News Breaking the SEAL - A collaboration between the School of Education and Library Services at NUI Galway

'Breaking the SEAL - Schools, Archives, Learning' was conceived and completed by Paul Flynn (@FlynnDPaul) Galway Doctoral Research Scholar in the School of Education, NUI Galway and Library Archivist, Barry Houlihan (@stagedreaction). 

This innovative project, funded by the SU EXPLORE Initiative, aimed to connect Leaving Certificate History students to the resources of the James Hardiman Library at NUIG and in doing so begin to establish the 21st Century Skills they will require at third level and beyond.  These skills include:

• Finding Primary & Secondary Sources
• Interpreting Primary & Secondary Sources
• Academic Writing
• Digital Skills

Leaving Certificate History students are required to complete a research project that is worth 20% of their final mark in that subject feeding into their final CAO tally for entry to third level education.  Opening up the library archives to these students would provide them with an opportunity to research topics where materials are easily accessible and locally relevant.

Twenty four students from Presentation College Headford (PCH) in County Galway visited NUI Galway for a day with their History teacher Mr. James Shovlin and were given a tour of the library archives and four targeted workshops.  Each workshop was focused on a particular 21st Century Skill.  A second set of workshops were held at PCH, where students created and refined content for their research poster presentation in Hardiman Research Building on campus at NUI Galway on 13th May 2016.

This research poster exhibition allowed students to exhibit and present their work to the staff and students at NUIG as well as family and friends who attended.  The participating students were presented with certificates of completion by Dr. Mary Fleming, Head of the School of Education, and received their Digital Badge of Completion.

For more information on this project and future schools participation contact: p.flynn10@nuigalway.ie