Embedding SoTL in an institution does not happen overnight. Neither does the alignment of SoTL with principles of diversity and inclusivity happen by chance. This panel discussion will share the story of how faculty and staff at University College Cork (UCC) Ireland have worked together to embed SoTL and embrace principles of diversity and inclusion as a SoTL lever. We have been working with SoTL principles for over twenty years and have developed a number of long-term initiatives that have brought about transformational change at course, program, disciplinary and institutional levels, while embracing principles of diversity and inclusivity. Three panelists address the following questions in an Irish university context: (i) How can we use professional development (CPD) to spearhead pedagogical, disciplinary and institutional transformation? (ii) How can we embed diversity and inclusion at the level of the curriculum in sustainable and effective ways to maximize staff and student learning? LL (iii) How can we ensure that there is sustained commitment at the institutional level towards supporting and embedding inclusive principles across the university and beyond? (iv) How does a SoTL perspective pervade and inform these questions? At the pedagogical and curriculum levels, for example, we have embraced principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to inform and advance diverse and inclusive practice. This is achieved in a number of ways: (i) through the rolling out a suite of online accredited programmes for faculty in the field of teaching and learning in higher education; (ii) through the option to take a digital badge in UDL; (iii) through a generic series of virtual and face to face CPD sessions for faculty and staff. All of these initiatives are run by the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) which is dynamically related to the Colleges and Faculties of the university, through its champions and teaching fellows. We have also pursued alignment at the institutional level through ensuring that teaching and learning remains a central tenet of the Strategic Plan of the university. CIRTL is also part of a wider ambit that includes collaboration with other centres, such as Digital Education, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Inclusive UCC. Each panelist will address one of the questions above, while all will address the SoTL imperative.

1. PAGE 1
Embedding SoTL, Diversity
and Inclusivity at the Course,
Program and Institutional
Levels in an Irish University

2. PAGE 2
OVERVIEW
Framing
Question
Context Cultivating
the Culture
Practice
Examples
Over
to You!

3. PAGE 3
● How can we use continuing professional
development to spearhead pedagogical, disciplinary,
and institutional transformation to support diversity and
inclusion?
● How can we embed diversity and inclusion at the level
of the curriculum in sustainable and effective ways to
maximize staff and student learning?
● How can we ensure that there is sustained
commitment at the institutional level towards
supporting and embedding inclusive principles across the
university and beyond?
FRAMING QUESTIONS

4. PAGE 4
SETTING THE CONTEXT
Ensure inclusive
and equitable
quality education
and promotion of
life-long learning
opportunities for
all.
Funding:
Strategic
Alignment of
Teaching and
Learning
Enhancement
€6.4 million p.a.

5. PAGE 5
SETTING THE CONTEXT
- Disability Support Services
- Through Access routes
- Mature Students
- International Students

6. PAGE 6

7. PAGE 7

8. PAGE 8
1984
UCC establishes first
Teaching & Learning
(T&L) Centre in
Ireland
1995
Development
of suite of
T&L seminars.
Emergence of
Community of
Practice
2003
Suite of accredited
programmes for staff
developed
2010
Strategic embracing
of UDL in T&L
programmes
2018
Digital Bage in
Universal Design for
Learning launched at
UCC
2021
Inclusive UCC
project launched
UDL at UCC

9. You can find
CIRTL graduates
teaching and working
in more than
20 countries worldwide.
3 credit-bearing courses
online PG Cert, Diploma and
MA. 52% of UCC staff with
L&T qualifications.
3 modules for Postgrad
students on L&T.
1
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
Staff
Professional
Development
Assessment
Design
Sustainable
Development
Universal
Design for
Learning
Number of registered participants
in CIRTL’s credit-bearing programmes
Civic
Engagement 60%
40%
CIRTL CREDIT-BEARING PROGRAMMES:
PARTICIPANTS 2004-2022
CACSSS 16%
M&H 26%
SEFS 12% B&L 13%
Other 27% External 6%
Learning
Design
www.ucc.ie/en/ckb02/
Scholarship
of Teaching
& Learning
Technology
& Digital
Education

10. UDL and inclusive teaching is
foundation of all CIRTL’s
credit-bearing programmes.
UCC’s UDL digital badge has
attracted 93 staff.
2
Inclusive assessment short
course to integrate UDL in L&T
based on expressed needs of
staff. Assessment design focus
in CIRTL’s programmes.
4
2
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
Staff
Professional
Development
Assessment
Design
Sustainable
Development
Universal
Design for
Learning
Civic
Engagement
Learning
Design
www.ucc.ie/en/ckb02/
Scholarship
of Teaching
& Learning
1
1
Technology
& Digital
Education

11. Strong record in attracting funding
Coordinated a research budget of €1.2
million since 2019. 13 publishable papers
per annum.
5
6
Digital toolkit on integrating SDGs in the
curriculum and Digital badge for staff on
Learning and Teaching with the SDGs.
7
Staff support on curriculum
development through interactive
Learning Design workshops and Design
Sprints, modelling a students as partner
approach. Pilots on use of Learning
Analytics in Learning & Teaching.
8
2
1
3
4
5
6
8
Civic
Engagement
Staff
Professional
Development
7
Sustainable
Development
Universal
Design for
Learning
Learning
Design
Assessment
Design
SATLE 2020
€458,000 funding
11 initiatives underway
CPD offerings, student supports,
SATLE 2019
€483,000 funding
93 team members across UCC
74 events, 3000+ participants
18 publications
30 resources initiatives
Scholarship
of Teaching
& Learning
SATLE 2020
€458,000 funding
11 initiatives including
CPD offerings, student supports,
policy/strategy development
SATLE 2022
€594,000 funding
Education for Sustainable
Development, Technological
transformation and Academic
Integrity
1 Civic Engagement digital toolkit.
Short course on integrating Civic
Engagement in L&T. Engaged Research
module for early career researchers.
1
Technology
& Digital
Education

12. PAGE 12
UDL Digital Badge
● Open to all staff who support student
learning
● ~6 hours self-directed content available
through our Virtual Learning
Environment
● Interactive workshop
● Reflective assignment case study
● 25 hours of learner effort
● 100+ UCC staff have earned badge

13. PAGE 13
Case Study 1
● Dr Harriët Schellekens
● 3rd year Neuroscience
● Human nervous system
● Core module, inherently complex
content
● Student feedback informed
redesign

14. PAGE 14
UDL in Action
Explanation of Multiple
Means of Representation
Options for language
Emphasising key topics
Presentation as part of
assessment

15. PAGE 15
Student Feedback
Multiple
format
types for
assessment
helpful
Content
better
understood
Greater
engagement
with material

16. PAGE 16
Case Study 2
•Dr Marie Ryan
•1st year Economics
•Traditional assessment = 20%
MCQ, 80% three-hour final exam

17. PAGE 17
UDL in Action
●Move to continuous assessment –
no final exam
●Choice over assessment types and
dates
●Provided tasks that allowed for
active participation e.g. recording
short video on phone of real-life
scenario
●Videos played with captions
●Customisable displays of

18. PAGE 18
Student & Lecturer Feedback
“Brilliant idea hoorah!”
"By providing choice, students were presented with
as much discretion and autonomy as possible. The
result was a more engaging and a more involved
environment. I could tell students were very relaxed
and felt comfortable to ask me questions (more so
than usual)."
"In all my years teaching this course, I have for the
first-time, evidence of student’s real life
understanding of economics. Since completing the
short videos, students have remarked they can’t
enter a shop without thinking of me or economics.
I’ll take that as a job well done :)"

19. PAGE 19
● How can we use continuing professional
development to spearhead pedagogical, disciplinary,
and institutional transformation to support diversity and
inclusion?
● How can we embed diversity and inclusion at the level
of the curriculum in sustainable and effective ways to
maximize staff and student learning?
● How can we ensure that there is sustained
commitment at the institutional level towards
supporting and embedding inclusive principles across the
university and beyond?
FRAMING QUESTIONS