title: The teaching and learning of te reo Māori in a higher education context: Intensive fast track immersion versus gradual progressive language exposure

authors: Nock, Sophie

subjects: grading of students

abstract: I report here on a comparison of the course grades of Bachelors degree students who are following two different pathways towards a major in te reo Māori - a traditional pathway in which language courses at different levels are spread over three or four years, and an intensive, fast-track, language immersion pathway in which courses in te reo Māori are concentrated into the first year of the degree programme. My findings are that, overall, in terms of course grades at level three, students following the intensive, fast-track, language-immersion pathway out-perform other students in te reo Māori course assessments. Thus, so far as course grades are concerned, many students appear to benefit from the fast track pathway. Whether course grades can be related to proficiency achievements and whether immediate gains are reflected in long-term gains is something that remains to be investigated.

text: The teaching and learning of te reo Māori in a higher education context: Intensive fast track immersion versus gradual progressive language exposure I report here on a comparison of the course grades of Bachelors degree students who are following two different pathways towards a major in te reo Māori - a traditional pathway in which language courses at different levels are spread over three or four years, and an intensive, fast-track, language immersion pathway in which courses in te reo Māori are concentrated into the first year of the degree programme. My findings are that, overall, in terms of course grades at level three, students following the intensive, fast-track, language-immersion pathway out-perform other students in te reo Māori course assessments. Thus, so far as course grades are concerned, many students appear to benefit from the fast track pathway. Whether course grades can be related to proficiency achievements and whether immediate gains are reflected in long-term gains is something that remains to be investigated.

year: 2006

title: Maori at Te Aroha after the opening of the goldfield in 1880 (mostly through Pakeha eyes)

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: As the Maori population continued to decline, the aged rangatira admired by Pakeha (even including those who had fought against the Crown) gradually died off, to be replaced by Maori more noted for their drinking and occasional violence than their prestige. Although concerts and haka were popular with many Pakeha, much Maori behaviour was mocked, including by children. Many Maori were seen as being unsophisticated, unable to express themselves properly in English, and prone to drunkenness and laziness, whereas those who adopted Pakeha ways were praised.
Some Pakeha sympathized with poverty-stricken Maori and regretted the decline of their language. There were many examples of close and friendly relations and of Maori assisting Pakeha in trouble, but in general they lived geographically separate lives. To earn money, Maori were forced to work at road making, timber cutting, gum digging, and farming what land remained in their possession. Most Maori struggled financially, their limited resources being stretched by holding expensive tangi and entertaining visitors – resulting in more land sales. They used the court system to defend their economic interests.
Ngati Rahiri (including supporters of the Kingitanga) were seen as ‘loyal’ to the Crown, and visiting Maori kings received kindly treatment from Pakeha as well as from Maori. 
Poor health prompted some government assistance, but poor housing remained, although some attempts were made to improve it (partly to protect Pakeha from diseases). Before the twentieth century only a few children, mostly ‘half-castes’, were educated. Most Ngati Rahiri were members of the Church of England before being attracted by the new Mormon faith.
Ngati Rahiri participated with Pakeha in horse races, sporting contests, and, especially, rugby, and a few joined the Volunteers. Much less desirable to most residents was their heavy drinking (encouraged by some publicans and their Pakeha drinking buddies), and occasional fights, very occasionally with Pakeha. Overall, Pakeha ways, both good and bad, of necessity were adopted, and Ngati Rahiri became inextricably a subordinate part of the Pakeha community, although still retaining some distinctive features. 

 (Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all those named in this paper, both Maori and Pakeha, were shareholders in claims in the Te Aroha district.)

text: Maori at Te Aroha after the opening of the goldfield in 1880 (mostly through Pakeha eyes) As the Maori population continued to decline, the aged rangatira admired by Pakeha (even including those who had fought against the Crown) gradually died off, to be replaced by Maori more noted for their drinking and occasional violence than their prestige. Although concerts and haka were popular with many Pakeha, much Maori behaviour was mocked, including by children. Many Maori were seen as being unsophisticated, unable to express themselves properly in English, and prone to drunkenness and laziness, whereas those who adopted Pakeha ways were praised.
Some Pakeha sympathized with poverty-stricken Maori and regretted the decline of their language. There were many examples of close and friendly relations and of Maori assisting Pakeha in trouble, but in general they lived geographically separate lives. To earn money, Maori were forced to work at road making, timber cutting, gum digging, and farming what land remained in their possession. Most Maori struggled financially, their limited resources being stretched by holding expensive tangi and entertaining visitors – resulting in more land sales. They used the court system to defend their economic interests.
Ngati Rahiri (including supporters of the Kingitanga) were seen as ‘loyal’ to the Crown, and visiting Maori kings received kindly treatment from Pakeha as well as from Maori. 
Poor health prompted some government assistance, but poor housing remained, although some attempts were made to improve it (partly to protect Pakeha from diseases). Before the twentieth century only a few children, mostly ‘half-castes’, were educated. Most Ngati Rahiri were members of the Church of England before being attracted by the new Mormon faith.
Ngati Rahiri participated with Pakeha in horse races, sporting contests, and, especially, rugby, and a few joined the Volunteers. Much less desirable to most residents was their heavy drinking (encouraged by some publicans and their Pakeha drinking buddies), and occasional fights, very occasionally with Pakeha. Overall, Pakeha ways, both good and bad, of necessity were adopted, and Ngati Rahiri became inextricably a subordinate part of the Pakeha community, although still retaining some distinctive features. 

 (Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all those named in this paper, both Maori and Pakeha, were shareholders in claims in the Te Aroha district.)

year: 2016

title: Effect of minor titanium addition on copper/diamond composites prepared by hot forging

authors: Yang, Fei

abstract: Copper/diamond composites have great potential to lead the next generation of advanced heat sink materials for use in high-power electronic devices and high-density integrated circuits because of their potential excellent properties of high thermal conductivity and close thermal expansion to the chip materials (e.g., Si, InP, GaAs). However, the poor wettability between copper and diamond presents a challenge for synthesizing copper/diamond composites with effective metallurgical bonding and satisfied thermal performance. In this article, copper/diamond composites were successfully prepared by hot forging of elemental copper and artificial diamond powders with small amounts (0 vol.%, 3 vol.% and 5 vol.%) of titanium additives. Microstructure observation and mechanical tests showed that adding minor titanium additions in the copper/diamond composite resulted in fewer cracks in the composites’ microstructure and significantly improved the bonding between the copper and diamond. The strongest bonding strength was achieved for the copper/diamond composite with 3 vol.% titanium addition, and the possible reasons were discussed.

text: Effect of minor titanium addition on copper/diamond composites prepared by hot forging Copper/diamond composites have great potential to lead the next generation of advanced heat sink materials for use in high-power electronic devices and high-density integrated circuits because of their potential excellent properties of high thermal conductivity and close thermal expansion to the chip materials (e.g., Si, InP, GaAs). However, the poor wettability between copper and diamond presents a challenge for synthesizing copper/diamond composites with effective metallurgical bonding and satisfied thermal performance. In this article, copper/diamond composites were successfully prepared by hot forging of elemental copper and artificial diamond powders with small amounts (0 vol.%, 3 vol.% and 5 vol.%) of titanium additives. Microstructure observation and mechanical tests showed that adding minor titanium additions in the copper/diamond composite resulted in fewer cracks in the composites’ microstructure and significantly improved the bonding between the copper and diamond. The strongest bonding strength was achieved for the copper/diamond composite with 3 vol.% titanium addition, and the possible reasons were discussed.

year: 2018