title: Use of interactive video for teaching and learning

authors: Gedera, Dilani S.P.

abstract: This paper focuses on the findings of Phases I and II of an institution-wide project on the effective use of interactive video for teaching and learning in a university in New Zealand. Responding to the emerging growth of video in teaching and learning practice and scholarship, and also to the university’s strategic focus on providing blended, flexible learning opportunities, this project explores the ways in which lecturers currently use videos in teaching, their challenges, and their attitudes towards making video as well as students’ perceptions of learning through video. This paper discusses what we conceptualise as effective learning moments and conditions and how these can be created and maximised through the effective production and manipulation of relevant, purposeful interactive videos. The overall project combines both research and impact and develops opportunities for lecturers to enhance their competencies in creating interactive videos.

text: Use of interactive video for teaching and learning This paper focuses on the findings of Phases I and II of an institution-wide project on the effective use of interactive video for teaching and learning in a university in New Zealand. Responding to the emerging growth of video in teaching and learning practice and scholarship, and also to the university’s strategic focus on providing blended, flexible learning opportunities, this project explores the ways in which lecturers currently use videos in teaching, their challenges, and their attitudes towards making video as well as students’ perceptions of learning through video. This paper discusses what we conceptualise as effective learning moments and conditions and how these can be created and maximised through the effective production and manipulation of relevant, purposeful interactive videos. The overall project combines both research and impact and develops opportunities for lecturers to enhance their competencies in creating interactive videos.

year: 2018

title: Effects of copper sprays on microbial communities in kiwifruit orchard soils

authors: Dean, Fiona Patricia

abstract: There has been a significant increase in the use of antimicrobial copper sprays on kiwifruit orchards in the Western Bay of Plenty (WBOP) since the first outbreak of the bacterial vine disease Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa-V) in 2010. Studies have revealed that an accumulation of copper in soil may adversely affect soil microorganisms, which are pivotal in essential soil functions such as nutrient assimilation.
The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the use of copper sprays on WBOP kiwifruit orchards has had detrimental effects on soil microorganisms and if this has resulted in changes to the structure of soil microbiological communities.
Soil was sampled from ten WBOP kiwifruit orchards with varying levels of copper but with similar physicochemical properties. These included five sets of two adjacent orchards, of which one was organic and the other conventional, and for which data was available on soil copper levels for 2011. 
DNA extracted from each soil was amplified with PCR and sequenced using Ion Torrent Sequencing technology. The resulting bacterial and archaeal sequences were binned into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the phylogeny of each was determined using the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) Classifier. Soils were also analysed for a number of physicochemical properties including total, bioavailable and free ionic copper.
Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Multi-Response Permutation Procedures (MRPP) were used to examine dissimilarities between microbial communities in relation to soil copper levels, management practices and other physicochemical variables. Indicator species analyses were conducted on OTU abundance data to determine if particular OTUs were indicative of soils with the lowest and highest copper levels. Community data were also compared using a number of measures of diversity. Differences in physicochemical parameters between soils were analysed for significance using ANOVA and t-tests.
Results revealed that levels of total copper in soils have increased since 2011, with significant differences measured between each pair of orchards. Significant differences in soil microbial communities were also revealed, with pH identified as the main driver of community composition within and between orchards and differences between orchards were also largely explained by management practices. Relative abundances of Archaea were significantly higher in conventional orchards and in soils with the highest levels of copper. However, overall community dissimilarities were not found to be related to soil copper levels. Indicator species analysis revealed that soils with < 30 mg kg-1 of total copper had a greater abundance of Actinobacteria, whilst soils with > 60 mg kg-1 had a higher representation of Chlamydiae, Chloroflexi, and Thaumarchaeota. 
The conclusions of this research are that current copper levels in the study orchard soils have not significantly influenced soil microbial community composition and associated functions. However, the high number of influential variables confounded attempts at identifying differences due to copper alone. In addition, the lack of knowledge on the specific functions of individual taxa, make it very difficult to reveal the long-term implications of even subtle differences in community composition as a result of copper use.

text: Effects of copper sprays on microbial communities in kiwifruit orchard soils There has been a significant increase in the use of antimicrobial copper sprays on kiwifruit orchards in the Western Bay of Plenty (WBOP) since the first outbreak of the bacterial vine disease Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa-V) in 2010. Studies have revealed that an accumulation of copper in soil may adversely affect soil microorganisms, which are pivotal in essential soil functions such as nutrient assimilation.
The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the use of copper sprays on WBOP kiwifruit orchards has had detrimental effects on soil microorganisms and if this has resulted in changes to the structure of soil microbiological communities.
Soil was sampled from ten WBOP kiwifruit orchards with varying levels of copper but with similar physicochemical properties. These included five sets of two adjacent orchards, of which one was organic and the other conventional, and for which data was available on soil copper levels for 2011. 
DNA extracted from each soil was amplified with PCR and sequenced using Ion Torrent Sequencing technology. The resulting bacterial and archaeal sequences were binned into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the phylogeny of each was determined using the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) Classifier. Soils were also analysed for a number of physicochemical properties including total, bioavailable and free ionic copper.
Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Multi-Response Permutation Procedures (MRPP) were used to examine dissimilarities between microbial communities in relation to soil copper levels, management practices and other physicochemical variables. Indicator species analyses were conducted on OTU abundance data to determine if particular OTUs were indicative of soils with the lowest and highest copper levels. Community data were also compared using a number of measures of diversity. Differences in physicochemical parameters between soils were analysed for significance using ANOVA and t-tests.
Results revealed that levels of total copper in soils have increased since 2011, with significant differences measured between each pair of orchards. Significant differences in soil microbial communities were also revealed, with pH identified as the main driver of community composition within and between orchards and differences between orchards were also largely explained by management practices. Relative abundances of Archaea were significantly higher in conventional orchards and in soils with the highest levels of copper. However, overall community dissimilarities were not found to be related to soil copper levels. Indicator species analysis revealed that soils with < 30 mg kg-1 of total copper had a greater abundance of Actinobacteria, whilst soils with > 60 mg kg-1 had a higher representation of Chlamydiae, Chloroflexi, and Thaumarchaeota. 
The conclusions of this research are that current copper levels in the study orchard soils have not significantly influenced soil microbial community composition and associated functions. However, the high number of influential variables confounded attempts at identifying differences due to copper alone. In addition, the lack of knowledge on the specific functions of individual taxa, make it very difficult to reveal the long-term implications of even subtle differences in community composition as a result of copper use.

year: 2016

title: Activating whanau (extended family) processes within a community and school literacy partnership

authors: Glynn, Ted

subjects: Maori Education

abstract: "The paper describes the positive outcomes of a home and school literacy partnership in one mainstream primary school where the principal and the large majority of students, teachers, and whānau belong to one Māori hapū (sub-tribe), Ngāti Whakaue. Participating students were identified by teachers as experiencing difficulties with reading and writing. They were assigned randomly to one of two conditions: (1) participating in their school’s regular reading programme (school group) or (2) participating also in the home tutored reading and writing programme (home and school group).

Students in the home and school group improved their reading and writing outcomes over and above the outcomes achieved by students participating only in the regular school programme. There were two key reasons for the success of this partnership. The first was parents and whānau members successful implementation of both a Māori language reading tutoring programme, Tatari, Tautoko Tauawhi, and the two components of the writing programme, Tuhi Atu Tui Mai and Whakaputa Whakaaro. The second was the professional educational and cultural expertise of the home and school liaison worker, Hiro. Because of her language and cultural expertise and her mana (acknowledged authority and standing), Hiro was able to engage Māori parents and whānau actively in the home and school project. The co-constructed narrative between Hiro and Mere (the second author) provided a salient context for understanding the power of culturally preferred pedagogy in establishing effective home and school partnerships."

text: Activating whanau (extended family) processes within a community and school literacy partnership "The paper describes the positive outcomes of a home and school literacy partnership in one mainstream primary school where the principal and the large majority of students, teachers, and whānau belong to one Māori hapū (sub-tribe), Ngāti Whakaue. Participating students were identified by teachers as experiencing difficulties with reading and writing. They were assigned randomly to one of two conditions: (1) participating in their school’s regular reading programme (school group) or (2) participating also in the home tutored reading and writing programme (home and school group).

Students in the home and school group improved their reading and writing outcomes over and above the outcomes achieved by students participating only in the regular school programme. There were two key reasons for the success of this partnership. The first was parents and whānau members successful implementation of both a Māori language reading tutoring programme, Tatari, Tautoko Tauawhi, and the two components of the writing programme, Tuhi Atu Tui Mai and Whakaputa Whakaaro. The second was the professional educational and cultural expertise of the home and school liaison worker, Hiro. Because of her language and cultural expertise and her mana (acknowledged authority and standing), Hiro was able to engage Māori parents and whānau actively in the home and school project. The co-constructed narrative between Hiro and Mere (the second author) provided a salient context for understanding the power of culturally preferred pedagogy in establishing effective home and school partnerships."

year: 2004