1,721,579 research outputs found
International students’ perceptions of intensive learning in business course delivery : case study of Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus
No full textWhat are the international students’ perceptions of the intensive mode of delivery of business courses at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus?
The aim of this study is twofold:
1) to analyse international students’ perceptions of the intensive mode of delivery of business courses at Auckland International Campus of Otago Polytechnic (OP).
2) to evaluate the effects of the intensive format on international students’ academic performance
Exploring a self-evaluation approach to assess diversity, equity, and inclusion at Otago Polytechnic
No full textThe aim of this professional practice project was to explore whether a self-evaluation process would be a useful approach for gathering organisational information about the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices at a medium-sized tertiary organisation, Otago Polytechnic.
Diversity Works NZ, a national authority for workplace diversity and inclusion, suggests that doing DEI well and reaping the business and social benefits, requires a strategic approach and thorough, purposeful, and constant efforts. A useful starting point for this is to undertake an assessment of the current state of existing DEI practices and activities at a systems level, including employee experience feedback and how DEI is embedded in policies, leadership, recruitment, and development processes. This information enables an organisation to understand what is working well, and to make informed decisions on what changes, improvements, and priorities should be focused on.
During this project, a comprehensive self-evaluation tool was designed and used to survey two selected groups of Otago Polytechnic staff, to examine their perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The staff were selected for their involvement in leading and influencing DEI efforts at OP, and those who self-identified their interest in DEI through involvement in the DEI Committee. Participants used a Likert scale to rate their level of agreement against a number of DEI indicator statements grouped into 8 domains, with an open question section to provide comment and feedback. The results were examined for patterns of positive and negative responses. Overall, the results provided valuable information towards understanding the current state and maturity of DEI activity at Otago Polytechnic, offering a useful lens on what was working well and areas where improvements could be made. Several recommendations have been made for elaborating and building on this work in the next few months.
This project also enabled a fascinating exploration of the intersections of my inquiry project within the broader dimensions of my work, the organisation, external environment, and my personal world. This process revealed deeper insights and learning that has strengthened my professional framework of practice, documenting my growing expertise in supporting and enhancing organisation DEI practice, and empowering me with knowledge and motivation for the potential opportunities that the future brings
Improving teaching practice using peer observation of teaching while participating in a Community of Practice
No full textThis paper discusses research that was conducted at the Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus with the aim of creating a programme for peer observation of teaching. The motivation for the research was to discover a process for lecturers to feel empowered in developing their facilitation practice through a sustained sharing of ideas, and to foster a greater culture of collegiality among teaching staff. Participants in the research project engaged in multiple rounds of peer observation of teaching over the course of a teaching block on the campus, during which each participant acted as both classroom observer and observee.
To foster the sharing of practice, participants were also placed into a community of practice where they would discuss their experiences after each round of observation. The feedback from the participants was used to determine if the structure of the programme would be acceptable for a wider implementation of such a project. Participative action research was selected as the methodology, as this allowed for the participants and the researcher to work together in determining the process and for the participants to have the freedom to operate in a method that suited their own practice. Key findings from the project included that the use of a community of practice was instrumental in getting facilitators to share their practice and engage in sustained observations of teaching in a mutually beneficial manner, and that lecturers need to be given a level of autonomy in how they manage their observations for them to feel empowered in their own development of practice. The results from this study can be used to develop similar peer observation processes across Otago Polytechnic
In this paper...
No full textThis paper is a collection of responses from computer scientists to the silencing of science. Sustainability-driven computing research-encompassing equity, diversity, climate change, and social justice-is increasingly dismissed as 'woke' or even dangerous in many sociopolitical contexts. As misinformation, ideological polarisation, deliberate ignorance and reactionary narratives gain ground, how can sustainability research in computing continue to exist and make an impact? This paper explores these tensions through Fictomorphosis, a creative story retelling method that reframes contested topics through different genres and perspectives. By engaging computing researchers in structured narrative transformations, we investigate how sustainability-oriented computing research is perceived, contested, and can adapt in a post-truth world
Whakaora ngā Whenua Whāma: Utilising mātauranga Māori and Western science to protect and restore the soil on rural farms in Te Tai Tokerau
No full textMāuranga Māori [Māori knowledge] Before the arrival of the European settlers, Māori society was governed by a system of principles, laws, and customs known as tikanga Māori. The terminology, tikanga, is derived from the word tika that means to be righteous, honest, and just. At the heart of mātauranga Māori is tikanga and both principles conceptualise whakawhanaungatanga (making good kin relationships) and whakapapa (shared ancestry). Through whanaungatanga (kin relations), a Māori world, both visible and invisible, is conceptualised and apprehended as palpable. Conceptually, whakapapa can be understood as the interminable connections from the Atua (Māori gods) to earth to the people. Whakapapa binds Māori people together in a sacred relationship and responsibility to care for each other, the soil, air, and water. Prior to colonisation, mātauranga Māori that included the principles of tika, tikanga Māori, whakawhanaungatanga, whanaungatanga, and whakapapa enabled Māori to live a tika (good, just, decent) life.
Since the beginning of colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand, by the British, kāinga have been damaged by the scientific, calculative, logical discourse. Through the dominant English language and culture, the Māori people have been pressured to obey linguistic conventions which are distinctly Western. In the Whenua Whāma project, the research team has begun to talk deeply of a cultural interface that draws attention to Māori beliefs, interaction, and self-development in the areas of organic and regenerative agriculture across Te Tai Tokerau, Aotearoa
SITJAR Special Edition: Mechanical engineering
No full textThis Special Edition: Mechanical Engineering is a culmination of student projects from Otago Polytechnic, Manukau Institute of Technology and the Southern Institute of Technology. Students, working with their project supervisors, turned these projects into
the published research articles which appear in this edition. All these articles have been peer reviewed. The articles represent a cross section of topics related to Mechanical Engineerin
Discover. Develop. Deliver: An investigation of innovation processes and systems within New Zealand's red meat industry
No full textNew Zealand’s red meat industry faces challenges of the evolving alternative proteins sector, emerging consumer trends, and environmental concerns, all of which drive innovation. A hybridised lens of design thinking, systems thinking, and regenerative thinking was used to investigate the innovation processes and systems within New Zealand’s red meat industry. The case studies selected centred on the emerging relationship between Silver Fern Farms (a meat processor) and the Food Design Institute at Otago Polytechnic (a culinary educational institute that undertakes new product development as part of their curriculum) in the innovation space. Incremental innovations were found to be the primary output of the Silver Fern Farms’ stage-gate innovation process. Meanwhile, the Food Design Institute’s design thinking innovation process leads to more creative and radical innovations. Maintaining a competitive advantage requires the proactive response to the drivers listed above and the consideration for designing radical innovations. Several opportunities were identified for Silver Fern Farms and New Zealand’s red meat industry in general to maximise the co-creation of value for themselves, consumers, and socio-ecological systems. The majority of opportunities identified employ collaboration with other industries and organisations, especially those that utilise different frameworks and have expertise in niche markets. Opportunities include pathways for creating radical innovations and strategies for responding to the challenges
Tertiary learner mental health and wellbeing: The development of a national framework
No full textThis practitioner thesis explores the impact of tertiary study on the mental health and wellbeing of tertiary learners. I describe a dual practice approach combining two threads - the development of the work-based project for mental health of tertiary learners in education implemented as the Mental health Education Evaluation Tool (MEET) and the articulation of my professional framework of practice as a leading practitioner within the discipline of nursing associated with the mental health and wellbeing of tertiary learners. Through my professional practice, I aimed to achieve a stigma-free culture at Otago Polytechnic (OP), Dunedin, New Zealand, associated with mental ill-health of learners and to heighten their wellbeing. My contributions in these areas are three-fold.
The first contribution is the articulation of my framework for practice, as a change agent in the field of mental health in tertiary education. My professional practice has led to the implementation of a mental health education evaluation tool to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of tertiary learners. This practice change is my second substantial contribution. My third contribution is the creation of a strong mental health education evaluation tool that can be applied within organisations at a regional level, and on a larger national scale such as Te Pūkenga, to create a stigma-free tertiary environment. The findings of each of these three contributions are placed in the context of established literature and practice, and I reflect on my personal learning from that.
Throughout this work-based project, I am positioned as an educator within the discipline of nursing. I was concerned at the escalating numbers of tertiary learners presenting with an inability to cope with their own mental ill-health. I have wanted to understand the lived experiences of colleagues both within Otago Polytechnic and nationally, employed by tertiary providers. Colleagues shared their personal experiences with distressed learners through semi-structured interviews. All data was analysed by engaging with a thematic approach to reveal three overarching key themes: resilience; environment and mental ill-health.
Phase One of the practice research saw the development of the Supporting Distressed Students flowchart, in collaboration with Hayley Laughton, which has been presented internationally. A further development has been the Mental health Education Evaluation Tool, or MEET. This evaluation tool has demonstrated that the focus on supporting distressed learners’ approach is robust and flexible in the way it could be adapted to form a tool for enhancing mental health in tertiary learners. I describe the process by which this tool was accepted for implementation by the institution, including collaborative inquiry to illuminate practice, scrutiny and critique by the Mental Health Wellbeing Advisory Group and the Executive Leadership Team.
Due to the escalating numbers and acuity of learner presentations related to poor mental health in the tertiary environment, this work-based project to address this public health issue is not only timely, but critical
New Zealand
No full textThe tourism industry in New Zealand has emerged from a Covid 19 pandemic that halted international travel into the country. Due to the impact of the pandemic, many tourism businesses were compelled to lay off employees, and some even had to shut down. In addition, the number of students pursuing tertiary education in tourism has been declining for various reasons. One factor is the misconception that tourism is not a viable career option, despite the strong employment opportunities it offers. Furthermore, the government's announcement of centralising New Zealand's 16 polytechnics and unifying existing programmes has created opportunities for innovation and growth in these areas. This research project was an opportunity to explore methods of developing a sustainable tourism programme (NZ Diploma in Tourism and Travel) that considers economic, environmental, and social factors. The primary research question that has guided my exploration is: What approaches can be taken by Otago Polytechnic/Te Pūkenga to provide a sustainable and effective tourism programme that accommodates the needs of a dramatically altered environment?
A case study methodology was used to study the tourism industry’s preference for how tourism education programmes should be taught and the type of content that is required for graduates. The research methods chosen were interviews and focus groups with industry professionals and tourism graduates. The data collection phase consisted of on-line interviews with seven participants from a variety of small to medium tourism businesses within the Otago and Central Otago area of the South Island of New Zealand. A focus group consisting of six local tourism operators that represent the accommodation, transport, activities, attractions and training sectors of the Otago area and a group interview with three graduates that completed their NZ Diploma in Tourism and Travel (level 5) from Otago Polytechnic were conducted in 2022.
The findings indicated that the tourism industry was transitioning back into a dramatically changed environment and that a regenerative approach of giving back and leaving a place in better condition than previously found, was needed. A collaborative and collective approach from all sectors is needed to create a values-based environment that has a lower environmental footprint. To ensure that the industry advances in a positive direction in the future, it is crucial to have employees who possess a range of desirable qualities. These include storytelling skills, cultural competency, problem-solving abilities, passion, adaptability, and resilience. Additionally, it is important for these employees to understand the regenerative design concept. Flexible options for tourism education, for example hybrid study while gaining experience in the industry with practitioner delivery and assessment options, need to be developed.
One of the recommended actions for the tourism industry is to incorporate regenerative sustainability into the entirety of tourism education. This can be achieved by offering a hybrid education program that immerses tourism graduates in the industry and equips them with leadership skills, cultural competency, soft skills experience, and knowledge of regenerative tourism
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