1. An Introduction to the Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching Dr. Iain Mac Labhrainn, CELT September 2 nd, 2008

2. Introduction  Who are we?  What do we do?  Why does a University need such a centre?

3. Disclaimer We have nothing to do with the 74 Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) in the UK Higher Education system. We recognise that for many people in academia ‘Excellence’ is a loaded, contentious term and it is one that we inherited, rather than selected and should not imply any alignment or endorsement of the neo-liberal, managerialist educational paradigm, attempts to commodify education as purely a private good, nor any compulsive obsession with performativity, metrics, league tables or other such paraphernalia.

4. Basically…. We are just really interested in ensuring that staff and students alike get as much personal intellectual reward and satisfaction out of the university experience and that we aim to do our best in terms of nurturing new generations of learners, scholars and citizens.

5. Range of activities & responsibilities Academic Staff Development Learning Technologies Blackboard, video, etc Audiovisual Services Language Laboratories Civic Engagement Teaching & Learning Issues, Policy Higher Education Research

6. Activities  Specification, installation, maintenance and development of range of AV systems and learning technologies.  Seminars, workshops and training events – list on website  Annual Conference in early June  PgCert in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education  PgDip/MA in Academic Practice  Advice and Support to individual academic staff, Schools, Colleges and the institution  Undertake Research in HE Policy and Practice

7. Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy 2009-2011

8. Blackboard blackboard.nuigalway.ie

9. Video/Audio Recording Studio

10. Multimedia Language Laboratories

11. Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching (CELT) Bernie Henchy (Admin Asst) ext 2924 bernadette.henchy@nuigalway.ie

13. Further information  Learning Technologies: learntechgalway.blogspot.com  Higher Education: ollscoil.blogspot.com  Main website: www.nuigalway.ie/celt  Civic Engagement & Volunteering: www.nuigalway.ie/cki  AV audiovisual@nuigalway.ie ext 2173  Studio studio@nuigalway.iestudio@nuigalway.ie  Blackboard blackboard@nuigalway.ie iain.maclaren@nuigalway.ie