitzmaurice, M. (2010). Considering Teaching in Higher Education as a Practice.
Teaching in Higher Education. 15: 45-55
Garvey, M. (2010). Inclusive Curriculum: Theory to Practice within TCD. Retrieved
December 15, 2010 from www.tcd.ie/capsl/tic
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Griffiths, S., (2010) Teaching for Inclusion in Higher Education: A Guide to Practice.
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Klein Dytham architecture, 20 frequently asked questions about PechaKucha 20x20.

What is it?. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from www.pechakucha.org
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The Journal of Higher Education, 72, 29-45.
McCabe, D., Trevino, L. & Butterfield, K. "Cheating in Academic Institutions: A Decade
of Research." Ethics and Behavior 11.3 (2001): 219-231.
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students and lecturers? Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning
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Pulvers, K. & Diekhoff, G. M. (1999). The relationship between academic dishonesty and
college classroom environment. Research in Higher Education, 40 (4), 487-499.
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Simon, A.S., Carr, J., McCullough, S., Morgan, S., Oleson, T., & Resse, M. (2003).
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Teaching Portfolio: Part 1

Student Name: Tracey Dalton

1. Context and Background

A summary of prior learning would read as follows:

2. Personal Learning and Teaching Development at Third Level

I think that learning in general is when we gain

I am a teacher because I love to pass knowledge to students, in my chosen field. I like

Week 3: Teaching Portfolio and Reflective Writing

Whether we think of ourselves as lecturers, or teachers, or facilitators of learning, the

Week 9: Research Skills & Writing Tutorial

application of research integrating discoveries through research across disciplines. It

b) Facilitating Group Work

3. Teaching Demonstrations and Reflections

Navigate the Views toolbar to start to draw in a 3d view.

To create a basic 3D model of their 2D plan.

Micro - Teaching Session 1: Reflections

Micro-Teaching Session 2: Lesson Plan

Micro - Teaching Session 2: Reflections

What were your colleagues reactions to the lesson?

What were your reactions to receiving and giving feedback?

Tutor Assessment: Lesson Plan

Master the use of the 4 drawing tools listed above.

Complete part/all of the exercise provided. (Part-time hours do not allow

Re-cap on last weeks lesson.

Demonstrate polygon tool. Student Practical.

Demonstrate arc tool. Student Practical.

Demonstrate ellipse tool. Student Practical.

Demonstrate donut tool. Student Practical.

Students practice the tools through use of activity hand-out.

Teacher assists students with issues or problems with activity.

Teacher discusses next lesson coming up after mid-term break.

Tutor Assessment: Reflections

On completion of this class the student will be expected to be able to:

Understand the use of colour through historical periods.

Get an idea of how and why particular colours were used.

Communicate to others through imagery alone.

Work and communicate as a team.

Re-cap on last weeks lesson.

Lecture on colour through historical periods.

Commence with ancient historical periods.

Progress onto the Middle Ages.

Finish lecture through more modern history ending at 1900s.

Fifteen minute recess.

Hand out brief on communicating through sketching/imagery only.

Divide class into groups.

Peer Assessment: Reflections

4. Evidence from Practice:

Klein Dytham architecture, 20 frequently asked questions about PechaKucha 20x20.

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