EdIS eXchange | Clare Evans

For 35 years, the Japanese Studies Project has used technology to connect classrooms and educators in Northern Ireland and Japan. This episode celebrates the project and the people behind it. Professor Emeritus Yoshinori Naruse and David Farrell share the story of how the partnership developed and endured, while Professor Emeritus Junichi Yamanishi and Averil Morrow look ahead to the next era of digital education, from changes to the curriculum to the growing influence of generative AI.

Principal Frances Hughes and ICT Coordinator Rachel McCarragher from Rowandale Integrated Primary School, Moira, share their approach to digital leadership and how the school is using digital technology to drive innovation.Rowandale IPS is a Google for Education Premier Reference School and won the Leadership of Teacher Professional Learning award at the NI Schools ICT Excellence Awards 2024.

Nikki Kimbell, Just2easy Education Consultant, and Julie McArdle, C2k eLearning Consultant, discuss the positive impact the Just2easy platform is having in primary school classrooms across Northern Ireland.

Associate Senior Teacher of Digital Learning and Teaching, Michael Fegan, and Digital Skills teacher, Anna Carr, from St Colman's College, Newry, discuss the school's approach to digital technology. Topics covered include planning for long-term innovation, empowering pupils through technology, and using AI in an ethical way. St. Colman’s College is a Catholic voluntary grammar school for boys. In 2025, the College was the winner of the NI Schools ICT Excellence Award in the Post Primary category.

Groggan Primary School Principal, Cathy Humphrey, and ICT Coordinator, Evie Hunter, discuss the school's approach to digital technology. Topics covered include computational thinking, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and measuring impact. Groggan Primary School is a country primary school with a smaller average enrolment but has featured in the ICT Excellence Awards in two consecutive years.

Clifton School Vice-Principal Brenda Mullan and Professor Emeritus Don Passey discuss the school's award-winning approach to digital innovation in the classroom, framed within the findings of the IFIP report on digital inclusion.This episode follows on from the previous EdIS eXchange podcast where Professor Passey highlighted Northern Ireland's continuing success in sustaining relevant digital education for young people.Clifton School, Bangor, provides education for pupils aged three to nineteen who experience a range of difficulties which impact upon their learning and development. The school was a winner at the ICT Excellence Awards 2025 and is highly regarded for its approach to inclusive technology use.

Professor Emeritus Don Passey discusses International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) case studies into sustaining relevant digital education for young people, with particular focus on computational thinking and success in Northern Ireland.

Clare Evans, Principal of St. Teresa's Nursery School, discusses the use of digital technology in early years settings. Clare is a leading innovator of technology in early years and is currently undertaking a qualification in Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Professor Elizabeth Hartmann and Chynel McCrink discuss Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Elizabeth Hartmann is a Professor of Education at Lasell University and Chynel McCrink is a primary school teacher currently on secondment as a C2k eLearning Consultant.UDL is an educational framework that aims to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people by providing flexible ways in which content is presented, how students engage with it, and how they demonstrate their knowledge

Independent Chair of the Innovation Forum John Anderson discusses innovations, technologies and developing practices within the education sector. Topics include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the impact of technology in nursery schools.