ATU lecturers open World Conference on Education and Teaching

Congratulations to ATU lecturers Gillian O’Donovan (Marketing and Languages), Clodagh Caslin (Economics and Risk Management), Lorraine Murphy (Law) and Ruth Walsh (Law), who opened the 7th World Conference on Education and Teaching in Prague last weekend, with a presentation on Progression Pathways: From Further Education to Higher Education.

Developed under the Higher Education 4.0 Project, which is funded by the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3, Progression Pathways seeks to identify the barriers that prevent students moving from a Further Education (FE) course, such as those offered by Educational Training Boards, to a Higher Education (HE) or third-level college.

By identifying and addressing these barriers the aim is to then create more opportunities for those wishing to pursue Higher Education and, thereby, drive equality of access to education for all.

The Progression Pathways presentation was well received at the World Conference on Education and Teaching and led to a thought-provoking discussion.

“The presentation sparked lots of conversation around progression, particularly amongst the American contingent at the conference who noted the difficulties in progression for community school students,” said Gillian O’Donovan.

“Retention of students who come from Further Education and how well they perform when they come to third level also engaged the listeners, so all round a great success,” she added.

In addition to insightful presentations, the three-day event also offered an opportunity to network with fellow academics, discover new research opportunities, uncover trends, learn unique perspectives, and engage in group discussions.