Research and Publications
AMA members have produced a number of conference papers, research reports, book reviews and publications. Below you will find abstracts of these papers, (sorted by date the most recent is first) for you to browse. If you would like more information or a copy of the publication then please email the "contact" for the particular publication(s).
If you are a staff member at a Higher Education Institute and have published or produced a document that you wish to feature here then please log in (link at the top below the search box) for access to the publishing form. If you are not currently registered with the site and would like to do so then please contact the webmaster.
Book review for Widening Participaton & Lifelong Learning Jounal
ISBN: 1 466-6529
Review of Low-income students and the perpetuation of inequality: higher education in America by Gary A. Berg, 2010 Farnham: Ashgate
Published in above journal Vol 13 No 1 April 2011
Copies of the journal are available online at: www.open.ac.uk/wpll-journal
Published by: Lennon, Nuala (Access Service, SLL) | Waterford Institue of TechnologyAddress: Cork Road, Waterford
Tel: 00 353 51 302762
Email: nlennon@wit.ie
Supporting Students with Disabilities to utilize Assistive Technology (AT) in their Learning
ISBN: N/A
Students with disabilities account for 4% percent of the national student undergraduate population in the Irish Higher Education Sector (AHEAD, 2010). Assistive Technologies (AT) have proven beneficial in supporting students with disabilities to engage and complete their learning activities and overcome challenges related to their disabilities in an educational environment (Craddock, 2004). The range of technology, associated functionality and access to software and devices has dramatically improved over the past number of years.
However, it is not enough to simply supply a device and this is confirmed by Martin and McCormack (1999) who indicate that 53% of all users of AT abandon their technology, with “lack of support” being cited by over 60% of all users as the primary reason for the abandonment. The Disability Office in Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) is heavily focused on providing access to assistive technologies but also on supporting students in its effective usage recognizing that the assessment of need, training and ongoing support are critical to the successful adoption and use of AT. The paper reflects on the experiences of the WIT Disability Office in integrating AT into everyday learning activities of students with disabilities resulting in a positive impact on teaching, learning and student achievement. The author also looks forward at the new challenges and opportunities of integrating AT into general education curriculum.
Address: Cork Road, Waterford
Tel: 00 353 51 845516
Email: mapower@wit.ie
‘Promoting access to HE and identifying access students: how useful .....?
ISBN: 0962-0214
Research conducted by Patrick Clancy and by Fitzpatrick Associates and Philip O’Connell on the level of representation of socio-economic groups amongst higher education entrants has been a key element in the development of access policy and practice in Ireland. This article reviews the context for the development of access and explores the relationship between this research and access policy and practice. The research dominated access discourses and it is suggested that a risk of a reliance on such research is that it is seen as unproblematic and that categorical approaches are viewed as the only approach with which to conceptualise the relationship between disadvantage, social class and access to higher education.
Published by: Bernard, Julie (Access Office) | Dublin Institute Of TechnologyAddress: 143 149 Rathmines Road, Dublin 6
Tel: 00 353 1 4023000
Email: julie.bernard@dit.ie
The Power in Numbers 1997 - 2007
ISBN:
This publication celebrates 10 years of innovative, collaborative practice in Higher Education Access Programmes. It gives examples of a wide variety of programmes being run by Access Offices across Higher Education Institutions in Ireland.
It suggests some guidelines for developing and implementing best practice in relation to accessing Higher Education.
Published by: AMA Collaborative Access Working Group 2006-7 (AMA) | Access Made AccessibleAddress: The Chair, Access Made Accessible, Access Office, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Port Road, Letterkenny, County Donegal
Tel: 00 353 7409 186000
Email: Brian.McGonigle@lyit.ie
Work Based Learning Partnership: A match made in Heaven?
ISBN:
The objective of this paper is to identify the critical success factors for a Work Based Learning (WBL) partnership between a Higher Education (HE) provider and an employer and to make recommendations for successful WBL partnerships. A WBL partnership involves a programme of learning which is jointly developed and delivered by an employer and a HE provider. An increasing number of employers now recognise the importance of investing in their employees’ development and are turning to HE providers to deliver the appropriate learning. In order to ensure a successful WBL programme, it is extremely important that there is a good partnership between the HE provider and the employer. Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) has acquired significant experience in developing WBL partnerships with local and national employers. This paper reports on findings from a series of depth interviews with experienced WBL practitioners from both industry and HE. The findings from this research will contribute to the debate on how HE providers can engage in successful partnerships with industry to offer innovative WBL programmes.
Published by: Oran Doherty & Billy Bennett (School of Business, ) | Letterkenny Institute of Technology.Address: Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Tel: 00 353 7409186000
Email: oran.doherty@lyit.ie & william.bennett@lyit.ie
Access Agenda for Action
ISBN: N/A
This paper looks at the issues surrounding widening participation in the context of the establishment of the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education. It examines the role of Access Officers and the needs of under represented groups in higher education and seeks to identify the way forward for access.
Published by: Rose Ryan Nuala Lennon, Patricia Byrne, Ann O’Brien, Maeve O’Byrne (C/O Access Office NUIM) | AMAAddress: MAP Lodge, North Campus, NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Tel: 353-17086025
Email: ann.obrien@nuim.ie
KITE: steps towards facilitating meangingful community engagement
ISBN: n/a
Kildare Into Tertiary Education (KITE0 is a collobrative project between NUI Maynooth Access Programme(MAP),Carlow IT,9 DEIS Kildare schools and the Kildare Community Partnership.KITE aims to encourage educational engagement and progression among young people and mature students in Kildare.It is the collaborative element that is fundamental to the success of KITE: however collaboration is one of the programmes main challenges.Since its establishment KITE has nagivated through some of the challenges that face collaborative programmes such as different stackholder expectations and institutional resistance.This paper will address how facilitating meaningful community engagement is one of the key difficulties that face the future of teh KITE programme
Published by: Martha Brandes (Access Office) | NUI MaynoothAddress: MAP Lodge, North Campus, NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Tel: 353-1-7086614
Email: Martha.brandes@nuim.ie
At cross purposes. How a mismatch of expectation hampers school-university collaboration
ISBN: ISBN 978-80-210-4717-4.
This paper describes a school-university project devised by the Access Office within the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) involving the introduction of assistive technology for students with disabilities into local secondary schools. The rationale for the initiative is identified, the sequence of events that occurred over 18 months is traced, and finally attempts to understand why the project was not as successful as hoped for are explored.
NUIM’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for others engaged in school-university collaborations.
Address: MAP Lodge, North Campus,NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Tel: 353 1 7086025
Email: access.office@nuim.ie
Tackling Educational Disadvantage to Higher Education in Ireland:
ISBN:
This paper traces the development of widening participation policy and practice in Ireland. It looks at the initiatives deveoloped in the higher education sector to engage with schools and communities to promote higher education as a realistic option for under-represented school-leavers.
It raises the question of the choices now facing practioneers in the field. Access Officers have the potential to prompt discourse, however this must be welcomed and engaged with from top management for it to succeed and move forward.
It raises the question whether the access agenda will continue to be pushed or whether the pull of the social justice ideal will translate into a real inclusive higher education system!
Address: MAP Lodge, North Campus, NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Tel: 353-1-7084519
Email: Ann.obrien@nuim.ie
A Review of Dyslexia Screening Tools at LyIT
ISBN:
This research project aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the dyslexia screening tools which are adopted at Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) over a long period of time namely:
• QuickScan
• Follow-up tests which include
(1) Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening (LADS), and
(2) Dyslexia Adult Screening Test (DAST)
• StatScan
This report will give a reasoned evaluation of a variety of aspects of the tests, such as efficiency, success and accuracy based on StatScan and other data produced at LYIT. It will look at various trends such as pathways of study which students with dyslexia most frequently pursue, and how students taking the tests tend to progress in their chosen fields. Finally, it will divulge any other facts/findings which might arguably impact upon the varying levels of learning disabilities which are on record at LYIT currently.
Address: Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Tel: 00 353 074-9186000
Email: brian.mcgonagle@lyit.ie
Gateway to sUCCess: the destination of UCC PLUS+ Graduates
ISBN:
This report examines the success of the UCC PLUS+ programme in supporting young adults
from disadvantaged backgrounds and granting them access to the graduate workforce in
Ireland. The career pathways and destinations of graduates from 2001-2008 are explored
and compared to the success of the mainstream student population. A questionnaire was
distributed to 312 UCC PLUS+ graduates of which 146 responses were received in order to
extract this information. It is on the basis of these responses that the report was written.
Address: 1 & 2 Brighton Villas, Western Road, University College Cork
Tel: 00353 21 490 3678
Email: o.byrne@ucc.ie
What Happened Next? The Employment and Further Study Experiences of Trinity Graduates of TAP 02-08
ISBN:
A longitudinal research study which explores the employment and further study experiences of Trinity Access Programme Graduates. The research provides biographical information of its graduates, their Higher Education profile, employment profile and attainment of further qualifications. The report also contains recommendations for programme development.
Published by: Ms Carmel Carroll, Dr. Lisa Coady, Ms. Cliona Hannon, Dr Michelle Share, Ms Orlaith Tunney, Dr Marguerite Woods (Office of the Vice Provost, Trinity College) | Trinity Access Programmes, Trinity CollegeAddress: Goldsmith Hall, Trinity College, Dublin 2
Tel: 01- 8962751 (Main Office)
Email: sflood@tcd.ie (TAP Senior EO)
Report on Adult Guidance in the Sligo/Leitrim Region March 1998
ISBN:
This report was commissioned by County Sligo VEC and funded by the Department of Enterprise & Employment/Peace & Reconcilation
This report presents athe findings from a study commissioned to assess the feasibiity of setting up an adult guidance service serving the Sligo/Leitrim region.
The terms of reference for the study were:
1. To increase awareness and an understanding of the guidance process among key providers within the Sligo/Leitrim region.
2. To establish the nature and extent of guidance provision currenlty available to adult learners in the Sligo/Leitrim regions
3. To recommend a suitable model of adult guidance with could be piloted in the Slgio/Letirim region
Address: Cork Road, Waterford
Tel: 0035351873663
Email: nlennon@wit.ie
“Post Leaving Certificate Courses - AnAlternative for who?”
ISBN:
This paper was presented at Educational Studies Association of Ireland Conference, Galway, 20 - 22 March, 1997 (Published ESAI journal 1998)
This paper is based on a case study of 1994/95first year Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) students attending Dun Laoghaire Institute of Further Education. The sample population was 678 students. The number of actual respondents was 443, giving a response rate of 65%.
The paper outlines the socio-economic background of a ‘typical’ student enrollled in the PLC courses run by hte Dun Laoghaire Institute of Further Education. It examines the influence of an individual’s socio-economic status on their patterns of participation in PLC education. The patterns of participation which emerged from the survey, tended to be similar to those found in Higher Education, thus indicating that PLC education, is to a large extent replicating the inequities found in other forms of tertiary education.
Undoubtedly, PLC education is seen as an alternative form of tertiary education, however the results of this survey beg the question of an alternative form of tertiary education for whom and to what end? This paper suggests that PLC education, if developed within the proposed Further Education sector, could become a ‘real alternative’ whereby marginalized groups would increase their access to and participation in tertiary education in the Republic of Ireland.
Address: Cork Road, Waterford
Tel: 0035351302762
Email: nlennon@wit.it
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