Welcome. My name is Irene Hayden. I am a lecturer at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in the West of Ireland. I lecture on the undergraduate Architectural Technology programme at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. I have been lecturing in GMIT for fifteen years.
I am currently module leader on the Architectural Technology & Services modules in first and second year as well as module leader in the third year Environmental Building Systems module. I tutor in second year studio, third year studio and supervise fourth year technical design reports. I am a previous module leader in the 'Teaching and Learning level 9 e-Portfolio module on the GMIT MA in Teaching and Learning and continue to adjudicate as a thesis assessor at level 9 on this programme. Since 2015, I have been a candidate on the Doctoral Programme 'Higher Education: Research, Evaluation and Enhancement' at Lancaster University. My thesis is based on the concept of Visual Building Regulations. Thesis title: An investigation into the experience of online learning using a visual building regulation pedagogy and its position in the wider professional development landscape. While completing my PhD, I also completed a PG Dip in Teaching, Learning and Assessment in AIT in 2018. I am a 'Chartered Architectural Technologist' (MCIAT) since 2016, with the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and a 'Chartered Engineer' (CEng MIEI) since 2004 with Engineers Ireland (EI). Both are protected titles. I volunteer on CIAT 'Mentormatchme'. I became a chartered member of CIAT so that the BSc Hons Architectural Technology programme could attain accredited status with this relevant professional body. Accreditation in principle was received in 2019 and I was honoured to collect the award on behalf of GMIT. I continue to pursue full accreditation of our programme and alongside our full programme board, middle and senior management, welcome a virtual accreditation visit with the CIAT in early February 2021. I am PRO for the Engineers Ireland Academic Society and GMIT's only committee representative. The Engineers Ireland Academic society is a network of academic engineers and engineers in industry with an interest in teaching and learning. Our mission is to promote the professional development of academic engineers and the advancement of academic standards in engineering. Members share ideas and experiences on career development, the latest teaching and learning methods and the recognition of best practice. I presented survey findings on behalf of the academic society at a webinar in September 2020 entitled 'remote and virtual laboratories: Equipping students for hands-off learning', which is relevant during these challenging times. The committee intend to pursue research options for the capture of significant academic changes to engineering education this year as a result of the ongoing global pandemic and present research findings to an international platform such as The European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI). I am a committee member of the CIAT Republic of Ireland Centre since 2019 and a volunteer board member for the National Architectural Technologists Register. Currently, I am the only academic committee member. I supported two of our fourth year undergraduate students who subsequently attained shortlisted status for their research submissions to the international CIAT student competition in 2018. In May 2020, GMIT was recently appointed as an Affiliated Educational Institute with the International Congress on Architectural Technology, ICAT. I am GMIT representative to ICAT. This relationship will help develop and flourish our programme boards' growing international relevance and benchmark our research scholarship. We are hopeful to host an ICAT conference in GMIT in the next two years or thereabouts. I was honoured to have my research appointed as the inaugural winner of the ICAT best academic paper award in 2018, supported by Professor Stephen Emmitt on behalf of the Architectural Engineering and Design Management Journal for my research paper entitled 'An evaluation of the design and use of applied visual interactive resources for teaching building regulations in higher education built environment programmes'. This was published by Taylor and Francis in January 2019. In late 2019, I was awarded National Forum funding to develop a teaching and learning website, futurebuildeducate.ie, which was profiled at the GMIT June 2020 teaching and learning showcase. With my colleges in GMIT and contacts with my Head of Department, Mary Rogers, and I in the CIAT, EI, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) and the National Building Control Office (NBCO), we hope to develop shared teaching and learning resources initially within undergraduate cohorts across GMIT, then the CUA, then offer micro credentials with and alongside professional bodies and industry collaborators, leading towards continuing professional development qualifications in the built environment at level 9 and 10 in the area of building regulation competency. It is a wonderful feeling to work in such a collegiate environment in GMIT with really talented lectures who are experts in their fields and to be fully supported by management in new ventures such as this. I am a volunteer committee member on the micro credential and digital badge committee in GMIT. I am the School of Engineering representative on the Access and Transfer Committee, which is an Academic council sub-committee. I am a volunteer member of the GMIT Centre for Education (CED) steering group. Finally, I am honoured to be a GMIT Digital Champion in 2020 to help my colleagues in the Department of Building and Civil Engineering achieve their full potential in our new teaching and learning environment this academic year. |