Day 1: Wednesday March 20th
Day 1: Wednesday March 20th
09:30 Welcome and Introduction
10:00 Lightning Session
- Lightning 1.1: My Voice - My Choice
Rosalind Threadgold, Access & Inclusion Officer, WWETB
Rosalind Threadgold Access & Inclusion Officer, WWETB
My current role involves supporting people with disabilities and people from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds access our Further Education and Training provision and encompasses supporting WWETB whole organization implementation of the Human Rights Public Sector Duty and Equality/ Disability Legislation and leading in initiatives that promote and celebrate Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and provide Equity for all learners in FET.
- Lightning 1.2: Integrating UDL Principles into Module Design and Assessment Strategies
Dr Liam Morris, Atlantic Technological University - Galway
Dr Liam Morris Atlantic Technological University - Galway
Liam is a Lecturer in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department at ATU Galway City and is programme chair for Biomedical Engineering. He is a principal investigator and academic director within the MET Gateway. His main research area is in biomedical engineering. Liam integrates his research with undergraduate teaching and learning.
- Lightning 1.3: How do Students with Disabilities Experience Online Education: A Systematic Review
Sinead Lynch, PhD Student- DCUDr Orna Farrell, Associate Professor, Dublin City University
Sinead Lynch PhD Student- DCU
Sinead is a PhD student in DCU’s Institute of Education. She previously did an undergraduate Psychology degree in DCU as an online education student and was a class rep for four years. From this, she developed an interest in how students with disabilities manage the juggling of personal and professional lives required by online education and decided to research this in my PhD. She is really excited to be part of the AHEAD/USI Student Advisory Working Group and be part of advocating for a more inclusive higher education system, and is looking forward to working with lots of great people.
Dr James Brunton, Assistant Professor/Programme Chair, Dublin City UniversityDr Orna Farrell Associate Professor, Dublin City University
Dr Orna Farrell is an Associate Professor of Education based at the Institute of Education in DCU. She is a fellow of EDEN Digital Learning Europe. Dr Farrell's research in online education has explored student experiences through a person-centred lens.
Dr James Brunton Assistant Professor/Programme Chair, Dublin City University
Dr James Brunton is an Assistant Professor and Programme Chair of the open and online BA in Humanities (Psychology Major) in the School of Psychology in DCU. Dr Brunton has a detailed understanding of the needs and requirements of online education students.
- Lightning 1.4: Embedding Universal Design for Learning in higher education: lessons to date
Dr Suzanne Stone, University of LimerickDr Annie O'Donovan, University of Limerick
Dr Suzanne Stone University of Limerick
Suzanne joined the CTL in July 2023 as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Lead. This role involves driving?the University strategic aim to?ensure accessibility to university learning experience for all students?by embedding and enacting UDL in programme design and delivery.?
Dr Annie O'Donovan University of Limerick
?Dr. Annie O’Donovan is an Educational Developer in the Centre for Transformative Learning in the area of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Annie’s role is to support the embedding of the UDL approach across campus, to ensure an accessible learning, teaching and assessment experience that is inclusive in language, material and approach.
- Lightning 1.5: Harnessing AI for inclusive education and employment: new possibilities for physical, cognitive and communication access
Marie Cox, National Rehabilitation HospitalSharon Leahy, National Rehabilitation Hospital
Marie Cox National Rehabilitation Hospital
Marie Cox is Senior Speech & Language Therapist and Practice Tutor at the National Rehabilitation Hospital Dublin. She has over a decade of experience working in the neurorehabilitation setting. She holds an honours degree in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin and a postgraduate professional qualification in Speech & Language Therapy from Queen Margaret University Edinburgh. She has a special interest in the area of assistive technology and has been involved in the establishment and development of the Assistive Technology Clinic at the National Rehabilitation Hospital Dublin.
Sharon Leahy National Rehabilitation Hospital
Sharon graduated in Occupational Therapy from the National University of Ireland Galway in 2014 with a first class honours degree. Sharon has specialised in the area of neuro rehabilitation and is currently working in the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. She has worked across all programmes in the NRH; brain injury, spinal card injury, limb absence and paediatrics. She has a specialist interest in the area of Assistive Technology (AT) and currently runs an Inter disciplinary AT clinic with speech and language therapy. Sharon has represented the NRH at several national and international conferences presenting in the areas of assistive technology, brain injury and spinal cord injury.
10:45 Main Session: Challenges to Strategically Embedding UD Approach
- Sam Catherine Johnston, Research Scientist, CAST
Sam Catherine Johnston Research Scientist, CAST
Sam Catherine Johnston, Ed.D is a research scientist at CAST. Dr Johnston brings expertise in peer-based learning models, distance and blended education, and program evaluation. Currently, she is the CAST project director for a Bill & Melinda Gates-funded project with Creative Commons and Stanford Open Learning Initiative to integrate UDL into the design of community and technical college courses. She is also a research scientist on the U.S. Department of Education, Centre for Online Learning for Students with Disabilities and co-principal investigator for a National Science Foundation study on stereotype threat and its impact on inquiry science pedagogy.
11:15 Break
11:40 Main Session: ALTITUDE - Starting a National Conversation on Embedding Universal Design in Tertiary Education
13:35 Lunch
14:35 Choose your own adventure: Getting Everyone Onboard: Student Engagement and Faculty Partnerships
14:35 Choose your own adventure: Beyond Curiosity: Building on Initial Professional Development Opportunities to Develop Scope and Breadth of UDL Initiatives
- Dr Frederic Fovet, Assistant Professor, School of Education, Thompson Rivers University
Dr Frederic Fovet Assistant Professor, School of Education, Thompson Rivers University
Frederic is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Thompson Rivers University. His research and practice both focus on Inclusion and UDL. He acts as UDL consultant to the K-12 and post-secondary sectors, domestically and internationally. Frederic has been offering Masters level courses in Education for eight years now. He focuses on both building learners’ UDL expertise within his courses and modelling UDL in his own design and classroom practices.
14:35 Choose your own adventure (ONLINE): TCD Sense
- Kieran Lewis, Senior Occupational Therapist, Trinity College Dublin
Kieran Lewis Senior Occupational Therapist, Trinity College Dublin
Kieran is a Senior Occupational Therapist within the Disability Service in Trinity College Dublin and for the last two years has been a project officer within the Genio Funded project, Career Pathways. Kieran is also the lead on phase three activities within the Disability Service strategic plan, which focus upon the student’s transition to employment. Kieran holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and is currently undertaking PhD Research into the development and efficacy of an occupation-focused self-management programme.
15:35 Comfort Break
15:55 Choose your own adventure: Institutional Journeys to Embedding UD: Case Studies
15:55 Choose your own adventure: Changing Landscapes - applying the findings from lockdown learning research
- Dr Richard Healy, Research and Policy Officer, AHEAD
Dr Richard Healy Research and Policy Officer, AHEAD
Richard received has a PhD from Maynooth University. His research was informed by the current drug service user narrative in Ireland, primarily methadone maintenance treatment and he continues to advocate for the human rights of those who engage with Irish services. Most of this work is carried out with the Service User Rights in Action, a group of which Richard is a member. Richard works in AHEAD as Policy and Research Officer. He conducts research projects such as our annual participation rates data on students with disabilities engaged in disability support services and is responsible for writing policy submissions.
15:55 Choose your own adventure (ONLINE): At the intersection of stakeholder perspectives: facilitating a faculty and student dialogue on UDL priorities
Day 2: Thursday March 21st
Day 2: Thursday March 21st
09:30 Welcome and Introduction
10:00 Lightning Session
- Lightning 2.1: Resolving the tension between presumed-to-be rigid programmes and UDL: A health professions case study
Marion Brown PhD, Associate Dean Academic, Dalhousie University
Marion Brown PhD Associate Dean Academic, Dalhousie University
Marion Brown is Associate Dean Academic in the Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, responsible for strategic leadership and support for program and curriculum development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement for academic and scholarly innovation and all initiatives related to the scholarship of teaching and learning including and faculty development.
- Lightning 2.2: Mind Power
- Lightning 2.3: Whole institution approach to students' diversity and inclusion in European universities: A SWOT analysis
Dr Hemendra Mistry, MSCA COFUND Fellow, Faculty of Education, University of SalamancaProfessor Maria Cruz Sanchez Gomez, Professor of Educational Science, Faculty of Education, University of Salamanca
Dr Hemendra Mistry MSCA COFUND Fellow, Faculty of Education, University of Salamanca
Despite having bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, Dr. Hemendra Mistry has completed his higher studies from graduation to doctoral in general universities in India. Currently, working as an MSCA Cofund fellow at the University of Salamanca, Dr. Mistry has over 30 conference presentations and more than 40 publications to his credit.
Professor Maria Cruz Sanchez Gomez Professor of Educational Science, Faculty of Education, University of Salamanca
With more than 25 years of teaching and research experience, Prof. Maria Cruz Sanchez Gomez has received many awards for her contribution in the field of educational science. 23 scholars have completed their Ph.D. under her guidance. She has rendered her services in various capacities at the University of Salamanca.
- Lightning 2.4: Designing a university Canvas template
Sophie Gahan, University College Cork
Sophie Gahan University College Cork
Instructional Designer in Digital Inclusion UCC
Sophie joined the Inclusive UCC team in June 2022, following an exciting 10-year career as an Instructional Designer in both private and public sector organisations. Sophie’s current role goes by the title ‘Instructional Designer in Digital Inclusion’ to emphasis the focus on accessibility.
- Lightning 2.5: Increasing awareness to embed inclusion: The Universal Design in Education Project
Aoife McNicholl, PhD Candidate, Dublin City University
Aoife McNicholl PhD Candidate, Dublin City University
Aoife McNicholl is a PhD candidate in the School of Psychology at Dublin City University. Her doctoral research is funded by an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship. Aoife's research focuses on the impacts of assistive technology use for students with disabilities in higher education.
10:45 Main Session: Exploring Generative AI Together: How can Artificial Intelligence Contribute to Student Support?
11:30 Break
11:55 Main Session: ALTITUDE - Starting a National Conversation on Embedding Universal Design in Tertiary Education
- Dr Lisa Padden, Project Lead, University for All, UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, University College Dublin
Dr Lisa Padden Project Lead, University for All, UCD Access & Lifelong Learning, University College Dublin
Dr Lisa Padden received her BA degree in English and Psychology, MA Degree in English and PhD in English from the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). Her experience includes teaching in the English Department at NUIG for five years before moving to University College Dublin (UCD) to support students with disabilities. Lisa’s current role is as Academic Skills Coordinator with UCD Access & Lifelong Learning. Her research interests include Universal Design in university settings, promoting independent learning, equal access to education, and assistive technologies.
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Choose your own adventure: Mini Hackathon - Meeting the Challenges of Embedding Universal Design for Learning in Practice
14:00 Choose your own adventure: Beyond the Classroom: Social Engagement, Transition to Work and More
14:00 Choose your own adventure (ONLINE): Universal Design for Learning as a Two-Pronged Approach to Inclusive Practice in Initial Teacher Education in Ireland: The Benefits and Challenges
ahead conference supported by solas & the hea
With thanks to SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority who provide core funding for AHEAD's activities promoting inclusion in the tertiary education:
.png)
