DkIT's Section of Midwifery receives prestigious DELTA Award for the second time
The Section of Midwifery in DkIT has received the Disciplinary Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) for the second time.
The award is managed by the Higher Education Authority in partnership with the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and recognises sustained excellence and impact in disciplinary teaching practice.
The DkIT team was one of seven recipients of the awards, which are presented to discipline groups who can demonstrate a record of excellence in teaching and learning enhancement and who commit to an ongoing, clearly articulated, shared process of continued enhancement.
DkIT’s committed team of midwifery students, graduates, clinical facilitators and academics have continued to meaningfully engage with the DELTA process since their first award in 2021. Under the guidance of Dr. Anita Byrne, DELTA Lead, the dynamic team continually welcomes new members, as students become graduates, and new staff are engaged.
Speaking at the awards event, Tim Conlon, Head of Policy and Strategic Planning, HEA said:
“These awards recognise the work being carried out across higher education to enhance teaching and learning and the student experience. The creativity, commitment and collaboration shown by this year’s recipients demonstrate the impact that evidence-informed practice can have across institutions and disciplines.”
DELTA Lead at DkIT, Anita Byrne said:
“We are delighted to be recognised with our second DELTA Award for the Section of Midwifery in DkIT. The Midwifery team is committed to embedding meaningful, collaborative engagement with students and ensuring that partnership is fully integrated into enhancement strategies and daily educational practices. We strive to nurture a shared educational culture that values co-design, where staff and students work together to shape positive learning environments, both within college and across clinical placements. The DELTA process has provided a really meaningful and manageable way for the team to identify what they are currently doing well to empower them to enhance teaching and learning and remain open to critically reviewing educational practices that need adjustment.”
During the award process, the team engaged in self-reflection using the DELTA Framework to identify their strengths and areas for growth in teaching and learning practices. The award process also involved a number of stages including a review by a panel of international experts with student representation.
The international panel acknowledged the many strengths of the Midwifery team’s application and was impressed with the team’s enquiry-based approach, collaboration with clinical experts, and inclusive learning spaces that reflected a strong teaching and learning culture. The integration of universal design and early steps toward an AI-enabled curriculum were also commended by the panel. Looking forward, the midwifery team’s commitment to student-staff collaboration offers exciting opportunities to deepen partnership through co-design and co-creation.
