title: Parasthetica: Artworks for GA2025

authors: Soo, Chin-En Keith

abstract: Parasthetica transforms eBooks into abstract visual artworks through a character-matching system that maps literary text into chromatic geometric forms. The program positions itself at the crossroads of digital humanities, generative art, and data visualisation. Each text becomes a living artwork, where words are translated into dynamic, colour-based grids that reveal hidden linguistic and structural patterns. Rather than statistical summaries, the visualisations offer immersive aesthetic experiences that mirror the rhythm, genre, and emotional intensity of the source material.

text: Parasthetica: Artworks for GA2025 Parasthetica transforms eBooks into abstract visual artworks through a character-matching system that maps literary text into chromatic geometric forms. The program positions itself at the crossroads of digital humanities, generative art, and data visualisation. Each text becomes a living artwork, where words are translated into dynamic, colour-based grids that reveal hidden linguistic and structural patterns. Rather than statistical summaries, the visualisations offer immersive aesthetic experiences that mirror the rhythm, genre, and emotional intensity of the source material.

year: 2025-12

title: How Are Inclusive Education Resource Centre Supported Students With Special Needs Experiencing Education In Regular Classroom Settings In The Town Schools In Western Province Of Papua New Guinea? A Case Study Approach

authors: Bomen, Roweng

abstract: The study considers special needs students’ education development in the context of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) education system. In particular, it examines the experiences, perceptions and expectations of three groups involved, which are teachers, parents and special needs students themselves in relation to inclusive practices in mainstream school settings. While some research has been done in other areas of inclusive education in PNG, none has included the point of view of special needs students attaining education in regular class settings. The study aimed at discovering the extent to which the inclusive education (IE) policy and IE practices are enacted in regular schools in Daru, in PNG. IE practices can be found in schools in PNG, but many are not effective. In particular, we know very little about the special needs students’ experiences, perceptions and expectations of IE in regular class environments, as their voices are not often heard. 

The study undertaken used a qualitative research approach case study to gather data about IE practices in selected schools in Daru Island of Western Province, Papua New Guinea. The research design used was an embedded “single-case” format that strived to explore the reality of the SN students’ experiences in regular classes through talking to them and the adults in their immediate environment. The case study approach used exploratory, descriptive and explanatory methodologies. In the exploratory part, a research framework was set within the context of the research question. In the descriptive part, the research described the concept of inclusive education and its development towards including SN students in PNG society, and in the explanatory part, it focused on the reasons and result of inclusive practices within the context of the children, teachers and adults who care for them. Specifically, interviews were conducted with four teachers, three parents and a focus group consisting of three special needs students. A mini non-participatory class observation was conducted for supplementary information. Data gathered were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

The findings reveal that special needs students are very interested in attaining education to fulfil their dreams. Their parents’ continuous support towards their SN children’s personal livelihood development was helpful to their SN children. However, a number of social justice issues greatly impacted on how inclusive education for the SN students concerned was being practiced in regular classrooms. Issues included: lack of access to facilities, unbalanced curriculum, teacher-centred teaching rather than SN student-centred teaching and learning practices, limited resources, negative stereotypical behaviour by non-disabled people and social exclusion. This study concludes that more advocacy programmes and a change of people’s mindset towards dealing with SN students in the schools and community are necessary to combat existing discriminatory attitudes and social segregation of special needs students within regular schools and their community.

text: How Are Inclusive Education Resource Centre Supported Students With Special Needs Experiencing Education In Regular Classroom Settings In The Town Schools In Western Province Of Papua New Guinea? A Case Study Approach The study considers special needs students’ education development in the context of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) education system. In particular, it examines the experiences, perceptions and expectations of three groups involved, which are teachers, parents and special needs students themselves in relation to inclusive practices in mainstream school settings. While some research has been done in other areas of inclusive education in PNG, none has included the point of view of special needs students attaining education in regular class settings. The study aimed at discovering the extent to which the inclusive education (IE) policy and IE practices are enacted in regular schools in Daru, in PNG. IE practices can be found in schools in PNG, but many are not effective. In particular, we know very little about the special needs students’ experiences, perceptions and expectations of IE in regular class environments, as their voices are not often heard. 

The study undertaken used a qualitative research approach case study to gather data about IE practices in selected schools in Daru Island of Western Province, Papua New Guinea. The research design used was an embedded “single-case” format that strived to explore the reality of the SN students’ experiences in regular classes through talking to them and the adults in their immediate environment. The case study approach used exploratory, descriptive and explanatory methodologies. In the exploratory part, a research framework was set within the context of the research question. In the descriptive part, the research described the concept of inclusive education and its development towards including SN students in PNG society, and in the explanatory part, it focused on the reasons and result of inclusive practices within the context of the children, teachers and adults who care for them. Specifically, interviews were conducted with four teachers, three parents and a focus group consisting of three special needs students. A mini non-participatory class observation was conducted for supplementary information. Data gathered were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

The findings reveal that special needs students are very interested in attaining education to fulfil their dreams. Their parents’ continuous support towards their SN children’s personal livelihood development was helpful to their SN children. However, a number of social justice issues greatly impacted on how inclusive education for the SN students concerned was being practiced in regular classrooms. Issues included: lack of access to facilities, unbalanced curriculum, teacher-centred teaching rather than SN student-centred teaching and learning practices, limited resources, negative stereotypical behaviour by non-disabled people and social exclusion. This study concludes that more advocacy programmes and a change of people’s mindset towards dealing with SN students in the schools and community are necessary to combat existing discriminatory attitudes and social segregation of special needs students within regular schools and their community.

year: 2017

title: Population diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand: Insights from the CaDDANZ research programme

authors: Stone, Geoff

abstract: CaDDANZ was a New Zealand Government-funded project studying the impacts of growing population diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand. The project ran from 2014 to 2020 and was extended to March 2021 due to the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, CaDDANZ aimed to identify changing demographics and the impacts of ethnic and demographic diversity on aspects of economic and social change. This report has synthesised a bundle of key insights that could only have surfaced through the reflection on the interplay between the research questions that the original bid set out to address. While we, as a project team, did not intend to produce transdisciplinary or even interdisciplinary work on migration, diversity or the diversity dividend, setting a goal to synthesise something from the project as a whole has produced this report. Using social cohesion as a sorting mechanism for the insights has meant this overview is selective and high level. Not all the projects can be read against a social cohesion or even social inclusion lens. In particular, many of the econometric outputs explicitly addressed aspects of diversity as an economic dividend and that work is not highlighted in the synthesis. 
Three broad themes are addressed 
1. Immigration and diversity – understanding population trends 
2. [Re] conceptualising ethno-demographic diversity in Aotearoa – Tangata whenua perspectives 
3. Diversity in context – in different settings and over time 
The report concludes with four high-level insights 
1. Immigration policy needs to re-examine its position in relation to Tiriti o Waitangi where any Crown partnership relationship is currently lacking. 
2. Despite social cohesion being a negotiated term, its use as a framing for the impacts of migration on both the host country and individual migrant lives is underpinned by its use in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques on 15 March 2019 and is preferable to the concept of a diversity dividend.1 
3. While ethnocultural diversity is the default for ‘diversity dividend’ research, the concept of the social organisation of difference has broader relevance to social justice-oriented policy development.2 
4. The use of wide range of different methodologies is vital for the production of wellevidenced, theory-informed strategies and policies.

text: Population diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand: Insights from the CaDDANZ research programme CaDDANZ was a New Zealand Government-funded project studying the impacts of growing population diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand. The project ran from 2014 to 2020 and was extended to March 2021 due to the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, CaDDANZ aimed to identify changing demographics and the impacts of ethnic and demographic diversity on aspects of economic and social change. This report has synthesised a bundle of key insights that could only have surfaced through the reflection on the interplay between the research questions that the original bid set out to address. While we, as a project team, did not intend to produce transdisciplinary or even interdisciplinary work on migration, diversity or the diversity dividend, setting a goal to synthesise something from the project as a whole has produced this report. Using social cohesion as a sorting mechanism for the insights has meant this overview is selective and high level. Not all the projects can be read against a social cohesion or even social inclusion lens. In particular, many of the econometric outputs explicitly addressed aspects of diversity as an economic dividend and that work is not highlighted in the synthesis. 
Three broad themes are addressed 
1. Immigration and diversity – understanding population trends 
2. [Re] conceptualising ethno-demographic diversity in Aotearoa – Tangata whenua perspectives 
3. Diversity in context – in different settings and over time 
The report concludes with four high-level insights 
1. Immigration policy needs to re-examine its position in relation to Tiriti o Waitangi where any Crown partnership relationship is currently lacking. 
2. Despite social cohesion being a negotiated term, its use as a framing for the impacts of migration on both the host country and individual migrant lives is underpinned by its use in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques on 15 March 2019 and is preferable to the concept of a diversity dividend.1 
3. While ethnocultural diversity is the default for ‘diversity dividend’ research, the concept of the social organisation of difference has broader relevance to social justice-oriented policy development.2 
4. The use of wide range of different methodologies is vital for the production of wellevidenced, theory-informed strategies and policies.

year: 2021