Dr Anne Murphy
Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU)
Directorate of Research & Enterprise
Dublin Institute of Technology
143-149 Rathmines Road
Dublin 6
Ireland
+ 353 879073348 mobile phone
+353 598631981landline
Summary of interests and experience
Dr Anne Murphy is attached to the Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU) in the Dublin Institute of Technology where she is involved in PhD supervision, international research and consultancy, guest lecturing and publishing. Previously she was based in the Directorate of Academic Affairs involved in academic development, postgraduate teaching, national and international research projects, and in policy, quality assurance and practice aspects of recognition of non-formal and informal learning. Her academic record includes a decade in the National University of Ireland Maynooth and an early career as a second level teacher. She did consultancy work for Irish Aid in Africa, for the Council of Europe, for qualifications authorities in Romania, Malta and Malaysia, for the Ministry for Higher Education in Saudi Arabia and for TEMPUS in Russia. In recent years she has been a visiting lecturer in Kazakhstan, contributing to several conferences there including the First Nazarbayev Reading in Astana and the first G-Global webinar from Pavlodaron the role of universities in sustaining nuclear-free development paradigms. She is founder-editor of the DIT online journal Level3, a scientific committee member for the European Journal of Qualifications, and a long-standing book reviewer for Emerald Publishing. She is also a scientific committee member for The University in Society (UniSo) network annual international conference and publication.
Current PhD supervision topics include: the knowledge society; deontologies of inclusive education; music education; staff development strategies for VLEs
Current academic development activities include supporting teaching staff in a kindergarten centre for children with autism in Kazakhstan.
Selection of recent work
Books, guides and reports
2000 Bradley, J., Healy, D. and Murphy, A. (Eds) (2000) Themes in Kilkenny’s History: Aselection from
the Maynooth- Kilkenny Radio Lecture Series, Red Lion Press: Kilkenny
2004 Murphy, A., Ogard, M., Greer, P. and Alvarez, J.M.R. (2004) Guide to Participatory Democracy in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro,Strasbourg: Council of Europe
2006Murphy, A,. Ogard, M., Greer, P. and Alvarez, J. M. R. (2006) Guide to Participatory Democracy in
Romania and Bulgaria, Strasbourg: Council of Europe
2008 Murphy, A. (2008) APEL Matters in Higher Education, Red Lion Press, Kilkenny, Ireland
2010Murphy, A. (2010) Academic Writing and Publishing Matters for the Scholar-Researcher,
Directorate of Academic Affairs, Dublin Institute of Technology
2010 Murphy, A. (2010) RPL Matters in the DIT: policy and practice guide for staff, Directorate of
Academic Affairs, Dublin Institute of Technology
2010 Murphy, A. and Duff, T. (2010) Comparative assessment of terminology and qualifications
framework design: based on research among partners in Romania, France, Germany, Ireland,
Malta, Slovenia and Spain, for the HEQ_Bridges Project: Building bridges between the EQF-LLL
and the QF-EHEA
2010 Murphy, A, Nicolas, A., and Zaharia, S. E. (2011) Case studies in sectoral qualifications:
qualifications provision, job descriptions, learning outcomes and framework placement, for the
HEQ_Bridges Project: Building bridges between the EQF-LLL and the QF-EHEA
2012 Murphy, A. and O’Shaughnessy, J. (2012) RPL Guide for DIT Staff, Part 2, Directorate of
Academic Affairs and Directorate of Student Services, Dublin Institute of Technology
2012 On-line training modules for qualifications evaluators in Romania, through the DECIS
Project in partnership with the Qualifications Authority of Romania (ACPART/ANC)
2014‘Towards a Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) position paper on e-learning for lecturers in the higher education sector’, January 2014
2014‘Country Report for Ireland: The role of quality assurance in building bridges between VET and HE’, Cedefop Research Project, June 2014
Chapters in books
1996 Murphy, A. (1996) ‘Future-orientation and comparability in educational research: methodological
challenges of the Euro-Delphi Survey’ in Radical Learning for Liberation, NUI Maynooth Occasional
Publications, MACE
2006 Binjens, M. and Vanbene, M. (Eds) (2006) State of the Art: Work Based Induction Training in Europe,
chapter on induction and support for worker-learners in Ireland
2007 Murphy, A. (2007) ‘In mindful search of a good theory of learning at work’, in Radical
Learning for Liberation 2, NUI Maynooth occasional publications, MACE
2012 Darandari, E. and Murphy, A. (2012) ‘ Assessment of student learning’ in Smith, L. and Abouammoh,
A. (Eds) (2012) Higher Education in Saudi Arabia: achievements, challenges andopportunities,
Springer
2014 Murphy, A., Doherty, O. and Collins, K. ‘Changing RPL and HRD discourses: practitioner
perspectives;, in Koivisto, M., Finn, T. and Billett, S. (due 2014) Promoting, assessing, recognising
and certifying Lifelong Learning: international perspectives and practices, Springer
2014 Murphy, A. ‘Access through the looking glass:a think-piece about trends in lifelong learning in
Ireland’, in special forthcoming publication Exploring Difference and Diversity in Irish Higher
Education,School of Education, TrinityCollege, Dublin
2014Murphy, A. ‘Student experience and engagement in higher education in Ireland’ in Loxley, A., Seery, A. and Walsh, J. (Eds) Higher Education in Ireland: practices, policies and possibilities,TrinityCollege, Dublin, Palgrave Macmillan: UK
Conferences and seminars
2007Murphy, A. and Jaszewski, A. (2007) ‘Principles for designing induction and supports for worker learners: experiences from the Learn@Work Project’, Dissemination Conference, Glasgow-CaledonianUniversity, Glasgow, September 2007
2007 Murphy, A. ‘The interface between academic and working knowledge: implications for
curricula and academic practice ’, HETAC Conference on work-based learning, Griffith
College, Dublin, 2008
2008Murphy. A. ‘Challenges for higher education in designing a strategy for recognition of
prior learning (RPL) and using work-based learning programme design (WBL) within
enterprises’ expectations fromthe National Framework of Qualifications’, UniSo Summer
School, Iasi, Romania, July 2008
2007Murphy, A. ‘Recognition of prior learning (RPL): developments in Ireland and possibilities for UNEVOC networking’, lead presentation for UNEVOC-UNESCO Conference, Dublin 19 August 2008
2008Murphy, A. ‘DIT strategy for implementation of the national principles and operational guidelines for RPL in further and higher education’, Bologna seminar, Amsterdam, 11 December 2008
2009Burns, R., Murphy, A. and O’Donnell, H. ‘ Supporting graduate development through work-basedlearning’, UniVest Conference, Verona, July 2008
2009 Murphy, A. ‘The work-based learning programme as a site of ambivalence for academic
staff’,Researching work and Learning Conference, Roskilde University, Denmark, June
2009
2009 Murphy, A. ‘University-industry partnerships: love affairs or marriages of convenience?’
University in Society- UNiSo Summer School, Amiens,France, July 2009
2009 Rokkjaer, O., Norgaard, B., Murphy, A., Skytte, L., Hannermose, N., Ausina, I., Garcia, I.,
Montesines, P. ‘Dissipation of the FWBL methodology to innovation in continuing
professional development’, SEFI Conference, Denmark, 2009
2010 Murphy, A. ‘Negotiating partnerships with small and medium-sized enterprises: options for
the university’, University in Society – UniSo Summer School, Timisoara, Romania, July
2010
2011 Murphy, A. ‘Why minor awards in the Bologna cycles are important for the labour market’,
University in Society UniSo Summer School, Le Cnam, Paris, July 2011
2011 Murphy, A., ‘Tools of assessment of prior learning’, Accreditation of Experiential Learning
Conference, Kuala Lumpur, key-note presentation for Malaysian Qualifications Agency,
March 2011
2011 Murphy, A. ‘Qualifications Frameworks and Lifelong Learning’, Accreditation of Experiential
Learning Conference, Kuala Lumpur, key-note presentation for Malaysian Qualifications
Agency, March 2011
2011 Murphy, A. ‘Experiences of Sectoral Framework Development in Ireland’: contribution to
expert workshop EQF from theory to practice – methodological reflections on referencing,
organised by University of Bremen and DEKRAAcademy, Sliema, Malta, 18 February 2011
2011 Murphy, A. and Duff, T. ‘NQF development status in Ireland and current challenges for
implementation of EHEA reforms’, conference related to the self-certification of
compatibility of the Romanian NQFHE and the EHEA framework, Sinaia, Romania, 14
and 15 April 2011
2012 Murphy, A. 1. ‘Student-centred higher education: the logic of the Bologna process’, KIMEP
Conference, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2 and 3 March 2012
2. ‘Quality enhancement in higher education: a focus on the Bologna process’
3. ‘How to become a student-centred university’
4. ‘Student-centred higher education: the logic of the Bologna process’.
2012Murphy, A. ‘Understanding qualifications at a European level: a comparative analysis with the Irish experience’. Seminar for the Qualifications Council of Malta, Sliema, 22 June 2012.
2011Murphy, A.Contribution to international expert panel at final joint conference of two projects: NQF
by EQF Projectand Matching Frames project, and ‘Qualifications frameworks: a contribution to the
development of the European labour market’, University of Bremen, DEKRA and Bavarian
Broadcasting Company, Munich, Germany, 25 and 26 June 2012
2012 Murphy, A. (2012) ‘Labour Market Activation Initiatives from the Perspective of Higher Education:
a case study from Ireland’. Uniso (University in Society) SummerUniversity, Sigisiora, Romania,
July 2012
2012Murphy, A. ‘The Bologna process and recognition of prior formal and non-formal learning: where to
start at the local level’, Seminar for Tempus DEFRUS Project, Moscow, October 2012
2013Murphy, A. ‘The Role of N. Nazarbayev in development of higher education in Kazakhstan from the pointof view of Irish scientists’, First Nazarbayev Readings, Astana, Kazackstan, November 2012
2012 Murphy, A. ‘Science and Technology in the Irish Economy’, seminar presentation, PavlodarStateUniversityNovember 2012
2012 Murphy, A. ‘Quality Assurance and RPL at national and international levels: an example from
Ireland’, EURASHE and European RPL Network seminar’ RPL and flexible ties with Higher
Education, Prague, 13 and 14 December 2012
2013 Murphy, A. ‘Mobility of researchers and the rise of scientific English’,PavlodarState
University Conference Education and Science without Borders,Kazakhstan, 14 May 2013.
2013Murphy, A. ‘RPL in sectoral qualifications frameworks within NQFs, Bologna Cycle and the EQF: a focus on making frameworks ‘work’ hard’, DEFRUS Tempus meeting, St Petersburg, June 2013
2013 Murphy, A.. ‘The university as a workplace for lecturer competence recognition and
qualifications enhancement through RPL and learning contracts’, University in Society
(UniSo) Summer Conference, Nice, France, July 2013
2013 Murphy, A. (2013) ‘University-industry partnerships; learning to live in sectoral harmony?’
First International Conference: 3E: Energy, Environment and Efficiency: interdisciplinary
research in the Danube and Black Sea areas,University of Galati, Romania, 19-21
September 2013
2013Murphy, A. ‘RPL in Ireland: an overview’, for higher education delegation from Norway, September 2013, Dublin
2013 Murphy, A. ‘Changing university learning in an era of global knowledge’. XI Toraighyr
Readings, Pavlodar State University, Kazakhstan11 October 2013,
2013 Murphy, A. ‘Priorities for universities in a global context’ contribution to webinar and
broadcast organised for a G-Global Round Table, House of Cultures, Pavlodar,
Kazakhstan, October 2013
2014Murphy, A. ‘Sector Skills Networks and Qualifications Recognition’, TEMPUS DEFRUS meeting, Moscow, 13-14 March 2014
2014 Murphy, A.‘Supporting VET and HR professionals using European tools in their daily praxis:
recent developments in Ireland’, European Conference – Support structures for the practical application and implementation of the EQF and ECVET in Europe, Berlin, September 2014
2014 Murphy, A.‘Using minor awards and prior learning in professional and work-related education and
training’, School of Chemistry and Pharmacology, Dublin Institute of Technology, for delegation
from highereducation in Puerto Rico, 17 September 2014, Dublin.
2014Murphy, A. ‘RPL as ‘a good solution’ to sudden, high unemployment: the case of post-Celtic Tiger Ireland’, CAPLA (Canadian Association for prior Learning Assessment) Conference Ottawa, 2-4 November 2014
Journal articles
1996 Murphy, A. (1996) ‘Comparability and Future-Research in Adult Education: Methodological
Challenges in the Euro-Delphi Survey’, in, Connolly, B., Fleming, T., McCormack, D. and
Ryan, A. (Eds), Radical Learning for Liberation, MACE Occasional Series Number 1,
Maynooth, 1996
1996 Murphy, A. (1996) ‘Curvilinear Learning and CapacityBuilding for Rural Development’ in The Adult
Learner, AONTAS and Adult Education Organisers Association, Dublin
2003 Murphy, A., (2003) ‘Is the university sector in Ireland ready to publicly assess and accredit personal
learning from outside the academy?’ European Journal of Education, Volume 3, Number 4
2003 Murphy, A.(2003) ‘‘Situated learning’, ‘distributed cognition’: Do academics really need to
know?’ DIT on-line journal Level3
2005 Murphy, A. (2005) ‘Where does AP(E)L fit in higher education?’ DIT on-line journal Level 3
2007 Murphy, A. (2007) ‘Scaling up AP(E)L for sectoral professionalisation: experience from the social
care sector in Dublin’ in The Adult Learner, 2007, AONTAS
2008 Murphy, A. ‘The interface between academic and working knowledge: implications for
curriculum design and pedagogic practice’, Dublin Institute of Technology online journal,
Level3, 2008
2010Murphy, A. O’Rourke, K. and Rooney, P. ‘The Learn@Work Project 2005-2007: What did it
do and what happened with it since?’ Australian Journal of E-learning at Work, Inaugural
Issue 2009 and reproduced in Level3, 9th Issue, 2009
2011Murphy, A. ‘Policy development and implementation procedures for recognition of prior
learning:a case study of practices in higher education’, Level3, Issue 10, June 2010 Level3
online journal
2014Murphy, A., Duff, T. and Collins, K. ‘Comparative analysis of terminology and qualifications
frameworks design’, European Journal of Qualifications, Issue 3, July 2011
2012Murphy, A. ‘Policy development and implementation procedures for recognition of prior learning: a case study of practices in higher education’, European Journal of Qualifications, Issue 2, May2011
2013Murphy, A. ‘Two decades of RPL in Ireland: practitioner perspectives’, Level3 June 2013
2014Murphy, A. ‘Quality assurance as a bridge between VET and HE in Ireland’, Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, Pavlodar State University, Kazakhstan, October 2014
2014 Murphy, A. ‘Paradigms of the knowledge economy: implications for higher education’, Journal of
Psychologyand Pedagogics, Pavlodar State University, Kazakhstan forthcoming
Teaching specialities
- Research Design
- Higher Education policy and pedagogics
- Psychology of learning
- RPL (recognition of prior learning)
- WBL (work-based learning)
- Writing for publication.
Research and partnership projects
QA in VET and HE: international comparative study for Cedefop 2014
DEFRUS TEMPUS 2012-2015
DECIS: EU & Romania Qualifications Authority partnership project 2011-2013
HEQ-Bridges – EU Lifelong Learning research project 2009-2012
E3M – University Third Mission –EU Lifelong Learning research project 2009-2012
Education in Employment – Irish Government Strategic Innovation Fund project
Facilicode –EU Leonardo de Vinci research project 2007-2009
Learn@Work – EU Minerva research project 2005-2007
Valex (Valuing Learning from experience) – EU Socrates Grundtvig research project 2003-2005
SCOTENS – North-South teacher training project with University of Ulster.