Ignite is aimed at students in year one of post primary education. It is designed to captivate, motivate and educate students about the brain and the process of learning. It will create a success-oriented mindset, boost academic performance and foster a positive and lifelong attitude to learning.
The first year of post primary education is crucial in enabling students to develop the mindset and study habits to be successful. When habits are embedded at this early stage, the journey through post primary education is not only smoother, but also more rewarding, personally and educationally. Research has shown us that children and young learners are resilient and highly responsive and with the right support, they can bounce back from challenges, move forward and build self-confidence and self-efficacy in this educational journey.
The Ignite programme will kickstart the post primary learning journey and help students develop effective homework and study habits. Each student will receive an A4 booklet that will be used during the programme and also contains follow-on activities.
On Your Marks provides the foundations that are critical to success in the first formal state exams (Junior Cycle/GCSE). This programme empowers students in their assessment journey. It investigates the incremental theory of intelligence, how the brain learns and the significance of these for effective study and revision habits. Students will engage in and explore the merits and practical benefits of evidence-informed learning and revision strategies. They will also be given practical tools to manage controlled assessments and coursework and they will apply particular study strategies to their own learning. On Your Marks also enables students to acquire a deeper understanding of the memory system, prepare for exams and develop personalised time management techniques.
During this seminar, students engage in our unique and powerful Flash Card note-taking activity. In this, we illustrate how to create purposeful and effective study notes and to generate relevant revision questions. We introduce students to the relevance of the theory of forgetting, and we demonstrate how to build a spaced revision planner to maximise the capacity of the memory system.
Each student receives an A4 booklet during the seminar that also contains follow-on activities.
Fifth year students often describe the culture shock they encounter when moving from Transition Year to Senior Cycle. The more relaxed Transition Year experience begins to fade as the spectre of Fifth Year and the Senior Cycle looms on the horizon. With this in mind, Start Smart prepares TY students to make a smooth transition into Senior Cycle and, importantly, to hit the ground running.
Start Smart is a highly enjoyable and engaging seminar that enables young people to stop, think and reflect on their learning journey to date. It aims to enhance personal growth, build resilience and provide tools and techniques for students to embark on the Leaving Cert with confidence and enthusiasm. Students select subjects in Feb/March, therefore April and May of TY is the ideal time for delivery of Start Smart. This is also when many students begin to psychologically prepare for re-engaging with homework and study in a more comprehensive way. After Start Smart, students can enjoy the summer break safe in the knowledge that they will be prepared for the challenge ahead.
Activities include: The Science of Habit Formation; Mindset Matters; Process First, Outcome Second; Deliberate Practice Makes Perfect and Start Smart to Take Control
Each student will receive an A4 booklet that will be used during the programme and also contains follow-on activities.
Senior Cycle/Sixth Form presents different challenges and opportunities for students seeking to direct a successful path through post-16 learning and towards the next stage of formal exams. Students are expected to think and act more independently, show greater self-discipline, maturity, responsibility for and control of their learning. Mastermind is designed to help them achieve a path to success.
During the workshop, students will self-assess and reflect on prior academic performance, address shortcomings and build on achievements. They will examine ability beliefs and the impact on motivation and performance. They will also develop a personalised approach to learning informed by the latest cognitive science research, and they will also investigate a range of time management and note-taking techniques, using exemplars directly applicable to their personal circumstances.
Each student receives an A4 booklet during the seminar that also contains follow-on activities.
Maximise is designed for students coming to the end of their formal assessment journeys, in Sixth Year or Year 14. By completing this workshop, they will benefit from the use and application of specific skills, competencies and success mindset. On completion, they will be able to use and apply specific skills and competencies to enable them to make informed decisions about their approaches to study, revision, and exams.
Students will be introduced to the five steps to exam success in a dynamic and structured way. They will examine brain plasticity and its role in success. They will explore a range of multi-sensory study and revision strategies. Maximise will also examine the role of sleep, nutrition and technologies in overall wellbeing. Students will devise an exam countdown planner as part of an exploration of effective time management tools and that builds on the evidence around spaced practice. Finally, students will be shown how to prepare psychologically for exam time and how to maximise exam techniques.
Each student receives an A4 booklet during the seminar that also contains follow-on activities.
A range of current research studies report that over half of students now use AI for help with schoolwork. Other sources cite even greater proportions, up to 80%.
The most common uses of AI by students are to brainstorm and obtain information (e.g., answer a problem, explain a complex idea, check grammar and syntax).
While some students readily admit to using AI, many others don’t, either because of the stigma attached to ‘cheating’ or poor ethical guidance around its declared use. And there are others too who strongly disapprove. They are concerned about environmental, economic, cognitive and privacy costs, and other associated risks of AI.
Our AI Guide is the first of its kind in Ireland. It leverages the wisdom and expertise of those working in the science of learning, study skills and AI, with the needs of students who are interested in responsible technology and an abundant, but changing future.
This dynamic and interactive 2-hour workshop is delivered by a member of the Inspire team. It will help students to understand, question, and confidently assess the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in their own studies. Each student receives their own personal copy of the Guide as part of the workshop.
During the workshop students are introduced to some of the key research nuggets and ideas on learning, ethics and risk-return, and they also engage in select activities and complete reflection tasks.
The facilitator introduces students to the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence, by exploring the differences between AI and Generative AI, its development over time and the embedding in everyday life e.g., in everything from assisted navigation through to a voice assistant and trained chatbots and agents. Students will assess the AI journey and place themselves in this, based on their own AI uses and perceptions. Students can also examine the hidden costs of using AI, including our energy equivalence tool. They will see the vast and complex network involved in the production and use of a virtual voice assistant, such as Amazon’s Alexa, and they can examine issues, such as data protection, privacy and data collection from vulnerable groups, through the case of smart glasses.
The workshop focuses on the practical use of AI in study and revision and equips students with the knowledge and skills to understand and prevent cognitive surrender, to practice academic integrity and to reflect on their readiness to use AI responsibly for schoolwork. to while addressing concepts such as cognitive offloading, outsourcing, and academic integrity.
Students can also explore how algorithms work, how to manage bias and ‘stop the slop’ and also how to manage filter bubbles.
Throughout the workshop, there is a strong emphasis placed on developing independent and critical thinking skills to steer students towards AI engagement from the perspective of a conscious, informed and ethical user who can evaluate AI-generated content, ask better questions, and confidently verify information.
The presenter was very friendly and explained everything clearly. The presentation was very engaging and helpful.
Excellent seminar. Very useful and practical. I can relate to a lot of the presenter's past experiences and learn from them.
Definitely going to use the resources given! 10/10. Love the tiny file. It helped me understand how notes worked, and
other ways to write them.
Great seminar, truly captivating. Loved learning about the science bit!
I loved this workshop. It helped me with new tips to be able to study which I can't wait to try out! Thanks!
Very good seminar that greatly expanded my knowledge and confidence in studying
