title: Student perceptions of the impact of student-generated feedback in formative essay writing in the English classroom

authors: Hill, Lee Roberta

subjects: feedback

abstract: Student-generated feedback is an Assessment for Learning practice which, when used well, can lead to strong student engagement and self-regulation. In the New Zealand context high value is placed on the principles of Assessment for Learning, yet teachers struggle to implement strategies successfully. In order to evaluate the impact of the use of student-generated feedback practices in essay writing in the English classroom student perceptions have been sought. This practitioner research has used a mixed methods approach to gather students’ perceptions by means of a Likert scale questionnaire, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, a teacher diary and feedback artefacts. The results show that students perceived student-generated feedback practices to be beneficial for themselves and their learning. There is evidence that these practices led to significant student engagement, as well as the development of student self-regulation. When seen from a social constructivist perspective, student-generated feedback practices created new identities for students and the teacher in the classroom, impacting on power dynamics and classroom culture. While the teacher continued to be a valuable guide and contributor to learning, students saw themselves as agents of their own learning, in an apprentice-like relationship with their teacher. The findings of this study are relevant to teachers who want to improve their practice by using student-generated feedback as part of a broader picture of partnership with students. This is becoming increasingly important for all teachers as our education system moves away from a traditional top-down, teacher-led style of teaching and learning towards a student–teacher collaborative approach.

text: Student perceptions of the impact of student-generated feedback in formative essay writing in the English classroom Student-generated feedback is an Assessment for Learning practice which, when used well, can lead to strong student engagement and self-regulation. In the New Zealand context high value is placed on the principles of Assessment for Learning, yet teachers struggle to implement strategies successfully. In order to evaluate the impact of the use of student-generated feedback practices in essay writing in the English classroom student perceptions have been sought. This practitioner research has used a mixed methods approach to gather students’ perceptions by means of a Likert scale questionnaire, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, a teacher diary and feedback artefacts. The results show that students perceived student-generated feedback practices to be beneficial for themselves and their learning. There is evidence that these practices led to significant student engagement, as well as the development of student self-regulation. When seen from a social constructivist perspective, student-generated feedback practices created new identities for students and the teacher in the classroom, impacting on power dynamics and classroom culture. While the teacher continued to be a valuable guide and contributor to learning, students saw themselves as agents of their own learning, in an apprentice-like relationship with their teacher. The findings of this study are relevant to teachers who want to improve their practice by using student-generated feedback as part of a broader picture of partnership with students. This is becoming increasingly important for all teachers as our education system moves away from a traditional top-down, teacher-led style of teaching and learning towards a student–teacher collaborative approach.

year: 2016

title: The link between floodplain inundation and whitebait food supplies in the lower Waikato River

authors: Catlin, Alicia Kate

subjects: floodplain

abstract: Globally, many large, lowland rivers are regulated due to the construction of stopbanks and flood protection schemes. Many of these changes now govern discharge regimes and lateral floodplain interactions. These modifications, along with others, contribute to declines in many native fish, including larval Galaxiidae of whitebait. Many attempts to enhance whitebait fisheries within New Zealand have focused on restoring spawning habitat. However, no research has been aimed at understanding the dietary requirements of riverine whitebait and where they source their food from during upstream migration. Previous work has hypothesised that receding floods may introduce large-bodied zooplankton, to the river which may be important for whitebait during upstream migration. The objectives of this research were to investigate (i) the potential of zooplankton to emerge from floodplain soils following inundation, and (ii) whether certain zooplankton groups, indicative of those originating from floodplains, could be a food supply for migrating juvenile Galaxias maculatus in the lower Waikato River. Previous work investigating zooplankton communities in the lower Waikato River floodplain was undertaken during inundation events, but, the origin of zooplankton could not be pin pointed.
To test whether inundated floodplain areas developed zooplankton from dormant states in soils, dry soil cores were collected from native forest, scrub (predominantly Salix sp.) and pasture vegetation types, inside and outside of stopbanks to provide different levels of connectivity. Zooplankton emerged from submerged soil within three days of wetting and after 12 days of inundation no new taxa arose. Community composition differed between vegetation types, with larger-bodied cladocerans and copepods dominating native forested and scrub sites, and rotifers dominating pastoral sites. Connectivity did not play a statistically significant role in determining composition of zooplankton communities. Differences in zooplankton composition between sites indicate that floodplain vegetation structure has a dominant role in the development of communities of zooplankton during flooding. Differences in vegetation types were largely due to varying levels of soil moisture, canopy cover and other environmental factors.

Gut analyses indicated that juvenile G. maculatus feed on a wide range of aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms. Large-bodied zooplankton and insects found in the gut likely came from multiple sources. Insect presence varied over time whereas Cladocera dominance appeared to be related to flow pulses. Field diet analyses and laboratory selectivity experiments yielded similar results regarding selectivity. Feeding in the laboratory was density-dependent as more food items were consumed at lower fish densities, with no evidence of prey switching to less desirable groups at high densities.
This study has increased the understanding of potential food-web linkages between rivers and their floodplains for migrating whitebait populations. The findings of this research indicate that scrub and forested floodplains are important areas for the production and emergence of large-bodied zooplankton following inundation. Transfer of floodplain zooplankton back into the river channel could then be selected by juvenile migrating whitebait as they have shown a feeding preference for large-bodied zooplankton. As a result, management plans have the potential to be implemented to sustain food supplies for migrating whitebait species within large lowland riverine-floodplain environments.

text: The link between floodplain inundation and whitebait food supplies in the lower Waikato River Globally, many large, lowland rivers are regulated due to the construction of stopbanks and flood protection schemes. Many of these changes now govern discharge regimes and lateral floodplain interactions. These modifications, along with others, contribute to declines in many native fish, including larval Galaxiidae of whitebait. Many attempts to enhance whitebait fisheries within New Zealand have focused on restoring spawning habitat. However, no research has been aimed at understanding the dietary requirements of riverine whitebait and where they source their food from during upstream migration. Previous work has hypothesised that receding floods may introduce large-bodied zooplankton, to the river which may be important for whitebait during upstream migration. The objectives of this research were to investigate (i) the potential of zooplankton to emerge from floodplain soils following inundation, and (ii) whether certain zooplankton groups, indicative of those originating from floodplains, could be a food supply for migrating juvenile Galaxias maculatus in the lower Waikato River. Previous work investigating zooplankton communities in the lower Waikato River floodplain was undertaken during inundation events, but, the origin of zooplankton could not be pin pointed.
To test whether inundated floodplain areas developed zooplankton from dormant states in soils, dry soil cores were collected from native forest, scrub (predominantly Salix sp.) and pasture vegetation types, inside and outside of stopbanks to provide different levels of connectivity. Zooplankton emerged from submerged soil within three days of wetting and after 12 days of inundation no new taxa arose. Community composition differed between vegetation types, with larger-bodied cladocerans and copepods dominating native forested and scrub sites, and rotifers dominating pastoral sites. Connectivity did not play a statistically significant role in determining composition of zooplankton communities. Differences in zooplankton composition between sites indicate that floodplain vegetation structure has a dominant role in the development of communities of zooplankton during flooding. Differences in vegetation types were largely due to varying levels of soil moisture, canopy cover and other environmental factors.

Gut analyses indicated that juvenile G. maculatus feed on a wide range of aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms. Large-bodied zooplankton and insects found in the gut likely came from multiple sources. Insect presence varied over time whereas Cladocera dominance appeared to be related to flow pulses. Field diet analyses and laboratory selectivity experiments yielded similar results regarding selectivity. Feeding in the laboratory was density-dependent as more food items were consumed at lower fish densities, with no evidence of prey switching to less desirable groups at high densities.
This study has increased the understanding of potential food-web linkages between rivers and their floodplains for migrating whitebait populations. The findings of this research indicate that scrub and forested floodplains are important areas for the production and emergence of large-bodied zooplankton following inundation. Transfer of floodplain zooplankton back into the river channel could then be selected by juvenile migrating whitebait as they have shown a feeding preference for large-bodied zooplankton. As a result, management plans have the potential to be implemented to sustain food supplies for migrating whitebait species within large lowland riverine-floodplain environments.

year: 2015

title: Closing geographical distances: The value of a New Zealand perspective on the admission policy of a Native Hawaiian School

authors: Hemi, Keakaokawai Varner

subjects: Racial discrimination

abstract: This article examines the legal narratives evident in the American federal court decision in Doe v Kamehameha Schools (Kamehameha).' The article first describes the historical development of everyone/ no-one, someone and Indigenous equality narratives and their particular impact on the narration of Indigenous peoples in the law. It then examines how the opinions of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in this case exhibit significant narrative confusion and distrust about the relationship between Indigenous identity and equality, with the Ninth Circuit interpreting the Native Hawaiian schools' preference for Native Hawaiian students as either reverse racial discrimination or an exception to the general rule of homogeneity and anonymity. For comparison, the article then examines similar equality narratives in New Zealand law, which reveal few legal challenges to admission policies which, either explicitly or implicitly, prefer Maori and demonstrate a narrative complementarity between equality and Indigenous identity. The article recognises that, while complementarity could clarify the narrative issues in Kamehameha for future American federal courts, it also provides the opportunity for New Zealand to pause and reflect. Ultimately, the article advocates a weaving of equality narratives across geographical distances.

text: Closing geographical distances: The value of a New Zealand perspective on the admission policy of a Native Hawaiian School This article examines the legal narratives evident in the American federal court decision in Doe v Kamehameha Schools (Kamehameha).' The article first describes the historical development of everyone/ no-one, someone and Indigenous equality narratives and their particular impact on the narration of Indigenous peoples in the law. It then examines how the opinions of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in this case exhibit significant narrative confusion and distrust about the relationship between Indigenous identity and equality, with the Ninth Circuit interpreting the Native Hawaiian schools' preference for Native Hawaiian students as either reverse racial discrimination or an exception to the general rule of homogeneity and anonymity. For comparison, the article then examines similar equality narratives in New Zealand law, which reveal few legal challenges to admission policies which, either explicitly or implicitly, prefer Maori and demonstrate a narrative complementarity between equality and Indigenous identity. The article recognises that, while complementarity could clarify the narrative issues in Kamehameha for future American federal courts, it also provides the opportunity for New Zealand to pause and reflect. Ultimately, the article advocates a weaving of equality narratives across geographical distances.

year: 2016