CPIT research month - week 3 day 3

The presentations for CPIT research month today revolve around the theme of 'teaching and learning'.

I present findings from the 'learning a trade' project. Summarise the contributions of individual, socio-cultural and socio-material learning towards trades people 'becoming' as they embody the skills, knowledge and dispositions required to practice a trade.Also obtain feedback from poster and draft dialogue for video to disseminate findings from the project. The poster is for workplace coaches to improve feedback process for apprentice learners and the video is to assist apprentices to become more 'mindful' learners through deliberate and reflective practice.

Next, Dave Maples presents on the Batchelor of Engineering Technology programme offered through the Metro Polytechnics. He presents on 'can a highly technical subject be delivered to remote students?' Reported on learnings from pilot study and how introduction of findings have now impacted on student learning. Important to keep learning sessions / video demonstrations are short (under 10 minutes), select less complex skills to video, keep to main points, watch out for background noise, lighting and shadows and provide summary of the activity at the beginning of the clip. Also reported on work to teach PLC programming to distance students. PLC1 hardware kits were developed and distributed to students. Test links set up between two institutions, NMIT and CPIT. Remote accessibility from CPIT established after a lot of work over logistical and technical issues. Students computers can be 'taken over' by tutor through adobe connect to assist with feedback on programming challenges. Other students are able to view the session.

Daphne Robson presents on work ongoing work (since 2008) with Dave Kennedy on tablets and touch screens delivered through 'classroom presenter'/' dyknow' and moving into BYOD for future. This presentation focuses on writing of questions. immediate feedback and peer learning were approaches students appreciated most. Tested 30 questions out of 154 questions to find out efficacy of questions in helping students learn math principles. Complete a table and fill in gaps were popular with identifying best strategy to solve problem, correcting mistakes even more useful. Students did not like text based open questions. So important to provide structure with easy and difficult / challenging questions - pitched at the correct level.

The midwifery team share their ongoing work with blended learning. They present on 'mind the gap: integrating theory and practice within a blended learning midwifery curriculum'. Mary Kensington and Rea Daellenbach shared the team's work. A progress report on changes and improvements made over the last few years. Surveys and focus groups run with 2nd year and newly graduated midwifes. Tutorials important to bridge the practical, reflective practice, theory through blended learning and off-job / classroom sessions. Students indicate tutorial as being very important to provide social connection, remove isolation, form communities of learners and opportunity to integrate theory (delivered online) and practice.

Niki Hannan from the teacher education team presents on her project 'exploring strategies for improving reading and numeracy outcomes for Youth Guarantee students at CPIT'. A project to find out if teaching approaches to embed literacy and numeracy worked for students. Compared pre and post ALNAT results to work out if there would be increase in literacy and numeracy of students and interviewed students, tutors and managers. identified themes that support improvements including ongoing staff professional development.