TDU Talk
I ssu e 3 – N ove m ber/December 2012
Celebrating Teaching 2012
CONTENTS
Editor’s Comment Dorothy Spiller, Senior Lecturer in
Tertiary Teaching and Learning
Teaching Development Unit
Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning Facilitating Learning
Dr Kirstie McAllum, Lecturer,
Management Communication,
Waikato Management School
2
Teaching Philosophy and
Teaching Strategies Sue Wardill, Tutor,
Te Piringa, Faculty of Law
Celebrating the Co-construction
of Knowledge 3
Dr Amanda Bateman, Lecturer,
Professional Studies in Education, Faculty of
Education
15
18
Australasian Higher Education Evaluation Forum (AHEEF) 19
Celebrating the Joy of Teaching Brydget Tulloch, Senior Tutor,
Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
and Engineering
7
Transformational Teaching to Facilitate
Enquiry-Based Learning 9
Gemma Piercy, Senior Tutor,
Sociology Programme and Labour Studies,
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Engagement for Learning Dr John Buchanan, Senior Lecturer,
Management Systems,
Waikato Management School
Reflections on a South African sabbatical Dorothy Spiller, Senior Lecturer in
Tertiary Teaching and Learning,
Teaching Development Unit,
Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
20
Report on visit to U.K. in June/July 2012 Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer,
Teaching Development Unit, Centre for
Tertiary Teaching and Learning
22
12
Our Christmas wish list Team at Teaching Development Unit,
Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
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Teaching Development Unit
Wahanga Whakapakari Ako
Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
University of Waikato
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Phone: +64 838 4839 Fax: +64 838 4573
E-mail: [email protected]
www.waikato.ac.nz/tduw
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Kia ora koutou
Another academic year is drawing to a close and it is gratifying to undertake one of the best
parts of our work-celebrating our teachers. In this edition, faculty award winners share some of
their reflections about teaching and examples from their practice. Congratulations to you all
and thank you for your generosity and readiness to share your ideas. We would like to thank
you all too for the ongoing contribution to the work of the TDU and the building of a campus
culture that recognises and affirms the centrality of teaching in the university.
The articles in this edition draw attention to different aspects of teaching and provide some
practical strategies. Kirstie McAllum addresses the need to engage students in their learning
and offers multiple strategies for doing this in the context of a large class. The possibilities for
relationship, connection and conversation in the large class setting are also demonstrated in
the article by John Buchanan. The importance of relationship building in the learning process
recurs in the discussion by Brydget Tulloch who demonstrates how she helps students to access their own knowledge and shows
how she scaffolds the teaching and learning of complex concepts. Likewise, the importance of each student in the learning process
is emphasised by Amanda Bateman who draws on the principles of Te Whariki (New Zealand Early Childhood Education Curriculum)
to build an inclusive environment in which learning is co-constructed with her future early childhood educators. Sue Wardill from the
Law School reinforces the need to balance an environment of trust with intellectual challenge and is mindful of the need to develop
independent thinking and problem-solving attributes in her students who are aspiring to a career in Law. Finally, Gemma Piercy offers
an honest account of her growth as a teacher and explains how her classroom approaches are underpinned by the philosophy of
learning partnerships.
The teachers who are featured in this magazine are only some of the many academics who won teaching awards or who were
nominated for teaching awards. We congratulate all of these academics. It has been rewarding and inspiring to see so much evidence
of commitment and dedication to the students’ learning. We are aware how many teachers are working within tight budgets and with
dwindling resources, but who still remain focussed on giving their students the best possible learning opportunities.
As the year closes I would like to thank my colleagues in the TDU for their unstinting commitment to their work and their collegial
support. After a long period of leading the TDU, I am stepping aside from this role which will be taken over by Trudy Harris. I know
Trudy will do a great job in this role. I would like to thank the many academic staff members who have supported me in building the
TDU and who have contributed in so many ways to enhancing the culture around teaching at the university.
Best wishes to you all for the festive season
Dorothy and the TDU team
“Make a space at your place for teaching”
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Celebrating the Co-construction
of Knowledge
Dr Amanda Bateman, Lecturer, Professional Studies in Education, Faculty of Education I have a rich appreciation for the co-construction of learning which is inspired by Te Whāriki,
the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, where the importance of responsive, reciprocal
relationships are acknowledged as being essential and the co-construction of teaching and
learning is recognized as a thoroughly social process. The curriculum is designed to include
the weaving together of the various values and perspectives of all people involved in teaching
and learning for young children so as to provide a mat, or Whāriki, for all to stand and build
on the strengths of each person. This practice brings people together in an inclusive approach
and values each person’s prior knowledge and contribution towards a collaborative learning
environment. This respect and value for each person’s strengths is recognized in the Te Whāriki
holistic approach to education which acknowledges the importance of social, cultural and
emotional development, as well as cognitive growth, in educational settings. Through this
perspective it is important to support all aspects of the person in a holistic way in order
for them to develop to their full potential. I hold the same vision for my students as Te Whāriki has for young children, aspirations
for becoming teachers are equivalent to the Te Whāriki intention for children to grow, ‘as competent and confident learners and
communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued
contribution to society.’ (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996, p. 9)
My journey
This collaborative approach to teaching and learning began when I started my professional career working in an early childhood centre
in inner city Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, UK. During my time in Cardiff I became very close to the families and children that I
engaged with on a daily basis. It became clear to me that working with children involved more than working just with the children, as
it was equally as important to engage with families in order to communicate about the children’s learning during their day (Mitchell,
Haggerty, Hampton & Pairman, 2006). Also of equal importance, was to work collaboratively with other teachers during the centres
to ensure that children and families received the best care possible (Mitchell et al., 2006). This time in my life taught me about the
importance of forming and maintaining relationships with those involved in the care of young children. This is an aspect of early
childhood teaching that I talk to my students about so that they can appreciate how important they will be to the children and
families they meet during their teaching lives. I reiterate to the students that their role will be an important link between the children
and their families in communicating everyday events; although these may seem mundane at times they hold huge significance for
parents and caregivers who do not have access to their children during the day.
After working in Cardiff for a number of years I relocated to the Welsh countryside. My family and I lived in a rural setting where I
attended the local Welsh medium Ti a Fi (mother and toddler group) with my children. As they grew older my children made their
natural progression to the Cylch (independent nursery attendance). During this time I thoroughly enjoyed assisting in the running
of the Ti a Fi and Cylch and loved the challenge of teaching through the medium of my limited Welsh! The time I spent working in
these Welsh language settings revealed to me the importance of language in social interaction and its importance for establishing
relationships between children, teachers and staff. I also began to realize the significance of language as culture and how speaking the
Mother Tongue was closely linked to a sense of belonging for the children and families within the setting. Through respecting and using
the first language of a child and their family, early childhood teachers can support their identity and demonstrate that their culture
and knowledge is valued (Siraj-Blatchford & Clarke, 2000). I believe that promoting and respecting the home language is as important
in New Zealand as it is in Wales due to the similar bicultural communities and both being bilingual countries where the home
3
language is the minority spoken. Therefore, I hold
the language aspect of being an early childhood
teacher as imperative, and enjoy discussing issues
of language and culture with my students on the
papers I teach.
My holistic approach to teaching began to
unfold during these happy years where I learnt
that children do not grow fully when there are
problems with ‘cognitive, social, cultural, physical,
emotional, and spiritual dimensions’ (MoE, 1996, p.
41). Working with children and families in various
settings over a sustained period of time taught me that respecting the cultural, social and emotional dimensions of children, families
and teachers is imperative in the process of cognitive development. I now carry this knowledge with me in my teaching and give the
same holistic support to my students during their learning journey.
Co-constructing learning
A reciprocal relationship of mutual respect with the students is an important aspect in students’ learning process because this affords
a culture where it is safe to ask questions and discuss issues together without the students feeling the pressure of being ‘wrong’.
Unpacking theories in a ‘safe environment’ is essential for students to be able to open up about their ideas and opinions and they
need the opportunity to feel confident to explore their ideas in every lecture. Class discussions provide a great opportunity to see if
students are finding a topic difficult or are in need of further support; ensuring that the concepts are accessible to all is of the upmost
importance to ensure that learning is inclusive. Students deserve to be taught in a supportive and stimulating environment where they
are valued as a member of their learning community. This is in line with the Graduating Teaching Standards for New Zealand early
childhood teachers where professional values and relationships are an expected outcome for students where they are required to:
‘develop positive relationships with learners and the members of learning communities (and) have the
knowledge and dispositions to work effectively with colleagues, parents/caregivers, families/whānau
and communities’ (Standard 6b, Graduating Teaching Standards, 2007).
Through developing a safe learning environment with the students, evidence of their co-construction of knowledge becomes clear
during the class discussions as they present their opinions and feel confident to approach each other or myself if there is any aspect of
course content of which they are unsure.
In order to inform my own teaching practice and co-construction of knowledge I am currently engaged in a partnership research
project with three early childhood teachers (Bateman, 2012a). My participation in this project has been very enjoyable and informative
in relation to my professional development where I am learning about the everyday interactions between teachers and children which
are pivotal to teaching and learning. This project not only informs my own teaching practice where I can see where teaching and
learning actually ‘happens’ throughout the flow of an interaction, but it also provides me with rich footage of real life interactions
within the early childhood sector which can be shown to students in tutorials. As part of the research I have meetings with the
partnership teachers and share my analysis of the footage with them, providing a detailed account of what occurred during significant
teaching and learning moments in order to inform future practice. I have also shared my findings from this study with other teacher
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educators and researchers from the early childhood sector at an international level (Bateman 2012b; 2012c). The same presentations of
the emerging findings have been shown to my students in order to keep them current on issues surrounding early childhood pedagogy.
I am also involved in a second study where I am project leader in an investigation into the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes
on young children and teachers in an affected area. This research has provided me with valuable connections to the early childhood
community within Christchurch where the teachers involved wanted the research to focus on their experiences in a positive way rather
than presenting them as victims as is often the case. I work with an international team of academics on this project and we intend to
continue with this research indefinitely. This project has afforded me the valuable opportunity to co-construct knowledge with academic
peers and teachers. I discuss my experiences of this earthquake research with my students and show them footage from the study to
demonstrate how teaching and learning can be achieved during difficult times when people work together and support each other.
Conclusion
The vast majority of my professional development has emanated from being in the company of students, either online or face-to-face.
My students regularly give me the opportunity to engage in self-reflective professional development regarding my teaching through my
teaching appraisals, both mid-semester and at the end of each semester. From my experience, being a successful and effective lecturer
is a practical learning experience and one which can only be strengthened the more I interact with my students. I learn about better
ways to engage students with research and theory in practical ways through each lecture and am very open to learning everyday as
an ongoing process. I am not afraid to show my students that I am a long way from perfect and do not know all the answers to every
question I receive, and that humility is a valued attribute in the teaching profession.
During my time teaching here at Waikato University I have learnt a considerable amount from my more experienced peers. Through
helping to run the Friday colloquium where staff members from the Faculty of Education are invited to present their educational
research sessions, I have become increasingly aware of the prestigious work that my peers here at The University of Waikato are involved
in. I have found these events to be thoroughly illuminating as the presenters have informed my developing understanding of the various
research projects of my peers, which directly relate to teaching practice. I appreciate the valuable advice of my peers and respect
their collegial approach to teaching and learning. I feel that I have developed professionally and learnt an immense amount through
discussions with my peers and interactions with my students. They have all provided me with invaluable experiences which have proven
to be the bedrock of my practice during these early years of my professional teaching practice.
In conclusion, I hope that my passion for the co-construction of knowledge through a collaborative work environment offers a holistic
support for my students throughout their learning journey and that it will encourage them to reciprocate this approach in their future
teaching practice where they will be part of a holistic, inclusive support network for the children and families they will be working
with. My passion and respect for the New Zealand early childhood curriculum has led me on a holistic learning journey where I am
continually developing culturally, socially and educationally through my engagement with peers, literature and students. Each academic
year brings with it new students and challenges, but through a collaborative approach to teaching and learning I learn more every year.
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References
Bateman, A. (2012a). Pedagogical intersubjectivity: understanding how teaching and learning occur between children and teachers through
everyday conversations in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER.
Bateman, A. (2012b) Investigating Early Childhood Pedagogy in New Zealand. Paper presented at EECERA conference, Porto, Portugal;
August 29th – September 1st 2012.
Bateman, A (2012c). The use of questions in toddler teaching and learning. Paper presented at the Transcription Analysis Group (TAG)
Symposium, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; 18th May 2012.
Graduating Teaching Standards (2007) available online:
http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/te/gts/gts-poster.pdf
Ministry of education. (1996). Te Whāriki. He whāriki mātauranga mōngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington:
learning Media.
Mitchell, L., with, Haggerty, M., Hampton, V., & Pairman, A. (2006). Teachers, parents and whänau working together in early childhood
education. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.
Siraj-Blatchford, I and Clarke, P (2000). Supporting Identity, Diversity and Language in the Early Years. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
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Celebrating the Joy of Teaching
Brydget Tulloch, Senior Tutor , Biological Sciences , Faculty of Science and Engineering
I am excited to be writing this article on celebrating teaching, because all too often it feels like
research is celebrated more than teaching at the university. This is perhaps because research
has obvious measurable rewards such as being granted research funding or producing a paper.
Teaching produces its own rewards but these are far less obvious and can be different for
every teacher. When I wrote my teaching portfolio I opened with the quote of “we teach
to change the world” (Brookfield, 1995), and while this seems cliched, it is so very true. The
rewards in teaching for me are the interactions with students and seeing that moment when
there is a spark as ideas click and make sense. It is the connections with students I want to
focus on in this piece because for me that is why I teach.
As a tutor my teaching classes are different to the typical delivery of information that you
find in a lecture. I teach predominantly in the laboratory with a class size of 30-40 students
all working in smaller groups. Small group teaching allows for conversations, letting me move between groups and talk to students far
more than in lectures or even some tutorials. A typical interaction might start with a student asking a question based directly on what
they are learning but it can evolve and lead us down different paths. And it is these discussions that I enjoy because they fulfil two
roles that I enjoy: conveying information and building social relationships.
When a student asks a question sometimes all they need is a simple answer. However, often the question lends itself to exploring their
knowledge. By chatting with either the individual student or the group there is the chance to teach new information, clarify existing
ideas, and identify and correct misconceptions. Because there is a two-way dialogue I can ask questions and work with students to
get to the correct answer, often giving hints to allow them to get to the answer by themselves as they pull their existing knowledge
together. I always love these types of exchanges because students are so proud of themselves when they realise they knew the answer
or were able to solve the problem through applying existing ideas.
The other moments I love are when talking around an idea or explaining a concept helps a student to finally ‘get it’. One of the
comments I frequently get from students is that I have the ability to take a confusing concept and explain it in language they
understand. This is because I will often take a difficult concept and explain it using very plain language and then build upon it,
introducing the more scientific explanations until I’ve explained the concept a number of times but in different ways with each
successive explanation becoming more complex. In addition I like to use different teaching modes such as videos and animations to
show ideas. One of the most surprisingly effective tools is using the students themselves. For example one particularly difficult process
I teach involves the movement of molecules, I move the students from one place to another, linking them with each other while asking
other students what they think is going to happen so it seems that as a team we recreate the process. Feedback from the students has
been extremely positive on this style of teaching, possibly because in reality it is not something they can physically see happening and
imagining it in their head is hard. The reward is in hearing the excited phrase of “I finally get it”.
It is during all these chats that I also get to know my students giving me the chance to build relationships. Within the first couple of
weeks of semester I have usually learned the names of most of my students (around 180). I never realised this was a big deal until
I had a student explain to me that it made her feel important that I had taken the time to learn her name. To me it was the natural
thing to do, I was going to be working with these students for a semester or the entire year and the best way to develop a relationship
was to start by learning their name. Teaching at the first year level I view my role as a tutor to have a pastoral aspect, the majority of
students are away from home for the first time and their lives outside the classroom can have major impacts. During their first class
7
I start by explaining I have an open door policy and encouraging students to come and see me for any reason. One student wrote a
letter in support of my teaching excellence award nomination explaining how I had helped her cope with university:
First year was very hard for me, moving away from home to a big university where I did not know anyone
and I did not know how university worked. Many of my teachers were quite intimidating and made me
feel very overwhelmed by everything I had to do...Brydget came in to the lab happy and bubbly, encouraging us to come to her if we have any questions at all, even if they were not biology related… although
this seemed like a small gesture to her it meant so much to me and I felt that I had someone I could talk
to. I felt like I belonged somewhere.
Even after I finish teaching the students
at first year I continue to maintain
relationships with many students.
My office’s proximity to the teaching
laboratories means many students drop by
for a chat prior to their classes. I encourage
this and it is reinforced by comments from
students that I always make them feel
welcome and that they can come to me
for help. Too often students need help but
they just aren’t sure who to ask, I am able
to direct them to appropriate sources all
because they feel comfortable enough to
just drop by my office and ask.
These social aspects I view as a major job role, because in a university it is easy to feel lost. I came to Waikato as a student in the
second year of my degree and didn’t know anyone. It was an isolating experience but I was an older student with some life experience
behind me that helped me to adapt quickly. For many of the fresh from school students they are arriving to a large campus from a
small high school, they have no friends and they can easily feel like numbers. If I can make the transition easier then I am succeeding in
my job.
Throughout my studies as a student I moved through different disciplines, never quite finding the right fit. It wasn’t until I was doing
my graduate studies and assisted in some teaching that I was able to say ‘I could do this for a job’. Being able to combine my passion
for science and my love of people, conveying information and developing relationships meant that teaching was the perfect fit for me.
I have found it to be the most rewarding career; it is with pride that I am clapping at graduation seeing students that I taught crossing
the stage having earned their degrees.
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Transformational Teaching to
Facilitate Enquiry-Based Learning
Gemma Piercy, Senior Tutor, Sociology Programme and Labour Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Gemma … inspires learning and encourages students to develop their own view
of the world. Instead of focusing solely on course content, she used a holistic
approach so that we could see where each topic sat in relation to another. Her
teaching style allowed students to be challenged, but she was also there for
support and guidance. (2012 nomination comment)
It is my belief that a University education asks students to engage on an intellectual,
emotional and physical level. As such, I think that teachers have a responsibility to their
students on all of these levels, not just on an intellectual plane. Furthermore, it is important
to remember that students are adults and have complicated lives, with their own fears
and challenges. I think that it is vital to take this complexity into account when creating
the learning process. How teachers put this into practice of course needs to be tailored to
each person’s approach to their academic discipline and life (Pratt, 2002). For example, my
approach is to try and understand my own strengths and weaknesses and then use insights from that reflective practice to understand
those of my students. This knowledge can then be used to create scaffolding or support structures to help the student engage in the
content of the discipline with confidence.
Another aspect of my approach is that, where possible, the content delivered should connect to students’ life experiences and work
stories. I try to achieve this via interactive teaching methods and/or linking the theoretical ideas to popular culture in order to create
a bridge between the students’ world and that of the academe. By choosing to be empathetic to student experiences, I can develop
greater reflexivity not just about my students, but about teaching itself. This belief is based on the concept of Andragogy which I was
exposed to in my graduate study in adult education and Labour Studies. Andragogy is the: “[T]he science of adult learning, that is of
teaching adults in an adult way, as opposed to teaching them as if they were children” (Dictionary of Human Resources and Personnel
Management, 2006). It is a teaching style that emphasises the importance of being self-directed and acknowledges the life experiences
that adults bring to the class. The approach draws on this life experience in order to encourage a Dewey-oriented notion of experiential
learning. Andragogy also links to the work of Paulo Freire by placing the teacher in a facilitative role rather than in a position of
authority recasting the power dynamic between the teacher and student.
The effective elements of my teaching are based on my awareness of what students need from being a student myself, as well as the
interactive and experiential methods I developed in bridging education. However, in the last three years in particular, I have drawn
on research increasingly to inform my teaching practice. Through completing the Post-graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching
(PGCertTertTchg) in 2010, my practice has been specifically influenced by Enquiry-Based learning, which I incorporate into my course
design by using learning partnerships and creating space for interactive teaching. These strategies are important to my course design
because they facilitate student autonomy, but also allow me to learn about the different needs of my students and change my
teaching practice accordingly.
Baxter Magolda’s model of learning partnerships is about “creating an evolutionary bridge by merging three supportive components
with three challenges in the learning environment” (2009, p.150). Baxter Magolda names the three supportive components as
“validating learners’ ability to know, situating learning in learners’ experience, and defining learning as mutually constructing meaning”
(2009, p.150). There is a strong link between these ideas and the andragogical approach I take in my teaching. These supportive
elements are implemented alongside three challenges, which are that “knowledge is complex and socially constructed, self is central
to knowledge construction, and authority and expertise are shared among knowledgeable peers” (2009, p.150). These challenges links
to the priorities of Enquiry-Based learning that “involves teaching students to work in a research minded way which pushes teachers
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to move away from “traditional content based curriculum” (emphasis in the original, Spiller, 2009, p. 6). As with learning partnerships
in Enquiry-Based learning, “students are engaged as participants rather than as audience” and it is important to “... share the rationale
for your approach with the students and alert them to the graduate attributes that they will be developing” (Spiller, 2009, p.11).
I invite students to co-construct the learning process by drawing back the verisimilitude that is often placed around teaching via
teacher driven pedagogy by “defining learning as mutually constructing meaning” ( Baxter Magolda, 2009, p.150). This is a challenge
I am willing to take on drawing inspiration and strength from Palmer’s Courage to Teach (2007). However, this is a complex journey
into vulnerability given the ways in which I model how the “self is central to knowledge construction” by sharing the inner secrets and
strategies of teaching with your students.
Enquiry-Based learning and learning partnerships expose students to the idea that knowledge is socially constructed. This is the basis
of developing a critical perspective which allows for the understanding or awareness that complex and multiple truths co-exist. This is
a core skill that all social science students need to acquire as stated in the graduate profile: “Bachelor of Social Sciences graduates will
have critical thinking skills, oral and communication skills, self-directed learning skills and more specific skills relevant to their subject(s)
of choice” (FASS, University of Waikato, 2011).
By revealing the subjective nature of knowledge through content delivered in the paper and sharing how theoretical ideas relate to
real life, I can use teaching techniques to demonstrate the inner workings and aims of the academic process. This allows the power
dynamic in the teaching relationship to be exposed and their possible impact to be discussed and taken into consideration by both
the teacher and the student (Spiller, 2009; Tan, 2007). Embedded within this are two acts of balance, first maintaining the integrity
of the academic discipline in relation to the real world examples and second, making sure that my exposure of the power dynamic is
empowering rather than destabilising and confrontational.
Given my teaching beliefs and practices it is absolutely vital to me that my students are able to engage in the classroom setting.
I seek to achieve this by creating space and assessment over the course of the semester to support students as they build their
confidence and capability in a range of contexts. My interactive style of teaching relies on students being able to discuss concepts in
the classroom setting; thus it is just as important to me that students contribute to class discussion through group work in lectures or
approach me through moodle or email if they lack confidence. Online conversation also accommodates students who have English
as a second language as they may feel more comfortable making comments online when they can check what they say first. The way
in which I create these kinds of learning environments is informed by learning theory developed by Knud Illeris (2010) who identifies
three dimensions in learning; content, incentive and environment. Content “concerns what is learned… knowledge and skills”. Incentive
is “the mental energy that is necessary for the learning process to
take place… feelings, emotions, motivation and volition”. Both of
these “build up the sociality of the learner” serving the “personal
integration” (or not, e.g. in my opinion at times learning can mean
that people integrate less into some communities and more into
others) of that learner into their “communities and society”, which
is what Illeris refers to as the environment dimension (Illeris, 2010,
pp. 10-11). In order to ensure students can engage and cope with
my interactive teaching style, I try to consider each of these three
dimensions when I design and plan my teaching.
10
The interactive style I use also allows me to alter my lecture content at the
last minute and provide examples to illustrate points from different contexts.
In Labour Studies there are normally international students from China so I
use examples from South East Asia so that they are able to relate to what I am
saying and contribute. Social Policy tends to have a large proportion of Pacific
Island and Māori students, as such I use practices that reflect notions of kaupapa.
It is by maintaining this kind of flexibility in my teaching approach that I am able
to combine the challenge and support strategies of learning partnerships in order
to facilitate Enquiry-Based learning.
If, despite my best efforts, students remain disengaged I use short focus groups
at the end of class and ask them first, how they are experiencing the class and
second, what I could do to support them better. This is a useful technique because sometimes the disengagement is revealed to be
more about the students’ work/life balance which can then be addressed; or if the disengagement is genuine, students will often put
more effort into the paper if they feel they are being heard. This can also help them feel more accountable for their learning too if their
disengagement is more about resistance.
These factors link into the importance of pastoral care and into how the deeper teaching/learning relationships can facilitate learning.
I acknowledge that the issue of how much pastoral care should be provided, if at all, in an adult environment that emphasises selfdirected learning (see graduate profile) is a somewhat controversial area. However, to me Illeris’s model clearly demonstrates that
mental, emotional as well as environmental contexts need to be considered when teaching.
References
Baxter Magolda, M. (2009). Educating students for self-authorship: Learning partnerships to achieve complex outcomes. In Kreber, C.
(Ed.) The university and its disciplines: teaching and learning within and beyond disciplinary boundaries (pp. 143-156). London:
Routledge.
Illeris, K. (2010). A comprehensive understanding of human learning. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary theories of learning: Learning
theorists… in their own words (pp. 7-20), Abingdon: Routledge.
Palmer, P. J. (2007). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Pratt, D. (2002). Five perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company.
Spiller, D. (2009). Extracts from Strengthening Research-Teaching Linkages to create graduates for the 21st century. In TDU Talk, 3, 4-15.
Hamilton, New Zealand: Teaching Development Unit, The University of Waikato.
Tan, K. (2007). Conceptions of self-assessment: What is needed for long term learning. In D. Boud and N. Falchikov, Rethinking
assessment in higher education: learning for the longer term, (pp.114-127). Abingdon, Oxford, Great Britain: Routledge.
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Engagement for Learning
Dr John Buchanan, Senior Lecturer, Management Systems, Waikato Management School
Many of my students are strategic learners—especially when their paper is compulsory at
first year. As a teacher in such a paper, I have long sought to facilitate student engagement.
I want students to engage genuinely with the paper and its content and have made the two
two-hour classes per week the centre of that engagement. Instead of complaining about how
strategic our students are (as I have often done), I am working to make this strategic learning
orientation ‘my friend.’ I’d like to explain how that has come about.
I want my students to learn how to learn. This is life-long learning or, as Boud and Falchikov
(2006) put it, equipping students to learn beyond the academy. It is actually more than that;
it is about students constructing knowledge and thus entering into and becoming legitimate
members of the knowledge communities to which their teachers already belong (Bruffee,
1993). It is as knowledge co-creators that students grow in self-belief and truly learn how to
learn.
Continuing the theme of community, learning requires community which inevitably involves conversations. Wenger (2010) argues that
learning takes place in the context of our lived experience and therefore learning is a shared experience. It is social and for community
to truly exist, engagement is required from the members of the community. This engagement can then lead to learning. The teacher is
part of that community, an important and often necessary part, but only a part.
With that as background, a key component for engagement was to centre almost everything on what happens in class. While in class
I want students to engage, for engagement is integral to student learning (Bryson & Hand, 2007). However, student engagement in
class presupposes student attendance at class. Students are often utilitarian in their approach to study, particularly in compulsory first
year papers. As Gibbs and Simpson (2002) observe in the context of assessment, students tend to work out for themselves what really
counts and study accordingly – i.e., they are often strategic learners. My logic was that if assessment is tightly tied to attendance,
better attendance would result in better grades, providing a tangible benefit and a healthy external motivation to attend. Therefore
classes were structured so that formal assessment (especially tests) was based on what students had already learned and experienced
in class. Further, each class had at least one structured group activity, with about 40% of these being formally assessed more or less at
random—providing further incentive to attend. Put simply, in this paper attendance matters. As one student this year noted,
“I have learned that whilst attendance in lectures is important, I also need to be engaged in the learning.”
The design for this in-class engagement is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 depicts a learning cycle of content, action and reflection;
a cycle repeated three to four times in a two-hour class. Initially, content is presented via a video clip, a demonstration or a minilecture with slides. Groups of three students then engage in an activity based on that previous content. These activities range from
discussing an analogy to real life cases or experiences from day-to-day
life. Student feedback is received, captured on the document camera and
synthesised by the lecturer. This cycle has the (concrete) activity and
the (abstract) reflection components of the Kolb (1981) learning cycle
interspersed with content and context from the teachers. Figure 2 explains
how engagement occurs in class, through groups, through discussion (talking
and listening) and the organising of thoughts (writing). It is this designed
structure of engagement that facilitates learning. Other ways of engaging
12
such as through multimedia and discussing possible test questions are also used;
however in-class group work is the principal means.
Good learning often takes place through conversations, which is what this in-class
group work is about. “Science is rooted in conversations” (Werner Heisenberg
quoted in Beller, 1999, p. 1). Like many I have experienced some of my best
learning through conversations. As I articulate my thoughts, it is as if I give birth
(in the sense of bringing into the world) to that about which I have been thinking
and, in so doing, I clarify or better understand my thoughts. Another student this
year comments that,
“Students explain things more simply than a lecturer so from these
conversations you may pick up little things you didn’t understand
when the lecturer told you about.”
Figure 1. Learning Cycle.
Through this students gain confidence in their ability to contribute to both
their learning and the learning of their peers and in so doing they are becoming
members of the knowledge community to which their teachers belong.
I also asked students from MSYS111 in 2011 for feedback as they reflected
on what they learned up to a year after they had completed the paper. When
asked what advice they had for new MSYS111 students, only two answers were
significant: don’t skip class, and get involved in group work—attendance and
engagement!
That addresses the structuring of engagement in the paper, but the relevance of
Figure 2. Structure of in-class engagement
the content also significantly affects student engagement. In a management paper
Learning Cycle.
this often becomes more difficult when many students have no real business
experience in New Zealand; in which case I endeavour to draw from their life experiences. For example, cause and effect diagrams
were introduced in the context of the problem, “Low grades in assignments and tests.” Students then developed their own diagrams
to address possible causes of this problem in a context they are familiar with. In a Knowledge Management class I used the situation
of learning how to ride a bicycle with an activity called ‘On yer Bike’ to explain the difference between tacit knowledge and explicit
knowledge – as shown in Figure 3. Students appreciate how difficult it can be to explicate their tacit knowledge of how to ride a
bike to someone who has never ridden one. Some years ago in a graduate paper called “The Learning Organisation” I designed an
assessment around the concept of a shared vision. Instead of just researching the topic, students were required to develop a shared
vision for the paper, write it up and then practice it for the rest of the semester. One student summed up my intentions well; they said,
“How interactive it is. Being able to get involved and do activities makes it more interesting.”
So assessment drives learning and all but 15% (interview with teacher and reflective essay) takes place in class – through group
work and tests. The group work (whether assessed or not) tends to be formative in that those questions discussed in groups typically
find their way in the tests. Students who have engaged and understood the group tasks tend to perform better in the tests, and so
are rewarded. Encouragingly, I have quantitative evidence that attendance at group tasks correlates positively (and is statistically
significant) with test grades.
13
This and other data collected from students over the last two years
confirms both an engaging learning experience and the value of
cooperative/collaborative learning. Students appear to have grown
personally and have learned to value diversity as they have engaged with
the paper and its content. Interestingly, group work is not without its
detractors. 2011 students indicated a 2:1 like/dislike ratio for group work
and for 2012 this ratio worsened to 1.65:1. Yet the value of this group
work to their learning (as provided in their reflective assignments) has not
diminished at all.
Figure 3. ‘On yer bike’.
I want to refine this basic model of helping students engage and learn
together. One of my skills is being able to ask good questions and this is something I want to build on. Related to engagement is
feedback. I give immediate feedback to students about their performance in assessed tasks. I also gather informal feedback from
students about how class is going for them and take action on that before the semester ends.
While group work is the centrepiece and dominant conversation for student engagement in this paper, there are other conversations
not discussed here that also support learning and encourage engagement. These include a (very brief) teacher-student interview, use of
a closed Facebook page and voluntary PASS (Peer Assisted Student Sessions) tutorials.
References
Beller, M. (1999). Quantum dialogue: The making of a revolution. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Boud, D., & Falchikov, N. (2006). Aligning assessment with longterm learning. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(4), 399413.
Bruffee, K. A. (1993). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore, Maryland: The
Johns Hopkins University Press.
Bryson, C., & Hand, L. (2007). The role of engagement in inspiring teaching and learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(4), 349-362.
Gibbs, G., & Simpson, C. (2002, 30 August 2011). Does your assessment support your students’ learning? Retrieved from http://artsonline2.
tki.org.nz/documents/GrahamGibbAssessmentLearning.pdf
Kolb, D. (1981). Learning styles and disciplinary differences. In A. W. Chickering (Ed.), The modern American college: Responding to the new
realities of diverse students and a changing society (pp. 232-252). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wenger, E. (2010). A social theory of learning. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary theories of learning (pp. 209-218). London and New York:
Routledge.
14
Facilitating Learning
Dr Kirstie McAllum, Lecturer, Department of Management Communication, Waikato Management School I enjoy sitting in on others’ lectures. Being invited into another person’s learning space is
always a privilege and an opportunity to reflect on how I can use their ideas and strategies in
my own teaching. Here, I identify several strategies that I use in lectures, to start up a similar
type of conversation and encourage colleagues to experiment with them in their own learning
contexts.
In order to engage students with content and skills, I draw on diverse types of activities such
as media analysis, case studies, discussion in pairs and larger group/whole class discussion.
Combining these approaches caters for a range of learning styles and also allows students to
teach others as they explain concepts and analyse cases, and also to teach me, by sharing their
insights and knowledge about the topic.
Fostering Active Learning in Lectures
Lectures need to engage students actively in learning, since “whoever does the work does the learning.” I begin each class by explaining
the learning outcomes and, during the class, embed an activity that requires students to self-assess their progress in relation to
the learning outcome by applying the skills or knowledge to a particular example or case. In the case of knowledge application,
students work in small groups to analyse the issues or develop potential solutions. For example, first year students evaluated which
communication strategies might be useful for a case where age diversity had led to misunderstanding by multiple parties. When a
learning outcome focuses on skill development, I show a sample text or product that requires further work and we decide jointly how
to move the work forward. Second year students coded an interview transcript, created categories and trialled various theoretical
approaches that made sense of the relationships among categories. This year, I tried out ‘flipped teaching’ (Bergmann & Sams, 2012): I
used Panopto software to pre-record the lecture for students to watch before coming to class, so that we could spend the lecture time
discussing how various theoretical frameworks could be applied to research data.
I also want students to feed back their analysis to the rest of the class. I have tried several ways of asking students to contribute their
ideas, depending on the year level of the students, the size of the group and the “mood” of the class, as well as the nature of the
material. I give guidelines about ‘how’ to contribute; respect and civility are hallmarks of a collaborative classroom climate. The ‘what’ or
the content of the contribution depends on each student. Before asking students to feed back verbally, I usually ask them to take a few
notes, and chat to one or two other people
beforehand. I have found that students often
feel more comfortable sharing the small
group’s contribution. The fear of speaking in
public is often named as the greatest fear. I
think that it is vital to find what is positive
and valuable in each student’s comment,
as otherwise the student may never dare to
share again. At times, students have shared
very personal situations in class, from their
experiences of long-term unemployment to
the death of a family member.
15
Using Relevant Examples
Another strategy to foster student engagement is the use of real-world examples and cases as well as current issues and topics of
discussion. I am often at a research seminar, scribbling notes on the side about how the data presented could be useful for a class I am
teaching or will teach in the coming semester. To create rich environments for active learning (Dunlap & Grabinger, 1996), I have used
data and insights from staff projects on positive ageing, a graduate student’s research project on Generation Y and my own work on
volunteering and collaboration to construct real cases for students to analyse. I also encourage students to bring their own examples
from the media, workplace or other organisation to class for discussion. Students have emailed me links to YouTube videos that tie in
with course material. Each semester, course material needs to be adapted to the particular cohort of students and communication
events that are topical and significant. For instance, I used a Google-based survey to find out about the characteristics, prior knowledge
and learning styles of the class in my paper MCOM122 Diversity Management and Communication and shared the results with students
as an example of diversity that was close to home.
Encouraging Reflection and Student Evaluation
I use many small class activities to help students evaluate their decisions about what and how to learn meta-cognitively. For instance,
I frequently get students to do a “Corners” exercise, where they need to physically position themselves in different parts of the lecture
theatre or tutorial room to indicate interest in a particular content area, research method, or learning style. I then ask them to interact
with others in the same ‘corner’ and note similarities and differences. This technique also creates new links within the classroom as a
learning community.
I also use reflection as exercise in meta-cognition: students consider what and how they have learnt over the duration of the course,
how course concepts apply to examples in other university, work and life contexts, and how they will use this learning to shape future
endeavours. Students in a conflict and consensus course, for example, used theory to explain why conflict had arisen or been mitigated
in their own experiences of group work and assessed the success of conflict management strategies.
I have also encouraged students to support each other in their learning in collaborative, non-teacher directed environments.
MCOM104 students who participated in optional Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) were very positive about this learning
experience. I also used peer feedback in tutorials. Since some students struggled at first to see the value of feedback from peers whom
they do not see as experts in the field, I showed them reviewers’ responses to my own research work, to help them realise that every
piece of work will get a different response from a different reader/viewer.
Obtaining ongoing feedback
One of the most helpful TDU workshops that I attended in the past year was on garnering on-going feedback from students as the
course progresses. I have trialled a range of strategies. I frequently collect short written messages from the class about a concept,
response to a text or media clip, or concerns about learning. For instance, I have asked students to hand in feedback about one thing
they learnt and one thing that they are still confused about. I either read this out straight away, or type them up into the next lecture’s
PowerPoint for further discussion. These are handy techniques, but I realised that I also rely heavily on nonverbal cues from the class
16
to gauge how they feel about the material. Eighteen months ago, I
had to use video lectures to teach grammar concepts in MCOM104
Business Writing, since there was no space in the university
timetable for an additional lecture slot. I found it challenging to
stand alone in front of an empty lecture theatre, with no feedback
mechanisms to check pace, understanding, or interest! I also found
it harder to tell jokes as I think that humour comes from what is
shared.
This semester, I set up a class Facebook page, as an extra space/
place for students to ask questions and resolve issues. I monitor
the page to see what help students need to succeed in the course. I
have asked several colleagues in WMS how they keep feeling the pulse of the class. One idea I gained from a WMS Teaching workshop
was “Votapedia,” an on-line survey tool where students use their mobile phones to select the response that they think best fits a
multiple choice question. I finally plucked up the challenge to use it to select the class winner of “MCOM Idol.” However, I found it
challenging to manage the timing of the survey which closes an hour after you start it. Additionally, some students had no credit on
their phones which stopped them from voting. I think that I would use this resource sparingly.
Connecting the Learning
I refer to course learning outcomes frequently, and discuss how the learning outcomes from a particular lecture connect with broader
course goals. Last semester, I developed a concept map that showed how topics within the course related to each other. I also want
students to see that how each course connects to the degree as a whole, and try to show them how what they are learning now will
help them with other subjects and at other levels. Involvement in meetings about and planning for the Quality Assurance process has
also helped to map out connections between courses and degree-wide learning objectives.
Editor’s note
Sadly Kirstie is no longer at the University of Waikato. I would like to thank her for the enormous contribution she has made to her students,
her discipline and to teaching at the University of Waikato.
References
Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip your classroom: Reach every student every class every day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Dunlap, J.C. & Grabinger, R.S. (1996). Rich environments for active learning in the higher education classroom. In B.G. Wilson (Ed.),
Constructivist learning environments: Case studies in instructional design (pp. 65-82). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology
Publications.
17
Teaching Philosophy and
Teaching Strategies
Sue Wardill, Tutor, Te Piringa, Faculty of Law
My belief is that the purpose of education is to promote in each person the drive to
reach full potential and develop the capacity to become autonomous. Looking at
education from the perspective of law students, education is a lifelong reflexive process that empowers the individual to transform, and not merely conform to, society.
I consider teaching to be a dynamic, interactive process and regard responsiveness to be a hallmark
of good practice. From this perspective I expect my relationship with students to be dynamic in the
sense that it changes over time: initially the relationship is that of expert to novice, but that alters as
students develop increasing knowledge in their law studies and gain expertise in their practice of that
knowledge:
teacher
student
student
My role as a tutor is to provide a balance between
creating an atmosphere of trust and cooperation in which students feel safe to air their
student
student
student
teacher
student
student
student
student
student
student
student
views and ideas about the subject matter and one which challenges them to expand
those ideas and develop independence. When students feel safe, they are less inhibited
about raising questions and comments, and are more open to thinking critically.
Law students need to learn that when they are in practice, in whatever aspect of law they will be involved in whether it be in legal
practice, business, non-governmental organisations or public service, they do not give their own opinions but rather they speak on behalf
of a client. I nurture this skill in several ways.
Depending on the topic I use debates in class so students have to get on their feet and present an argument with which they may not
agree but nevertheless must argue in a dispassionate, coherent and logical way.
Most tutorials use problem solving exercises and I use small group discussion where students have to reach an answer. A technique I
employ is ‘army volunteering’ or ‘the fickle finger of fate’. Each group chooses a spokesperson (and I ensure that no one person is always
the spokesperson) and I select the group that will give their answer to the rest of the class. I then ask for additional comments or rebuttal
of the argument given, or I choose a group if no response is forthcoming. This technique serves many purposes: it ensures that the group
has an answer ready when ‘invited’ to respond to the problem; it does not embarrass individual students as it puts the group on the spot;
it allows students to both expand on, and also critique, the answer; and it reinforces the skill of delivering an answer on behalf of another
(in this case the group) rather than giving a personal answer.
To develop independence and a sense of control, it is important to allow students as great
a degree of autonomy in their learning as possible. I endeavour to promote this autonomy
by encouraging them to take responsibility for and examining their own approach to
learning. My conceptual understanding of teaching is that it concerns the development
of students’ intellectual and imaginative powers, their understanding and judgement
and their problem- solving skills. Furthermore teaching is about developing a student’s
capacity to communicate, to see relationships within their learning, to view law from a
broader prospective, and stimulating an enquiring, analytical and creative approach that fosters independent judgement and critical selfawareness.1
1 Harris, D & Bell, C Evaluating and Assessing for Learning (London: Kogan Page, 1996).
18
Australasian Higher Education
Evaluation Forum (AHEEF)
Dorothy Spiller, Senior Lecturer in Tertiary Teaching and Learning and Dr Trudy Harris, Teaching Developer
(Evaluation and Quality), Teaching Development Unit, Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
October 2012 saw Dorothy, Trudy and Charlotte
depart for the sunny climes of Rockhampton,
Queensland, to take part in the annual Australasian
Higher Education Evaluation Forum (AHEEF). AHEEF
is the pre-eminent conference in Australasia with a
specific focus on evaluations. The conference provided
an opportunity to network and share practice around
evaluations, and to see what other institutions are
doing to support the best use of evaluations.
While the context was focussed on evaluations,
conference papers and informal discussions raised
many core questions about the part the institutions
and leaders can have in supporting teaching and learning. For example Curtin University of Technology gave examples of how to
promote evaluations systems to students to optimise student response rates. Also there was some interesting research from the
University of Queensland which showed that class size had very little effect on the evaluation results.
There was an excellent turn out from evaluation practitioners from New Zealand and the conference provided an opportunity to
communicate findings of the AKO funded New Zealand research on evaluations which has just come to end. There was a high degree
of interest in the project and the findings and suggestions were made for future research. Members of the TDU also presented research
on the use of rubrics in interpretation of appraisal results, and Trudy presented joint work on the students’ view of appraisals.
Overall the conference reinforced our commitment to enhancing the role of evaluation in the teaching and learning process at the
University of Waikato.
A newbie’s view: Charlotte Ferry-Parker
AHEEF 2012 was held in the sunny town of Rockhampton. Sunny was about right, you walk out the door and then melt instantly
(for the first time ever I was pleased I wasn’t a snowman or some other cold blooded being). I hadn’t really thought much about
the location being central Queensland and the climate being somewhat hotter than Brisbane itself. Good job we were not going in
February. Either that or maybe if I figured out that in actual fact we did have air conditioning in our rooms in the random Queensland
backpackers that consisted more of army guys and…oh yea more army guys on sabbatical. After we waited until the wee small hours
for one of the 2 taxis in the city to deliver us to the motel, we were slightly worse for wear on the first day, but that did not stop us
from having a fabulous time and learning a lot.
The conference itself was highly valuable and I especially enjoyed the interaction with the VC and other academics who attended.
Sometimes I find that the most beneficial moments are the ones outside of the formalities of the event where you get to talk to
people about their own situations and find people who are doing the same thing as you sometimes miles apart. I found the conference
very beneficial and hash browns and fruit toast will forever remind me of the little hick town in Central Queensland otherwise known
as Rocky 
19
Reflections on a South African
sabbatical
Dorothy Spiller, Senior Lecturer in Tertiary Teaching and Learning, Teaching Development Unit
Many years ago I first walked up the steps of the tower building at the University of Natal
Durban, trembling with excitement and apprehension at the thought of my first day as a
Humanities student at the university. On 7 May 2012, I once more walked up those same
steps to begin a sabbatical period on the invitation of the University Teaching and Learning
Office at what is now the University of Kwazulu-Natal. In the intervening years, the country
had gone through a transformation and the university is in the process of redefining itself
to meet the needs of contemporary South Africa, but many of the landmarks of the past are
still present. The conjunction of past and present contribute to an academic context that is
simultaneously exciting and challenging and to this place I brought my own narratives of the
past as well as nearly twenty five years of working in educational settings in New Zealand.
In this environment, my sabbatical provided a space for stocktaking about personal and
professional identity and about teaching and learning and the appropriate goals of a university
to facilitate and support social change, equity and the lives of impoverished and marginalised communities. It was not a sabbatical
of time out from the hurly burly, but it was living and working in the midst of change which provided the touchstone for thinking
about what we aspire to for our students and whether university is being faithful to its calling to be an agent of change and renewal
in society. On a more personal level, my time in Kwazulu-Natal prompted ongoing questions about being at home. People frequently
asked me what it was like to be home and I was surprised to find that my original home had such a strong pull for me, but it was never
straightforward in a country that is still trying to emancipate itself from the mental shackles of the past and carve out a future for all
its peoples. There can be no easy assumptions about how to be in this environment, not least for a former South African who has lived
for so long in New Zealand.
Inevitably, as a visitor to a different university in another country, one draws comparisons about how things are done, especially
in one’s area of interest. So naturally, I was interested to get a sense of the teaching and learning concerns of people at UKZN, the
institutional culture around teaching and learning, and expectations of and support for teachers. My insights into these different areas
have been gleaned from working in a teaching unit, from research interviews and from looking at structures and systems that are
in place. From the perspective of the teachers, the challenges that I heard about most frequently include the large student numbers,
student diversity in terms of academic preparedness, culture, schooling and background. For example, post school entry students from
a Zulu background may have vastly different pre-university education opportunities in schools which include private schools, city
(suburban) formerly white schools, township schools or rural schools. These different schools have vastly different levels of resourcing,
teachers, facilities and access to technology. Added to this educational inequity are socio-economic gulfs in terms of their families,
homes, access to health provision and other opportunities. For some students, poverty and the associated problems of hunger and
homelessness make studying almost impossible. In this context, it is good to see that many courses have compulsory community
engagement contexts.
The institutional support for teaching and learning is impressive. The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Renuka Vithal is also the head
of the Teaching and Learning Office and has worked hard to ensure that teaching has a high profile in the institution. She is also an
active campaigner for the scholarship of higher education and teaching which is informed by pedagogical research. For example, her
office hosts a national conference on teaching and learning each year and there is extensive support for those people undertaking
postgraduate study in higher education (including at the doctoral level). The University also hosts a dinner to honour the winners
of teaching awards. A recent innovation is the requirement for all academics up to the level of Associate Professor to undertake
compulsory teaching development which is in line with international trends.
20
In talking and working with my UKZN
colleagues, I also appreciated some of the
ways of working with teachers that we
have developed at Waikato University.
These include providing a variety of forums
where people can talk about teaching and
learning, building a network of academics
who are our best support in the work
of enhancing the culture around teaching
and having a well- administered appraisals
system. Other strengths include our unique
learning model for the Postgraduate
Certificate in Tertiary Teaching, the
teaching awards process and our resource
materials and publications. When I talked
about our work, these were the areas that
people repeatedly noted.
So there was a lot of reciprocal learning
and this is one of the special gifts of
a sabbatical which is spent at another
institution. During my time at UKZN
I conducted research with colleagues,
worked with teachers, postgraduates
and supervisors and contributed to the
planning of new programmes. My colleague Mary Goretti Nakabugo and all the teaching and learning team at UKZN were hospitable
and welcomed me warmly into the team. I want to express my thanks for their invitation and hosting of my visit and would like also to
thank the University of Waikato and the Faculty of Education for supporting my sabbatical. Finally, this rich and significant leave time
would not have been possible without my colleagues in the TDU who had to work so hard in my absence. As always, I want to thank
our own very dedicated team.
21
Report on visit to U.K. June/July 2012
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer, Teaching Development Unit, Centre for Tertiary Teaching
and Learning
Last year the Teaching Development Unit hosted Prof. Jean McNiff, a prominent action research
author and practitioner (www.jeanmcniff.com) and also organised her visit to several other tertiary
institutions in the upper North Island. In return, Jean suggested that I attend the “Value and Virtue
in Practice-Based Research” conference that she was organising for 2012, and also plan a wider visit
to her University to share ideas in sites of specific interest. A letter from Prof. Julian Stern, Dean
of the Faculty of Education and Theology, was subsequently received. His invitation asked me to
present a research seminar for staff based around my Masters and PhD theses and recent writing,
and to liaise with people of strategic interest to YSJ and the University of Waikato.
Accordingly, I attended York St John University for two full days as well as the two-day conference.
On the10th July I met with Dr Mike Calvert, Head of CYPE (Children, Young People and Education) to discuss professional development
for staff at YSJ from his perspective. His comments on the increasing impact of government moves around staff in tertiary institutions
having teaching qualifications were later supported by Mandy Asghar (Head of Learning and Teaching Development) and the Dean. It
would appear that the ‘compulsory’ teaching qualification requirement has not been adhered to by some institutions and government
is now moving to ensure this happens by requiring them to publish lists of staff who have teaching qualifications and those who don’t.
The expectation is that this is likely to result in some kind of ‘professional league table’.
Dr Calvert described a development by the Higher Education Academy2 that York St John has supported, that of the National Teaching
Fellowship scheme. Under this, it is possible for staff to demonstrate expertise via either a dialogic process assessed through a viva at
the end, or by a written process. Both are individually tailored and go beyond the more standardised PG Cert Higher Education. They
are graded on a pass or not yet complete basis.
I later met with Mandy Asghar, Head of Learning and Teaching
Development. Her workload sounded horrendous and I was
very grateful that she made time for us to meet. As well as
being Head of L & TD, she manages the equivalent of WCEL, is
responsible for curriculum projects, and other work that comes
her way. As did Mike Calvert, she stressed the pressure coming
on for staff to gain formal teaching credentials (her target is
for YSJ staff to be 100% qualified with a teacher education
qualification by 2015). We had a good discussion about how
this might be best achieved, recognising the resistance that
some long established staff have to ‘Pedagogy 101’.
YSJ’s provision of PD for experienced staff tends to take
somewhat similar lines to ours - recognise expertise, provide
discussion-based sessions. Mandy uses people who have
successfully completed curriculum projects to lead discussions
(much along the lines of our teaching conversations).
I asked her about student appraisals. They do them 100%
2 This group seems to operate to a similar agenda to Ako Aotearoa here. I have a copy of their 2012 report if readers are interested.
22
online and the response rate is very disappointing - less than
30% ‘and we are not allowed to pressure them to participate’.
They use AUSSE but not POSSE yet. They use ‘Mahara’ that she
thought was NZ-based.
Also on Tuesday, prior to my research seminar I was taken on
a campus tour by one of their public relations staff, and given
a good deal of information about York St John’s history and
current practice. It is predominantly a teaching institution;
bonds tightly with York City and its community and attracts a
very multicultural staff and student cohort.
Wednesday July 10th and 11th were spent at the “Value and
Virtue in Practice-Based Research” conference, in the lunchtime
of the first day of which I met with Dr Margaret Wood of the
Faculty of Education and Theology (hosts of the conference).
Margaret is the co-ordinator for postgraduate qualifications
in the Faculty and gave me documents about their Masters
in Practitioner-Based Research. This attracts a cohort of staff,
mainly but not exclusively education-based, and requires
them to carry out a research project as part of their research.
Margaret warmly recommended the programme and feels that it fills a needed ‘niche’ for practising educators.
The conference itself was most interesting, with great keynotes (including Jean herself; Julian Stern; and a ‘grand old man’ of action
research, John Elliott of Anglia Polytechnic University). My husband and I did a joint paper on the Wednesday and I did a solo paper on
the Thursday. Both were peer reviewed at abstract stage, and well received. Jean is investigating inclusion of either/both in a book that
she is currently putting together. Most of the papers we attended were worth while, although a couple were worthy but impractical
(changing the entire world economic system) or very specific to a discipline (health in Norway).
I would like to thank the University for its support, particularly my line manager, Dorothy Spiller, and TDU colleagues who shared my
workload whilst I was gone; Dean Roger Moltzen, who helped to support the financial costs of the trip; and Associate Vice Chancellor
(Operations) Anna Bounds, whose initial conversations with Prof McNiff, during her trip here in 2011, were instrumental in the
invitation to me to visit York St John.
23
Our Christmas wish list
Team at Teaching Development Unit, Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
At this festive time of the year we thought it would be fun to canvas Teaching Development Unit staff to share their
Christmas wishes in relation to teaching at our university.
These are the wishes they shared We wish:
• That the University continues to maintain its reputation as a producer of excellent teachers (as attested by attaining teaching
awards over the past three years).
• That every academic on campus will engage in at least one teaching-related activity or read at least one teaching-related article in
2013.
• That more academics will discuss their teaching-related ideas and initiatives with each other.
• That all academics read Parker J. Palmer’s The Courage to Teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life.
• That academic staff members in University of Waikato will recognise the importance of the continuous improvement of their
teaching to meet the needs of contemporary students.
• That greater numbers of academics would see the value of the TDU for enhancing teacher capability and the student learning
experience.
24
Make a space at your place
for teaching.
The University of Waikato
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz
Teaching Development Unit
Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
Phone: +64 7 838 4839, Fax: + 64 7 838 4573
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu
©The University of Waikato, September 2012.