Dr Fionnuala Brennan

Learning and Teaching Philosophy

My learning and teaching philosophy is active and learner-centred. I strive for partnership with learner groups, co-creating knowledge through module design, assessment and feedback.  I work towards aligning each learning experience with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Restorative Practice (RP).  In line with UDL, I aim to empower students to make connections between content and their own interests, for example integrating the BA Music Christmas concert into the content and assessment of the Arts Management module.  I offer students learning resources in multiple means, for example recording audio versions of key texts, and allow students choice in how they demonstrate their knowledge and skill, for example reflective portfolios or role play recordings as assessment.  Above all in line with RP, I commit time and energy to creating a welcoming learning climate where learners feel valued and supported, through opening and closing circles, group work, discussion and interactive tools.

Undergraduate

I began teaching in WIT on the BA Music, BA Design Communication and BA Visual Art,.  I developed and delivered modules to enable students plan for sustainable creative careers.  Following the success of these modules I was invited to develop and deliver career development modules on the BA Arts and on Government funded Springboard+ programmes in the Department of Computing and Mathematics. 

Postgraduate

I was a member of the development and delivery team, and work placement co-ordinator on the MA in Arts & Heritage Management from 2008 to 2016.  Through that time, I supervised both dissertations and work placements, developing successful relationships with over fifty external agencies regionally and nationally.  Following completion of the WIT level 9 Research Supervisory Skills module in 2011, I was invited to re-develop the module in blended learning mode.  Through collaboration with colleagues in the Schools of Education and Business I co-designed and co-delivered this module for colleagues from across the institute.  Following completion of the National Forum online digital badge PACT, Getting Started with Professional Development in 2019, I was invited to co-deliver the badge for the National Forum in 2020.  Again, following completion of the National Forum’s online digital badge Universal Design for Learning in 2020, I was invited to act as local facilitator for badge delivery in 2021.

Programme Leadership

As programme lead I aim to support and enable students and colleagues in their learning and teaching, through sharing of experience, and seeking feedback.    In 2014, on the MA in Arts & Heritage Management, I led the programme team through a redesign process integrating graduate and student input.  In 2015, I won highly competitive funding of 100K as part of the government initiative Springboard+ to offer twenty free places on the MA.  On the HCCC I act as academic liaison between WIT and the Irish Prison Service (IPS), meeting organisational needs, through relationship and programme development, e.g. organising prison visits for new members of staff, and integrating restorative principles and content in line with IPS strategy. In 2019 I won competitive funding of €41.5K for programme development under the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

OVERVIEW

Programme Leader, Higher Certificate in Custodial Care, 2021 to present

Blended learning development & delivery

Learning to Learn                                      Level 6                                 2017 - 2021

Workplace Reflective Practice Project       Level 6                                 2020 – 2021

Digital Badge Facilitation

Getting Started with Professional Development, October – December 2020 module delivery

Universal Design in Teaching & Learning, October to December 2021 peer facilitation

Programme Leader, MA in Arts & Heritage Management, 2014 to 2018

Work-placement Co-ordinator,                  2008 - 2016

Professional Development & Research      2008 - 2016

Public Policy                                               2008 - 2016

Minor dissertation supervision                   2008 - 2016

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Module delivery

Arts Management                                     Level 8                              2006 - 2018

Resourcing Theatre                                   Level 8                              2014 - 2018

Design Research Skills                              Level 8                               2006 - 2017

Research Supervisory Skills                       Level 9 (Blended)              2014 - 2015

Career Development Modules                  Levels 6, 7 & 8                  2013 - 2016

Writing & Study Skills                                Level 8                              2006 - 2012

BA Design Communication, First Year Tutor, 2017 

Minor dissertation supervision for students on BA (Hons) in Visual Art, BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communication) 2008 – 2015

My research is focused on student experience in higher education.  Areas of interest include assessment and feedback practice, and the mature student experience.

Recent research presentations and publications:

Marder, I., Murphy, A., Rooney, P., Brennan, F., Hogan, C. (2024)  'Training new prison officers in restorative practices: The Irish experience.' Prison Service Journal.  Available at: https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/publications/psj/prison-service-journal-273 (Accessed 24th September 2024)

Brennan, F., Singh, N. (2023) Dialogue Pair on Restorative Circles in Higher Education to Promote Inclusive Learning Spaces.  Interviewed by Nina Singh, Equitas - EDI in Higher Education Conference.  25 May, South East Technological University, Waterford.

Brennan, F. (2023) Using Restorative Circles in Prison Officer Education. [Poster] Connecting European Penitentiary Training Academies, 17 - 18 May, Irish Prison Service College, Portlaoise.

Brennan, F. (2023) Irish Prison Officer Education: Blended Approaches to Applied Learning.  Digital Inclusivity Symposium, 14 March, South East Technological University, Waterford.

Brennan, F., Marder, I., Rooney, P. (2023) Restorative Approaches to Plagiarism Hearings. [Poster] Quality & Qualifications Ireland, Let’s Talk About Assessment 2023: Rethinking Assessment in Higher Education, 30 January, Dublin.

Brennan, F. (2022)  Restorative Role-play as an assessment methodology: Applied Learning in Prison Officer Education.  Ireland International Conference on Education, 19 October, Dublin.

Brennan, F. (2022)  Enhancing graduate soft skills in the online classroom: Building Skills through Building Community.  14th international conference on education technology and computers, 30 October, Barcelona.

Ryan, C., Brennan, F., McNeill S. & O’Keeffe R. (2022) Prison Officer Training and Education: A Scoping Review of the Published Literature, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 33:1, 110-138, DOI: 10.1080/10511253.2021.1958881

Brennan, F. (2022) SPARC: Student Partnership and Raising Capacity, [Recorded Online Presentation] South East Research Sparks – The Third, Waterford Institute of Technology. Available at https://wit.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/WITStaffHub/EVZEFYO11ZlIqbzO9rsGFqUBMGFPBoXA-OYbHuMScsTpjQ?e=L3kdKe (Accessed 19 April 2022)

Walshe M, Bartholin, F. & Brennan, F. (2022) SPARC, A Patchwork of Innovative Feedback Practices, [Recorded Online Presentation] Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, Community of Practice, Waterford Institute of Technology. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_DTkpwpF7E (Accessed 25 April 2022)

Brennan, F., O'Keeffe, R. (2021) Stronger: A Review. Restorative Justice, Strategies for Change. 22nd October 2021 [blog] Available at: https://restorativejustice.ie/2021/10/22/stronger-review-by-dr-fionnuala-brennan-and-raphael-okeefe/

Brennan, F. (2021) Building Trust Online, [Recorded Online Presentation] Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, Community of Practice: The Collective: Reimagined, Waterford Institute of Technology.

Brennan, F. From online emoji to the classroom, a pedagogy of Restorative Practice in Irish Learning Technology Association (2021) Proceedings of the Ed Tech conference. https://ilta.ie/edtech2021/

Brennan, F.,  O'Keeffe, R., Ryan, C. Every Contact Counts - Prison Officer Education in Ireland. In: Brown, M., Nic Giolla Mhichil, M., Beirne, E., & Costello, E. (eds.) (2020). Proceedings of the 2019 ICDE World Conference on Online Learning, Volume 1, Dublin City University, Dublin. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3804014

https://wcol2019.ie/wp-content/uploads/presentations/FP_085,%20BRENNAN.pdf

Brennan, F. Working & Learning Lives, Springboard Student Experiences, Doctoral Research Colloquium, Dublin City University, Dublin, June 23, 2018, Dublin.

Brennan, F. Online Journals, Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, Community of Practice: The Collective : Exchange, June 13, 2018, Waterford Institute of Technology.

Brennan, F., O'Keeffe, R. Developing Reflective Prison Officers in Irish Learning Technology Association (2018) Proceedings of EdTech Conference, May 31 – June 1, 2018, Institute of Technology Carlow.

Other presentations:

'Accessing Public Funding', Waterford Arts Forum, March 21, 2018, Soma Gallery Waterford.

Doctoral research:

In November 2017 I graduated with a Doctorate in Education from Dublin City University.

The thesis title is 'Working and learning lives, Springboard student perspectives' and is a phenomenological study of the student experience of undertaking work placement on Springboard Information and Communication conversion programmes 2012 - 2016.  My doctoral supervisor was Dr. Gerry McNamara.

2006-Present: Lecturer in Humanities, South East Technological University.

In addition to my role as a lecturer, programme leader and work placement co-ordinator I have undertaken the following as a member of staff at SETU:

• Member of Taught Programmes Committee Academic Council, 2024
• Member of Student Experience Working Group for SETU Strategic Plan, 2022
• Member of School of Humanities Teaching & Learning Comittee, 2018 to present
• Member of Academic Council subcommittee of Teaching & Learning, 2020 - 2021
• Member of Department of Creative & Performing Arts Ethics Committee, 2016 - 2019
• Member of Academic Council and Academic Quality Committee, 2014 to 2017
• Workshop leader for Writing Skills workshop for Humanities Postgraduate Researchers, 2015
• Workshop leader for Springboard placement preparation workshop 2014, 2015
• Workshop leader for MA in Arts & Heritage Research Support Day annually, 2014 - 2018
• Seminar facilitator for dissertation writing skills for final year BA (Hons) Visual Art students.

2016 to 2018: Member of National Expert Group on Assessment, National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning

2015 to 2017 Board member, A Little Room, Theatre Development Centre, Waterford

2011 - 2013: Festival Co-ordinator, Waterford New Music Week, WIT

2004 – 2008: Arts Manager, Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford.

2002-2003: College teacher, School of Media, Coláiste Dulaigh VEC, Dublin.

1995 – 2001: Various roles in Cultural Sector including:

Project Manager for Millennium Festivals, a joint Arts Council & Fáilte Ireland funding and programming events at eight festivals nationwide including Waterford Spraoi, Belfast Festival at Queen’s, Galway Arts Festival, 1998 – 2001.

Production Manager, Bloodstone Theatre Company, Dancing at Lughnasa, Galway Arts Festival 1998

Stage Manager, Touring Production Administrator, Riverdance, US, Canada & Australia 1996 - 1998

Freelance Arts Administrator, roles with Galway Arts Festival, Dublin Theatre Festival & Gate Theatre 1995 - 1996

2023: Awarded €5,000 in NTUTORR funding to co-create an online template design with students on the Higher Certificate in Custodial Care 2023 - 2024.

2021: Awarded €60,000 in SATLE funding from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning for the SPARC project, a collaboration between the School of Humanities, School of Education & Lifelong Learning and School of Engineering 2021 - 2022.

2021: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in October 2021, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Professor Mick Healey, 'Engaging students through student-staff partnership'.   

2021: Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, Waterford Institute of Technology.

2020: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in September 2020, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Karen Buckley and Lorraine Gallagher, 'An Introduction to Universal Design for Learning'.   

2019: Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, Waterford Institute of Technology 

2019: Awarded €41,500 from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, for programme enhancement on the Higher Certificate in Custodial Care.

2018: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in May 2019, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Professor Naomi Winstone, 'Developing Engagement with Feedback'. 

2018: Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, Waterford Institute of Technology 

2016: Awarded €1,000 to co-run a Professional Development event in May 2017, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, together with the WIT's centre for Student Life & Learning, facilitated by Professor Liz Thomas of the What Work's initiative, on the topic of assessment and its role in retention.

2015: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in February 2016 under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Professor Carol Evans, on the topic of Enhancing Assessment Feedback for Learning.

2015: Secured €100,000 through the Springboard+ initiative for the MA in Arts & Heritage Management 

2014: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning.  The event ‘Great Expectations’ facilitated by Professor Margaret Topping, Dean of Graduate Studies at Queen's University Belfast, looked at how we support graduates in the transition to the workplace.  This ran in June 2015 and was aimed at staff working in the Humanities.

2012: Member of research group awarded National Digital Learning Resources (NDLR) Learning Innovation Project funding for eLearning project (2012).  Co-facilitated a WIT Teaching & Learning Seminar entitled ‘Add an Activity’ in April 2013 to disseminate the results of this project.

2023: Awarded €5,000 in NTUTORR funding to co-create an online template design with students on the Higher Certificate in Custodial Care 2023 - 2024.

2021: Awarded €60,000 in SATLE funding from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning for the SPARC project, a collaboration between the School of Humanities, School of Education & Lifelong Learning and School of Engineering 2021 - 2022.

2021: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in October 2021, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Professor Mick Healey, 'Engaging students through student-staff partnership'.   

2021: Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, Waterford Institute of Technology.

2020: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in September 2020, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Karen Buckley and Lorraine Gallagher, 'An Introduction to Universal Design for Learning'.   

2019: Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, Waterford Institute of Technology 

2019: Awarded €41,500 from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, for programme enhancement on the Higher Certificate in Custodial Care.

2018: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in May 2019, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Professor Naomi Winstone, 'Developing Engagement with Feedback'. 

2018: Teaching Excellence Award Nomination, Waterford Institute of Technology 

2016: Awarded €1,000 to co-run a Professional Development event in May 2017, under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, together with the WIT's centre for Student Life & Learning, facilitated by Professor Liz Thomas of the What Work's initiative, on the topic of assessment and its role in retention.

2015: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event in February 2016 under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series, facilitated by Professor Carol Evans, on the topic of Enhancing Assessment Feedback for Learning.

2015: Secured €100,000 through the Springboard+ initiative for the MA in Arts & Heritage Management 

2014: Awarded €1,000 to run a Professional Development event under the National Forum for Teaching and Learning.  The event ‘Great Expectations’ facilitated by Professor Margaret Topping, Dean of Graduate Studies at Queen's University Belfast, looked at how we support graduates in the transition to the workplace.  This ran in June 2015 and was aimed at staff working in the Humanities.

2012: Member of research group awarded National Digital Learning Resources (NDLR) Learning Innovation Project funding for eLearning project (2012).  Co-facilitated a WIT Teaching & Learning Seminar entitled ‘Add an Activity’ in April 2013 to disseminate the results of this project.