The Student Digital Backpack is an online platform in the form of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for students across the Technological University (TU) sector to sign up to complete short non-accredited courses. The platform, developed by N-TUTORR, is a user-friendly, self–directed learning interface and includes a badge award on completion of a short course. The Student Digital Backpack will provide students across the TU sector with additional skills to complement their existing programmes of study, embed the N-TUTORR project themes (e.g., Digital Transformation, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Academic Integrity, Education for Sustainability, Universal Design for Learning) and support the project deliverables of the N-TUTORR programme.
Digital Badges offer a way to communicate your achievements, strengths or skills and promote lifelong learning that goes beyond the classroom and showcases accomplishments that otherwise may have been hidden. They are usually used online, but you can also use them on your CV to differentiate yourself from other students.
Students are invited to engage with the Digital Discovery Tool for Students as a first step in self-assessing your digital capabilities to determine your digital skills level by finding out where your strengths and weaknesses are and get targeted suggestions for appropriate training and courses. The self-assessment takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and, once completed, you are provided with a summary report of your skills level. You can then claim your Digital Badge for this course and engage with additional short courses on the Student Digital Backpack.
The N-TUTORR programme is designed to transform learning, teaching and assessment by focussing on transforming the student experience and developing the capabilities of all staff to address a sustainable pedagogical and learning environment with particular and critical focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and universal design for learning (UDL).
As part of the Stream 2 - Staff part of the project, there is a Sustainable Higher Education Futures Community of Practice.
The Community of Practice run a series of monthly masterclass webinars each focused on developing knowledge and skills in areas aligned to the project.
Staff and students are welcome to attend the free online monthly Masterclasses and they are advertised in our News and Events.
You can watch the monthly Masterclasses HERE
The Empowering Students to become Change Agents Work Package focusses on student empowerment and community building.
It aims to transform learning and teaching by empowering students to become change agents and to build capacity for meaningful student-staff partnership across the Technological University sector.
It is employing co-creation techniques and processes to enable students to develop inclusive schemes and initiatives. These will support and enhance student engagement and partnership activities and develop models of good practice to support ongoing transformation including:
- Partners in Innovation & Change Fellowship
The Fellowship programme provides a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to collaborate on small scale enhancement projects that aim to improve the student experience within their own institutions and which will have an immediate impact on the student experience.
Find out more about the TU Dublin fellowships here!
You can also find further information regarding the national N-TUTORR Fellowships on our Fellowships Flipbook - by theme and Fellowships Flipbook - by Institute.
The TU Dublin TU Dublin Compendium of Assessment Methods: from Students' Perspective was launched at the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Showcase on 19 January 2024.
The Compendium of Assessment Methods is designed to accompany our new Assessment Handbook and to provide the student voice within the assessment design process.
Nine N-TUTORR students champions from TU Dublin (Robert, Anissa, Damola, Chris, Jake, Fatima, Cornellia, Teniola and Hannah) were involved in writing the publication and it was edited by Dr. Jen Harvey.
The Compendium includes a rich variety of valid alternatives to more traditional forms of assessment such as unseen examinations, essays and reports that can be used to support and evidence students’ learning across our disciplinary programmes. The strength of this publication is that it has been written by students who have researched each method and are presenting their perspective on the assessment process.
Each method is described in turn, what it assesses, the benefits and the disadvantages from both the teaching and student perspectives as well as student opinions about the use of these techniques in practice. The TU Dublin methods were shortlisted by the student writing team who also decided it was important to include Universal Design for Learning, Equality Diversity and Inclusion, Academic Integrity and Employability ratings and implications of such with the assessment design process.
N-TUTORR Education for Sustainability Student Champions recorded a series of podcasts and videos speaking with leaders in sustainability, who are all making positive changes in our environment.
In this video N-TUTORR Education for Sustainability Student Champions Sarah Rogers and Anna Moran Watson speak to TU Dublin's Head of Decarbonisation Rosie Webb and TU Dublin's Head of Societal Engagement Helena Fitzgerald.
You can listen to the interviews as a podcast here.
In our podcast series N-TUTORR Education for Sustainability Student Champions cover a range of topics:
Listen to the full podcast here or listen to individual interviews below:
- Muhammad Rizwanuddin talks to Dave Dodd about Linte na Farraige;
- Aisha Ojuolape speaks sustainability with Rebecca Flanagan;
- Leonardo de Oliveira Alves talks fast fashion with Jo Linehan;
- Anna Moran Watson speaks sustainability in business with Hannah Stewart.
The podcast and video series is brought to you by N-TUTORR Education for Sustainability Student Champions and is produced in collaboration with TU Dublin’s School of Media 3rd year Film and Broadcasting students.