Tom's Travel Blog

Saying goodbye and hello to student champions…curriculum framework hybrid event in MTU…on to TU Dublin!

Well, day one of N-TUTORR Week is done. Having spent the day with Fredo and Ihor from SETU, two remarkable young men that have come to Ireland in recent years and if I am any judge of people are set to make a great contribution regardless of where they end up establishing their careers.

As I write, I am on the train on my way to TU Dublin with Jenny an MTU student studying music in the Cork School of music. I was part of a Hybrid event today that looked at how we can effect change within the curriculum incorporating the six N-TUTORR themes. As part of the event, we invited Dr. Audrey Doyle from DCU’s Institute of education as our keynote who invited us to consider how ideology, frameworks and pedagogy flow in order to provide a cohesive and appropriate curriculum that is fit for purpose in this evolving world. I appreciate that people could not make the event so the TEL Department that very kindly and expertly facilitated this Hybrid event will be making a video available later in the week, so watch this space.

As I sit on the train, I am catching up on social media and I am blown away with the huge range of events happening across all the N-TUTORR institutions and I must admit that I am blown away by the sheer diversity of topics, modes and approaches. I am so very pleased to be part of what is a great opportunity for the sector to showcase the wealth of talent and innovative practice that exists in DkIT, MTU, IADT, TUS, ATU, SETU and TUDublin.

TU Dublin Grangegorman – careers, employability and curriculum planning. Next stop – ATU Galway City!

I spent the day in the Grangegorman Campus of TU Dublin, and I was struck by how much things have changed from the Dublin that I grew up in.

Staying in a hotel last night on the beautiful open space that once was the Smithfield Market, I could not help but think how the whole area was changed. Even more of a change awaited me when I got to TU Dublin’s Grangegorman Campus. The campus provides a lovely mix of impressive Victorian granite buildings combined with a series of modern bright and very inviting buildings. Going up to the rooftop of the East Quad building provided a great view across Dublin’s skyline.

MTU Student Champion Jenny Murphy, TU Dublin Learner Empowerment Lead Roisin Murray, myself and TU Dublin Sustainability, Education & Engagement Lead Heidi Kelly-Hogan

Rainbow rising over Dublin

Following a tour of the campus we attended a very thought-provoking and highly engaging presentation entitled; “Queer Careers 2.0: Careers in Drag” which combined the themes of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and Employability, aiming to “help the LGBTQ+ community of TU Dublin prepare for the world of work”.

Students from IADT, DkIT and MTU joined with the TU Dublin Students

Hosted by Abby Connolly, the two invited speakers, Killian Wallace and Liam Burke, better known by their respective Drag Queen names Aria Nasty and Donna Fella respectively, outlined the issues faced by entertainers when trying to carve out a career. For ‘traditional’ trades and professions the issues of employability, job security and career planning are light years from the insecurities of those in the entertainment industry. If we were in any doubt about employment fragility, the pandemic with the wholesale closures of entertainment venues certainly highlighted that for the entertainment industry, and we need to learn from these lessons and plan accordingly. Curriculum planning in the future needs to have a more expansive view of what constitutes employability and plan accordingly.

As I endeavour to travel as sustainably as possible, I used the Dublin Bikes scheme to travel to Heuston Station. I have used the scheme for many years and find it an invaluable way of getting around when I travel to Dublin.

Paused at the lights before parking up the bike at Heuston station.

I will sign off for today and plan for an evening in Galway City before we head to the Atlantic Technological University Galway campus in the morning.

The wet weather couldn’t dampen the mood here at the Galway Campus of Atlantic Technological University as we moved onto day three of N-TUTORR On Track. Today I was accompanied by two TU Dublin students, Hannah Raheem and Teniola Ogunbadejo, who travelled from Dublin to Galway city with me last night.

TU Dublin Student Champions Hannah Raheem and Teniola Ogunbadejo joined me on the journey from Dublin to Galway

For me, one of the main highlights of the trip has been talking to the various N-TUTORR Student Champions along the way. Over dinner last night, Hannah and Teniola shared their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic as they progressed from second level school into third level.

Teniola, who is in the 4^th year of her degree, was the year that was perhaps most impacted. The Leaving Certificate class of 2020 was the first to have predicted grades, no graduation events, no Debs dances, no Fresher’s week in their first year in college, no on-campus teaching their first year in college and not much more in their second year. Existing third-level students at least had had the opportunity to become familiar with their campus surroundings and chance to establish relationships with their lecturers and classmates; something that was denied to the incoming 2020 class. While I was aware of the issues just listed, it was very sobering to hear their experiences first hand; reminding us of the importance of taking the time to stop and really listen to our students, and to try and see the world from their point of view.

Along with the two TU Dublin Student Champions, I was joined in Galway by two ATU students, Ali and Mateja, who are travelling with me this evening as we visit the Limerick campus of Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) tomorrow.

Following a briefing and tour of thecampus by the NTUTORR Student Engagement Coordinator for ATU, Jessica Clark Duffy, we were treated to a fabulous lunch in the training restaurant where were fed and served by ATU students. I must particularly call out the Chef of the day Thomas Edwards – Culinary Arts 2.  I also want to thank the ATU president Orla Flynn, who took time out of her busy schedule to join us for lunch.

A fabulous lunch in the ATU Galway City training restaurant

Keeping with the culinary thread, we attended a sustainability-themed N-TUTORR week workshop hosted by N-TUTORR Academic Champion Cormac Handy and his student Caitlyn Valerie, entitled ‘Towards a Zero Waste Kitchen’, setting out details of how they reduced preparation and servicing waste of a 12-week period. As you can see from the picture below they reported an impressive 55% reduction in food waste – and best of all they had lots of free samples of what they produced out of what would have been previously just thrown out.

Towards a Zero Waste Kitchen

I’m going to sign off as the train from Galway to Limerick doesn’t appear to have plugs and they have a mini table that has enough capacity for a Danish and a coffee, but leaving my laptop perched precariously. Until tomorrow from Limerick.

Apologies for the song pun, but after yesterday’s The West’s Awake, I felt like I was on a roll. And, to be honest, I’m feeling a little tired at this stage, so the creative juices are diminishing – that’s if I ever had any to begin with, I can hear some friends saying 😊

The rain of yesterday is a dim memory as we woke up to a glorious morning in Limerick, as you can see from the view from our hotel looking over the Shannon, which is particularly apt given that we went to the Moylish Campus of the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

View over the Shannon

I even got to wear sunglasses (briefly 😊)

ATU Student Champions Mateja Svonja and Ali Usama joined me for the visit to TUS Moylish on N-TUTORR On Track Day Four

Even though it wasn’t part of the NTUTORR Week agenda, I’d like to briefly discuss the Irish Times article from this morning’s edition (February29th) titled “College dropout rates climb amid concern over student mental health.”

The article shed light on the challenges faced by students, many of which stem from the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Among these challenges, the escalating costs of living and rents are forcing students to take on more external paid work, which certainly isn’t optimal for their well-being.

In conversations with several students this week about their financial struggles, a recurring theme was the necessity for a restructuring of fees and grants. They stressed the importance of ensuring that part-time students receive fair financial support comparable to full-time students. This would alleviate the pressure on students who are trying to balance work and study within an increasingly demanding life schedule.

Arriving at TUS in Limerick we got involved with a VR Interactive event that demonstrated various scenarios where VR has the potential to create exciting learning opportunities. What really stuck me about the event was the benefit of doing a foyer event where you get the opportunity to opportunistically introduce something new to people.

Ali tries out VR with with TUS staff member Geraldine McCormack

One of the examples I particularly liked was the images from inside the galleries (below), which include exhibitions from year 3 BA students of Painting and also Photography Moving Image at Limerick School of Art & Design, demonstrated by their lecturer Martina Cleary in a project funded by a SATLE Grant from The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning, via CPID at TUS.

I thought that one of the big benefits of N-TUTORR Week is that Martina, along with loads of other projects across the seven institutions, have been able to raise awareness of their respective projects; therefore I thought that it was well worth highlighting in the today’s blog. More details of this project is available here, including more videos: https://vimeo.com/911358157 and SATLE2023 — ADEPT (adeptresearchgroup.com)

Continuing with the culinary sustainability theme from yesterday in Galway, I went to the #StudentBites demonstration hosted by the celebrity chef Eoin Sheehan. He has a wonderfully engaging manner and his no-nonsense approach, laced with plenty of practical hints and tips to cook more sustainably and cost effectively, was well received by all, not least by me, where I finally learned how to fold a tortilla wrap properly 😊

Chef Eoin Sheehan at the #StudentBites demonstration at TUS Moylish

But it’s not all work and no fun. As you can see, I got some hand/eye coordination practice at my final event of the day, “Stand Out from the Crowd”.

Deep in concentration and hard at work 😊

After losing by a heaving 20-11 I moved on to Limerick’s Colbert station to join TUS Student Champions Aoife Walsh and Liam Conlon for the final leg of NTUTORR on Track – destination: SETU Waterford.

Won’t arrive into Waterford until 20.25, but it’s been a long day, so – until tomorrow evening – slán!

Okay, okay, perhaps the song theme might be getting a little thin. But hey, it’s been a long week and I’m not getting any younger, so the energy levels are definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel. When I have had time to stop, pause and reflect next week I will write a bigger piece that considers the whole of N-TUTORR week and N-TUTORR on Track. So as with the other blogs this week, these are just my initial thoughts on the day as I board the train.

We started off the day with a visit to the College Street Campus. Keeping with the theme of sustainable travel, my good friend Ken McCarthy of SETU gave myself and the TUS Champions Aoife and Liam a lift in his Nissan Leaf EV.

The theme of sustainability is the most common theme that I have encountered throughout my week, so it was appropriate that my main event of the day was the planting of an oak tree as part of an N-TUTORR Week event where 30 students and staff planted over 1,000 native hedgerow trees under the supervision of SETU lecturer Tom Kent at the SETU Carriganore site. What makes this particularly impressive is the fact that the 1,100 trees were planted in 90 minutes!!

Along with the hedgerow trees, a further 10 oak trees are being planted and I was invited to plant one of these 10 oak trees. So, I donned the hi-vis jacket and a pair of wellies and a shovel, and, along with Tom Kent, we planted the oak tree that will be known as the Tom Squared Oak Tree 😊 I was delighted and surprised to hear that Waterford’s Lord Mayor Jody Power was joining the ceremony.

Back L-R: Ken McCarthy, SETU N-TUTORR Institution Lead; Tom Kent, SETU Lecturer, Lord Mayor Jody Power, TUS Student Champion Liam Conlon, Tom Farrelly, N-TUTORR Academic Developer MTU. Front L-R: Corina Power, SETU Stream 2 Lead, TUS Student Champion Aoife Walsh

We journeyed to the SETU Sports Arena, nestled on the outskirts of Waterford city. During our visit, the Events and Hospitality manager graciously guided us through the centre’s impressive facilities. Engaging in discussions about the diverse range of national, regional, and local events hosted by the arena, it underscored for me the pivotal role that university campuses can play in supporting communities.

SETU Arena Events & Hospitality Manager Paul Morrissey with TUS Student Champion Liam Conlon

I finished off the week with an invite to take part in SETU lecturer Rob O’Connor’s 9 Plus Podcast along with Ken McCarthy, available at: https://twitter.com/9pluspodcast.

It was a nice way to round off the week, chatting and reflecting on a range of topics from N-TUTORR on Track and N-TUTORR Week, to some of my work in the space of Generative AI (https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/11/1109) and my alter ego as the Gasta Master (https://farrellytom.wordpress.com/)

It’s now 17.45 and I’m on the train from Waterford to Limerick Junction, where I will change onto a Cork-bound train before changing again at Mallow to join the Cork train and, hopefully, getting home by 9pm – so you will forgive me if a put the laptop down and say goodbye. But before I do I want to thank all my hosts in MTU, TU Dublin, ATU, TUS and SETU. But my final thanks go to my Student Champion companions; thanks for sharing the journey – slán, agus míle buíochas.