The Gaeltacht e-Hub Project is an innovative digital project that will provide Gaeltacht post-primary students with the opportunity to access a greater range of Senior Cycle subjects online, through the medium of Irish. This three-year pilot project is based on comprehensive research completed on similar e-learning initiatives globally, where students supplement their existing curriculum with online courses, when those subjects are not available in their own school.
The e-Hub Project will initially offer Leaving Certificate Physics online to 10 students from 4 schools, starting in September 2019. The online course will be taught by two Physics e-Teachers with experience in the teaching of Leaving Certificate Higher-Level Physics through the medium of Irish. The e-Teachers will be based in their own post-primary Gaeltacht schools and will teach students across a number of other post-primary schools in the Gaeltacht. Students who are participating in the pilot project will be supported by e-Mentors in their own post-primary schools.
This is an exciting pilot project that will help students to access subjects through the medium of Irish, that are not available in their own schools. Similar approaches are commonplace in other countries, such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada and North America and now Irish students can avail of similar learning experiences. We look forward to working with the schools and the DES over the coming two years in ensuring that the project is successful and that students have an engaging and stimulating learning experience during the course.
Irish-Medium Mentoring e-Hub Pilot Project International Review and Report (PDF)