Short Courses
The Teaching Enhancement Unit (TEU) offers a number of short courses including the Teaching and Learning Fundamentals for Tutors and Demonstrators, The Educator's Compass workshop series and Digital Badge programmes as described below. You can contact teaching.enhancement@dcu.ie with any queries.
Teaching and Learning Fundamentals for Tutors and Demonstrators
Teaching Team Co-ordinators: Rob Lowney and Clare Gormley
TEU Co-facilitators: Maeve O'Dwyer, Noeleen O'Keeffe, Steve Welsh
Tutoring
Are you a DCU postgraduate tutor/demonstrator looking to elevate your teaching skills?
If you’re eager to create engaging, impactful learning experiences for your students, this practical course is designed just for you.
The purpose of this short course is to introduce postgraduate students working as tutors and demonstrators to a range of practical approaches to teaching, learning and assessment.
This course will equip you with the essential tools and knowledge to:
- Grasp Constructive Alignment to seamlessly connect learning outcomes, assessment tasks, and teaching activities
- Craft Engaging Class Plans that engage your students and facilitate deep understanding
- Provide Effective Grading and Feedback for fair and informative assessment, with constructive feedback and feedforward for students
- Embrace Reflective Practice, cultivating a habit of self-reflection to continuously improve your teaching methods
The course is aimed specifically at postgraduate research students undertaking work as tutors (and in some cases laboratory demonstrators) who are new to teaching or teaching support roles. It encourages sound reflective practice and adoption of recommended tools and approaches suited to multiple teaching contexts.
This blended course is delivered over the course of a semester and comprises a mix of synchronous workshops and asynchronous engagement (tasks, self-study, group work, peer review, etc.) Attendance at four interactive workshops is required (two in-person and two online) along with additional collaborative activities in between sessions. The course is assessed throughout and participants will be awarded a digital badge upon successful completion.
The Teaching Enhancement Unit Team at Dublin City University teaches this course on behalf of the Graduate Studies Office.
The Graduate Studies Office advertises the module and handles recruitment and registration of participants.
Places are limited on each iteration of the module.
(Note this course is a re-imagining of the old GS602/A module which was offered for several years.)
The Educator’s Compass: Finding Your Way in Teaching
Workshop Series for Early-Career Educators
Hand holding a compass
Are you struggling to find time to reflect on your practice, or wondering how to tackle an issue? Join colleagues at a similar stage of their careers to learn more about best practice in teaching and learning, share challenges and discuss solutions, and be inspired to try new pedagogical approaches!
The ‘Educator’s Compass: Finding your way in Teaching’ features a series of online workshops on specific aspects of practice, such as managing large classes or technology-enhanced learning. In addition, we offer a curated suite of asynchronous resources to help you explore relevant topics further at a time that suits you.
Please note, this programme is designed for early-career teaching and learning staff and those who support learning, including staff with experience who would like to refresh and reflect following a career break or teaching elsewhere. Postgraduate students with an interest in developing their tutoring or demonstrating skills should contact the Graduate Studies Office about the Teaching and Learning Fundamentals for Tutors and Demonstrators course.
For details of the next iteration contact teaching.enhancement@dcu.ie.
Digital Badges
The TEU offers Digital Badge programs in Gen AI, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Watch out for details of upcoming dates and how to secure a place in the TEU Newsletter.
Education for Sustainable Development
Each academic year, alternating between Semester One and Two, DCU offers all staff the opportunity to complete a Digital Badge in Education for Sustainability. This six-week course, originally developed by the National Forum for Teaching and Learning, has been adapted to meet the needs of staff at DCU.
You will find more information on the ESD Hub, in the 'Resources for Staff' section.
Generative AI Digital Badge
The Digital badge in GenAI is designed to support the development of staff's GenAI literacy so that they can explore the use of Generative AI tools within teaching, learning, and assessment.
The badge has a specific focus on ethical uses of GenAI. It is DCU's tailored version of the National Forum's Open Course previously designed and run by TCD, DCU, and UL.
For more information contact teaching.enhancement@dcu.ie.
Universal Design for Learning Digital Badge
For several years the National Forum for Teaching and Learning in partnership with AHEAD, has offered a short course and digital badge on Universal Design for Learning.
This course, designed collaboratively by AHEAD and UCD's Access & Lifelong Learning, supports staff to engage with the concept of Universal Design for Learning through a range of individual and group learning activities.
The badge programme is also offered to non-teaching professional staff with a second track for Universal Design Beyond the Classroom. Each Spring, DCU facilitates a local rollout of the course for DCU staff.
Find out more information on the content of the UDL badge course.
DCU is collaborating with a number of other institutions to develop a National Forum Open Course on “Teaching with XR: Designing and Delivering Immersive Learning Experiences". It will run from 7 October 2026 until December 2026. Learn more at the Open Courses website.