St Mary’s University College Student, Megan Turner,

Wins “Top Education Essay in Ireland”,

Undergraduate Awards, 2014

Megan Turner, a 2014 BEd graduate from St Mary’s University College, has won the award for the best Education essay from the island of Ireland in this year’s international Undergraduate Awards essay competition. She is one of only eleven students shortlisted in the category of Education for this prestigious award. Her final year project, entitled “‘Mind and Memory, Understanding and Delight’: Literature and Memory in Education,” was a capstone study combining her work in primary-level education with her studies as a student of English literature. The essay argues for a re-envisioning of the role of memory within the study of literature and draws an intriguing distinction between two approaches: “learning by rote” and “learning by heart”. The student notes parallels between the study of literature and the study of sacred texts within several of the major world religions. She also analyses the role of memory within the curricula of a number of school systems around the world.

Megan said of the honour, “It was a pleasure to work on this essay, especially as the topic took me to such unexpected places. As technology keeps advancing, especially in education, it seems like an important time to look at what we think about the role of memory. I’ve been asked twice now to speak to a PGCE class at another university on the topic, so it seems to have touched a nerve with people.”

Megan’s project supervisor, Dr Matthew Martin, said, “Megan showed immense dedication in chasing down every implication of her thesis once she began. Beginning with a curiosity about the phenomenon that is Michael Gove, she ended up thinking about memory, verse and varieties of learning styles in both school and religious contexts. It is a fascinating piece, and I’m not at all surprised that she has fared so well in this international competition.”

Megan has been invited to attend the final award ceremony and conference in Dublin later this year. The shortlist itself for the award may be viewed at this link.

Notes to Editors:

St Mary’s is a Catholic Higher Education Institution which specialises in teacher education and the Liberal Arts. Its academic community works within a framework of religious, academic, civic and professional values and seeks to facilitate the integration of Christian faith and learning. St Mary’s places the greatest emphasis on respect for the dignity of the human person and on the promotion of excellence. The college routinely scores among the very highest rated institutions in the annual National Student Survey and recently became the highest ranked specialist institution in the Guardian University Guide 2015.

The identity of the College today is defined by its fundamental work, entrusted to it in 1900, when the Diocese of Down and Connor charged the Dominican Sisters with the work of training teachers. St Mary’s has the Christian faith embedded in its identity enabling a form of educational provision which emphasizes coherence as well as interconnectedness. Below is a list of the eleven students nominated for this award under the category of education: