Project
Adare is a village in County Limerick, Ireland. Renowned as one of Ireland's prettiest villages which hosts a number of craft shops, Adare is designated as a heritage town by the Irish government. Its population in 2006 was 2,454. Adare Tidy Towns wants to develop and information booklet on the appropriate treatment of buildings and street scape in our heritage village.
Our main street is increasingly becoming haphazard in terms of presentation. To address this, we need to review upkeep and maintenance of buildings within Adare village complying with heritage and conservation guidelines on signage and paint use standards applied to heritage buildings, and current planning Legislation and Recommendations. We also want to access Information on grants and funding available to owners of heritage buildings.
Adare Tourist Centre and members of Adare Tidy Towns committee, Local community sources (including, for example, political, policing and educational groups), as well as community interests and organizations.
A key objective is to give community groups and organisations the opportunity to access resources in their local university. We support our community partners to effectively engage with faculty and students. Community members are provided with information and resources. Evaluation of their experiences of engaging with UL faculty and students and meeting project expectations is undertaking at specific timelines throughout the practicum. Community Evaluation of the project is designed into the project from start to finish. As part of their assessment, students present a briefing to their community partner setting out the outputs and outcomes of the project.
Learning
We are undertaking a photographic and descriptive survey of current building and street signage (including shopkeepers and businesses) in the village of Adare. We also are carrying out a survey of the needs of owners to support them to maintain their buildings. Adare Tidy Towns committee is also reviewing current planning legislation, recommendations around heritage and conservation guidelines applicable to buildings in Adare. In addition we wish to compile grants and funding available for restoration and preservation works. The Local Area Plan lists all heritage buildings. A copy of this will be provided to students. Students will also be expected to produce a community briefing report and present their project outputs and outcomes to their community partner.
This practical experience enables students to learn how to undertake a survey based on specific heritage guidelines. You will engage in both independent as well as collaborative learning. You will learn from one another to reach creative solutions to practical problems. The module is designed to enable students to develop the capacity to apply curriculum-based knowledge in a real-world setting and self-assess and develop graduate attributes to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in collaboration with external community stake-holders. Students will also be supported to articulate their ideas to a range of audiences within different cultural frameworks and setting and be provided with opportunities to make substantial and positive contributions to society.
Practicum students undertaking this project will work and learn in partnership with a local architect, Adare Tourist Centre and members of Adare Tidy Towns committee, Local community sources (including, for example, political, policing and educational groups), as well as community interests and organizations. You will work collaboratively with a community group and one of your peers. Academic supervision of the project work will be carried out by the responsible academic for your project.
Both formative and summative assessment methods will be used. Assessments will be designed to complement the interactive teaching and learning approaches. In particular, methods conducive to workplace assessment will be employed. These will include weekly reflection diaries, a group presentation, a reflective assignment and self-assessment activity.