title: The pedagogical architecture of modern learning environments in four New Zealand secondary schools

authors: Hest, Julie Badeena

subjects: Learning environments

abstract: The New Zealand Ministry of Education has committed significant resources to develop state-owned school buildings that are purposefully built with quality materials, embrace internet capable technology and contain large, flexible learning spaces. Schools and classrooms built in this manner have been referred to as modern learning environments (MLEs). The development of MLEs was to improve the quality of school property infrastructure and increase student achievement with learning environments that support 21ˢᵗ-century teaching and learning. Initially, there was quite specific guidance on building and design standards for MLEs, but there was limited guidance on how to change teaching and learning practices to match with the physical changes of learning environments.  
	This thesis reports on qualitative multi-site research that explored teaching and learning in four New Zealand secondary schools that followed the requirement to adopt MLEs. Data was collected at each school via document review, a semi-structured interview with the principal, semi-structured interviews with teachers who taught in the MLEs and a focus group discussion with students who were timetabled to the MLEs. Across data sources, the main foci were (1) to investigate how the concepts of learners, educators, content and resources were interpreted and organised in the MLEs and (2) to explore what those in MLEs considered 21ˢᵗ-century skills and competencies to be and how these were being developed in learners.
The employed methodology offered primacy to the participants' understandings and experiences to help make visible the operation of MLEs from the varying perspectives of those involved in daily teaching and learning in these environments. Viewing the MLES in the four schools this way identified an observable gap between the potential that literature presumes MLEs may contain to develop 21ˢᵗ-century skills and competencies in learners and the realities of the daily operations of these learning environments. This gap is visible when considering how underpinning concepts related to the operation of MLEs are employed and when exploring individual reflections on how aspects of the physical space of MLEs may enable or constrain teaching and learning practices. Viewing MLEs this way also demonstrated how influential participants' individual perspectives were when limited guidance on how to change teaching and learning practices was offered, and therefore how essential purposeful time to reflect with colleagues is when collaboration is a valued or required aspect of a learning environment. Additionally, viewing MLEs this way suggests teaching and learning in an MLE deprivatises both teacher and student practice by making teacher and student actions visible to colleagues and peers in a way they were not visible in pre-MLE learning environments. 
The approach taken in this thesis to explore the phenomena of MLEs in the New Zealand secondary school context contributes to the emerging discourse around the development and understanding of MLEs from the perspectives of those involved in the reality of teaching and learning in such spaces. By making visible the reality of the use of MLEs, this research can be used to develop support for those who carry out teaching and learning in these environments.

text: The pedagogical architecture of modern learning environments in four New Zealand secondary schools The New Zealand Ministry of Education has committed significant resources to develop state-owned school buildings that are purposefully built with quality materials, embrace internet capable technology and contain large, flexible learning spaces. Schools and classrooms built in this manner have been referred to as modern learning environments (MLEs). The development of MLEs was to improve the quality of school property infrastructure and increase student achievement with learning environments that support 21ˢᵗ-century teaching and learning. Initially, there was quite specific guidance on building and design standards for MLEs, but there was limited guidance on how to change teaching and learning practices to match with the physical changes of learning environments.  
	This thesis reports on qualitative multi-site research that explored teaching and learning in four New Zealand secondary schools that followed the requirement to adopt MLEs. Data was collected at each school via document review, a semi-structured interview with the principal, semi-structured interviews with teachers who taught in the MLEs and a focus group discussion with students who were timetabled to the MLEs. Across data sources, the main foci were (1) to investigate how the concepts of learners, educators, content and resources were interpreted and organised in the MLEs and (2) to explore what those in MLEs considered 21ˢᵗ-century skills and competencies to be and how these were being developed in learners.
The employed methodology offered primacy to the participants' understandings and experiences to help make visible the operation of MLEs from the varying perspectives of those involved in daily teaching and learning in these environments. Viewing the MLES in the four schools this way identified an observable gap between the potential that literature presumes MLEs may contain to develop 21ˢᵗ-century skills and competencies in learners and the realities of the daily operations of these learning environments. This gap is visible when considering how underpinning concepts related to the operation of MLEs are employed and when exploring individual reflections on how aspects of the physical space of MLEs may enable or constrain teaching and learning practices. Viewing MLEs this way also demonstrated how influential participants' individual perspectives were when limited guidance on how to change teaching and learning practices was offered, and therefore how essential purposeful time to reflect with colleagues is when collaboration is a valued or required aspect of a learning environment. Additionally, viewing MLEs this way suggests teaching and learning in an MLE deprivatises both teacher and student practice by making teacher and student actions visible to colleagues and peers in a way they were not visible in pre-MLE learning environments. 
The approach taken in this thesis to explore the phenomena of MLEs in the New Zealand secondary school context contributes to the emerging discourse around the development and understanding of MLEs from the perspectives of those involved in the reality of teaching and learning in such spaces. By making visible the reality of the use of MLEs, this research can be used to develop support for those who carry out teaching and learning in these environments.

year: 2022

title: Surface Roughening of Platinum Wire: An Electrochemical and Mechanical Approach

authors: Gygax, Stefan Manu

subjects: Surface Roughening

abstract: In order to make implanted electrodes MRI safe several methods have been explored. One of those methods involves increasing AC resistance by roughening the surface of the implanted platinum wires. This thesis explores an electrochemical and a mechanical approach to reliably induce 15 micro meter deep surface defects. The electrochemical approach dissolves the outermost layer of the wire and redeposits a porous layer on the surface that does not grow more than 2 micro meters thick. It is predicted that this layer may be grown to desired thickness if the source of platinum comes from within the solution treatment takes place in rather than the treated wire itself. The mechanical approach induces fatigue cracks that grow predictably and can be controlled to desired size. The limitations are the small amount of wire that may be treated at a time through rotational fatiguing, and the initial quality of the treated wire. High quality wire and an ultrasonic fatigue setup may remedy these limitations.

text: Surface Roughening of Platinum Wire: An Electrochemical and Mechanical Approach In order to make implanted electrodes MRI safe several methods have been explored. One of those methods involves increasing AC resistance by roughening the surface of the implanted platinum wires. This thesis explores an electrochemical and a mechanical approach to reliably induce 15 micro meter deep surface defects. The electrochemical approach dissolves the outermost layer of the wire and redeposits a porous layer on the surface that does not grow more than 2 micro meters thick. It is predicted that this layer may be grown to desired thickness if the source of platinum comes from within the solution treatment takes place in rather than the treated wire itself. The mechanical approach induces fatigue cracks that grow predictably and can be controlled to desired size. The limitations are the small amount of wire that may be treated at a time through rotational fatiguing, and the initial quality of the treated wire. High quality wire and an ultrasonic fatigue setup may remedy these limitations.

year: 2017

title: Weaving kaupapa Māori and e-Learning

authors: Neal, Terry

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This paper describes the creation and design of an online professional development course that aims to help educators in New Zealand to weave kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches together. The team sought to model weaving of kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches in how they worked together and the educational design for the material. The authors propose that educators with these skills are crucial if we are to effectively meet the needs of Māori learners, more than that, of all New Zealand learners, in the 21st century.

text: Weaving kaupapa Māori and e-Learning This paper describes the creation and design of an online professional development course that aims to help educators in New Zealand to weave kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches together. The team sought to model weaving of kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches in how they worked together and the educational design for the material. The authors propose that educators with these skills are crucial if we are to effectively meet the needs of Māori learners, more than that, of all New Zealand learners, in the 21st century.

year: 2006-09