• Institutional Co-ordinator: Morag Munro, Learning Innovation Unit

Educational Renewable Energy Computer Game/Simulator

The aim of this project is to develop a web-based server-side computer game, the goal of which is to assist in the teaching of DCU’s sustainability theme, providing education on sustainability issues and environmental technologies and research. The end goal for the gamer/student is to create a virtual country (Ireland initially) which is powered only by sustainable energy. To accomplish this they must understand the basic technologies and how and where they can be applied, return on investment, social and environmental impact, grid connection difficulties etc. The game will be visually appealing and objective based, requiring the player to learn in order to progress to higher levels where new technologies open up to keep their interest. In-game tutorials will make learning an inherent part of the game without taking away from the fun aspect. Players can compete against each other or work in groups to find the best strategies for making their virtual Ireland as sustainable as possible. The game will use real world data to compute estimated energy generation from user selected locations on a map of Ireland, taking into account actual wind speed, solar intensity and electricity demand etc. In this respect, the game may also be considered a real-world simulator/calculator in a unique, easy to use and fun package, suitable for all age groups and levels of experience.

“Should I think differently at third level?” A suite of critical reflection resources

This project concentrates on the importance of promoting reflective practice through journal writing at university level and will involve the development of a suite of resources that will enable students to develop on their skills in critical reflection. Although the importance of reflecting on what you are doing, as part of the learning process, has been emphasised by lecturers, there is sometimes a reluctance from students to engage in reflective journal writing. The purpose of this project is to highlight the benefits of using reflective online journals for both lecturers and students alike. The project aims to record the narratives of learning from undergraduate and postgraduate students (past and present) who kept an online journals throughout the course of their study. The production of a documentary style video will show how learning is an individual process, and how students can be supported to make sense of their own learning while connecting with relevant theory. The use of reflective online journals through Moodle allows the lecturer to engage with students as they grapple with concerns, ideas and new insights. It supports the learning process and enables the student to take responsibility for their own learning

This project will involve the development of flexible interactive and reusable learning materials for DCU’s taught M.Sc. in Biomedical Diagnostics. These modules will include the Introductory module (BDI501), Principles of Diagnostic Technology (BE513) and Issues in Contemporary Science (BE512). For BDI501 and BE513, multiple short 5 - 7 minute lectures with simple, visual animations to explain the lecture material will be designed.

DCU’s 2009/10 NDLR allocation was mainly used to augment DCU’s 2009/2010 Learning Innovation Project scheme.

 Online interactive learning tools for Mechanics

The aim of this project is to develop a set of web-based interactive tools to aid learning for first and second year engineering students in modules which currently have significant failure rates.  One approach that will be used is to present core material through the use of questions, e.g. “How does a yacht sail into the wind?” Such material is available at present but the explanations are often poorly presented in terms of advancing the understanding of mechanics concepts and techniques.

It can be frustrating for students when they try a question and get it wrong. Was it a calculation error or a more fundamental mistake? Pen and paper exercises do not encourage them to find where and why they went wrong. Sample problems will be developed with software presenting the answer visually using video or simulation. Interactive questions and answers will encourage the students to go back over the steps involved and find where they went wrong. Interactive simulations will allow the students to explore the complex relationships involved at their own pace.

Business planning and modeling screencasts

In addition to the above, 42 video/screen-casts in AVI format have been developed and have been uploaded to the repository. Topics are from Business Modeling and Planning from an undergraduate degree level module in Management Science on the BSc. in Information Technology by Distance Education, Oscail, DCU.