TEU Update 18 December 2025

Over the past couple of years, staff from both academic and professional areas across DCU have developed initiatives as part of the SATLE (Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funding in Higher Education) funding allocation. We are delighted to showcase this innovation in the areas of sustainable development, digital transformation and academic integrity. Thank you to all who have contributed their examples of practice. Additional case studies will be added over time, so please do check back for updates.

Loop preparation for semester two

• Please take some time to review your Loop Dashboard to ensure you are enrolled as a Teacher to any module pages you are teaching for Spring 2026.
• If you do not have access, you need to contact your Faculty Office to be listed as an “Instructor” or “Primary Instructor” on Banner.
• The TEU team is unable to do this—it is a matter for your faculty office
• If you want access to a module page from 2024/2025, you must also direct that request to your faculty office
• If there is more than one instance of your module (i.e. more than one CRN), you need to confirm that with your faculty office and confirm you are listed as an instructor on one or more of the CRNs.
• If you wish for a shared page to teach out of if there are two or more CRNs, or if you have a module with subtopics and you want a different Loop page for each subtopic, please log a request via this form and the TEU will review it.
• Student access to Loop module pages is controlled by their registration on the relevant module CRNs, specifically when they confirm module selection as part of their registration steps. Staff should not manually enrol students to their Loop module pages.
• Follow these instructions to import your material from last year’s page to the new, blank page for Spring 2026.

Transferring coursework grades from Loop to Banner

The Loop Grades Transfer to Banner functionality is still unavailable, as Academic Systems continues to liaise with the Banner vendor to identify and resolve the issue. Colleagues will be updated when a resolution is reached. Once resolved, you can follow these instructions to transfer Loop course grade totals to Banner as coursework component grades.

Are you new to teaching in DCU? Join colleagues at a similar stage of their teaching and learning careers to learn more about best practice in teaching and learning, share challenges and discuss solutions, and be inspired to try new approaches! 

This series of workshops from Wednesday January 28th will focus on specific aspects of practice, such as managing large classes or technology-enhanced learning. Attendance at all workshops is encouraged, but not mandatory.

Click here to register your place now! 

Please note, this workshop series is designed for early-career teaching and learning staff, or those with experience following a 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 & Demonstrators course. If in doubt, please get in touch at teu@dcu.ie. 

In Spring 2026, the TEU will be facilitating a UDL Badge course locally for DCU staff. Along with offering the "Universal Design in Teaching and Learning" badge, this instance of the programme will also offer a second track for professional staff in "Universal Design Beyond the Classroom", focusing on opportunities to apply universal design principles in non-academic roles. Participants who complete the course will be awarded a digital badge recognised by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. The course will run from mid-April to early June. 

Register your interest for the course via this form. For more info on the content of the UDL badge course, see this page, or you can reach out to steve.welsh@dcu.ie with any specific questions.

Active learning engages students in the learning process, requiring them to complete meaningful activities in which they think about and apply what they are learning (Prince, 2004). Active learning can create energetic, engaged classrooms and promote deep learning. 

Join this active, hands-on session to get started with all things active learning, and get familiar with some approaches which you might employ yourself this academic year.

Date & Time: Wednesday 14 January 2026, 14:00-16:00

Location: Room AG42, The Spark - Active Learning Spaces powered by DCU Futures, (ground floor, Albert College, Glasnevin campus).

Registration is essential. Places will be limited at this active and hands-on session. Note that parts of this session will be recorded using a 360 degree camera. Please bring devices (e.g. smartphone, tablet or laptop). Refreshments will be provided.

Date & Time: Thursday 15 January 2026, 13:00-14:00

Online via Zoom

Involving students as partners in the assessment process helps develop assessment literacy, support student engagement, and recognises students’ agency and their being experts in their own learning. Moreover, it helps support academic integrity and universal design for learning. There are multiple ways of working in assessment partnership with your students (some of which you might be doing already!)

If you’d like to learn more, register to attend this online session. Session will be recorded and circulated afterwards.

More information about student partnership in assessment available on our webpage.

Learning through discussion, collaboration and production (Laurillard, 2012) are often some of the most impactful ways for students to co-construct knowledge. These types of learning can be leveraged in small group teaching scenarios, and can be facilitated through the pedagogically effective use of classroom technologies.

Join us at this practical lunchtime session to explore ways of creating collaboration for students in small group sessions.

Date & Time: Wednesday 21 January 2026, 13:00-14:00

Location: SPC.F119

Registration is essential. Places will be limited at this interactive and collaborative session. Please bring devices (e.g. smartphone , tablet or laptop). Note that parts of this session will be recorded using a 360 degree camera.

As this is our final newsletter of 2025, we wish you all a restful and enjoyable break. To those who celebrate, may you have a very happy Christmas.

Thank you for your engagement and partnership with the TEU over the past year, and we look forward to working with you again in a new and bright new year.

Submit a request at DCU Help for Loop queries
More complex query or prefer to chat? Join a Loop drop in clinic
Find comprehensive resources on our Loop Staff Support Page - enrolment key is 'staff'
 

For advice on teaching practice, including on the use of technology, email teaching.enhancement@dcu.ie
Request a workshop or extended consultation

Stay in the loop Professional and technical staff - Join Group to stay informed on TEU activities, including Loop communications and professional development opportunities.