title: Enhancing teachers' use of web-based resources: A case study of secondary technology teachers

authors: Mangan, Jennifer

subjects: web-based resources

abstract: The need for teachers to develop their content knowledge and understanding of the nature of technology remains an issue for technology education in New Zealand, and although web-based resources (WBRs) offer an effective means of supporting teachers in this endeavour, and have acknowledged potential to transform education, teachers are not necessarily well prepared to integrate WBRs effectively into their pedagogy.
This research set out to investigate how teachers could be supported to enhance their classroom use of WBRs in secondary school technology education. This involved investigating the nature and extent of the participants’ existing classroom practice using WBRs, designing and implementing a sustained intervention programme to support them to expand and enhance the ways in which they integrated WBRs into their technology programmes, and evaluating how and why this influenced their classroom practice. The participants – seven experienced secondary school technology teachers – were from three different schools, had a range of backgrounds, and taught a range of technological areas including food, textiles and structural technology.
The study employed an interpretive research design and qualitative research methods, and was underpinned by a sociocultural theoretical perspective. The design of the intervention was informed by literature on characteristics of effective teacher professional development in general, ICT professional development in particular, sociocultural theories of learning, and Bell and Gilbert’s (1994) model of teacher professional development which emphasises the importance of addressing three dimensions of teacher development (personal, professional and social). The intervention incorporated the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as a tool for communicating the complex knowledge base required for effective integration of WBRs. The framework was also used to analyse participants’ developing knowledge as they integrated new ideas and approaches in the classroom.
This research concludes that when particular components are included in a professional development programme, teachers can be supported to enhance their classroom use of WBRs and to become empowered to continue their own ongoing development, even when they have limited skills and knowledge and face significant constraints. While the critical elements of the intervention were not new, the particular combination of components was unique. 
The study also draws attention to the complex range of variables that can influence individual teachers as they progress in their integration of WBRs and development of TPACK. It explores, using velocity as an analogy, how various factors, and their interactions, impacted on the degree, and rate, of change of the teachers’ integration of WBRs.
Findings indicate that in the current educational and ICT environment, and in technology education in particular, with recent curriculum and assessment changes, teachers are likely to acknowledge a need to increase and/or enhance their classroom use of ICT and are therefore willing to engage in professional development that appears relevant and manageable in their particular teaching context. 
Although examples of transformative use exist, the overall impact of ICT in education remains limited despite government funding for ICT initiatives and increasing use of ICT in education. Therefore the conclusions of this study are particularly relevant in the current educational environment. Although the research is limited in scope to integrating WBRs in technology education, it is likely that the key principles of the intervention can be more broadly applied to ICT professional development in other subject areas.

text: Enhancing teachers' use of web-based resources: A case study of secondary technology teachers The need for teachers to develop their content knowledge and understanding of the nature of technology remains an issue for technology education in New Zealand, and although web-based resources (WBRs) offer an effective means of supporting teachers in this endeavour, and have acknowledged potential to transform education, teachers are not necessarily well prepared to integrate WBRs effectively into their pedagogy.
This research set out to investigate how teachers could be supported to enhance their classroom use of WBRs in secondary school technology education. This involved investigating the nature and extent of the participants’ existing classroom practice using WBRs, designing and implementing a sustained intervention programme to support them to expand and enhance the ways in which they integrated WBRs into their technology programmes, and evaluating how and why this influenced their classroom practice. The participants – seven experienced secondary school technology teachers – were from three different schools, had a range of backgrounds, and taught a range of technological areas including food, textiles and structural technology.
The study employed an interpretive research design and qualitative research methods, and was underpinned by a sociocultural theoretical perspective. The design of the intervention was informed by literature on characteristics of effective teacher professional development in general, ICT professional development in particular, sociocultural theories of learning, and Bell and Gilbert’s (1994) model of teacher professional development which emphasises the importance of addressing three dimensions of teacher development (personal, professional and social). The intervention incorporated the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) as a tool for communicating the complex knowledge base required for effective integration of WBRs. The framework was also used to analyse participants’ developing knowledge as they integrated new ideas and approaches in the classroom.
This research concludes that when particular components are included in a professional development programme, teachers can be supported to enhance their classroom use of WBRs and to become empowered to continue their own ongoing development, even when they have limited skills and knowledge and face significant constraints. While the critical elements of the intervention were not new, the particular combination of components was unique. 
The study also draws attention to the complex range of variables that can influence individual teachers as they progress in their integration of WBRs and development of TPACK. It explores, using velocity as an analogy, how various factors, and their interactions, impacted on the degree, and rate, of change of the teachers’ integration of WBRs.
Findings indicate that in the current educational and ICT environment, and in technology education in particular, with recent curriculum and assessment changes, teachers are likely to acknowledge a need to increase and/or enhance their classroom use of ICT and are therefore willing to engage in professional development that appears relevant and manageable in their particular teaching context. 
Although examples of transformative use exist, the overall impact of ICT in education remains limited despite government funding for ICT initiatives and increasing use of ICT in education. Therefore the conclusions of this study are particularly relevant in the current educational environment. Although the research is limited in scope to integrating WBRs in technology education, it is likely that the key principles of the intervention can be more broadly applied to ICT professional development in other subject areas.

year: 2016

title: Reducing establishment rates of non-indigenous zooplankton in constructed waters

authors: Taylor, Claire Maree

subjects: non-indigenous zooplankton

abstract: Understanding the mechanisms that facilitate the establishment of non-indigenous species is imperative for devising techniques that will assist in reducing the establishment rates of non-indigenous species. The establishment non-indigenous species can have negative ecological, economic, and human health effects. Non-indigenous passively dispersing organisms such as zooplankton, have been reported to invade constructed lakes (e.g., dams, water supply reservoirs and ornamental ponds) at much faster rates than natural lakes. For example, in New Zealand, a high proportion constructed waters, including dams for hydroelectricity generation, ornamental ponds and disused mine pits, have been invaded by non-indigenous zooplankton, including a number of calanoid copepods that are seemingly currently confined to these habitats. This has lead to a number of theories that have attempted to explain what makes constructed water bodies more vulnerable to invasion than natural lakes. One common attribute of these water bodies is their relatively young age, leading to the assertion that low biotic resistance leads to higher vulnerability of zooplankton communities in early stages of development.
The aim of this study was to determine if seeding water bodies with sediments containing native zooplankton eggs in early stages of their development will accelerate community colonisation, leading to greater biotic resistance to subsequent establishment of new zooplankton species. Twenty outdoor tanks were filled with tap water, and nutrients added to provide eutrophic conditions. Sediments were added to all tanks. Ten treatment tanks contained sediments and associated diapausing zooplankton eggs, sourced from local water bodies. The sediments were autoclaved in the remaining ten, which acted as controls, and thus received zooplankton colonised via natural means only. Tanks were left to colonise for 12 months and community composition and environmental variables were regularly monitored. During the 12 month colonisation period, species richness increased to a mean of 4.6 species in the treatment tanks and 2.6 in control tanks. Community composition also rapidly diverged between control and treatment tanks. Treatment tanks acquired a greater proportion of species adapted to pelagic conditions, such as cladocerans and copepods, with control tanks generally acquiring a high proportion of small, littoral dwelling rotifers. New species were added at 12 months, comprising of two copepods, four rotifers, and one cladoceran species, which were not established in the tanks already. After the introduction of these species, the unseeded control tanks had a much higher proportion of establishment of the new species during the three month post-introduction period. For example, the non-indigenous calanoid copepod Skistodiaptomus pallidus established exclusively in tanks that were void of any other calanoid copepod species. These were primarily control tanks, suggesting that native calanoid copepods play a key role in reducing establishment rates of this taxon. At 12 months, when the new species were added, none of the environmental variables measured (temperature, chlorophyll a, conductivity, specific conductance, DO concentration, DO saturation and pH) were statistically different between treatment and control tanks. This infers that at the time the new species were introduced to the tanks, they experienced similar abiotic conditions, and environmental variability was therefore not responsible for the differing establishment rates.
This study proves that biotic resistance plays an important role in reducing the establishment rate of non-indigenous zooplankton. It also provides strong evidence that seeding constructed water bodies with sediments containing diapausing eggs from locally sourced communities can be used as an effective management tool to reduce establishment rates of non-indigenous zooplankton.

text: Reducing establishment rates of non-indigenous zooplankton in constructed waters Understanding the mechanisms that facilitate the establishment of non-indigenous species is imperative for devising techniques that will assist in reducing the establishment rates of non-indigenous species. The establishment non-indigenous species can have negative ecological, economic, and human health effects. Non-indigenous passively dispersing organisms such as zooplankton, have been reported to invade constructed lakes (e.g., dams, water supply reservoirs and ornamental ponds) at much faster rates than natural lakes. For example, in New Zealand, a high proportion constructed waters, including dams for hydroelectricity generation, ornamental ponds and disused mine pits, have been invaded by non-indigenous zooplankton, including a number of calanoid copepods that are seemingly currently confined to these habitats. This has lead to a number of theories that have attempted to explain what makes constructed water bodies more vulnerable to invasion than natural lakes. One common attribute of these water bodies is their relatively young age, leading to the assertion that low biotic resistance leads to higher vulnerability of zooplankton communities in early stages of development.
The aim of this study was to determine if seeding water bodies with sediments containing native zooplankton eggs in early stages of their development will accelerate community colonisation, leading to greater biotic resistance to subsequent establishment of new zooplankton species. Twenty outdoor tanks were filled with tap water, and nutrients added to provide eutrophic conditions. Sediments were added to all tanks. Ten treatment tanks contained sediments and associated diapausing zooplankton eggs, sourced from local water bodies. The sediments were autoclaved in the remaining ten, which acted as controls, and thus received zooplankton colonised via natural means only. Tanks were left to colonise for 12 months and community composition and environmental variables were regularly monitored. During the 12 month colonisation period, species richness increased to a mean of 4.6 species in the treatment tanks and 2.6 in control tanks. Community composition also rapidly diverged between control and treatment tanks. Treatment tanks acquired a greater proportion of species adapted to pelagic conditions, such as cladocerans and copepods, with control tanks generally acquiring a high proportion of small, littoral dwelling rotifers. New species were added at 12 months, comprising of two copepods, four rotifers, and one cladoceran species, which were not established in the tanks already. After the introduction of these species, the unseeded control tanks had a much higher proportion of establishment of the new species during the three month post-introduction period. For example, the non-indigenous calanoid copepod Skistodiaptomus pallidus established exclusively in tanks that were void of any other calanoid copepod species. These were primarily control tanks, suggesting that native calanoid copepods play a key role in reducing establishment rates of this taxon. At 12 months, when the new species were added, none of the environmental variables measured (temperature, chlorophyll a, conductivity, specific conductance, DO concentration, DO saturation and pH) were statistically different between treatment and control tanks. This infers that at the time the new species were introduced to the tanks, they experienced similar abiotic conditions, and environmental variability was therefore not responsible for the differing establishment rates.
This study proves that biotic resistance plays an important role in reducing the establishment rate of non-indigenous zooplankton. It also provides strong evidence that seeding constructed water bodies with sediments containing diapausing eggs from locally sourced communities can be used as an effective management tool to reduce establishment rates of non-indigenous zooplankton.

year: 2010

title: Cultural justice, ethics and practice: Summary of presentation

authors: Herbert, Averil May Lloyd

subjects: psychology

abstract: The following cases and remarks are based on the author’s employment over six years
in the Department of Social Welfare in Rotorua Specialist Services. The author
discusses definitions that relate to the topic of cultural justice, ethics, and practice and
our awareness and understanding of the issues; and presents three case studies from practitioner experience.

text: Cultural justice, ethics and practice: Summary of presentation The following cases and remarks are based on the author’s employment over six years
in the Department of Social Welfare in Rotorua Specialist Services. The author
discusses definitions that relate to the topic of cultural justice, ethics, and practice and
our awareness and understanding of the issues; and presents three case studies from practitioner experience.

year: 1993