TEU Update 21 August 2025
Featured this week
- Important updates in relation to Turnitin Similarity
- "See yourself at" Conference Support
- Interactive Oral Assessment CoP resumes
- Portfolio Assessment with Loop Reflect
- Loop Introductory Sessions
- Students as Partners in Assessment
- Curriculum Development & Learning Design Workshops
-
Where to Find Help and Support
Take action to ensure text matching is enabled on Loop
Following the migration to Turnitin Similarity, all lecturers MUST ensure their Loop Assignments are configured correctly to enable text-matching of students’ written submissions.
The best way to do this is to create new Loop Assignments from scratch on your Loop pages. Do not import or re-use old Loop Assignment activities. All newly-created Loop Assignment activities will have the correct Turnitin Similarity settings enabled.
If you already have Loop Assignments set up with due dates post 1 September, navigate to the Assignment settings, expand the Turnitin Similarity text matching section, and ensure the following options are enabled:
You can also access a quick guide to switching your text-matching settings, and full documentation is also available on the Loop Staff Support Page.
Turnitin Similarity training sessions
To support staff in the migration to Turnitin Similarity, the following online training sessions are available. To register, select the link below for the session aimed at your cohort. If you cannot make it, please also feel free to sign up as the session will be recorded, and the recording will be shared afterwards.
- Session for all programme chairs: Wednesday 27 August 14:00-15:00
- Session for staff in Institute of Education and Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences: Monday 1 September 2025, 11:00-12:00
- Session for staff in DCU Business School, Faculty of Engineering & Computing and Faculty of Science & Health: Wednesday 3 September, 2025, 10:00-11:00
If you have any questions about Turnitin Similarity, please raise a ticket at DCU Help.
If you hope to present at a teaching-related conference or two over the coming academic year, now is the time to start planning to see yourself there. The TEU will be running a series of webinars to support you in getting an educational topic of interest from a possible idea in your head all the way to the conference podium. The first session kicks off with a chat about possibilities to research and share at educational conferences such as EdTech, Assessment in Higher Education, and any others that might interest you!
Date: Tuesday August 26, 2pm
Please be sure to register for this online session.
The Interactive Oral Community of Practice sessions will resume next Wednesday, August 27th, 2025 from 10 am to 11 am online via Zoom.
The Teaching Enhancement Unit facilitates an Interactive Oral Community of Practice (IO CoP) There is a body of evidence-based research to show that interactive orals are an authentic assessment approach that effectively helps students develop graduate attributes and promotes academic integrity. This CoP meets on a weekly basis every Wednesday from 10 am to 11 am. Colleagues who may be interested in joining the IO Community of Practice, please contact Lily (lily.girme@dcu.ie) to be added to the CoP list.
These sessions—aimed at teaching staff as well as those who want a quick refresher on the essentials of our Loop digital learning environment—continue over the next fortnight. Register to attend one using the relevant link below.
Friday 29 August 2025. 13:00-13:30
Friday 5 September 2025, 11:00-11:30
Are you interested in using ePortfolios in your teaching? Join our upcoming online session focused on using ePortfolios and Loop Reflect (DCU’s ePortfolio platform) to support learning, reflection, and assessment. Whether you are new to ePortfolios or looking to deepen your understanding of how they support student growth and showcase learning over time, this session will provide practical insights and hands-on guidance. We will explore the features of the platform, discuss best practices for integrating ePortfolios into your teaching, and highlight how they can be used for meaningful assessment.
Date: Wednesday 3 September 2025, 11am
Please click here to register for the online session.
The Loop Attendance activity makes it easy for teachers to track student attendance at online or on campus classes. Teachers can easily mark students as present or absent, or enable self-recording so students can mark themselves as present, using a password or scanning a QR code. This is particularly efficient in large classes.
Register to attend this online session to learn more about using Loop Attendance via the link below.
Monday 1 September 2025, 15:00-16:00
If you cannot attend at this time, register anyway to receive the recording afterwards. Learn more about the Loop Attendance activity in this Loop Staff Support page resource.
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 and potentially pilot some approaches with your students this academic year, register via the link below to attend an online session.
Thursday 4th September 2025, 11:00-12:00
If you cannot attend at this time, register anyway to receive the recording afterwards.
Please register for the session.
Join Dr Maeve O’Dwyer, Academic Developer, for a series of interactive workshops introducing key aspects of curriculum development and learning design to help support you with your reflection and planning- including an in-person curriculum refresh workshop. Sign up here to book your place, or to request additional support.
Available sessions include:
Introduction to Curriculum Design, online, 9.00-10.00, Wed 3rd September
Reviewing Learning Outcomes, online, 9.00-10.00, Wed 10th September
Curriculum Refresh Workshop, in person, 14.00-15.30, Thurs 18th September
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.
