title: Assessment digital smarts: Using short text assignment formats for enhancing student learning

authors: Earl Rinehart, (Suzanne) Kerry

subjects: assessment

abstract: Lecturers and course designers need to be smart about assignment design. This is particularly so when time constraints of lecturer workload and students’ other commitments impact on teaching and learning coverage of objectives in tertiary courses, By reconsidering assignment formats with a focus on assessment as another opportunity for learning, course designers and lecturers may be able to take advantage of affordances of technology and maximise student engagement with assignments for learning. This study describes some short text assignment types and reports on a case study using a survey of student perceptions of these formats in a third year fully online degree course. Students expressed approval of the variety and opportunities for creativity in these assignments and found them useful for their own learning and for future application in their contexts.

text: Assessment digital smarts: Using short text assignment formats for enhancing student learning Lecturers and course designers need to be smart about assignment design. This is particularly so when time constraints of lecturer workload and students’ other commitments impact on teaching and learning coverage of objectives in tertiary courses, By reconsidering assignment formats with a focus on assessment as another opportunity for learning, course designers and lecturers may be able to take advantage of affordances of technology and maximise student engagement with assignments for learning. This study describes some short text assignment types and reports on a case study using a survey of student perceptions of these formats in a third year fully online degree course. Students expressed approval of the variety and opportunities for creativity in these assignments and found them useful for their own learning and for future application in their contexts.

year: 2015

title: Effect of oxidative treatment on the secondary structure of decoloured bloodmeal

authors: Hicks, Talia

abstract: Bloodmeal can be decoloured using peracetic acid resulting in a material with a pale-yellow colour which only needs sodium dodecyl sulphate, water and triethylene glycol to extrude into a semi-transparent bioplastic. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using Synchrotron light was used to investigate the effect of peracetic acid treatment at various concentrations on the spatial distribution of secondary structures within particles of bloodmeal. Oxidation caused aggregation of helical structures into sheets and acetic acid suppressed sheet formation. Decolouring with peracetic acid led to particles with a higher degree of disorder at the outer edges and higher proportions of ordered structures at the core, consistent with the expected diffusion controlled heterogeneous phase decolouring reaction. The degradation of stabilizing intra- and intermolecular interactions and the presence of acetate ions results in increased chain mobility and greater amorphous content in the material, as evidenced by reduction in Tg and greater enthalpy of relaxation with increasing PAA concentration.

text: Effect of oxidative treatment on the secondary structure of decoloured bloodmeal Bloodmeal can be decoloured using peracetic acid resulting in a material with a pale-yellow colour which only needs sodium dodecyl sulphate, water and triethylene glycol to extrude into a semi-transparent bioplastic. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using Synchrotron light was used to investigate the effect of peracetic acid treatment at various concentrations on the spatial distribution of secondary structures within particles of bloodmeal. Oxidation caused aggregation of helical structures into sheets and acetic acid suppressed sheet formation. Decolouring with peracetic acid led to particles with a higher degree of disorder at the outer edges and higher proportions of ordered structures at the core, consistent with the expected diffusion controlled heterogeneous phase decolouring reaction. The degradation of stabilizing intra- and intermolecular interactions and the presence of acetate ions results in increased chain mobility and greater amorphous content in the material, as evidenced by reduction in Tg and greater enthalpy of relaxation with increasing PAA concentration.

year: 2014

title: Cultural knowledge and identity for wellbeing and success: Trying to make the connections in the north of New Zealand.

authors: Hohepa, Margie Kahukura

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This paper argues that secure cultural identity is essential to wellbeing and cultural identity is important to Māori youth participation and success. The roles of community and schools in developing secure cultural identity are increasingly complex, as both become increasingly more culturally and ethnically diverse in many parts of the world.
The paper discusses findings from student survey data from a 2 year project ‘Te Wehi Nui a Mamao: Maximising the potential of tribal marae and regional language among youth', which began in July 2008, supported by funding from New Zealand's Foundation of Research, Science and Technology. This project aims to strengthen the relevance of tribal marae and regional Maori language among Maori youth, which are identified as important to Māori cultural identity.
Inter-generational transfer of tribal marae knowledge and language is becoming more compromised. Many cultural values are defined on marae. Tribal leaders have long been concerned about disconnections between Māori youth and tribal marae, poor knowledge of regional dialect and the potential negative consequences for full participation in society. .It appears that Māori youth are disconnected from regional language dialects and marae knowledge now more than ever. Reconnecting Māori youth with these two sources of tribal identity is the key to the purpose of this project.

text: Cultural knowledge and identity for wellbeing and success: Trying to make the connections in the north of New Zealand. This paper argues that secure cultural identity is essential to wellbeing and cultural identity is important to Māori youth participation and success. The roles of community and schools in developing secure cultural identity are increasingly complex, as both become increasingly more culturally and ethnically diverse in many parts of the world.
The paper discusses findings from student survey data from a 2 year project ‘Te Wehi Nui a Mamao: Maximising the potential of tribal marae and regional language among youth', which began in July 2008, supported by funding from New Zealand's Foundation of Research, Science and Technology. This project aims to strengthen the relevance of tribal marae and regional Maori language among Maori youth, which are identified as important to Māori cultural identity.
Inter-generational transfer of tribal marae knowledge and language is becoming more compromised. Many cultural values are defined on marae. Tribal leaders have long been concerned about disconnections between Māori youth and tribal marae, poor knowledge of regional dialect and the potential negative consequences for full participation in society. .It appears that Māori youth are disconnected from regional language dialects and marae knowledge now more than ever. Reconnecting Māori youth with these two sources of tribal identity is the key to the purpose of this project.

year: 2010