GMIT launches new MA in Teaching and Learning (Level 9)

GMIT is pleased to announce an innovative new Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MA in T&L), commencing September 2017 at the Galway campus. The new Level 9 programme is designed for applicants who would like to gain a formal qualification in this discipline (in Higher Education) and for those who wish to develop and enrich their teaching and learning practices in the context of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The MA in Teaching & Learning involves a three-step process from a Certificate in Teaching and Learning, to a Diploma in Teaching and Learning, to an MA Thesis in Education Science. Applications are made directly to GMIT (details below).

Speaking at the launch of the new programme, GMIT President, Dr Fergal Barry, paid tribute to staff involved in designing the programme: “This new Masters programme grew organically from the needs of GMIT staff, and was developed by Dr Carina Ginty, GMIT Teaching & Learning Officer, and Dr Pauline Logue, Programme Chair and recipient of the GMIT President’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2014).”

“It is a current and progressive programme that is built on best practice internationally, involving collaboration with universities in Finland, informing programme design and exploring joint assessment opportunities for our students. I believe there will be opportunities in the longer term to increase the number of international students studying in GMIT due to the online learning focus of this MA, supported by summer residential programmes.”

Dr Carina Ginty, GMIT Teaching and Learning Officer, says: “The defining features of the programme are flexibility, learner choice, blended and e-learning, problem-based learning, collaboration with wider HE partners nationally and internationally and teaching in technical fields of study within the sector and beyond”. She adds that “this postgraduate programme will appeal to educators in the fields of adult, vocational and technical education, whether they are based regionally, national or internationally. There are a range of exit awards embedded in the MA programme, allowing learners to start and stop and re-join the programme at any stage. This model is very attractive to professional teachers, enabling them to balance their teaching loads and study commitments effectively”.

The MA in T&L Programme Board Chairperson, Dr Pauline Logue, recipient of the GMIT President’s Award for Teaching Excellence 2014, says: “This innovative and flexible MA in Teaching and Learning programme offers exciting opportunities for GMIT staff and external candidates to become creative and innovative educators, competent and skilled in student-centred learning techniques. It is an important springboard for the establishment of a vibrant community of professional learners sharing innovative teaching and learning practices, by means of regular practitioner showcases, in GMIT and beyond."

Other than the Teaching and Learning Officer and Programme Chairperson, the MA in T&L Programme Board is currently comprised of Mr Gerry O’Neill (Head of Humanities and Languages) and staff members Irene Hayden (Acting programme Secretary), Barry McMillan, Kevin Maye, Kate Dunne and Annette Cosgrove.

Michael Hannon VP for Academic Affairs and Registrar, says: “This programme demonstrates GMIT’s commitment to supporting our own staff in the first instance and highlights the importance we attach to the professional development of our lecturers. Fundamentally we are a teaching institution and this new Masters programme will provide further evidence of ensuring that our teaching is informed by research leading to the best possible student learning experience.”

For more information on this course, including how to apply, see:

https://www.gmit.ie/teaching-and-learning/master-arts-teaching-and-lear…