The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education was announced by the Minister for Education and Skills in November 2012 and became fully operational in October 2013. The role of the Forum is to enhance the teaching and learning for all students in higher education and to be an advisory body to the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The National Forum is academically-led and is the key system-level ‘Centre of Excellence’ infrastructure to support at national level, the implementation of the recommendations of the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 in respect of the teaching role of the higher education institutions (HEIs).

Our Vision is a valued and informed teaching and learning culture in Irish higher education.
Our Mission is as a national body, to lead the enhancement of teaching and learning in partnership with students, staff and leaders in Irish higher education to develop an inclusive, collaborative and innovative culture that maximises learning impact for the success of all students.

The National Forum Strategy 2019-2021 ‘Leading Enhancement and Innovation in Teaching and Learning’ aims to ensure higher education students can continue to have an excellent teaching and learning experience that is informed by up-to-date research and facilitated by a high-quality learning environment and enhanced teaching approaches. The strategy builds on the identified strengths of the National Forum, attends to the policy context within which it is embedded and identifies its four key strategic priorities as:

The Professional Development of All Those Who Teach

Promoting evidence-based, flexible, inclusive professional development for all those who teach, reflecting the contextual needs and drivers within and across higher education institutions.

Teaching and Learning in a Digital World

Supporting those who learn, teach, and support learning to embrace and harness the potential of digital technologies with the goal of enhancing learning, teaching, and overall digital capability.

Teaching and Learning Enhancement Within and Across Disciplines

Recognising that disciplines are a key unit of change in higher education, with a focus on disciplinary excellence in learning, teaching and assessment.

Student Success

Developing a vision of success, in partnership with students, with the aim of providing all students with the opportunity to fulfill their potential and become creators of new knowledge who are community engaged, ethically conscious, professionally competent and equipped to flourish in a global world.

The membership of the Board of the National Forum is detailed in the table below.

Full details of the work of the National Forum are available at http://teachingandlearning.ie.