Introduction to Digital Teaching & Learning

Trinity's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) comprises of Blackboard (the Learning Management System - LMS) and learning technologies integrated into Blackboard such as Panopto, Turnitin, MyReadingList amongst others. Some technologies used for teaching and learning, such as Microsoft Office and Copilot are not currently integrated into Blackboard — you can access these through the links on the IT Services website.

An image of the Digital Learning landscape in Trinity comprised of the Learning Management System (e.g. Blackboard), integrated tools (e.g. Panopto, Turnitin, Collaborate) and the Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard + these integrated tools) alongside Other College technologies used for learning (Office, Copilot, etc.)

Blackboard is the main entry point for the Virtual Learning Environment in Trinity - it forms the hub from which you can then add other technologies such as Panopto, Turnitin etc. to your module as needed depending on your learning outcomes and activities.

Having a clear and consistent layout for your Blackboard module is key for laying a good foundation for digital learning. In the next page, we provide some recommendations and best practices for structuring your module in Blackboard.

For more information on using Blackboard including common queries such as creating assignments or access and enrolment issues, you can check IT Services' guides which are also available via the Blackboard homepage after logging in. Detailed guides are also available on the Blackboard website - although not all information may be relevant in Trinity's context depending on the topic. Help and support for  Blackboard is provided by the Teaching & Learning IT team in IT Services; please send support queries via the IT Service Desk if you need further help beyond the guides on their website.

An example module in Blackboard Ultra that follows our recommended structure.

To help support the principles of Universal Design for Learning, we recommend that Blackboard modules have a consistent design standard for their structure, content, resources, communication tools and assessment practices. The importance of standards in enhancing the learning experience for students has long been recognised in the literature and our LMS Recommendations page provides a detailed framework for this when planning and developing your Blackboard module. If you build a strong Blackboard module layout, it makes it much easier to incorporate more advanced digital learning tools such as discussions, virtual classrooms and collaborative documents.

An example structure in Blackboard for a Module Information section that follows our LMS recommendations.

Journal Articles

It is important not to upload entire PDFs of journal articles or books directly to Blackboard (unless they are clearly stated to be available under a licence such as Creative Commons). Instead, you can link to articles in Blackboard - you can follow the guidance on the Library website so students can log in and access these article more easily after clicking on your link.

Reading Lists

You can use the MyReadingList feature in Blackboard to link to your module's reading list on the Library website. For more information on setting up your reading list, please visit the Library's MyReadingList@TCD help pages.

College Policies

College's Virtual Learning Environment Policy provides a high-level overview of how the VLE is intended to be used in College. It is currently being updated for the 2025/26 academic year. Related guidance includes College's Data Protection Policy, the Accessible Information Policy and the Library's guidance on copyright in Blackboard. Because the Virtual Learning Environment spans so much of teaching and learning in Trinity, it is not possible to list all aspects on this page — however, you can refer to the Trinity Policies webpages for details on aspects relating to teaching, learning and assessment more generally in College.

The Trinity Professional Development Framework for Digital Teaching, Learning and Assessment

In order to embed digital teaching, learning and assessment approaches within the curricula, it is imperative that educators are competent in integrating and utilising relevant digital technologies and pedagogies. Professional development is key: as set out in the EU ‘Digital Action Plan 2021-27', educators ‘should have access to ongoing opportunities for professional learning and development tailored to their needs and their discipline’.

The Centre for Academic Practice have developed the Trinity Professional Development Framework for Digital Teaching, Learning and Assessment to help support this. The framework is comprises three interrelated layers:

• Principles: the principles or values that underpin professional development offered by Academic Practice at Trinity;
• Enablers: institutional enablers of impactful professional development in Academic Practice - whereby staff engage with professional development and where this engagement leads to the strengthening and enhancement of digital teaching, learning and assessment practices;
• Professional development domains: which articulate the central domains for professional development in digital teaching, learning and assessment, with a range of capacities considered within each domain.

DigCompEdu Framework

The European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) aims to provide a general reference framework to guide the professional development of educators in digital learning technologies.

An abridged abstract of the DigCompEdu Framework is provided below:

As the teaching professions face rapidly changing demands, educators require an increasingly broad set of competences. In particular the ubiquity of digital devices and the duty to help students become digitally competent requires educators to develop their own digital competence.

The DigCompEdu framework aims to capture these educator-specific digital competences.

The framework is directed towards educators at all levels of education, from early childhood to higher and adult education, including general and vocational training, special needs education, and non-formal learning contexts. It aims to provide a general reference frame for developers of Digital Competence models, i.e. Member States, regional governments, national and regional agencies, educational organisations themselves, and public or private professional training providers.

There are a range of supports in Trinity related to Digital Learning:

• For help with digital pedagogies, instructional design, professional development and embedding digital technologies into your teaching practice: please see our range of Professional Development events and modules such as those offered on our Special Purpose Certificate which cover a wide range of curriculum design topics incorporating digital learning.
• For queries related to the practical and technical aspects of using Blackboard and its integrated tools such as Panopto, Turnitin etc., please check IT Services' Blackboard Help pages or contact the Teaching & Learning IT team via the IT Service Desk.
• If you would like help with developing online courses, graphic design, video production and marketing materials, you can arrange a consultation with and quotation from the Digital Learning Development team in IT Services.
• For queries about getting enrolled to your modules, please check with your School Office  - for more details on how enrolments are handled in Blackboard, please see the IT Services' website.