NUI Galway’s annual adult learners information evening has gone virtual. The open evening will take place online on Wednesday June 24 from 6pm to 8.30pm.
“In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year we have moved our event to a virtual platform,” explained Nuala McGuinn, director at NUI Galway’s Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development. “We have retained all the key elements of our traditional open evening which former students have found useful to help them choose from the extensive range of part-time, flexible learning, courses on offer at the university.”
Over the course of the evening prospective students will have an opportunity to join the live Facebook panel discussion from 6pm to 7pm which includes teaching staff, students, representatives from the Careers Development Centre, and from industry to discuss what is involved in being an adult learner, how to choose the right course, and to find out more about industry trends and emerging skills needs.
“We have a series of online presentations providing detailed information on the courses that we offer and the opportunity to chat with academic staff and course coordinators in a live questions and answers forum from 7pm to 8.30pm,” Ms McGuinn added.
Courses showcased at the event include business and management, community education, adult training and education studies, early childhood studies, languages, information technology, health promotion, pre-university courses, and science and technology.
The university will also launch a new online diploma in critical business skills during the information evening which is designed to enable those with non-business backgrounds, to fulfil their potential and progress to middle management roles. New programmes for the recent academic year in technology enhanced learning, change management, and corporate environmental planning will also feature and will be on offer again from September due to popular demand.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all part-time courses on offer through the Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development will move to a fully online teaching format in semester one of the 2020/2021 academic year.
“Having experience in delivering blended and online learning courses for over 20 years, students will be in good hands,” Ms McGuinn said. “We have a wealth of knowledge in designing for online learning, and having worked with adult learners for over 50 years we have great insights into the supports that are required for students who choose to study in this online format.”
Information on Springboard+ courses offering funded places to employed and unemployed candidates will also be available, as well as application information for the adult learning tuition scholarships for students who are in receipt of specific payments from the Department of Social Protection.
For further information on this event and to register your interest, see www.nuigalway.ie/adult-open-evening
