E-learning sector gets €6m boost from Government
Funding allocated under action plan for jobs
TechLife | 22 Jun 2012 :
The education and business sectors are set to receive a funding boost of €6 million for the Centre for Learning Innovation. The money will be used to build on current work and new approaches to digital learning.
The announcement was made by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton and Research and Innovation Minister Sean Sherlock. The funding will be managed by Enterprise Ireland which operates the Centre's programme in partnership with IDA Ireland.
Minister Bruton said: "Government will invest over €6 million over six years to create a Centre for Learning Innovation represents the delivery of a major addition to this network. eLearning is a key growth sector, and I am determined that, with the establishment of this centre and through continued implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs, we can develop this sector in Ireland and make a major contribution to the growth and jobs we need."
The first technology centre for learning innovation will be hosted by Trinity College and will focus on digital learning. There are four key research themes selected for the eLearning industry; social and informal learning, mobile collaboration and learning, immersive learning through gaming, simulation and virtual worlds, and metrics and assessment.
Prof Vinny Wade, acting director of the Centre for Learning Innovation at Trinity, said the research team had already completed their first project: "We developed new ways of learning for three key sectors [of] business, higher education and schools. The focus is on moving away from rote learning and towards intuitive learning. Our approach improves critical thinking and problem solving skills by using gaming technology and personalising information to motivate corporate learners, as well as supporting learning innovation in the education sector."
Gearoid Mooney, director of ICT commercialisation at Enterprise Ireland said today's announcement is a significant step for the SMEs and multinational companies in Ireland's learning technology sector.
Fiona Donnellan