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Dr. Julie Byrne

Assistant Professor (Social Studies)
      
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Dr. Julie Byrne

Assistant Professor (Social Studies)

 byrnej18@tcd.ie

 


Julie is Assistant Professor in Online Education & Development in the School of Social Work and Social Policy. She has been part of two European Commission funded consortia under the Digital Europe Programme focused on meeting Europe's needs for Advanced Digital Skills (https://advancedskills.eu/). She was Trinity's Academic Lead (2019-2021) on the HEA funded project to enhance the digital skills of teaching staff in Ireland's university sector. She led the development of Trinity's first fully online postgraduate programme and was part of the first Microcreds pilot in Trinity offering an online micro credential in Digital Technologies in Human Services. Julie studied human resource management and development at Dublin City University and University College Dublin. Her doctoral thesis at the University of Limerick focused on the meaning of career success. The career as a concept spans many occupations and professions and this has facilitated Julie's work with a variety of professions including engineers, teachers, managers and health and social care professionals. However, promoting education and careers for all has been an enduring feature of Julie's work as evidenced in her commitment to building accessable education pathways via part-time, online, blended and microcredential forms. Julie came to Trinity in 2009 to work in the National Institute for Intellectual Disability. There she coordinated the successful €1.5 million euro grant from Atlantic Philanthropies and served as Acting Director of the Institute which offered the pioneering Certificate in Contemporary Living for people with intellectual disabilities. Julie was previously Director of Academic Programmes at National College of Ireland where she lectured in Human Resource Management and Development and Business Management. While there, she founded the Institute for Managers of Community and Voluntary Organisations, an initiative funded by POBAL. Alongside her academic role, Julie has provided consulting services to professional regulators and professional bodies on education, training and continuing professional development matters. She was part of the working group to develop CORU's first principles based standards of proficiency framework and later part of the Independent Drafting Group applying this framework to the draft standards for Psychologists in Ireland. Her research interests are digital skills and policy, human services and technology and the regulation and competence of professionals.
  Career Education & Planning   CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT   Continuous Professional Development for Practising Teachers   digital education competences   digital pedagogy   Education and training   Nonprofit Management   POSTGRADUATE TRAINING   PROFESSION   professional training policy (education and regulation)   Training and Development
Project Title
 Enhancing the digital teaching capabilities of experienced online instructors and the digital learning capabilities of their students.
From
April 2019
To
December 2020
Summary
Online education requires both students and lecturers to acquire skills and display behaviours that fit the learning environment. While research has been conducted on the design and technical skills required in an online environment there has been relatively little research on the skills and behaviours required once an online course is 'live'. How students and lecturers can build a safe and vibrant online learning space which promotes student engagement is a growing area of study associated with student satisfaction and success. This project aims to address the gap by asking experienced online graduates and lecturers in Trinity to identify the behaviours they associate with good digital learning and teaching. Through focus groups with students as well as interviews with lecturers, the research will inform the development of online resources for students and add to the range of learning resources for those in higher education to develop their skills in line with the National Professional Development Framework in domains 3, 4 & 5
Funding Agency
National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
Programme
Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund 2018
Project Type
Research
Project Title
 Development of a continuing professional development (CPD) Strategy
From
2014
To
2014
Summary
The aim of this project was to develop a continuing professional development strategy for a professional body. The research involved both secondary research and interviews with professionals and comparable professional bodies in other countries.
Funding Agency
Professional body
Project Title
 Development of occupational standards for managers in the community and voluntary sector
From
2009
To
2010
Summary
The aim of this project was to develop occupational standards for managers in the community and voluntary sector to support continuing professional development activities for the sector. The research involved secondary research to identify a framework for the standards and primary research with managers and their employers to identify the key competences for managers working in the community and voluntary sector.
Funding Agency
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Project Title
 Identification of the skill, education and learning needs of HRD/Training professionals in Ireland
From
2008
To
2009
Summary
The aim of this project was to identify the current skills, education and training level of human resource development and training professionals and their future needs. The project involved secondary research and primary research using a questionnaire distributed to members of the Irish Institute of Training and Development. The project recommended a career development framework for the human resource development and training profession outlining the skills required at each level.
Funding Agency
FAS and the Irish Institute for Training and Development
Project Title
 The transition of newly qualified social work graduates into professional employment
From
2017
To
2020
Summary
A review of the literature shows that there are numerous factors influencing the transition into employment for newly qualified graduates. This study aims to examine the factors influencing this career transition for new social workers. Understanding career transitions has become an important topic for study given increased concerns about the retention of social workers. The study adopts a qualitative approach involving individual interviews with social work graduates who entered professional social work employment

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Details Date
Consortium coordinator of the All Ireland Social Work Student Survey 2021
TCD Representative on the IUA Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning Project Team 2019
TCD Representative All Ireland Social Work Student Survey 2018
Journal reviewer for eight international journals: o British Journal of Social Work (2020-2026); o European Journal of Social Work (2020-2026); o Journal of Technology in Human Services (2017-2025); o International Journal of Qualitative Methods (2021); o European Research on Management and Business Economics (2020); o Journal of Social Work Practice (2018-2024); o Groupwork (2019); o International Review of Open & Distance Learning (2017-22) 2017-2026
Expert Academic Reviewer for QQI Accreditation Panel - Business Management in the Community & Voluntary Sector 2017
Founding Board member, Institute for Managers of Community & Voluntary Organisations in Ireland (IMCV) 2008
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
French Medium Basic Basic
German Medium Basic Medium
Spanish Medium Basic Medium
Details Date From Date To
Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development 1992 2013
Social Work Education and Digitalisation: The Classroom in Transition in, editor(s)Lopez Pelaez, A. and Kirwan, G. , Routledge International Handbook of Digital Social Work, London, UK, Routledge, 2023, [Byrne, J.], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED  DOI
Byrne, J., Kirwan, G. & Mc Guckin, C., Social Media Surveillance in Social Work: Practice Realities and Ethical Implications, Journal of Technology in Human Services, 37, (2-3), 2019, p142 - 158, Notes: [https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2019.1584598], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Byrne, J. and Kirwan, G., Relationship-Based Social Work and Electronic Communication Technologies: Anticipation, Adaptation and Achievement, Journal of Social Work Practice, 33, (2), 2019, p217 - 232, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Fu, N., Byrne, J., Flaque Garcia, J., Guckian, C. and Salis, C., LEADSx2030 ADS Annual Report Year 2, v1, May, 2026, Notes: [The report is a comprehensive audit of all 40 EU DIGITAL-SO4 funded programmes (2021"2023), combining full-portfolio survey coverage with in-depth interviews across ~half the projects. Its policy value is that it functions simultaneously as an accountability instrument, a longitudinal evidence base (designed for annual repetition to detect trends rather than just states), a funding allocation tool, and a feeder into the EU's Digital Decade 2030 monitoring infrastructure. It also maps the full ecosystem of HEIs, research organisations, and industry partners, making collaboration gaps visible and actionable.], Report, PUBLISHED  DOI
Fu, N., Hoang, M., Salis, C. and Byrne, J., Leadsx2030 Annual Report Year 1, July, 2025, Notes: [Education and training policy regarding supply of advanced digital skills.], Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  URL
Rowan, B., Borotis , S., Byrne, J. Fu, N., Kypriotis, E., de Lama, N., Menasalvas, E., Moreno, A. Moreno, J.J. Nielsen, J., Consolidated recommendations for the development of Advanced Digital Skills in Europe, June, 2024, Notes: [Education and training policy regarding the development of advanced digital skills in Ireland.], Report, PUBLISHED  DOI
'Vibrant, Open and Accessible' Students' visions of higher education futures in, editor(s)Czerniewicz, L. and Cronin, C. , Higher Education for Good: Teaching and Learning Futures, Cambridge, UK, Open Book Publishers, 2023, pp335 - 352, [Flynn, S., Byrne, J., Devoy, M. Johnstone, J., Lowney, R., Magee, E., Molloy, K., Moloney, D., Munro, M., Ongolly, F., Ryan, J., Stone, S. Waters, M. and Wright, K.], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Doolan Maher, R., Flynn, S. & Byrne, J., Through a Critical Realist Lens: Investigating Data Collection and Analysis Techniques in a Qualitative Study About Internet-Related Child Protection Risks for Children and Young People with Disabilities, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24, 2025, Notes: [https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406925137018], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Mechanisms of Power in the Digital Age: Surveillance, Privacy and Professional Boundaries in Social Work Practice in, editor(s)Antonio Lopez Pelaez, Gloria Kirwan , Routledge International Handbook of Digital Social Work, London, UK, Routledge, 2023, pp393 - 404, [Gloria Kirwan, Julie Byrne], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED  DOI
McFadden, P., Ross, J., Byrne, J., Flanagan, N., Dolan, R., Kirwan, G., Kelly, E., Shore, C., McDonald, O., Wilson, W., Slavin, P., Roulston, A., McCartan, C. and Ketola, M., The role of social work education in relation to empathy and self-reported resilience: Results from entry to exit of social work education on the island of Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic., British Journal of Social Work, 2023, p1-20 , Notes: [https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad046], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Byrne, J., Learning from experience: what works in online classes?, School Learning Forum, School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, 9 April, 2021, SLSCS, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Byrne, J., Working together to enhance interaction in live online classes , Learning online: a roundtable discussion with students and educators, University College Cork, 25 March , 2021, UCC, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Byrne, J., Co-Producing Interaction in Live Online Classes: Insights from Students and Educators, Professional Development Series, Online, 10 March, 2021, Dundalk Institute for Technology, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Byrne, J., Enhancing Interaction in Live Online Classes: Digital Pedagogy Guidance for Educators, Social Work Research and Educators Forum, 7 - 8 January 2021, 2021, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Byrne, J., Enhancing Interaction in Live Online Classes: What Works for Students?, Irish Universitites Association Webinar Series - Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning, 25 January 2021, 2021, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Byrne J, Evaluation of the KEY and LET Programmes 2012/13, Belfast, Young Enterprise Northern Ireland/Junior Achievement Ireland, 2014, Notes: [Innovative education methods. Cross-community education Northern Ireland.], Report, PRODUCED
Clarke, A., Kirwan, G. and Byrne, J., Post Qualification Perspectives of Newly Qualified Social Workers, Journal of Irish Association of Social Work, April, 2012, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Keenan, E and Byrne, J. , Realising the Potential: Supporting Managers of Community and Voluntary Organisations in Ireland, Dublin, 2011, Notes: [Community and voluntary sector, professional development for managers.], Report, PUBLISHED
Byrne, J, Occupational Standards for Managers in the Community and Voluntary Sector, Dublin, IMCV, 2010, Report, PRODUCED
Byrne, J. and Murphy, T., An Analysis of Current & Future Skills, Education and Qualifications of the HRD/Training Profession in Ireland, Dublin, Irish Institute of Training and Development, 2009, Notes: [Professional standards. Continuous professional development.], Report, PUBLISHED

  


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Award Date
Excellence in Research Student Supervision nominated 2024