MA in Education, Learning and Development

Participants explore and evaluate contemporary learning theories along with implementing practical strategies to motivate and engage learners. Participants are introduced to a range of educational, learning and development strategies, which are universally designed to support all participants. Some of these strategies involve using technology, to enhance the multiple ways of reaching and engaging learners. A comprehensive induction provides participants with an introduction to the use of technologies such as the VLE Moodle and the online meeting software. Care is taken to ensure that participants are confident using these technologies from the outset for their own learning as well as supporting them to consider these and other technologies for their own learners. This module is underpinned by an evidence-based and reflective practice approach to developing participants’ own professional practice in supporting learning. ​

Participants engage in experiential learning activities and receive and provide peer feedback. They engage in individual and group activities​.

Professionals working in the fields of education, learning and development work in a dynamic and demanding environment. This module enables participants to engage with the different forms of learning used in education and in organisational settings such as accredited and non-accredited learning.

This module aims to challenge participants’ pre-conceptions of education, learning and development in the broadest sense. It provides them with opportunities to actively engage in groups by trialling different models of learning, such as problem-based learning, project-based learning and inquiry-based learning to support them to design effective learning experiences for their own learners. 

Participants analyse underpinning theoretical concepts associated with accredited and non-accredited learning. They evaluate the current challenges associated with designing, implementing and evaluating learning in different contexts. 

Participants explore the positioning of learning opportunities within the broader context of quality assurance and policy.  

They explore and examine the drivers and interpret influences in the design of units of learning. Collaborating in groups as teams is central to this module as participants learn how to transform a group into a team within a learning context. This experience supports their practice of guiding their own learners to collaborate and learn within teams. Participants design a unit of learning which is inclusive and appropriate to a chosen context which is negotiated within their own team. 

This module engages participants in the key concepts and critical thinking to allow them to evaluate the influence and impact of learning and development on corporate and higher education strategies.  

A key objective is to provide participants with both academic research and practical industry examples and case studies to allow them to evaluate how learning and development influences operational and cultural factors, talent and succession planning, and managing change within organisations and higher education.

Another key objective is for participants to critically reflect on their own professional influencing skills and examine the range of stakeholders involved in learning and development across their professional environment.  Participants will challenge themselves to evaluate and enhance the skills required to facilitate strategic relationships through developing their internal consulting and influencing skills.

Participants are able to design effective classes for their ‘learners in a context’ informed by the main theories of learning and understanding different approaches to learner motivation. 

Participants can format classes informed by understanding the human limits of attention, perception and memory. Participants can structure lesson development through the informed application of instructional design theories.

This module provides participants with opportunities to explore the concepts and theories associated with equality, diversity and inclusion within the context of education, learning and development. Participants will carefully consider theories of inequality, reflecting on how their role as educators and learning and development professionals can remove or overcome barriers of inequality within their practice, fostering an inclusive learning environment. 

Participants are required to infer relationships among different sources in order to design an inclusive learning environment for their learners. They also engage with practical strategies that embrace the diversity of their class or group. A unique objective of this module is the use of the Sociological imagination to raise awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society. This module provides participants with an opportunity to clarify their own and others’ personal perspectives of what equality and diversity mean for society. This exploration of competing interpretations is crucial for the development of a wide lens on key issues relating to diversity in their own professional practice.

This module aims to fine-tune participants’ ability to evaluate existing research while also developing their skills to carry out research in their own fields of interest. Through exposure to existing research methodologies and research projects, participants develop their critical skills and also develop their own research ideas.

This module evaluates and develops the personal competencies and professional requirements for the learning and development professional to advance their practice. Participants assess their own personal effectiveness through assessing self and the impact of their responses on individuals and situations.  It also explores the importance of values and ethics within their own practice.  This module also supports the objective of personal development, participants reflect on the ongoing development of their own continuous learning plan.

The module provides participants with the supports to develop professional communication and influencing skills as well as applying the skills of coaching and mentoring within their own professional environment.

This module builds on a broad knowledge of learning technologies with the aim of developing confidence, skills and judgement within the participant’s own professional context. Participants are challenged to negotiate the logistics and interrogate the evidence in this rapidly evolving environment.  

Problem-solving assignments and peer learning activities encourage and enable creative application of tools and techniques. The key objective of this module is to inspire participants to test and explore the use of emergent learning technologies in a real-world context and inform understanding of the ethical, practical and policy implications within this burgeoning area of expertise.  

As the importance of human capital rises, the need for Learning and Development to deploy innovative solutions also increases. The module will empower participants to identify the root causes of a business issue and address them through collaborative, creative and innovative approaches. To address the needs of both employees and the business. There is a strong call for Learning and Development to show value, to be seen as an asset rather than a cost centre, innovation can support Learning and Development in this task.

This module is designed for potential and existing supervisors of research projects to develop in their roles supporting learners at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The main aim is to enhance the quality of the learning experience for all learners by helping to support them during their research projects. 

Participants on this module are introduced to general principles of supervision. A key objective is that the supervisor will be able to create an empowering and effective learning environment for the duration of the learner’s research project. This module facilitates the sharing of best practice in supervision in an open collegial environment. 

The aim of this module is to provide those involved in creating and maintaining a workplace learning environment and in the roles of mentoring and assessing learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies to support and facilitate a learner’s work-based learning. It aims to provide participants with the knowledge, skills and competencies to create and maintain a workplace environment which is conducive to learning.

A key objective of this module is to engage participants in a critical evaluation of the suitability of their workplace learning environment for the facilitation of work-based learning and to explore the culture and roles and responsibilities within the workplace. Participants are introduced to the breadth of theoretical underpinnings of work-based learning and assessment and will be required to critically analyse the models in use in modern workplace environments.

This module explores Data Analytics (the use of data to enable decision-making) in an industry and education context, where information can be mined, stored and tracked to enhance learning. Organisations are increasingly harnessing digital technology and machine learning and developing techniques and applications to enable learner success.  

Compliance with data protection legislation and ethical issues are key areas of consideration in the aggregation of personal learning data.  The objective of the module is to enable participants to analyse the strategies, systems, policies and best practice within this rapidly growing landscape and gain practical knowledge and understanding of Learning Analytics (LA) using hypothetical and real-world scenarios.

This module enables participants to become more effective practitioners by further enhancing their investigative and critical thinking skills while developing their expertise by completing a major project or piece of research. To complete this module, participants must produce an original and comprehensive dissertation or dissertation by practice.  This work is expected to further extend a participant’s analysis and knowledge of particular aspects in one or more of the related taught modules on the postgraduate programme stages. Participants are expected to draw heavily on the underpinning Research Methodology module. 

General Fee Information 

An Academic Administration Fee of EUR250.00 and a 2% Learner Protection Charge is applicable each academic year in addition to the fees quoted below. 

Study Mode: Part-Time

Dublin 

Irish/EU living in Ireland: EUR 6,600.00