researchED Dublin reaction

We were delighted to host researchED Dublin on October 5th: a wonderful day with 350 people on the campus thinking about evidence-based practice, and networking.  Since then we’ve sent out a feedback survey, and below are some of the comments that were made.  They were overwhelming positive, with only a few minor criticisms, and some helpful feedback should we put on researchED again. We’ve removed references to individual presenters, but there were huge numbers of these too, and very appreciative they were. For more reaction online, click here. For a long follow-up  article in the Irish Times, click here.

• 94% of all present had never been to a researchED event before.
• 89% indicated they were ‘extremely satisfied’ overall with the day (ie, 5 out of 5).

Some reactions:

• Delighted to be at your inaugural ResearchEdDub which was organised exceptionally well. The communications leading up to the event, the staff on board to direct, the presentations and speakers coupled with the hospitality was superb. I very much look forward to the next one. Congratulations to you all!
• All of the speakers I attended were outstanding and it was an absolute pleasure to spend the day in their company. There was such a good buzz around the entire day and I can not think of a single negative. I am so glad I attended.
• Well timed sessions and despite the weather for the second half of day it was good to be able to move around, get fresh air en route to another presentation and meet new and interesting people. All of that on a beautiful campus. I feel like I am writing an ad for a travel brochure! Well worth the travel and a day out of my weekend. Well done to all concerned.
• Best education event I have attended.
• A fabulous event and really hope that there will be another opportunity for a researchED in Ireland again.
• Organisation was impeccable/ hospitality was second-to-none.
• The change-over time was ideal. The speakers making a start on time was appreciated.
• Excellent, loved it! Totally refreshing in an era where we are all being told to teach the same way with stickers and group work, in an age where the entire standard of education is being lowered, this was the one inspiring hopeful event I have been to. I will definitely consider going to more. It was very funny too, with enormous content. Thank you. Very well organised, beautiful and convenient venue.
• All of the sessions were interesting and inspirational. It was good to have current practitioners delivering as well as the ‘big names’!
• I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would and have told many colleagues about it and shared my reflections from the day too. Thank you.
• It was great to have so many high-profile UK-based speakers. I’m looking forward to next year where I hope that there will be more Irish speakers who are engaging with cog-sci + education debates, but who are speaking to an Irish context … I’d be really interested in being part of a researchEd Dublin (Ireland?) community – to share ideas etc during the year. Such a great day – thank you again.
• It was an amazing day, I left feeling energized and have used some of this in my classes already this week. I will definitely be attending again and would consider attending abroad.
• The event was inspiring, invigorating and packed with relevant, research-based strategies and techniques…no one could fail to learn something from the many excellent speakers present.
• Good variety of sessions, well timed and spaced to allow transitions. I really enjoyed the opportunities to make connections and plans for supporting others as we move forward. I’ve already planned a couple of meet-ups that wouldn’t be happening without researchED with potentially significant impact across  Thank you.
• It was thrilling to have education CPD of this quality in Dublin. The appetite for it was tangible and I hope it’s the first of many researchED events in Ireland. Well done to all involved for an important and thoroughly enjoyable day.
• It was an amazing day of learning. So many stand out moments and take away. Well worth the journey from Belfast. I came away fizzing with ideas and things to think about. Can’t wait until next year!
• Would have loved to have attended them all.
• Amazing day! Very inspiring!
• Very well organised, great venue, extremely helpful and friendly organisers.
• What a wonderful Conference, set in the most magical of places. I hope to see a researchED event return to Ireland again. In light of new and ongoing changes on the Irish educational landscape, I expect there will be an ever-increasing demand from teachers for evidence-based practice and, quite frankly, a bit of common sense. I suspect it would be difficult to overstate its importance at our current junction.
• Spectacular day, and very inspiring! Thank you very much! It would be excellent if speakers did a couple of sessions each, as often there were numerous places I wanted to be at once! Although I know logistically this may not be possible as more rooms need to be available, and it might be pushing the good will of the presenters.
• This was the best CPD ever!! I learnt something from every session. The whole experience was so positive and motivating – I just wish I could have gone to every session. Many thanks to everyone involved for organising such a professional and inspiring day.
• Thank you for all the time you put in to organising this. Having organised conferences myself, I know all too well the logistics. Well done.
• Thank you to  the organisers , the academic and ancillary staff at St.Columba’s for the excellent organisation and facilitation of the day. It was a quality, ambitious, positive day of genuine CPD (continuous professional development) – as far from exhausting, counter productive ‘Croke Park’ hours as one could get!
• The day at researchED Dublin was inspirational. I left with a ‘yes, I can teach in ways that get better learning from and for students’. A most positive experience.
• It was really great to have such a mix of speakers. There wasn’t a single time slot where I was stuck to find something to listen to.
• I was really impressed with the professionalism of all the presenters and the level and kind of supporting research given not just by the main speakers but also by ‘working teachers’.
• Beware of education myths and of shiny expensive packages- the teacher is the greatest resource in the classroom. Very well organised and very inspiring. All sessions ran on time and were focused and relevant.
• It’s honestly impossible to single any one presenter out as each presentation I attended was excellent.  It seems like there’s often a polarising debate between ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’, and while some presenters stated their views in forceful sound bites I really appreciated the nuanced approach to all the issues discussed, from behaviour to curriculum.
• Very practical CPD – one of the best that I have ever been to!!  Excellent range of speakers – lots to take back to the classroom.
• Excellent presentations on how to improve teaching and learning in the classroom, classroom behaviour etc.
•  Very encouraged to see researchers motivated to embed findings in practice. Also encouraged to hear their willingness to share existing research with teachers including negative findings which are as informative as the positive ones.
• Excellent presentations. Very well organised. Great fun. Great to meet other teachers at coffee break/lunch.
• The school community were top class hosts. It was a privilege to hear so many leading lights in one place on one day. Please come back soon!
• I thought the organisation by the school was v impressive.
• Excellent day with very engaging speakers. Very well organised and a lovely atmosphere. I’d definitely attend again.
• A thoroughly useful and positive day. It has made me realise I’m not ready to retire yet as ‘the fire still burns’!
• This was an amazing, inspirational, rejuvenating Saturday after a long and very challenging week for me in the world of my classroom and school. I enjoyed every minute and thanks so much to St. Columba’s College, an educational world so far away from where I teach.
• I would highly recommend a ResearchEd conference to any educator but it would be extremely beneficial for new teachers to understand the science of learning, before being inundated with educational “fads”.
• I am teaching 13 years now and beginning to feel burnt out trying to keep on top of all these “new bright ideas” for the classroom. I love to teach, I know what works best for my students and having listened to these inspirational speakers I am now much more confident in my own teaching and what I am doing. The whole day was inspiring for all of us who have taken up this profession aiming to teach our students and bring the best out in each of them. Thank you to all involved.
• Excellent day with very engaging speakers. Very well organised and a lovely atmosphere. I’d definitely attend again.