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Ethical considerations of using AI for teaching and learning
No full textQ: Are you comfortable with the idea of uploading your students’ work to AI tools like ChatGPT to check for plagiarism?
Q. Is it acceptable to use genAI to create lesson materials, course outlines, assessments, rubrics and AI powered assessment feedback?
Q. Are you comfortable with uploading a closed access research text containing indigenous knowledge into an AI tool such as ChatPDF or ChatGPT?
Promoting responsible & ethical use of A
The hidden sanctuary: Provide a safe, supportive and nurturing environment as a sanctuary for women and children suffering from the trauma of domestic violence
No full textThere is a pressing issue of women's and children's protection in the context of domestic violence. The fact that a third of New Zealand women have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence at a time of concern for women's and children's health is hard to believe.
This thesis examines, analyses and summarises the current situation in New Zealand, and women's experiences of crime and domestic violence. This thesis also critically examines the validity of the cases that already exist and analyses the shortcomings and barriers in drawing inspiration from the cases that have been researched and referenced. This research aims to provide practical insights and recommendations for architects, designers, policy makers and stakeholders involved in the planning and development of specialised domestic violence shelters for women. It is hoped that the opportunity will be taken to provide practical assistance to women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.
The proposal endeavours to promote the establishment of a shelter that provides immediate safety and promotes the long-term rehabilitation and empowerment of women and children affected by domestic violence. There is an expectation that the shelter will not only provide a place to live, but also help women and children to regain their mental health
Reviving social engagements: The case of Ahmedabad
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION
How can architectural interventions in the Pols of Ahmedabad contribute to reviving its social life?
"Pol: Entrance to self-contained and self-sufficient traditional housing clusters, where narrow and long houses are closely packed along narrow streets, typically inhabited by members of the same community"
ABSTRACT
The walled city of Ahmedabad, a UNESCO-nominated World Heritage city in India, has grown organically, like other Indian historic cities where history is deeply rooted. Streets act as a stem, connecting traditional neighbourhoods (pols) seamlessly, and cultural expression and social interaction have bloomed through chowks, cultivating a strong sense of belonging. However, in the wake of urbanisation and the commercialisation of these historic districts, the residents, who nurture the spirit of Indian culture and heritage that sets it apart from the world, have been neglected. The pressure of developing infrastructure, high commercial activities, traffic congestion, changing demographics, and the inability to meet the evolving needs have threatened the residents' quality of life, forcing many residents to migrate outside the walled city.
Residents in the pols are losing their attachment to the community as changing demographics have diminished the concept of self-contained community living, where each resident used to belong to the same caste or from an extended family. With the original residents of the same caste and community migrating outside and various communities from different castes, including lower castes, migrating into the walled city, social relationships have been disrupted. The project aims to create a facility that invites and encourages residents to interact, regardless of their caste or economic background, helping to revive the social life and maintain the living heritage legacy of the city while accommodating modern needs.
The research follows five steps to revive the diminishing social life of the pols: Attract, Engage, Educate, Empower, and Uplift. Architectural and urban theories guided the research to create a welcoming and modest environment inspired by traditional architecture and the community's collective memory. Rather than an overpowering structure, the study proposes medium-scale architectural interventions in the dense fabric of the pols, with a modest nature that welcomes people from various backgrounds
Exploring AI integration in the Architecture Design Studio 3: Vertical Village project in semester 2 of 2023: Interactive learning tools
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How does AI shape the landscape of architecture?
ABSTRACT
We will delve into the exciting initiatives undertaken at Unitec over the past year, highlighting our integration of AI as a dynamic learning tool. The incorporation of AI at Unitec aimed to offer students a fresh perspective, using it as a valuable resource to generate and explore innovative design concepts. This integration not only holds the potential to equip architects with cutting-edge skills but also empowers them with a robust toolset for developing unconventional designs aligned with sustainability goals
Key factors influencing nutraceutical purchase decisions
No full textThis study explored how fear influences attitudes, health consciousness, and purchase intentions for the consumption of nutraceutical products in the post-COVID-19 pandemic landscape. The study involved 140 participants, 18 years old and above, who consume dietary supplements and/or functional foods in New Zealand. The study adopted an experimental methodology where participants of the study were exposed to fictional scenarios in either the high fear group or the low fear group to manipulate the independent fear variable. The survey questionnaire distributed through Qualtrics, measured 140 participants’ perceptions of the independent and dependent variables. The descriptive analysis showed a higher prevalence of nutraceutical consumption among women, middle-aged adults, and individuals with higher levels of education and income. This was consistent with previous studies. Correlation analysis demonstrated positive relationships between fear and consumer attitudes, health consciousness, and purchase intentions, aligning with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). T-test results further supported the influence of fear on attitude, health consciousness, and purchase intention with higher mean values observed in the high fear group compared to the low fear group. These findings, in both the correlations and t-tests, were consistent with customer behaviour in TPB and underscore the significance of fear in driving consumer decisions to purchase nutraceutical products. Overall, this research shed light on the interplay between fear and consumer behaviour in the nutraceutical market. It offers valuable insights for both academia and industry stakeholders
Arboreal behaviour and habitat use in the Nationally Critical Kapitia skink (Oligosoma salmo)
Get PDFThe Kapitia skink (Oligosoma salmo) is only found on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand. This critically endangered skink has a moderately prehensile tail that would be expected to contribute to an ability to climb as part of its natural history. However, its current only habitat, a highly modified pasture, lacks vegetation or natural structures that would promote arboreal behaviour. We conducted a pilot study investigating the behavioural activity of a captive, wild-born Kapitia skink at Auckland Zoo in 2020. Over 13 days (24 hours/day) of focal sampling climbing behaviour was observed for the first time in this species (8%, n=58/703 mins). The skink was most active in the middle of the day, especially in fine, sunny weather. We suggest further investigations into the range of habitat use for this species. This study supports the importance of exploring potential habitat types beyond what we typically assume as the ideal habitat type (based on its source location) for an organism
From education to employment: Investigating postgraduate employment outcomes of international students in the ICT sector of New Zealand
No full textThis research investigates the employment outcomes of international students who completed postgraduate studies in New Zealand's information and communication technology sector against the backdrop of ongoing technology skills shortages and the sector's pivotal economic contributions. Adopting a mixed-methods approach to triangulate quantitative data from surveys with qualitative insights from semistructured interviews and existing literature, the research examines the influence of social capital and labour market barriers on international postgraduates’ employability. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to gather perspectives from international postgraduates, employers, industry experts, and education providers. Analysis revealed that post-study work opportunities significantly attract international postgraduate students to New Zealand and highlighted the importance of technical skills, soft skills, English proficiency, and cultural adaptability for employment post-study. The gap between perceived and actual employability outcomes underscored the critical role of industry-educator collaboration in relation to international postgraduate academic preparation for industry employment.
Recommendations focus on strengthening these partnerships and updating policies to integrate postgraduates better into the local information, communications and technical workforce. The limitations suggest future research directions, including longitudinal studies and cross-cultural comparisons for clearer insights
Almost unnoticeable: A project on time existence in place and non-place
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION
How could architectural non-places recultivate and express our cultural individuality?
ABSTRACT
This project’s starting point is an exploration of the sense of relief as a traveller when visiting the airport. Such transitional spaces, including airports, motorways, shopping malls and supermarkets, are the products of modern lives. They exist to accelerate the pace of our modern lives in order to provide maximum efficiency. These spaces are mostly not concerned with identity; they are the opposite of places – and have been called non-places by French anthropologist Marc Augé. Despite how non-places weaken our cultural identity, at the same time they provide momentary shelter for those who are struggling to adapt or fit in. The shared equal identities which non-places create – such as passengers, customers, or travellers – temporarily relieve us from an uncertain reality.
For immigrants who do not have the opportunity to gain identities in an inherent manner, a sense of place and belonging is required in order to establish grounded-ness. This project examines the spatial qualities of non-places and explores architectural possibilities in order to recultivate cultural individuality.
German philosopher Martin Heidegger has expressed that human existence on the earth is deeply associated with its constant engagement with things and with the built environment. Theorists and architects like Juhani Pallasmaa, Peter Zumthor and others have questioned modern architecture’s promotion of the visual dominance of the eye that originates in a single moment of time, diminishing the connection with time in space. Māori and Pasifi ka researchers such as Linda Tuhiwai Smith or Okusitino Māhina demonstrate how time interconnects and intertwines with space. Bill McKay examines the meeting house to demonstrate a time-space relationship that relationships do not happen in space alone; it takes time to make relationships in space.
The project’s aim is the design of a space with genuine openness for gathering that allows people to embrace all the possibilities with a multicultural backcloth. This research project seeks an architectural solution to push us to learn more about our differences and to place ourselves in others’ views. There is a cluster of learning complexes proposed at two separate locations and linked by a footpath and bridge. One is designed for public space to support learning and knowledge exchange. Another cluster of smaller study spaces is designed to support individual or small-group studying. Different design approaches are made to reimagine the experiential experiences from a bodily dimension therefore to awareness of empathetic architecture.
Site analysis: Alten Road parking and Stanley Street parking, Auckland CBD, New Zealan
Exploring the impact of remote work on the psychological well-being of software professionals in New Zealand
No full textThe Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and lockdowns resulted in familiarising ourselves with the practice of remote working. Remote working interrupted conventional office settings and created a unique working environment that limits social interactions and face-to-face communication. Therefore, there is a concern that remote working has the potential to create isolation, a lack of belongingness and an absence of work-life boundaries. However, remote work might also facilitate more flexibility and freedom as it allows one to choose a personalised work environment and more time to invest in personal and family life. Therefore, there has been a keen interest in the literature in understanding how psychological well-being is affected by remote working settings. Also, in New Zealand, most remotely working employees belong to the IT industry, yet their psychological well-being has yet to be widely explored. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of remote work on the psychological well-being of software professionals in New Zealand.
A mixed methodology, a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, was used to gather data. An online survey was conducted for the quantitative data, and 128 participants completed the survey. For qualitative data, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Survey and interview data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results found that more IT professionals enjoy their remote work experience, and work-life balance was the main driver for choosing remote work. Regarding psychological well-being, findings showed that remote work improved participants' autonomy, self-acceptance, and purpose in life. However, concerning environmental mastery, personal growth, and positive relations, participants experienced challenges due to a lack of physical separation between office and home and inadequate social interactions.
This study provides insights into remotely working IT professionals' challenges and benefits related to psychological well-being and suggests recommendations for improving remote working environments for better well-being. This study applied Ryff’s six-factor model to explore the psychological well-being of the participants. It proved that it is a practical and comprehensive framework to measure well-being through six well-rounded dimensions: environmental mastery, positive relations, autonomy, self-acceptance, purpose in life and personal growth of remote workers. Also, this study revealed that concerning environmental mastery and positive relations, organisations need to actively support remotely working software professionals to improve their psychological well-being.
A study to evaluate in-vitro stability of Tb-161-PSMA-I&T: A first global experience
No full textOBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the post-formulation stability and shelf life of Tb-161-PSMA-I&T using the HPLC and ITLC-SG quality control methods.
In the Nuclear Medicine department, the labelling of radiopharmaceuticals and subsequent quality testing of the labelled products prior to patient administration is a standard procedure conducted in the in-house hot lab. Each labelled product has a specific shelf life, determining its in-vitro stability duration before it must be discarded. Tb-161 has shown revolutionary potential in treating advanced-stage tumours, including metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and Neuroendocrine Tumours (NET).
At our centre, the labelling of Tb-161 with the peptide, Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Imaging and Therapy (PSMA-I&T) was done using the Eckert & Ziegler Eurotope’s Modular-Lab Pharm Tracer® automated synthesis system for mCRPC treatment. Sterile GMP-certified Tb-161, received from Terthera, was used for each synthesis. The final product quality was assessed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Instant Thin Layer Chromatography-Silica Gel (ITLC-SG) at three different time points: 0 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours across 10 batches. The average radiochemical purity of ITLC-SG was greater than 99% (99.70±0.05%), while the average radiochemical purity of HPLC was greater than 98% (98.60±0.05%).
Our findings indicate that the automated synthesis of Tb-161-PSMA-I&T using the Eckert & Ziegler Eurotope’s Modular-Lab Pharm Tracer® remains stable for at least 48 hours. This stability facilitates logistical advantages, allowing the product to be transported between locations, thereby reducing the need for patient travel