title: Five case studies exploring the value of technology education in New Zealand secondary schools

authors: Bowskill, Nicholas Ralph Martin

subjects: Technology education

abstract: There are many factors that influence students in their choice to take vocationally focussed or general technology subjects at secondary school. Equally, there are many factors that contribute to whether or not they succeed in their studies, and what value they place on the different types of knowledge and skills they learn. A student‟s choices cannot be separated from the social and environmental context in which the student acts. This study presents five case studies that explore the context and experiences of five, very different students of technology who have all recently graduated secondary school. Each case study brings together data from semi-structured interviews conducted with the student participant, one of their parents and their principal technology teacher at secondary school. They provide an insight into how each student perceived their technology education, what influenced them in choosing technology classes, what knowledge and skills they learnt, how that knowledge and skill has served them in their transition into the workforce or tertiary study, and what they perceive are the differences between vocational technology education and general technology education.

text: Five case studies exploring the value of technology education in New Zealand secondary schools There are many factors that influence students in their choice to take vocationally focussed or general technology subjects at secondary school. Equally, there are many factors that contribute to whether or not they succeed in their studies, and what value they place on the different types of knowledge and skills they learn. A student‟s choices cannot be separated from the social and environmental context in which the student acts. This study presents five case studies that explore the context and experiences of five, very different students of technology who have all recently graduated secondary school. Each case study brings together data from semi-structured interviews conducted with the student participant, one of their parents and their principal technology teacher at secondary school. They provide an insight into how each student perceived their technology education, what influenced them in choosing technology classes, what knowledge and skills they learnt, how that knowledge and skill has served them in their transition into the workforce or tertiary study, and what they perceive are the differences between vocational technology education and general technology education.

year: 2012

title: Use of video shadow for small group interaction awareness on a large interactive display surface

authors: Apperley, Mark

subjects: computer science

abstract: This paper reports work done as part of the Large Interactive Display Surface(LIDS) project at the University of Waikato. One application of the LIDS equipment is distributed meeting support. In this context large display surfaces are used as shared workspaces by people at collaborating sites. A meeting will start with a shared presentation document, typically an agenda document with summary and detail on agenda items as required. During the meeting, annotations will be made on the shared document, and new pages will be added with notes and drawings.
To prevent access collisions and generally mediate use of the shared space, mechanisms to provide awareness of actions of people at other sites are required. In our system a web camera is used to capture a low-resolution image of the person/people near the board on each side. Rather than transmit the image directly we compute a shadow/silhouette The shadow is displayed ‘behind’ other screen content. This provides awareness of position and impending write actions and allows intentional pointing to locations on the screen. It also has the advantages of being transmitted with low bandwidth, being relatively insensitive to low frame rates, and minimizing visual interference with the substantive data being displayed on the screen.

text: Use of video shadow for small group interaction awareness on a large interactive display surface This paper reports work done as part of the Large Interactive Display Surface(LIDS) project at the University of Waikato. One application of the LIDS equipment is distributed meeting support. In this context large display surfaces are used as shared workspaces by people at collaborating sites. A meeting will start with a shared presentation document, typically an agenda document with summary and detail on agenda items as required. During the meeting, annotations will be made on the shared document, and new pages will be added with notes and drawings.
To prevent access collisions and generally mediate use of the shared space, mechanisms to provide awareness of actions of people at other sites are required. In our system a web camera is used to capture a low-resolution image of the person/people near the board on each side. Rather than transmit the image directly we compute a shadow/silhouette The shadow is displayed ‘behind’ other screen content. This provides awareness of position and impending write actions and allows intentional pointing to locations on the screen. It also has the advantages of being transmitted with low bandwidth, being relatively insensitive to low frame rates, and minimizing visual interference with the substantive data being displayed on the screen.

year: 2003

title: Māori men: An indigenous psychological perspective on the interconnected self

authors: Rua, Mohi

subjects: Māori men

abstract: The positive relational practices of Māori men are seldom explored in academic research. Responding to this gap in the literature, this article explores how Māori men negotiate a positive sense of self and relationships. This research is guided by kaupapa Māori research practice, Māori cultural concepts, and relational understandings of identity and wellbeing. Our ethnographic approach involved direct observations, engagement in shared cultural practices and narrative interviews. During these interactions, participating men invoked a positive sense of self through accounts of belonging, reciprocity, dialogue, intimacy, and care for themselves, their whānau, and traditions. We found that Māori men's identities are negotiated through interactions with whānau (immediate and extended family), and particular places and practices. Our participants demonstrated how Māori men’s positive self-constructions are fundamentally interconnected with other people, cultural traditions, socio-cultural practices, physical and symbolic places, as well as their own health and the health of those around them.

text: Māori men: An indigenous psychological perspective on the interconnected self The positive relational practices of Māori men are seldom explored in academic research. Responding to this gap in the literature, this article explores how Māori men negotiate a positive sense of self and relationships. This research is guided by kaupapa Māori research practice, Māori cultural concepts, and relational understandings of identity and wellbeing. Our ethnographic approach involved direct observations, engagement in shared cultural practices and narrative interviews. During these interactions, participating men invoked a positive sense of self through accounts of belonging, reciprocity, dialogue, intimacy, and care for themselves, their whānau, and traditions. We found that Māori men's identities are negotiated through interactions with whānau (immediate and extended family), and particular places and practices. Our participants demonstrated how Māori men’s positive self-constructions are fundamentally interconnected with other people, cultural traditions, socio-cultural practices, physical and symbolic places, as well as their own health and the health of those around them.

year: 2017