Student Engagement
Student engagement is a core principle of the DCU Futures philosophy. DCU Futures students engage not only as participants in an innovative curriculum but as active contributors to its development and ongoing evaluation. This commitment to student partnership is expressed through structured mechanisms that give students meaningful opportunities to share their perspectives, present their work, and shape the environment in which they learn.
Case Study: DCU Futures Student Summit
The DCU Futures Student Summit are bi-annual events that bring together students from across DCU Futures programmes to share their experiences and provide structured feedback on the model. Summits provide an opportunity to gather feedback directly from students, identify strengths and areas for development, and ensure that the DCU Futures approach remains responsive to learner experience. To date, eight Student Summits have been held. The data gathered through these sessions has informed programme development and contributed to the broader evaluation of the DCU Futures model.
Student Showcase 2025
Case Study: DCU Futures Student Showcase
The DCU Futures Student Showcase is an annual public exhibition in which students present work from their programmes to peers, academic staff, and industry and policy partners. Students present across a range of formats — including posters, interactive displays, video, and podcasts — reflecting the diversity of assessment approaches embedded in DCU Futures programmes. The Showcase provides a platform for students to communicate the application of their transversal skills to external audiences, and facilitates cross-programme exchange of ideas and approaches. It also offers industry and policy partners direct engagement with student work and an opportunity to observe the outcomes of DCU Futures pedagogy in practice. Four Student Showcases have been held to date.
Case Study: 'Your Space, Your Say' — Inclusive Learning Space Design
In advance of the refurbishment of The Spark, a structured workshop was held with young people to gather their perspectives on inclusive teaching and learning environments. Titled 'Your Space, Your Say', the workshop invited participants to reflect on how physical spaces support or hinder their learning, and to contribute ideas for a space that would genuinely meet diverse needs. Activities were designed to be accessible and to enable participants to communicate their preferences in multiple ways. The workshop generated creative, practical, and personally grounded contributions, reflecting the value of consulting directly with the people who experience learning environments. This process exemplifies DCU's commitment to designing spaces that are inclusive by intent rather than by assumption.
