Desert Island Dress Project Receives Highly Commended Recognition at ILTA Awards
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Desert Island Dress, a teaching and learning project developed by TU Dublin academics Dr Dee Duffy (School of Marketing & Entrepreneurship) and Katriona Flynn (School of Art and Design), has been recognised as a Highly Commended submission in the Jennifer Burke Award 2026, presented by the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA).
The award recognises innovative approaches to teaching and learning that demonstrate impact on student engagement and educational practice.
Using podcasting, storytelling, and critical reflection as a pedagogical framework, Desert Island Dress has been integrated across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, supporting learning in areas including fashion, digital media, circular design, and marketing. Students engage with the project through learning resources, creative briefs, and assessment activities that encourage critical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary learning.
The project's impact extends beyond the classroom through public scholarship and cultural engagement activities, including an invitation to contribute to the Irish Humanities Alliance, a live workshop hosted at the Embassy of Ireland in Copenhagen, and a Special Award for Design Education and Research from the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI).
The recognition highlights the project's success in connecting student learning, academic inquiry, and public engagement through an innovative and scalable approach to education.