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Welcome to the new and improved Limelight! Limelight is the bi-annual newsletter of the Ako Aotearoa Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence. The newsletter puts tertiary teaching and learning in the limelight, and links you with the latest news from and about members of the Academy. We aim to reach out to a wide audience, to highlight activities that might be of interest across the tertiary sector. To this end, we have included contact information with each article, so that you or someone in your institution can learn more about any Academy activity that might be relevant to teaching and learning at your institution.
Academy members (who have all won National Tertiary Teaching Awards) are always willing to share their practice, and we hope that Limelight puts you in touch with expertise that can be provided by Academy members.
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Academy President on Erskine Bequest Fellowship
 Academy President Eric Pawson (University of Canterbury) has recently completed a two month overseas fellowship, supported by the Erskine Bequest at the University of Canterbury. The purpose of the bequest is to enable teachers to keep up to date with practices and content. The theme of his fellowship reflects both his teaching and research interests, and is ‘Environmental history, urban resilience and community engagement’.
The trip included stopovers in nine cities in North America and Europe. Highlights so far include the d-thinking lab at Stanford, meeting service learning/community engagement colleagues at Tulane and Loyola Universities in New Orleans, a field day focusing on environmental hazards in Los Angeles, another out in the bayou underlining the vulnerability of New Orleans, and exploring various green urban developments in Florida.
Want to know more? E-mail: eric.pawson@canterbury.ac.nz
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Book becomes platform for public engagement
 Academy member Dr Maxine Alterio’s (Otago Polytechnic) latest novel, Lives We Leave Behind (Penguin NZ, 2012; Prisma Editions, France, 2013), was the inspiration for a collaborative project between lecturers and students at the School of Communication and Design (Otago Polytechnic) and staff at the Otago Museum. Opening in September, the exhibition Who Cared? focuses on the realities of war for three nurses from the lower South Island who are attached to the No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital in Wisques, Northern France. Designed to be interactive, Who Cared? invites members of the public and school groups to step inside the nurses’ world, watch them at work, pick up and read their letters, touch their few possessions and discover their most private thoughts. Set in autumn 1917, the exhibition considers the courage and commitment of trained nurses who cared for and comforted injured and dying soldiers during World War One. The executive producer of the exhibition is Caroline McCaw, another academy member.
Want to know more? E-mail: maxine.alterio@op.ac.nz
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E-learning guidelines
 Oriel Kelly (Program Leader - Post Graduate Programs at NZ Tertiary College) devoted much of 2014 to the eLearning Guidelines Project – a joint NZTC and Ako Aotearoa funded project to refresh the eLearning guidelines. Several presentations were given last year, plus the new website was launched: http://www.elg.ac.nz where the guidelines themselves can be found, along with workbooks for implementation.
Want to know more?
E-mail: oriel.kelly@nztertiarycollege.ac.nz
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ISATT conference
Academy member Dr Dawn Garbett, (Associate Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Auckland University) and colleagues won the rights to host the International Study Association of Teachers and Teaching biennial conference to be held in Auckland in July 2015. Their vision for the conference was inspired by the concept of teaching students today in preparation for a future that is already here. The theme ‘Teaching for tomorrow today’ captures the sense of urgency, excitement and challenge teachers across all education sectors face in modern times. Ako Aotearoa is a major sponsor of the conference.
Conference details can be found at ISATT2015.com.
Auckland Business Event Advocate Programme
Dawn Garbett has also been welcomed as an Auckland Advocate by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED). Auckland Mayor, Len Brown, officially launched the Auckland Business Event Advocate Programme at an investiture ceremony at the Town Hall on Wednesday 20 May. He described the advocates as highly regarded both at home and abroad, and recognised their professional achievements, passion in their field, and dedication to promoting Auckland as a global events destination.
Want to know more?
E-mail: d.garbett@auckland.ac.nz.
Dr Alan Ovens, Dr Dawn Garbett, Mr Norm Thompson and Mr Brett O’Riley
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Cooperative inquiry into effectiveness of teaching with Academy member Ksenija Napan, NZ Tertiary College
Ksenija Napan (Distance Learning Projects Manager at NZ Tertiary College) has started a research project called Cooperative inquiry into effectiveness of teaching. A group of academics will commit to meet once every fortnight over lunch to inquire into their teaching, and support each other in creating engaging and transformative teaching activities.
Want to know more? E-mail: K.Napan@massey.ac.nz
Read more from Ksenija Napan here
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MOOCing along with Academy member Peter Mellow, learning design coordinator, Learning Environments, University of Melbourne.
Much has been written in the past three years about the rise and demise of the MOOC in tertiary education. Yet like the mythical Lernaean Hydra, just as we put one potential use of MOOCs to rest, another two possible applications pop up!
Here at the University of Melbourne our MOOC development has grown from a ‘project’ to part of our core business. With steady growth from 7 MOOCs in 2013, to 10 in 2014, this year has seen a burst to 21 planned MOOC courses, including our first specialization (series of MOOCs tied together into a ‘micro qualification’) and also our first capstone assessment unit for that specialization. We have just passed 800,000 student enrolments, and are on track to breaking 1 million by the end of this year.
Want to know more? Read the full story from Peter Mellow here
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Talking Teaching with Academy member Alison Campbell from the University of Waikato
How do we assess teaching quality?
Way back when I was a secondary teacher, and there were signs that the government of the day was looking at a possible move to performance pay, there were fairly frequent staffroom discussions discussions around how to assess the quality of one’s teaching. (There’s a much more recent report on this subject here.) One metric proposed was how many of your students passed School Cert. (I told you it was a long time ago!) That was all very well for those whose classes – we had streamed classes at my school – contained students who could mostly be expected to achieve rather well. I had one of those, but I also had the ‘problem’ 4th-form (year 10) class: kids who for a variety of reasons weren’t viewed by many as likely to pass.
Want to know more? Read the full story from Alison Campbell here
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Robotics in schools by Academy member Anthony Robins, Department of Computer Science at the University of Otago
I'm in the Computer Science department at Otago University. I do a lot of teaching at 100 level, so I have a strong interest in first year students and their backgrounds as they come in to tertiary education. Ten years ago I was looking round for ways to support computer programming and related activities in schools, so I got involved in the newly emerging RoboCup Junior competition. I have run school clubs, workshops for teachers, I am on the Otago regional committee and the national Trust organisation.
RoboCup is an annual robotics competition for schools (from primary on up). It involves building and training robots to compete in various challenges: Theater, a short performance on a stage; Search and Rescue, a combination of line-following, obstacle avoidance, and finding an object; and Soccer, two-a-side robot teams battle it out to score goals with an infrared emitting soccer ball on a small enclosed field.
Want to know more? Read the full story from Anthony Robbins here.
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News from the Ako Aotearoa Hubs
Ako Aotearoa supports teaching and learning initiatives, and professional development, through three regional Hubs. The Hubs serve the whole tertiary sector, and often engage Academy members in their events. The roundup of recent activities below will give you a flavour for the opportunities for engagement provided by the regional Hubs.
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Central Hub
 The Ako Aotearoa Central Hub has an active programme of seminars on excellence in teaching, and professional development workshops, involving Academy members.
Angie Farrow, Massey University, has a full-day workshop entitled “Engage, Enhance, Enliven: practical tips and techniques to enhance learner engagementâ€. This is an interactive workshop that allows participants to experience and practice a range of activities leading to alert, responsive and participative learners.
Julia Bruce-Mayne, WinTec, offers a half-day workshop entitled “Engaging challenging learnersâ€. The focus here is on shifting the responsibility for managing learner’s behaviour from the teacher to the learners. It advances a series of techniques that lead to actively engaging all students in learning.
Both workshops are consistently rated as highly valuable and useful and our two month follow-up questionnaire reveal the lasting effects on teaching practice. Angie and Julia are experienced adult educators, allowing workshop participants to see various successful techniques in action.
Ian Rowe, Regional Manager, Central Hub
Want to know more? E-mail: i.rowe@ucol.ac.nz
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Northern Hub
During the first half of this year the Northern Hub has had several interactions with members of the Academy, often with James Paterson, always greatly enthusiastic and supportive of the work of the Hub. As the Academy representative member of the Northern Hub Advisory Group, we have collaborated on discussion points for meetings around the Academy and Hub working together on projects, such as a "roadshow type concept" on good practice over three or four days around the Northern hub region, with a goal of helping teachers at either smaller Polytechnics or larger PTE's that don't get the access to professional development opportunities that Universities and larger ITPs may get. The idea is to use the roadshow to promote Ako Aotearoa professional development workshops, perhaps by giving people a “tasterâ€, so that teachers at these smaller organisations can have an opportunity to diagnose their own teaching challenges and the need to continually upskill.
In addition, James has contacted staff in his own Polytechnic when he has noticed that the Northern Hub is running a particular workshop that he thinks would be helpful to them. He is also supporting colleagues who are organising the annual National Tertiary Learning and Teaching Conference, by asking the three Hub managers to circulate the call for papers and mention the conference as we move around our respective regions. And finally, when the Hub holds it’s annual Projects Alive! colloquium in June, James has accepted our invitation to stay overnight after the Hub Advisory Group meeting and attend the colloquium. Thanks James! It’s great to have you in the Hub! And we do like the new Academy brochure, and yes, we are distributing it throughout our networks.
Ruth Petersen, Regional Manager, Northern Hub
Want to know more? E-mail: ruth.peterson@aut.ac.nz
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Southern Hub
The Southern Hub is delighted with the opportunity to partner with Academy members during the University of Canterbury Teaching and Learning week in June. During the teaching and learning session and chaired by UC’s Rua Murray, Debby Taylor (CPIT) together with Stephen Hickman and Charlie Fleischman from UC will each present on one aspect of their teaching. This will be followed by a short panel session to respond to questions and comments from the participants. People from outside the university will be invited to attend. The session is also being streamed live to both Lincoln University and CPIT.
It is always a pleasure to work with Academy members. Rua Murray is a welcome addition to the Hub Advisory Group. I appreciate his wisdom and contributions to the group. His willing participation in and contributions to project approval telephone conference meetings is much appreciated.
I have been fortunate this year to ‘host’ two professional development workshops facilitated by Academy members – Julia Bruce Engaging Challenging Learners and Angie Farrow Engage, Enhance, Enliven: Practical tips and techniques to enhance learner engagement. As I would expect, participants rated both these workshops very highlights – in no small way thanks to the total energy and commitment from Julia and Angie. It was interesting to see synergies between the two workshops and how each, in very different ways, provides tips and techniques for teachers to use with their learners.
Thank you to all Academy members, particularly those in the Southern Hub for your interest, energy and engagement with the Hub and its activities. I look forward to further events during the year.
Bridget O’Regan, Regional Manager, Southern Hub
Want to know more? E-mail: bridget.oregan@canterbury.ac.nz
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A note from the President
Welcome to the first issue of Limelight for 2015. Your executive feels that it’s an important way for the Academy and its supporters, such as Ako Aotearoa staff and hubs, and teaching and learning managers in tertiary teaching institutions, to keep in touch with each other. From now on, Limelight will appear twice a year: at this time, and in advance of the annual symposium towards the end of the year. We’re very pleased that Amy Fitzgerald, who administered last year’s symposium, has agreed to undertake that role again this year, as well as to produce Limelight. We’d like to thank her and also to thank Helen Dobson for her unstinting work in these roles until she retired last year.
Eric Pawson, President
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The 2015 Ako Academy Symposium
The 2015 Ako Academy Symposium will take place on the 26th & 27th of November and will return to The Brentwood Hotel in Wellington. With the successful 2014 Symposium being facilitated by Dr Geoff Scott, it has been two years since Academy members have had the opportunity to share their teaching and learning activities with each other. Thus, this year we are returning to a format based around contributions from Academy members. The Symposium will be not be themed, allowing you to contribute any of the exciting and creative practices you have been developing in recent years. We would particularly like to encourage newer members of the Academy to present at the Symposium.
Guidelines for submitting your abstracts will be available in July, but to get an idea of how many people would like to present, we ask you to indicate if you would like to present, when you register.
Registration is now OPEN. As you all know, your travel to the Symposium is covered by Ako Aotearoa. Early registration is a significant contributor to managing the costs of the Symposium. PLEASE register early.
The executive hopes to encourage rich discussion to facilitate a deeper understanding of a variety of teaching and learning practices that may inform members’ current and future projects. The symposium is a wonderful opportunity to network with your colleagues and peers. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Academy Executive
Listed below are current members of the Academy Executive, and their portfolio designations. Feel free to contact them at any time with any matters related to their portfolio or the Academy in general.
Eric Pawson: President (eric.pawson@canterbury.ac.nz)
Selene Mize: Vice President, Coordinator of Policy Process / Coordinating Constitution (selene.mize@otago.ac.nz)
Alison Campbell: Internal communication and Facebook (acampbel@waikato.ac.nz)
James Paterson: Marketing; sponsorship and Northern Hub (James.Paterson@boppoly.ac.nz)
Kelly Pender: Engagement with Hubs, regions and MÄori Caucus (Kelly.Pender@boppoly.ac.nz)
Tony Zaharic: Symposium 2015, succession planning, strategic planning and archivist, including database of members (tony.zaharic@otago.ac.nz)
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