title: Affordances of spreadsheets in mathematical investigation: Potentialities for learning

authors: Calder, Nigel Stuart

subjects: school mathematics

abstract: This article, is concerned with the ways learning is shaped when mathematics problems are investigated in spreadsheet environments. It considers how the opportunities and constraints the digital media affords influenced the decisions the students made, and the direction of their enquiry pathway. How might the leraning trajectory unfold, and the learning process and mathematical understanding emerge? Will the spreadsheet, as the pedagogical medium, evoke learning in a distinctive manner? The article reports on an aspect of an ongoing study involving students as they engage mathematical investigative tasks through digital media, the spreadsheet in particular. In considers the affordances of this learning environment for primary-aged students.

text: Affordances of spreadsheets in mathematical investigation: Potentialities for learning This article, is concerned with the ways learning is shaped when mathematics problems are investigated in spreadsheet environments. It considers how the opportunities and constraints the digital media affords influenced the decisions the students made, and the direction of their enquiry pathway. How might the leraning trajectory unfold, and the learning process and mathematical understanding emerge? Will the spreadsheet, as the pedagogical medium, evoke learning in a distinctive manner? The article reports on an aspect of an ongoing study involving students as they engage mathematical investigative tasks through digital media, the spreadsheet in particular. In considers the affordances of this learning environment for primary-aged students.

year: 2010

title: Fostering a capacity for connectedness: The contribution of “humanness” in hybrid early childhood initial teacher education programmes

authors: Archard, Sara

subjects: online human connectedness

abstract: This thesis provides an in-depth understanding of human connections between lecturers and ECE student teachers in one hybrid early childhood initial teacher education programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. More specifically, the focus of the research is the ECE student teachers’ perspective of their experiences of human connections with their lecturers in the online component of the programme, and the role that digital technologies play in enabling or constraining the human connection.
This research is informed by socio-cultural theory and adopts a phenomenographic approach to gather qualitative data. Data were collected from nine ECE student teachers by means of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and the ECE student teacher contributions to asynchronous online discussions. By analysing data from three different sources, I was able to gain a more in-depth understanding of ECE student teachers’ experience of human connections in the online learning environment with their lecturers and the ways that digital technologies mediated a connection.
Key findings from this study suggest ECE student teachers can experience human connections with their lecturers in the online learning environment, which are mediated by the pedagogical use of digital technologies. The four main themes generated from the data analysis that were useful in nurturing a human connection between ECE student teacher and their lecturers were: knowing their lecturer as a real person, informal communication, lecturers’ feedback and feedforward and a sense of community. However, ECE student teachers had different perceptions of the human connections they experienced, how they experienced them, the value of those connections and the place digital technologies played in mediating such connections. Therefore, lecturers need time and space to employ a range of socio-cultural pedagogical strategies that align with the use of appropriate digital technologies to ensure that they respond to the diverse preferences of ECE student teachers when nurturing human connections. 
This thesis contributes new understanding to the growing body of scholarship advocating for community focussed online learning design and practice, particularly in relational qualifications such as hybrid initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The new information from this study supports the argument that policy and practice for hybrid initial teacher education programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand should be grounded in relational, socio-cultural theory challenging the neo-liberal standardisation of hybrid learning.

text: Fostering a capacity for connectedness: The contribution of “humanness” in hybrid early childhood initial teacher education programmes This thesis provides an in-depth understanding of human connections between lecturers and ECE student teachers in one hybrid early childhood initial teacher education programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. More specifically, the focus of the research is the ECE student teachers’ perspective of their experiences of human connections with their lecturers in the online component of the programme, and the role that digital technologies play in enabling or constraining the human connection.
This research is informed by socio-cultural theory and adopts a phenomenographic approach to gather qualitative data. Data were collected from nine ECE student teachers by means of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and the ECE student teacher contributions to asynchronous online discussions. By analysing data from three different sources, I was able to gain a more in-depth understanding of ECE student teachers’ experience of human connections in the online learning environment with their lecturers and the ways that digital technologies mediated a connection.
Key findings from this study suggest ECE student teachers can experience human connections with their lecturers in the online learning environment, which are mediated by the pedagogical use of digital technologies. The four main themes generated from the data analysis that were useful in nurturing a human connection between ECE student teacher and their lecturers were: knowing their lecturer as a real person, informal communication, lecturers’ feedback and feedforward and a sense of community. However, ECE student teachers had different perceptions of the human connections they experienced, how they experienced them, the value of those connections and the place digital technologies played in mediating such connections. Therefore, lecturers need time and space to employ a range of socio-cultural pedagogical strategies that align with the use of appropriate digital technologies to ensure that they respond to the diverse preferences of ECE student teachers when nurturing human connections. 
This thesis contributes new understanding to the growing body of scholarship advocating for community focussed online learning design and practice, particularly in relational qualifications such as hybrid initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The new information from this study supports the argument that policy and practice for hybrid initial teacher education programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand should be grounded in relational, socio-cultural theory challenging the neo-liberal standardisation of hybrid learning.

year: 2025-10-12

title: Exploring inequity in access to medications for Type 2 Diabetes in primary care in the Waikato region: Final report

authors: Lawrenson, Ross

abstract: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing health issue in New Zealand (NZ) that disproportionately affects twice as many Māori as non-Māori and an increasing number of younger people. T2D is associated with a range of microvascular and macrovascular complications, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD), the latter being the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient group. However, complications are reduced in patients that have improved glycaemic control. To achieve optimal outcomes and reduce the chance of diabetes-related complications, patients should aim to have their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement less than 53 mmol/mol if possible.

Diabetes is primarily managed in primary care, and a number of recent publications suggest that there is considerable inequity in the management of diabetes in New Zealand, particularly for Māori. In an earlier piece of work we have shown that Maori are significantly less likely than non-Maori to be prescribed metformin, but that once prescribed it they are equally likely to have the medication dispensed. This suggests that there may be issues that can be addressed within primary care that are influencing the use of diabetes medications.
Thus, the aim of this small piece of work was to characterise diabetes medication use in a Waikato primary care population, and to report on medication adherence and association with HbA1c levels.

text: Exploring inequity in access to medications for Type 2 Diabetes in primary care in the Waikato region: Final report Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing health issue in New Zealand (NZ) that disproportionately affects twice as many Māori as non-Māori and an increasing number of younger people. T2D is associated with a range of microvascular and macrovascular complications, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD), the latter being the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient group. However, complications are reduced in patients that have improved glycaemic control. To achieve optimal outcomes and reduce the chance of diabetes-related complications, patients should aim to have their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement less than 53 mmol/mol if possible.

Diabetes is primarily managed in primary care, and a number of recent publications suggest that there is considerable inequity in the management of diabetes in New Zealand, particularly for Māori. In an earlier piece of work we have shown that Maori are significantly less likely than non-Maori to be prescribed metformin, but that once prescribed it they are equally likely to have the medication dispensed. This suggests that there may be issues that can be addressed within primary care that are influencing the use of diabetes medications.
Thus, the aim of this small piece of work was to characterise diabetes medication use in a Waikato primary care population, and to report on medication adherence and association with HbA1c levels.

year: 2021-08-17