Prof Kieron Sheehy (OU) This presentation sets out evidence that having an accessible communicative environment is the core of inclusive educational practice, facilitating positive outcomes for diverse groups of learners (Sheehy et al. 2009). One effective communicate approach is keyword signing (KWS), which typically samples the manual signs of a country’s Deaf community. For example, … Read more
Mr Ian Collen (QUB) As in England, entries for GCSE and A-level languages in Northern Ireland have declined annually since 2004 (CCEA/JCQ). To redress this decline, languages are now compulsory from Primary 5 to Primary 7 in England. In Scotland, two languages will be compulsory at primary level from 2020. This has led to a … Read more
Dr Sharon Jones (Stranmillis University College) The current deficit in skills in modern languages is economically detrimental (Foreman-Peck and Wang, 2013), not least to the growth of the export base (Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, 2014). Evidence suggests that learning a modern language should begin at primary school (Lenneberg, 1967; Jones and Coffey, 2006) as … Read more
Prof Simon Lee (OU) The concept of “parity of esteem” is central to diverse constitutional, political, legal and socio-economic narratives of Northern Ireland and of these islands. In 1994, Professor Simon Lee analysed the history and philosophical underpinning of “parity of esteem” in a collection of essays in honour of Reverend Eric Gallagher, tracing the … Read more
Dr Anne Smith (Ulster) and Prof Colin Harvey (QUB) This presentation focuses on an independent funded project (Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust) that seeks to address the issue of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in the context of Brexit. A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains part of the unfinished work of the … Read more
Prof Rory O’Connell (Ulster) and Prof Colin Harvey (QUB) The BrexitLawNI project is a collaborative project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. It seeks to examine the constitutional, conflict transformation, human rights and equality consequences of Brexit. It particularly focuses on six key issues: the Northern Ireland peace process; North-South relations; border controls … Read more
Dr Leslie Budd (OU) Managing the process of the United Kingdom (UK) exiting from the European Union (EU) for Northern Ireland (NI) is the most complex and challenging one of all the UK territories. It is the only part of the UK with a contiguous border with another EU Member State that is also a … Read more
Ms Louise O’Boyle (Ulster) This presentation will discuss the findings from evidence-based research into the effectiveness of a partnership between Louise O’Boyle (Ulster University) and PIPS Charity North Belfast, over a series of collaborations between 2012-2016. The constituency of North Belfast is an area of multiple disadvantages and has the highest suicide rate in Northern … Read more
Dr Sharon Mallon (OU) The signing of the Good Friday agreement effectively brought an end to the widespread violence associated with the ‘Troubles’. However, communities within Northern Ireland continue to be blighted by an insidious form of violence in the form of punishment beatings and intimidation. Anecdotal evidence published in news media have linked cases … Read more