GALWAY, IRELAND - 2026-09-10
Educators at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in Co. Galway have shared how they are using Alison’s Learning Management System (LMS) to support Transition Year (TY), Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), and exceptionally able students, giving learners opportunities to develop practical skills, explore personal interests, and take greater ownership of their skill development.
Their approach is detailed in Empowering Self-Directed Learning Through an Online Learning Platform, published in the Autumn 2026 edition of Leader, the quarterly magazine of the National Association of Principals & Deputy Principals (NAPD).
Written by Principal Alan Mongey, Guidance Counsellor and TY Co-ordinator Colm Flynn, LCA Co-ordinator Róisin Duggan and Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning Eleanor Nolan, the article explores the school’s three-strand approach to digital upskilling and how online learning is being integrated into its wider educational offering.
The model combines teacher-guided learning with opportunities for students to choose courses based on their own interests, abilities, and future plans.
Giving Students Structure, Choice and Practical Skills
For Transition Year students, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir uses Alison in both structured and semi-structured ways. Teachers can integrate relevant online courses into subjects and projects, while students are also encouraged to explore topics independently.
Through Alison’s Transition Year Programme, TY students can work towards recognised CPD UK-accredited institutional certification. The school’s TY Co-ordinator has created a learning pathway assigning four vocational courses to students in Workplace Health and Safety, Manual Handling, Customer Care Skills, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These courses are intended to complement students’ work experience and help them begin building their CVs.
Students then have the freedom to select another four certified courses themselves from the thousands available through Alison. They can also pursue additional courses based on their personal interests, with subjects ranging from photography to entrepreneurship. These achievements can be added to their TY portfolios, providing evidence of their initiative and broadening the range of pathways they can consider after school.
This balance between structured and self-directed learning helps students develop digital literacy, time management and reflective learning habits. Alison courses can be started, partially completed and returned to later, allowing students to fit their learning around the demands of Transition Year and continue learning outside school.
The school sees this approach as particularly valuable preparation for Senior Cycle, where coursework and self-directed learning play an increasingly important role.
For Leaving Certificate Applied students, the school takes a similarly flexible approach. Teachers can recommend Alison courses that support LCA modules, including Customer Service, Workplace Safety, and IT Skills, while students can also pursue learning aligned with their own interests and potential career paths.
For example, students interested in hair and beauty can explore courses covering skincare, salon management, and colour theory. The certifications they earn can strengthen their portfolios when applying for apprenticeships, employment, further study or specialised training.
By combining curriculum-related learning with individual choice, the approach supports the practical nature of LCA while giving students more responsibility for deciding where their learning takes them.
Extending Learning Beyond the Leaving Certificate Curriculum
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir has also worked with Alison to develop bespoke learning pathways for exceptionally able students, particularly those with a strong aptitude for STEM subjects.
The pathways cover Science, Computer Science, and Mathematics, and allow students to explore advanced subjects, including Data Science, Quantum Physics, and Algorithmic Thinking, at their own pace. In some cases, this gives students opportunities to study topics beyond the scope of the Leaving Certificate curriculum and engage with emerging fields that reflect their individual abilities and interests.
Together, the three strands demonstrate how an online learning platform can be adapted to different learners and educational objectives within the same school. Teachers can tailor its use according to the needs of a subject, class group or individual student, while learners can follow pathways that combine structured learning with greater personal choice.
The school identifies flexibility, accreditation and student agency as central to its approach. Recognised certification gives students tangible evidence of their achievements that can strengthen CVs, portfolios and college applications, while the ability to choose courses encourages them to take a more active role in their own learning.
Using Online Learning To Complement Classroom Teaching
Rather than presenting online learning as a replacement for teachers or classroom education, the Coláiste Bhaile Chláir team stresses the importance of integrating it meaningfully into the wider school experience.
The authors note that schools considering an online learning platform should provide dedicated time for students to engage with it or establish systems that encourage accountability for learning completed outside class. Simply making an online resource available is not enough; its impact depends on how meaningfully it is incorporated into student learning.
For Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, the combination of structured choice, recognised certification and real-world relevance provides a way to encourage curiosity, independence and digital fluency while preparing students for opportunities beyond school.
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir is a Galway-Roscommon Education and Training Board school in Claregalway, Co. Galway. Founded in 2013, it now serves more than 1,300 students and offers Junior Cycle, Transition Year, Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate, and Level 2 Learning Programmes.
The full article, Empowering Self-Directed Learning Through an Online Learning Platform, appears in the Autumn 2026 edition of NAPD’s Leader magazine.
ENDS
Resources
For more information about Alison’s TY Certified and LCA Certified programmes, head over to our website or reach out to Alison’s Head of Education for the UK and Ireland, Alannah Timmins, at [email protected].
About Alison
Alison is a global leader in free online learning and skills development. With over 50 million registered Learners across 193 countries (as of October 2025), Alison empowers individuals, communities, and organisations to upskill quickly and effectively – at zero cost.
The Alison platform provides immediate access to over 6,000 free, CPD-accredited courses, covering essential areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Business Operations, Healthcare and Sustainability. Courses are created by a mix of independent experts and global leaders, including IBM, Stanford and Microsoft.
For organisations, Alison offers a Learning Management System (LMS) that enables employees to access thousands of courses with no upfront cost. A premium version with advanced analytics and customisation is also available.
Alison's offering includes a full suite of assessments and psychometric tools, including a Workplace Personality Assessment, Mental Health & Wellbeing Assessment, English Language Proficiency Test, as well as Numerical, Verbal, and Abstract Reasoning tests. To further support career development, Learners also gain access to a Career Guide, a Resumé Builder, and the ability to study offline through the Alison App.
The platform is also expanding its reach with multilingual versions, starting with complete Spanish, French, and Hindi offerings — reaffirming its mission to make education accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Founded in 2007, Alison pioneered the concept of free, large-scale online learning and is recognised as the world’s first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform. Today, its mission continues: to break down barriers to learning, helping people gain skills, build confidence, and improve their lives — no matter where they live or what they earn.
