Learning to Change, Changing to Learn: Co-Creating a University Education Model for the Digital Age.

Description

This case-study of TU Dublin’s experience of changing learning, and the journey of learning how to change, offers practical insights for other institutions seeking to implement scalable, equitable, digitally enabled and transformative models of education through intentional institutional reform.

At the heart of this case study is the development and implementation of TU Dublin’s strategic University Education Model (UEM). The UEM is holistic educational framework developed to embed learner-centred education across governance, curriculum, and digital infrastructure. Rooted in the three interconnected components of Support, Choice, and Experience, the UEM provides a structural foundation enabling learners to take ownership of their educational journeys whilst simultaneously ensuring academic coherence and institutional integrity. These components are operationalised through seven pedagogically driven Fundamentals, addressing multimodality, learner agency, inclusive curriculum design, and university graduate attributes across all programmes.

Developed within the context of a newly merged Technological University, the UEM emerged from an iterative process grounded in systems thinking and ‘culture work’, recognising that institutional transformation requires both structural alignment and relational engagement. The case study will explore how agile methodologies, participatory design, and Design-Based Research (DBR) were used to navigate the inherent complexity and ensure university community co-ownership. Authentic partnership was central to UEM co-creation; one specific example is examined as part of the case-study presented. Here, students and staff from all faculties and professional service functions were engaged through multiple modalities (in-person, online, HyFlex) to activate institutional networks and to enhance UEM integration within programme design, academic review, and learner support structures. This, along with complementary initiatives, such as Learner Assemblies and digital curriculum mapping tools, further supported governance integration, personalised learning, and digital transformation; and the tangible impact of these will also be spotlighted during the case-study.

Period	9 Oct 2025
Event title	Innovating Higher Education Conference 2025
Event type	Conference
Location	Hagen, Germany, North Rhine-WestphaliaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International