Anchoring our Practice: Perspectives, Partnerships, Projections. Proceedings of the 2006 Annual International Conference of the Association of Tertiary Learning Advisors Aotearoa/New Zealand (ATLAANZ) (Tauranga, New Zealand, November 21-23, 2006). Volume 2
Author: Fraser, Cath, Ed.
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Proceedings
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Foreign Students,Postsecondary Education,School Personnel,Academic Support Services,Teacher Role,Adult Students,Learning Problems,Labeling (of Persons),Remedial Programs,At Risk Students,Institutional Environment,Student Adjustment,Doctoral Programs,Student Recruitment,Indigenous Populations,Best Practices,Academic Degrees,National Standards,Student Mobility,Alignment (Education),International Cooperation,Figurative Language,Nursing Education,Nursing Students,Language Usage,English (Second Language),Vocabulary Development,Educational Strategies,Evidence,Computer Assisted Instruction,Feedback (Response)

This volume comprises the refereed proceedings of the 2006 ATLAANZ (Association of Tertiary Learning Advisors of Aotearoa/New Zealand) conference. The 11 articles are arranged according to the conference's sub-themes of perspectives, partnerships and projections relating to the work of learning advisors. In Chapter 1, Susan Crozier explores the institutional change of focus required to recognise the importance of developmental education. Next, Jerry Hoffman advocates for a better understanding of the students' perspective to aid adjustment to tertiary anxiety and stress. In Chapter 3, Susan Carter identifies the increasing homogeneity in international qualifications and doctoral programmes in Europe, while in Chapter 4, Mary Silvester looks at the international student experience in our country with her study of nursing students with EFL/ESL and the difficulties of colloquial use of language. In Chapter 5, Catherine Mitchell as a new learning advisor identifies herself as taking on at least 10 roles per session, and asks--what really underpins our work? Victoria Trembath extends Mitchell's multiple role concept and contends that both critical and supportive roles are necessary and that these are not analogous but complementary. Chapter 7, under the theme of partnerships, offers a discussion by Simon Lambert of the way the bicultural nature of Aotearoa/New Zealand informs educational models for enhancing the success of all partners, and identifies the need to increase the numbers of Maori in post-graduate study, describing initiatives to bring research and higher study to rural Maori communities. The final four chapters fall under the theme of projections, starting with Emmanuel Manalo's argument that improved measurement and documentation are essential to provide more accurate evidence for the way learning advisors promote significant learning, producing change in the learner, and thus play a central role within academic institutions. In Chapter 9, Annie Bartlett offers an international overview of the profession, noting that while practitioners of learning development are generally clear about the &quot;what&quot; and &quot;why&quot;of the profession, others in the institution may not be. She notes the considerable complexity surrounding the &quot;how&quot; of our practice, and suggests strategies for evaluating progress. In Chapter 10, Barbara Morris describes the definitional ambiguity over the characteristics associated with learning difficulties, particularly with international and ESOL [English speakers of other languages] students, and the significant issue this creates for learning advisors. In Chapter 11, Martin Freney and Denise Wood describe their CAFAS [Computer Aided Feedback and Assessment System] programme which uses new technology and software to provide appropriate feedback which is specific, timely and developmental. (Individual papers contain references, tables, figures, and appendices.)