In the summer of 2020, I began to work with Dr. Karen Bacon as she grappled with a potential solution for students to complete fieldwork in Botany and Plant Sciences virtually. During that time, Ireland was in quite a restrictive
Digital (un)tethering #OER21
In recent years institutions are increasingly providing wellbeing activities in the face of the creeping discourse of resilience. However, this discourse is situated in an era of meritocracy, amplified surveillance and high tuition fees, with students increasingly under pressure. Teaching
Five and Fifteen Years Ago
I started working at NUI Galway five years ago today. I was relieved to accept a three month contract for the summer months, and to try a new role as a learning technologist. I was honoured to work in higher
Our Evolving Learning Landscape – What’s Coming?
One month ago, I found myself on edge as the chair of the annual CESI conference. It was the Friday of the TeachMeet, and I was tired. I had been working on the conference since September, and undertaking it is
Through Kindness, Effort, and Cautious Optimism
With enduring thanks to Amy – For reminding me how much I loved teaching, and being an ever-present reminder that care is at the heart of what we do. I’m not a fan of the holidays. I don’t enjoy the
A Manifesto for Inclusive Online Teaching
Rationale On Kevin Gannon’s Inclusive Design track at Digital Pedagogy Lab 2019, Kevin tasked us with writing an inclusive teaching manifesto. He is clearly a fan of the manifesto. One of our suggested readings was the Manifesto for Teaching Online
How to Ruin a Course

At Digital Pedagogy Lab 2019, I’m running a learning design workshop playfully entitled, ‘How to Ruin a Course’. In the three hour session, my actual intent is to help you avoid doing so. The resources used in this session are
#IUADigEd, #DigPed, and Beyond

Photo by John Baker on Unsplash It’s that time of year again, you know, the one where some of us use the summer to reflect on the year that has passed, and anticipate what’s to come. I was out of work for most
#OER19: Colouring Outside Your Guidelines

My first OER conference was always going to be special. It was on my campus, I knew I would connect with old friends, and my friend Catherine was co-chair. But I do have a secret; I wasn’t entirely looking forward
Opening the Closed: Introducing H5P to the Virtual Learning Environment
1. What is it all about? 2. How does it work in the VLE? 3. Why does it matter?