Professor Brian MacCraith:

I thank colleagues for all their good wishes. I will address the issues as they were raised. Deputy McConalogue asked what we would recommend. First, there is still no national strategy for digital learning. Whatever way one views it, it is one of the largest evolutions in education globally, as every major country recognises. A digital schools strategy is in preparation. We must await its outcome, but the fact that it is digital schools only tells one that it does not consider the full continuum. Given the nature of Irish society, our commitment to education and the presence in this country of all of the world's major digital players, Ireland has a unique opportunity to do something special in this regard.

Second, the Deputy correctly raised the issue of the teacher. In this new digital learning world, the nature of the educator has changed dramatically. We must examine this matter across the education continuum. It is different at primary, secondary and third levels, although there are common issues. We must assist teachers to move into the new digital world, where the motivation is not finance, but enhancing the learning experience. The majority of DCU's new students are so-called digital natives or the Google generation. No student who entered first year this year has ever known a life without Google. It changes the way one accesses information, assesses its quality and distils it. All of the qualities one tries to impart to students changes in that world. As such, we are adjusting how we educate to recognise the new reality of younger people and the world in which they live. We must assist the teachers in this regard. DCU has been running programmes to educate our teachers to teach and assess in this new world. There has been a large voluntary take-up of the programmes. The prize is student engagement. It means that what happens in the classroom becomes a much richer engagement. To address Senator Craughwell's comment, if what happens in the classroom is the repetition of the content that students can already get online, they will vote with their feet, and correctly so. However, what is actually happening is the concept of the flipped classroom. What happens in the classroom or lecture hall at any level can be much richer because a great deal of information transfer can happen on digital platforms. This is important.

CPD for teachers at all levels - early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary - is crucial for the enhancement of our education system. Members may know that DCU is working with St. Patrick's College in Drumcondra, the Mater Dei Institute of Education and the Church of Ireland College of Education to create a major new institute of education that will, for the first time, educate teachers at all levels in one location. An essential part of this will be the National Institute for Digital Learning so that all teachers can get exposure to the cutting edge of knowledge in this space and, therefore, transform the system.

Some questions were asked about costs. The notion that online learning in the mainstream system would be cost reducing is a fallacy. Doing this properly actually takes a significant investment. The prize is enhancement of the student learning experience and engagement.

Deputy Cannon referred to some of the affordances that go with digital learning, for example, flexible access and skills transfer. Mike Feerick's ALISON has been a major success worldwide, but it is not really about higher education. Rather, it is primarily about upskilling, reskilling, flexible access to learning and the democratisation of learning. While one cannot achieve in a blended situation the quality of a face-to-face education that one might want, one can still deliver high-quality education through online platforms. This is happening in sub-Saharan Africa and India. It is important where the growth in population is faster than the time it takes to build schools and universities. The affordability that one exploits or uses will vary from situation to situation, but it remains important.

I have many more answers, but I will let my colleagues address some of the other questions.