Lecturer and Department Schools Liasion Officer

66 Rhetoric Annex

Tel: 353 1 708 4566
E-mail:  conor.mccaffery@nuim.ie
Lecturer and Schools Liaison Officer

Research Interests

• The Information Society and Economy
• The Irish and European Digital Divide
• Approaches to Achieving Digital Inclusion
• European Studies
• Large Group Teaching
• Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies
• Application of Technology and Virtual Learning Environments to Education
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• Engagement Between Third, Second Level and Adult Education

Publications

• Mc Caffery, C. (2012), The Geography of Digital Divisions in Ireland, Internet in the Humanities: An Insight from Ireland. Research-Publishing.net (TO BE PUBLISHED IN AUGUST 2012) (Forthcoming August 2012)
• Mc Caffery, C. et al (2010), Large group teaching - the local context: reflections on practice in the National university of Ireland, Maynooth. CTL, Maynooth.
• Mc Caffery, C. (2007), Irish Information Society Policy: A Centralised Model, Networks and Communication Studies, NETCOM 21, 209-240.
• Mc Caffery (2003), The Digital Divide in the EU: National Policies and Access to ICTs in the Member States. OSCAIL, Dublin.

Conference Papers

Upcoming

• Mc Caffery, C. (2012). Thinking Geographically: An Introduction to Human Geography within a European Context. CIG, Dublin, May 25
• Mc Caffery, C. (2012). The Geography of Digital Divisions in Ireland. CIG, Dublin, May, 25
• Mc Caffery, C. (2012). Teaching students about Europe as a unique space and place through project based self-directed learning. EUROGEO Conference - Geography and Global Understanding: Connecting the Sciences, Dublin, June 1 - 2.
• Mc Caffery, C. (2012). Stimulating Education Systems and Achieving Digital Inclusion in the EU through the Application of Methods of Geographical Analysis. EUROGEO Conference - Geography and Global Understanding: Connecting the Sciences, Dublin, June 1 - 2.

Previous

• Mc Caffery, C. (2009). ‘Tasks and Technology: Blended Learning and Overcoming Large Class Limitations'. CIG, Cork, April 15
• Mc Caffery, C. (2005). ‘The Republic of Ireland: A Mature Information Society?' Conference of the Association of American Geographers, Denver, Colorado.
• Mc Caffery, C. (2004) ‘Factors Influencing Access to, and Usage of, ICTs: Progression of the Digital Divide Concept and Considerations for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs)', International (EU/Asia) Small Firms e-Colloquium, University of Central England, Birmingham, June 14
• Mc Caffery, C. (2004) ‘Factors influencing access to and use of ICTs in the EU (considerations for the future beyond enlargement)' The Digital Divide: Opportunities and threats at the Verge of EU Enlargement Conference, Brussels, Belgium. 23 January
• Mc Caffery, C. (2003) ‘Reducing the Digital Divide and Overcoming Peripherality', INTERREG IIIB North West Europe seminar on Improved Access to the Information Society, Cork, 26 June.
• Mc Caffery, C. (2002) ‘The European Digital Divide: National Policies and Access to ICTs in the Member Sates', International Colloquium entitled 'eLearning in higher education: pedagogy and policy, Queen's University Belfast, October 4.

Teaching

First Year

• Introduction to Human Geography: A Globalising World
• Introduction to Human Geography: People and Places (Designed and taught with Dr. Mary Gilmartin)
• Thinking Geographically: An Introduction to Human Geography within a European Context (European Studies)

Second Year

• Geography of the Information Society
• Methods of Geographical Analysis (designed and taught with Dr. Shelagh Waddington and Dot George)

Examples of module topics covered in different semesters:
Maynooth: Foodscapes, Flooding, Remote Sensing and Historical Geography;
Spatially analysing Irish Population / Environmental Data with ArcMap (GIS) (In collaboration with Dr. Ronan Foley);
Introduction to Statistics and Statistical Analysis (Taught with Dr. Laura McElwane and Fionnuala Ní Mhórdha);
Creating a Local Atlas;
The Geography of Crime in Ireland;
The Accessibility of Maynooth for People with Disabilities.

Third year

• Geography of The Information Society and Economy
• Third Year Tutor and Single / Double Honours Thesis Supervision

Examples of Topics Covered:
A Local Survey Analysis of the Digital Divide among Households in the Students' Hometown;
Analysing the Digital Divide among the General Public in the Students' Home Area;
A Digital Mapping Analysis (GIS) of the Digital Divide in the Students' Hometown;
Surveying Student and General Public use of ICTs;
ICTs in National and Local Governance, Business and Politics;
A Comparative Analysis of the Digital Divide among Schools in the Students' Home Area; and
The Geography of Surfing: Analysing the Culture and Economics of Surfing (and Adventure Tourism) in Ireland at the local level.

BA in Local and Community Studies (Adult Education)

• Analysing Local Spaces: Human Geography and the Application of Research Methods