New University Education Model at TU Dublin

Technological University (TU) Dublin has introduced a new Education Model (UEM) as part of a whole-institution approach designed to place practical, applied, and inclusive learning at the heart of the university experience. Co-created with staff, students, and external partners, it provides a shared foundation for teaching, support, and assessment across all disciplines and campuses. The UEM is built on three core components — Learner Support, Learner Choice, and Learner Experience — and is guided by seven cross-cutting Fundamentals. It promotes active, hands-on, and authentic learning, with a focus on practice-based assessment, real-world engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare learners for a rapidly changing world.

A supporting Framework of Learning Experiences brings the model to life, emphasizing three curriculum design threads: authentic, inclusive, and digital learning. This framework is complemented by open-access tools, curriculum mapping cards, graduate attribute guides, and self-assessment dashboards to support programme approval, validation, and review. More than just a framework, the UEM is shaping a distinctive “university way of being” that prioritises relevance, flexibility, and impact, aligning with TU Dublin’s mission to create practice-based, learner-centred experiences that prepare graduates to thrive as personally fulfilled, professionally capable, and globally engaged citizens. UEM demonstrates TU Dublin's commitment to sustainability and the SDGs by embedding real-world, interdisciplinary, and inclusive learning experiences that equip graduates to drive positive social, environmental, and economic change.