Ako Aoteoroa Academy Symposium 2016, Day 2

Ako Symposium day 2

Day 2 begins with keynote with Dr. Alan Wright from Windsor University in Ontario, Canada.

He is assisted by his partner, Marie-Jeanne Monette.  They present on 'teaching excellence is ... engaging conversations'. The focus of the presentation is on how to develop rapport with students and collegiality among teaching colleagues. Modelled the teaching and learning conversation between two teachers, one who is going to assist the other improve 

their teaching and the teacher seeking improvement. Find a catalyst for conversations between students and students, teachers and students and teachers and teachers. How can we create an environment or atmosphere where students are motivated and self directed? Intrinsic motivation requires ignition. Developing student's sense of ownership of their learning is one solution. Teachers need to create conditions to allow students to take responsibility. Survey distributed on how to develop learner autonomy. Suggest using the same survey with teacher and students and having a conversation on results as often there will be a difference. Assumptions by teachers of students' self efficacy, motivations and goals require better synchrony. 

After morning tea, concurrent sessions begin and I attend the 2 ITP sessions. Firstly with Matt Thompson and Richard Nyhorf on 'redesigning every course! Why, how and why?' Presented the priorities for the Otago Polytechnic D4LS programme to redevelop programmes post MROQ. The curriculum and development cycle includes prep and orientation (includes evaluation of student learning profile, stakeholder consultation), programme course workshop, blueprinting (teaching and learning plan), integration workshop (for entire programme), online development, lesson planning, programme delivery with reflection and review through each step. Priorities included building staff capabilities, developing learning analytics, strengthening experiential learning, increase student managed learning, grow on line elements of blended learning and embed strategic frameworks into programmes as appropriate. 

Second presentation with Adrian Woodhouse and Stephen Elwood on 'considering the relationships between pedagogy and technology with culinary education '. I had seen an earlier version of this and good to now see the implemented version and changes made through previous feedback. TasteIT app presented as a way to collect feedback from tutors, peers and customers. Detailed project bringing together 3 papers - product development, taste and consumer  sensory process and financial management - for year 1 bachelor in culinary art programme. . Groups of 5 students work to set up a burger stand for a function. Each group allocated budget of $75. Sensory evaluation and feedback play an important role based on work of Synovate, 2007 concept of how to collect sensory feedback and triangulate the data. 

App easily generalisable as far as criteria inputted is concerned. Feedback on each control point collated into a spider chart, the objective is to bring the data points towards the middle of the web. 

Small group discussion follows on the topic 'what will teaching excellence in the future look like'

Angus McFarlane and Alan Wright provide some perspectives to start us going. Each group discusses and propose some possibilities. 

After lunch, an update from Dr. Graeme Benny, who is on the interim chair of the board for Ako Aoteoroa on 'tertiary education for employment in NZ today': whose purposes are being served?'  Summarised the things we do well and the things we need to work more on. We do many things now as we have done them for long time. There are perceptions and realities. Tertiary learning is costly. Harder for young people to get jobs. Fixation with university and non uni as second class. Young people start working life with more debt and lower income to debt ratio. Kids think education is for a career but most do not have idea of what to do.  Key issues. Are we really fitting our kids for employment. Are employers helping us to help them? Is the tertiary sector really efficient. Why is there o much fragmentation in NZ? Are there real measures used to evaluate effectiveness. Does system support good teaching? Is great teaching able to be taught? Do we have a vision of the future for tertiary sector? Shared educational value change to increase students to be self learners. Summarised some strategies of Ako board and academy. A partnership between both important to raise profile of good teaching, shared vision, and build profile as exemplars of great teaching. 

Academy hour follows to discuss and make decisions on various issues impacting academy members. These include upcoming elections for executive committee members, replacement of myself on to the tertiary excellence awards selection committee, membership of the recently formed international fellowship of excellent tertiary teachers and opening the symposium up to other teachers next year. etc.

Another busy and productive symposium with plans for next year's symposium to be held in Dunedin.

Ako Aoteoroa Academy Symposium 2016 - day 1

At the yearly gathering of Ako Aotearoa Academy - NZ excellence in tertiary teaching awardees - over 2 days in Wellington. Great to touch base with familiar friends and meet the 2016 awardees.

Dr. Joe Te Rito from Ako Aoteoroa opens with a mihi whakatau. Helen Dobson does the housekeeping briefing including earthquake preparedness. Professor Selene Mize, present president of the academy follows with official welcome including a welcome to academy members joining the symposium the first time. This year's international guests were also introduced. A video of welcome from Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce. Adrian Woodhouse summarises overview of the two days. 

Associate Professor Suzanne Pitama, supreme winner from last year, presented on her pedagogical approach - praxis makes perfect - used an interactive session and story telling of her own experiences to bring across her message. Facilitated a group conversation on how to circumvent various obstacles presented during teachIng. Good ideas shared on how to work through challenging scenarios in teaching generalisable across various teaching contexts. Continued on the theme with examples from her own teaching of how to work through the challenging aspects of being teachers and maintaining excellence. Shared her teaching practice of using practice to consolidate theory. Her medical students run clinics for Maori to experience first hand the realities of health inequities in Aotearoa. Shared her epiphany in how she redeveloped a model for understand and studying indigenous health. Presented on the various learning activities used on and off marae to help students develop cultural and clinical competence and work with diverse patients who may not always be cooperative or in challenging antagonistic situations. A good engaging session to start off the symposium. 

After lunch, we have two streams of presentation. I support the presenters from the trades or ITPs. First up, Daniel Pfyl from Otago Poly shares his experiences with project based learning in financial kitchen management. Provided details on how a strand of learning is threaded through several courses / projects. Started with how to enthuse his students with a subject they did not initially have an interest in. Difficulties in finding literature on project based learning in the financial management. Began when programme started to integrate commodities and cooking methods, finance was then also integrated rather than taught as a stand alone paper. Prompted by student feedback wanting to apply finance into practice. Project based learning with student groups working on authentic projects mean many aspects of the real world including finance can be included. Showed examples of tools and how application. Scaffold students in year 1 with group projects, year 2 as individuals and year 3 as individuals with a client to answer to. 

Then I workshos a session on 'judging the invisible: the sociomaterial aspects of learning'. In short, what is sociomateriality and how does it impact on practice. How can sociomaterial aspects of practice be identified, articulated and learnt? Is there a specific pedagogy to introduce, practice and learn aspects of and assess (formatively and summative) the sociomaterial?

Dr. Dale Sheehan then presents on 'proving that teaching has improved outcomes not for learners but for their clients'. Need to evaluate teaching practice effect on graduands' actual practice. Used project on medicine and pharmacy working together as case study. Junior doctors work with pharmacist to understand how each work and appreciation of the important parameters. Introduced concept from sports training of marginal gains, small changes to improve performance. 

Following afternoon tea, Dr. Joe te Rito and Dr Stanley Frielick, new director of Ako Aoteoroa present on the future direction of Ako Aoteoroa with 'Ako as a concept'. Ako is the lead, study, teach and advise. Whakaako is to teach, instruct, educate and coach. Akongo is to teach. Kaiako is student and also sometimes teacher. Wananga is school. Provided background on Maori pedagogy definition and contemporary development. So what is the role of Ako Aoteoroa and the academy? Stanley reflects on his initial experiences in his role and invites a discussion on the value and role of the tertiary teaching awards. Shared the Australian experience and their intended direction. UK proposal to reward teaching teams rather than individuals. Biggs also supports this view and qualifies with the aspect of shifting to a focus on teaching rather than the teacher. Discussed the continued proposals in NZ for 'registration' of tertiary teacher. Work has begun on mapping Maori kaupapa framework to U.K. Example to gauge commonalities and challenges. Also presented critiques to be taken into account. Support of teachers to become effective still important. Introduced the term counter anthropomorphism- the need to be aware of the human factor in education - Jesse Stommel. 

Afternoon key note is with Professor Welby Ings, the first supreme winner. he shares with us on 'how great teachers really influence change' with his story on 'why I fell in love with Miss Barrie'. In particular to encourage teachers to take risks, with compassion for their learners and be able to touch the hearts of learners. As usual, Welby provides a fruitful, engaging and thought provoking hour. Challenging our concepts of our teacher identity and what we now need to do to support learners. Learning requires engaging with ones heart and good teachers assist the process for learners to find their belief in their potential. Great teachers have diminished egos who value their learners. 

We close the day with drinks and dinner, a good opportunity to renew friendships and network. 

Future of work in NZ

Continuing on the theme of the future of work as per previous posts - international trends, nature of work into the future, how education may contribute and critique.

Here is a 2015 report from the NZ and Australian Chartered Accountants perspective as prepared by the NZ Institute of Economics Research (NZIER).

Notes taken while browsing the report :

Over the next 2 decades over 800,000 jobs (46%) in danger of being automated - this is now an often quoted figure by both current NZ government an opposition.

There is some good news, the economy is comparatively flexible due to light regulation, comparatively low deficit, high resilience and although population is aging, the impact is moderate compared to other OECD countries.

There is a threat as NZ has a large number of service sector occupations / jobs many of which are threatened by disruptive technologies.

In general, technology displaces certain types of jobs but also tends to create a whole new range of jobs. New jobs are invented for entirely new types of work. Jobs may become more creative / interesting.

Concerns include impact of automation on large sectors of blue and white collar employment; high skilled work may become replaced by lower paying service industry jobs or permanent unemployment;NOTE - the education system is currently not agile enough to cope with shift.

Jobs at risk are in transportation, logistics, office and admin support and production labour. In NZ, the occupations are most risk are labourers, machinery operators and drivers, clerical and admin workers, sales workers and some technical /trades occupations.

Three industries spotlights used to illustrate the disruptions – Smart cars, energy transformation and radical extension of life.

A wider overview also available from NZIER insight paper - titled Robot Nation: The disruptive impact of disruptive technologies on Kiwis.