Higher Education Award 2009 winner

Claire McDonnell
Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland

Awarded for the way her numerous teaching and learning developments in relation to tutorials, virtual learning and context based learning have encouraged and supported students to greater enthusiasm and success.

About the winner

Claire Mc Donnell obtained her PhD from University College Dublin and carried out postdoctoral research at Trinity College Dublin. She then worked in the pharmaceutical industry for several years before joining Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) as a lecturer in Organic Chemistry in 2000. 

The provision of effective learning support for first year students was the first major project she became involved in at DIT in collaboration with a colleague, Dr Christine O'Connor. The measures introduced were shown to significantly improve student confidence and progression rates.

Claire has instigated or contributed to a number of other teaching initiatives including the development of both contextualised and project-based learning laboratory practicals.

This work was undertaken along with her colleagues in the DIT Chemistry Education Research Team and with Dr Sarah Cresswell (Strathclyde University) and Prof Simon Belt (University of Plymouth). Funding was awarded from the HE Academy Physical Sciences Centre and the RSC Chemistry for Our Future programme.

Another initiative was the introduction of community-based learning assignments involving interaction with local secondary schools and organisations. Examples include organising RSC Chemistry at Work events in 2007 and 2008 as well as alcohol analysis of breath and urine samples from student volunteers as part of a road safety awareness campaign. 

The underlying aims of Claire's work are to support, motivate and engage learners and to evaluate changes implemented and modify them as necessary. Collaboration with her colleagues and peers and DIT Learning Teaching and Technology Centre has proven invaluable in this regard.