Carlow College has distinctive learning outcomes for each of our programmes; these reflect the current needs of our society and businesses across the globe, while also anticipating the future needs of graduates and employers.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning at Carlow College, St. Patrick’s is rooted in a holistic vision of education, which promotes the professional development of learners and staff, including their aesthetic, intellectual, cultural, emotional, creative, moral, social, political and spiritual development. This vision of education provides vital opportunities for the development of awareness and the appreciation of cultural values, always mindful of Irish, European and global contexts. One of the core objectives of the Carlow College Strategic Plan 2017-2022 is the: development and implementation of a Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy that provides leadership, policy and guidelines on the following areas: scholarship, innovative and experiential learning, research and publications, professional training, development and career pathways, interdisciplinary module design, content and flexibility, workload modelling, academic staff CPD and professional training options. The Carlow College Strategic Plan was informed by national policies aimed at improving access to and widening participation in higher education (Hunt, 2011) as well as initiatives for enhancing professional development of academic staff (National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2016) and the findings of the Higher Education Authority Group set up to explore best practice in relation to student engagement in Higher Education (National Student Engagement Programme Training, 2016). In relation to teaching and learning, Carlow College strategies are further informed by the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) Charter for Inclusive Teaching and Learning (2009).Key areas addressed in the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy:
- Carlow College graduate attributes
- Principles for curriculum design
- Learner access, progression, retention and achievement
- Supporting good practice in teaching and learning
- Supporting good practice in assessment and feedback
- Enhancing the learning environment – physical, social and technological
- Enhancing teaching, learning and assessment through CPD
