title: Mineral extraction from New Zealand's geothermal brines: Where to next?

authors: Climo, M.

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: New Zealand’s geothermal brines offer potential for the extraction of various metals and minerals, given both the fluid compositions and volumes discharged. The realisation of commercial value from the extracted constituents could create new industries, support economic development, and potentially provide additional revenue streams for geothermal energy generation and related industries.
A 2013-2015 New Zealand Government-funded research programme (“From Waste to Wealth”) sought to identify potential processing technologies and, in particular, to provide a greater understanding of the barriers and success factors likely to influence the implementation of such technologies.
This paper summarises the research to date and makes recommendations for New Zealand’s future research and investment in this area.

text: Mineral extraction from New Zealand's geothermal brines: Where to next? New Zealand’s geothermal brines offer potential for the extraction of various metals and minerals, given both the fluid compositions and volumes discharged. The realisation of commercial value from the extracted constituents could create new industries, support economic development, and potentially provide additional revenue streams for geothermal energy generation and related industries.
A 2013-2015 New Zealand Government-funded research programme (“From Waste to Wealth”) sought to identify potential processing technologies and, in particular, to provide a greater understanding of the barriers and success factors likely to influence the implementation of such technologies.
This paper summarises the research to date and makes recommendations for New Zealand’s future research and investment in this area.

year: 2015

title: Processing mathematics through digital technologies: A reorganisation of student thinking?

authors: Calder, Nigel Stuart

subjects: mathematical thinking

abstract: This article reports on aspects of an ongoing study examining the use of digital media in mathematics education. In particular, it is concerned with how understanding evolves when mathematical tasks are engaged through digital pedagogical media in primary school settings. While there has been a growing body of research into software and other digital media that enhances geometric, algebraic, and statistical thinking in secondary schools, research of these aspects in primary school mathematics is still limited, and emerging intermittently. The affordances of digital technology that allow dynamic, visual interaction with mathematical tasks, the rapid manipulation of large amounts of data, and instant feedback to input, have already been identified as ways mathematical ideas can be engaged in alternative ways. How might these, and other opportunities digital media afford, transform the learning experience and the ways mathematical ideas are understood? Using an interpretive methodology, the researcher examined how mathematical thinking can be seen as a function of the pedagogical media through which the mathematics is encountered. The article gives an account of how working in a spreadsheet environment framed learners' patterns of social interaction, and how this interaction, in conjunction with other influences, mediated the understanding of mathematical ideas, through framing the students' learning pathways and facilitating risk taking.

text: Processing mathematics through digital technologies: A reorganisation of student thinking? This article reports on aspects of an ongoing study examining the use of digital media in mathematics education. In particular, it is concerned with how understanding evolves when mathematical tasks are engaged through digital pedagogical media in primary school settings. While there has been a growing body of research into software and other digital media that enhances geometric, algebraic, and statistical thinking in secondary schools, research of these aspects in primary school mathematics is still limited, and emerging intermittently. The affordances of digital technology that allow dynamic, visual interaction with mathematical tasks, the rapid manipulation of large amounts of data, and instant feedback to input, have already been identified as ways mathematical ideas can be engaged in alternative ways. How might these, and other opportunities digital media afford, transform the learning experience and the ways mathematical ideas are understood? Using an interpretive methodology, the researcher examined how mathematical thinking can be seen as a function of the pedagogical media through which the mathematics is encountered. The article gives an account of how working in a spreadsheet environment framed learners' patterns of social interaction, and how this interaction, in conjunction with other influences, mediated the understanding of mathematical ideas, through framing the students' learning pathways and facilitating risk taking.

year: 2011

title: Secondary school subject choice: an ethnographic study

authors: Darnell, Doreen Anne

abstract: This study of subject choice followed two groups of pupils through the decision-making process at two state, co-educational high schools in the North Island of New Zealand. The high schools were similar in size, location, ethnic composition and range of home background of pupils, but had differing option systems. 
At the end of their form two year, 53 children (27 boys, 26 girls) were interviewed at their respective primary or intermediate schools while they were considering the options offered to them in form three at one of the two high schools. The children were re-interviewed the following year at their respective high schools. A further 37 pupils (17 boys, 20 girls) were interviewed in form four at their respective high schools while they were choosing fifth form subjects and were re-interviewed the following year after they had experienced the subjects they had chosen. All children in the study were chosen by their teachers as being representative of the range of pupils at their schools, in terms of ability, ethnic origin and home background. 
In addition, parents of eight of the younger children were interviewed in their homes and 31 teachers, representing all the subjects offered to the children at the two high schools, were interviewed at their respective schools. 
Analysis of interview transcripts showed that pupils’ decisions were influenced by the structure of the option systems, the attitudes of parents and peers and by the overt and covert actions of teachers. Access to information was found to be a key component of decision making. Children’s and parents’ views about the school subjects showed a strong measure of agreement, but there was less agreement between children’ views and teachers’ views. 
A model of decision making was elicited from the data and case studies illustrated the range of pupils’ individual experience, in particular, the experience of Maori pupils identified as ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the school system.

text: Secondary school subject choice: an ethnographic study This study of subject choice followed two groups of pupils through the decision-making process at two state, co-educational high schools in the North Island of New Zealand. The high schools were similar in size, location, ethnic composition and range of home background of pupils, but had differing option systems. 
At the end of their form two year, 53 children (27 boys, 26 girls) were interviewed at their respective primary or intermediate schools while they were considering the options offered to them in form three at one of the two high schools. The children were re-interviewed the following year at their respective high schools. A further 37 pupils (17 boys, 20 girls) were interviewed in form four at their respective high schools while they were choosing fifth form subjects and were re-interviewed the following year after they had experienced the subjects they had chosen. All children in the study were chosen by their teachers as being representative of the range of pupils at their schools, in terms of ability, ethnic origin and home background. 
In addition, parents of eight of the younger children were interviewed in their homes and 31 teachers, representing all the subjects offered to the children at the two high schools, were interviewed at their respective schools. 
Analysis of interview transcripts showed that pupils’ decisions were influenced by the structure of the option systems, the attitudes of parents and peers and by the overt and covert actions of teachers. Access to information was found to be a key component of decision making. Children’s and parents’ views about the school subjects showed a strong measure of agreement, but there was less agreement between children’ views and teachers’ views. 
A model of decision making was elicited from the data and case studies illustrated the range of pupils’ individual experience, in particular, the experience of Maori pupils identified as ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the school system.

year: 1985