Conversations in Adult and Further Education

Karen Bunyan
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  • EDUCATION

Conversations with practitioners in adult and further education in Ireland. This podcast explores a wide range of topics of interest to those working in Adult and Further Education. Bringing you conversations on theory, practice and policy in an understandable, accessible format. Please note that any issues discussed on the podcast are the opinions of individuals and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the organisations they represent. Contact me at Karen.Bunyan@SETU.ie Cover art photo provided by Paul Bulai on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@pcbulai

  1. 3D AGO

    Episode 21 Health Literacy

    In this episode, I’m joined by Talent Nyamakope, Health Literacy Lead with the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy Office in SOLAS, and Edel Finan, Regional Literacy Coordinator with Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB). We discuss what health literacy means, what’s happening on the ground locally and nationally, and some of the projects they’ve been involved in. Talent and Edel also offer practical advice to help people make informed health decisions and share insights on how healthcare services can become more literacy friendly.   Links and contact information:  Literacy Support in Waterford and Wexford from WWETB:literacyhelp@wwetb.ie, or call 085 8567164. Digital literacy eLearning courses developed in WWETB can be accessed here: Digital Literacy eLearning videos - YouTube WWETB Plain English Booklet The ALL Strategy can be found at adult-literacy-for-life-strategy.pdf Online courses available at www.adultliteracyforlife.ie/aware   Useful health resources: www.hse.ie www.mychild.ie www.healthpromotion.ie HSE Health and Wellbeing Podcast on YouTube

    38 min

  2. 11/24/2025

    Episode 20 Financial Literacy

    In this episode, I am speaking with Mary Mitchell from Dublin College FET Blanchardstown, which is part of the Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board. Mary is a tutor and the co-ordinator for the financial literacy project. She is also passionate about inclusion. Today, Mary is chatting with me about their financial literacy project and a new book on financial literacy they are launching at the beginning of December. This financial literacy project is a great example of how adult literacy programs can collaborate with local organisations to best meet the needs of the community. Mary walks us through how to start a project like this from the ground up.   To find out more about DDLETB’s financial literacy project, you can contact Mary at: Dublin College FET, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, D15 T3KT, (01)8212600 Email:  akses@ddletbaes.ie       MSLETB Get Lit! Podcast: I would like to mention another podcast that has recently been launched by Roisin Egan from MSLETB (Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim ETB) called Get Lit. This podcast is all about adult literacy, and I highly recommend it. Their most recent episode is also about financial literacy. https://open.spotify.com/show/1xEm5MomFLfWXWt0nWbdX7?si=e878af19236f47b2

    33 min

  3. 11/03/2025

    Episode 19 Ramblings of a Bockedy Man- stories from a tutor on the Margins

    In this episode, I chat with Niall Dempsey, a tutor with the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). Niall teaches adult literacy, ESOL, and Conversational Irish. As a wheelchair user, he is also researching the intersection of identity, masculinity, and disability. We discuss his experiences as a tutor working in a marginalised sector, the instability of employment in the adult education sector, as well as his perspective on belonging to a marginalised group himself. Adult education tutors will relate to the challenges of navigating insecure work and finding purpose within a sector that offers limited recognition. Niall is a passionate tutor and a natural storyteller. This is well worth a listen.   Ramblings of a Bockedy Man is the title of Niall’s MEd. Thesis (used with his permission). You can read his Thesis here: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/17699/1/MEd%20Thesis%2C%20Ramblings%20of%20a%20Bockedy%20Man%2C%20Niall%20Dempsey%2021252071.pdf   You can find Niall’s paper, ‘Conversations with Strangers’, here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02660830.2023.2262638#d1e165 I strongly recommend reading his paper. Niall tells a moving story that blends humour and sadness while exploring complex themes of disability, masculinity, and his experiences working as a tutor in a marginalised sector.

    38 min

  4. 09/18/2025

    Episode 18 How to deliver a QQI Module for New Tutors

    In this episode, I chat with my colleague, Dr Edel Ni Ghrainne, in the Literacy Development Centre at SETU. Edel has over 20 years of experience teaching in Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in Ireland. She explains how to plan and deliver a QQI-accredited module (Quality and Qualifications Ireland), from completing the paperwork to interpreting a module descriptor. This is a great episode to listen to if you are a new tutor or are teaching a QQI-accredited module for the first time. Some useful links: The National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland: https://www.qqi.ie/what-we-do/the-qualifications-system/national-framework-of-qualifications Further Education Support Service: https://fess.ie/ Explanation of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives from Cornell University: https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/blooms-taxonomy

    26 min

  5. 09/01/2025

    Episode 17 A Conversation on Family Literacy: From Waterford to Florida

    In this episode, I am chatting with Dr. Lana McCarthy and Dr. Clare Power in the Literacy Development Centre (LDC) in the South East Technological University (SETU), Professor Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, the interim Dean in the College of Education in the University of South Florida (USF), and Dr. Rachel Hatten, the Associate Director in the David C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching in USF. We chat about family literacy, how Lana and Jenifer met and the work they are doing together in the Family Literacy Community of Practice.   The Family Literacy Community of Practice is a partnership between the Literacy Development Centre in the South East Technological University (SETU LDC), NALA (National Adult Literacy Agency) and Adult Literacy for Life National Programme Office (ALL NPO). If you would like to join the Community of Practice, you can register at the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/fVan26wNsr    Links to Jenifer and Rachel’s work and the College of Education in USF: Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, PhD: https://www.usf.edu/education/faculty/faculty-profiles/jenifer-jasinski-schneider.aspx USF College of Education: https://www.usf.edu/education/ David C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching: www.usf.edu/anchin

    31 min

  6. 05/21/2025

    Episode 16 Adult Literacy for Life Strategy

    In this episode, I am chatting wth Clare Power and Eleanor Neff from the Literacy Development Centre (LDC) in SETU and Paula Tiller, the Regional Adult Literacy Coordinator for Kerry, about the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy. They explain what is in the strategy, why it was developed and what is happening to implement it. To learn more about the ALL Strategy, visit: https://www.adultliteracyforlife.ie/

    21 min

  7. 02/18/2025

    Episode 15 Family Literacy

    In this episode, I am chatting with Lana McCarthy about family literacy, also known as family learning. Lana has worked in this area for many years and developed the 'Hug Your Book' programme. She has recently established a Community of Practice for Family Literacy, a partnership between the Literacy Development Centre in the South East Technological University (SETU LDC), NALA (National Adult Literacy Agency) and Adult Literacy for Life National Programme Office (ALL NPO). If you would like to join the Community of Practice, you can register at the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/fVan26wNsr  You can also contact Lana at Lana.McCarthy@setu.ie. If you want to check out Lana's PhD. research on Parental engagement you can do so here: McCarthy, L, (2025) `The Dance of Engagement': AConstructivist Grounded Theory Study of Parental Engagement., Trinity CollegeDublin, School of Linguistic Speech & Comm Sci, Clin Speech & LanguageStudies, https://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/110774

    24 min

  8. 01/20/2025

    Episode 14 Supporting Adults with Dyslexia

    In this episode, I am chatting with Aoife O'Leary, the Adult Literacy Coordinator with Dyslexia Ireland. Aoife explains what dyslexia is and how we can support students with diagnosed or undiagnosed dyslexia. She offers practical advice that we can implement in the classroom. Aoife also talks about the resources available from Dyslexia Ireland, which are available at the links below. You can contact Aoife at aoifeoleary@dyslexia.ie Dyslexia Ireland https://dyslexia.ie/ Inclusive communications guidelines: https://dyslexia.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Guidelines-on-Inclusive-Communications-2022.pdf Adult Dyslexia Hub: https://adultdyslexiahub.ie/  Structured Literacy: https://adultdyslexiahub.ie/structured-literacy/ Shannon Trust: https://shop.shannontrust.org.uk/

    21 min
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About

Conversations with practitioners in adult and further education in Ireland. This podcast explores a wide range of topics of interest to those working in Adult and Further Education. Bringing you conversations on theory, practice and policy in an understandable, accessible format. Please note that any issues discussed on the podcast are the opinions of individuals and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the organisations they represent. Contact me at Karen.Bunyan@SETU.ie Cover art photo provided by Paul Bulai on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@pcbulai

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