title: MLearning in a New Zealand secondary school: A case study

authors: Wright, Noeline

subjects: MLearning

abstract: Four classroom teachers (geography, food technology, ESOL, Japanese) experimented with a range of mobile devices (digital cameras, proprietary hardware/software, phones and mp3 players) during 2010. In conjunction both with a telecommunications provider and the Ministry of Education, this research sought to understand the following: how teachers use various mobile technologies for learning, what issues arise that impede this, what benefits emerge if any, and what students’ experiences are of using these devices as part of their subject learning. Interviews and classroom observations were the key data collection methods over a month. Twenty-nine students were interviewed across three classes and three of the four classroom teachers were interviewed, plus the IT Director in the school. These data were analysed thematically for patterns of experience. 
Findings included: the importance of the pedagogical background knowledge of the IT Director in supporting the learning; the improved engagement and participation of students in their learning when mobile devices were used; the desire of students to use these tools regularly in their classrooms to support their learning; the crucial value of the experience of the trial teachers in experimenting with new tools. This last finding suggests that teachers of more than 10 years’ practice are likely to be most comfortable with coping with the potential destabilising effects of introducing unfamiliar/untried tools to a classroom setting.

text: MLearning in a New Zealand secondary school: A case study Four classroom teachers (geography, food technology, ESOL, Japanese) experimented with a range of mobile devices (digital cameras, proprietary hardware/software, phones and mp3 players) during 2010. In conjunction both with a telecommunications provider and the Ministry of Education, this research sought to understand the following: how teachers use various mobile technologies for learning, what issues arise that impede this, what benefits emerge if any, and what students’ experiences are of using these devices as part of their subject learning. Interviews and classroom observations were the key data collection methods over a month. Twenty-nine students were interviewed across three classes and three of the four classroom teachers were interviewed, plus the IT Director in the school. These data were analysed thematically for patterns of experience. 
Findings included: the importance of the pedagogical background knowledge of the IT Director in supporting the learning; the improved engagement and participation of students in their learning when mobile devices were used; the desire of students to use these tools regularly in their classrooms to support their learning; the crucial value of the experience of the trial teachers in experimenting with new tools. This last finding suggests that teachers of more than 10 years’ practice are likely to be most comfortable with coping with the potential destabilising effects of introducing unfamiliar/untried tools to a classroom setting.

year: 2011

title: Pedagogical learnings of Borat for make benefit glorious community of drama teachers: What teachers can learn from Borat about frame, position and power when working in role.

authors: Aitken, Vivienne Jane

subjects: education

abstract: One of the most exciting strategies available to teachers of drama and indeed any learning area is that of ‘teacher-in-role’. When a teacher takes on a fictional role within the socially real classroom, she reframes reality and repositions herself in relation to the children in the class (Aitken, 2007). To ensure that children are as empowered as possible within the transformed relationship – and for significant aesthetic and ethical reasons too – many teachers stress the importance of ‘signalling’ their transition in and out of role and making the ‘frame’ of the drama explicit (O’Toole, 2002; Edmiston, 2003). However, some resort to unsignalled role in the belief that the lesson will be somehow ‘better’ if participants misframe what is happening as real life events rather than as ‘just’ a drama. This paper critiques this attitude by drawing parallels with Baron Cohen’s controversial ‘mockumentary’ Borat, which could be described as a sustained exercise in unsignalled ‘filmmaker-in-role’. While Cohen operates in the medium of film rather than classroom drama, and while his objectives are not pedagogical, the movie highlights crucial questions about ethics, aesthetics and power that resonate for anyone using unsignalled role, including teachers. This paper addresses some of these questions, including: ‘Is it acceptable to manipulate people into ‘misframing’ a fictional role for your own purposes?’ ‘What difference does it make if the objective is educational?’ and ‘What if the unwitting participants are children?’

text: Pedagogical learnings of Borat for make benefit glorious community of drama teachers: What teachers can learn from Borat about frame, position and power when working in role. One of the most exciting strategies available to teachers of drama and indeed any learning area is that of ‘teacher-in-role’. When a teacher takes on a fictional role within the socially real classroom, she reframes reality and repositions herself in relation to the children in the class (Aitken, 2007). To ensure that children are as empowered as possible within the transformed relationship – and for significant aesthetic and ethical reasons too – many teachers stress the importance of ‘signalling’ their transition in and out of role and making the ‘frame’ of the drama explicit (O’Toole, 2002; Edmiston, 2003). However, some resort to unsignalled role in the belief that the lesson will be somehow ‘better’ if participants misframe what is happening as real life events rather than as ‘just’ a drama. This paper critiques this attitude by drawing parallels with Baron Cohen’s controversial ‘mockumentary’ Borat, which could be described as a sustained exercise in unsignalled ‘filmmaker-in-role’. While Cohen operates in the medium of film rather than classroom drama, and while his objectives are not pedagogical, the movie highlights crucial questions about ethics, aesthetics and power that resonate for anyone using unsignalled role, including teachers. This paper addresses some of these questions, including: ‘Is it acceptable to manipulate people into ‘misframing’ a fictional role for your own purposes?’ ‘What difference does it make if the objective is educational?’ and ‘What if the unwitting participants are children?’

year: 2008

title: Angitūtanga o ngā tauira Māori:  Supporting Māori students to succeed in psychology

authors: Martin, Dionne

subjects: Psychology

abstract: Many Māori seek out university degrees to make a meaningful impact on the health of their community. Psychology, is one avenue that attracts Māori to do so. Psychology training has often failed to meet the needs of Māori students, often creating barriers to Māori student success. This thesis will explore barriers and support mechanisms that Māori students experience while attending university in pursuit of psychology degrees. This study will focus on experiences had by those enrolled in The School of Psychology at The Univeristy of Waikato, on the Hamilton campus. Informed by kaupapa Māori guidelines and analysed though the use of pūrākau this thesis highlights some key experiences shared by Māori psychology students. Three key experiences were identified. First, the prominence of Western culture in The School of psychology and the impact that has on Māori sense of belonging and whanaungatanga. Second, support system realities for Māori, identifying key university supports systems and realities associated with ones home environment. Third, the transitional journey to becoming a psychologist and what impact that has on the university journey. With this in mind, some recommendations are made to support Māori student success in psychology. These recommendations advocate for the provision of a more bicultural learning experience, creation of a culturally affirming environment, recruitment and retention of culturally capable staff, appropriate resourcing, funding and training for support services, better support for Māori realities and pathway navigation support.

text: Angitūtanga o ngā tauira Māori:  Supporting Māori students to succeed in psychology Many Māori seek out university degrees to make a meaningful impact on the health of their community. Psychology, is one avenue that attracts Māori to do so. Psychology training has often failed to meet the needs of Māori students, often creating barriers to Māori student success. This thesis will explore barriers and support mechanisms that Māori students experience while attending university in pursuit of psychology degrees. This study will focus on experiences had by those enrolled in The School of Psychology at The Univeristy of Waikato, on the Hamilton campus. Informed by kaupapa Māori guidelines and analysed though the use of pūrākau this thesis highlights some key experiences shared by Māori psychology students. Three key experiences were identified. First, the prominence of Western culture in The School of psychology and the impact that has on Māori sense of belonging and whanaungatanga. Second, support system realities for Māori, identifying key university supports systems and realities associated with ones home environment. Third, the transitional journey to becoming a psychologist and what impact that has on the university journey. With this in mind, some recommendations are made to support Māori student success in psychology. These recommendations advocate for the provision of a more bicultural learning experience, creation of a culturally affirming environment, recruitment and retention of culturally capable staff, appropriate resourcing, funding and training for support services, better support for Māori realities and pathway navigation support.

year: 2025