Friday 30th April: Parallel Presentations & Weekly Close and Reflection
Two live online events take place each Friday afternoon throughout the conference, focused on that week's theme:
Parallel Presentations (14.00 - 15.20): choose between two parallel sessions. These presentations include workshops, presentations and discussions on the week's theme. Full details are included in the schedule.
Weekly Close and Reflection (15.30-16.30): each week ends with a facilitated dialogue on the week's conference theme. Hosted by conference rapporteurs Dr Marian McCarthy and Dr Vivian Rath, this session will invite conference attendees to consider the issues raised throughout the presentations and invite discussion around learnings and directions for the future.
14:00-15:20 - Parallel 1: Workshop (Live Only)
14:00-15:20 - Parallel 1: Workshop (Live Only)
Building Inclusive and Accessible Communities: Providing the Right Tools to Inform Educators and Learners through an Interactive Accessibility Toolkit
- Tracy Galvin, Education Developer, Queen's University BelfastJen McParland, Digital Learning Consultant, Queen's University Belfast
Tracy Galvin Education Developer, Queen's University Belfast
Tracy Galvin is an Education Developer in Queen's University Belfast. Tracy started off her career as a Post-Primary teacher and has worked in Higher Education for over 13 years in three different institutions. Tracy has a keen interest in Universal Design for Learning, Inclusive Curriculum Design, Accessibility and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the Curriculum.
Jen McParland Digital Learning Consultant, Queen's University Belfast
Jen McParland is a Digital Learning Consultant in Queens University Belfast. Jen has a Post-Primary teaching background in the creative arts, and has previously worked in roles for NIs Creative Learning Centres, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, and Northern Ireland Screen. Jen has a special interest in education technology and digital pedagogy.
14:00-15:20 - Parallel 2: Themed Presentations (Live and Recorded)
14:00-15:20 - Parallel 2: Themed Presentations (Live and Recorded)
Supporting Inclusion in Digital Further Education and Training (FET) Settings: A Collaborative Submission from Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB), Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) & Donegal Education and Training Board (DETB)
- Carol Neenan, Active Inclusion Officer, Cork Education and Training Board (CETB)Charles Gorney, Adult Education Officer, Donegal Education and Training Board
Carol Neenan Active Inclusion Officer, Cork Education and Training Board (CETB)
Carol has been the Active Inclusion Officer with Cork ETB since December 2019, seconded to that post from a very long-standing career teaching PLC learners; working as Champion of Disability in her college and having a particular interest in supporting vulnerable learners with in-house educational testing. She became a member of the original Cork Active Inclusion Network created in conjunction with AHEAD 2017; UDL facilitator 2020; ‘Ahead Start’ (AHEAD) graduate; Teacher trainer in educational assessments (Education Elephant); and combines her Active Inclusion role with working as an Educational Psychologist: BA.(Hons) App. Psy., M.Ed -Lifelong Learning, MSc. Psy., ADOS & ADI-R trained, RQTU, APC PATOSS, MBPS, MPSI.
Aobhán Haverty, Adult Education Officer, Limerick and Clare Education and Training BoardCharles Gorney Adult Education Officer, Donegal Education and Training Board
Charles has been one of the two Adult Education Officers in Donegal ETB now since January 2017. Prior to this his practice area as an educator was Information Technology, and after completing a number of years instructing at the Sligo Training Centre, he progressed to the role of a curriculum officer in the former FÁS training centre in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. This role evolved over the years into one of quality assurance of assessment and it was during his time within this role that he began to become more interested in inclusive ways to assess our diverse learner groups.
Over the past few years Charles has also been managing the implementation of technology enhanced learning across the Donegal ETB FET service and it is through this work that the group has begun to explore the use of technology to support inclusion across the FET service. Their membership with AHEAD allowed us to include an inclusive education seminar and workshop within our first TEL seminar in 2019 and from this they were hooked into exploring other inclusive opportunities and approaches across the service with emphasis within the past year on the introduction of Universal Design for Learning approaches.
Crona Gallagher, Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).Aobhán Haverty Adult Education Officer, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board
Following her appointment as Adult Education Officer in December 2007 (initially to Clare VEC Adult Education Service), Aobhán Haverty is currently responsible for the development of the Active Inclusion Support Service with Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board Further Education and Training Division.
A joint recipient of two excellence in public service awards from the Department of An Taoiseach in 2004 and 2008, Aobhán holds an MA in Adult and Community Education from NUI Maynooth and has worked across a wide variety of exchequer and EU funded projects and provision, primarily focused on educational inequality and inclusion
Crona Gallagher Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).
Director Further Education and Training, Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).
The Social Engagement Experiences of Disabled Students in Higher Education in Ireland.
- Dr Vivian Rath, National Disabled Postgraduate Advisory Committee
Dr Vivian Rath National Disabled Postgraduate Advisory Committee
Vivian is the Organiser of the National Disabled Postgraduate Advisory Committee and the TCD Forum for Disabled Staff and Postgraduate Students. Vivian is an academic, a human and disability rights advocate and a change maker. He is currently an Adjunct Teaching Fellow in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) School of Education and the Research Officer with the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD). His Ph.D, titled the “social engagement experiences of disabled students in higher education in Ireland”, focused on the areas of disabled student social engagement, transitions, voice and belonging.
Inclusive Learning at NUI Galway: Hearing and Embedding the Student Voice
- Cameron Keighron, PhD Candidate, National University of Ireland, GalwayDr Lucy-Ann Buckley, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law, National University of Ireland, Galway
Cameron Keighron PhD Candidate, National University of Ireland, Galway
Cameron Keighron is a PhD candidate in the School of Medicine and the student partner on the Inclusive Learning project at NUI Galway. In recent years, they have served as the Postgraduate Taught Officer and Vice-President of Education in NUI Galway Students' Union. Cameron is passionate about ensuring that the student voice is highlighted in the creation, delivery, and evaluation of learning and teaching.
Dr Dinali Wijeratne, Postdoctoral Researcher, National University of Ireland GalwayDr Lucy-Ann Buckley Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law, National University of Ireland, Galway
Dr Lucy-Ann Buckley (Pronouns She/Her) is a Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law at NUI Galway and the Vice-Dean for Teaching and Learning in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law. She specialises in equality law, labour law, family law and social justice, and has published widely regarding gender and disability equality issues in these fields. She is active in policy development and recently acted as an expert advisor to the States of Guernsey (Channel Islands) in relation to the development of new multi-ground equality legislation.
Dr Dinali Wijeratne Postdoctoral Researcher, National University of Ireland Galway
Dr. Dinali Wijeratne is the postdoctoral researcher on both undergraduate and postgraduate Inclusive learning Projects at NUI Galway since 2019. She is affiliated with the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS) at NUI Galway. Dinali is interested in participatory and explorative qualitative research approaches, as well as in the use of economic theory to explain observed social behaviours, to identify inclusionary barriers face by diverse and vulnerable citizens in the society.
15.30-16.30 Weekly Close and Reflection (Live Only)
15.30-16.30 Weekly Close and Reflection (Live Only)
Week 4 Close and Reflection Session
- Dr Marian McCarthy, Vice President Emerita Teaching and Learning, University College CorkDr Vivian Rath, National Disabled Postgraduate Advisory Committee
Dr Marian McCarthy Vice President Emerita Teaching and Learning, University College Cork
Dr Marian McCarthy is a former Vice President for Teaching and Learning at UCC, a Fellow of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and a Senior Lecturer in Education. She was co-founder and director of UCC’s Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. Her research interests include Multiple Intelligences theory, Teaching for Understanding, Universal Design for Learning and the Arts in Education.
Marian is a member of the Senate of the NUI and a former Governor of UCC. She also served on the Board of Directors of AHEAD, in which she has a keen interest.