Te Puna Aurei LearnFest 2023: Education without Boundaries

 

LearnFest 2023

Theme

Please note: the explanation of the theme below alternates between English and Te Reo Māori.

 

The three streams

The sessions for LearnFest were held over across three streams. You can navigate between the two streams and the other sessions using the tabs above.

The complete conference schedule

You can download the full LearnFest 2023 conference schedule and abstracts (PDF)

Opening keynote

Monday 27 November 11:00 - 12:00 NZDT / 09:00 - 10:00 AEDT

Enoka Murphy, Senior Lecturer Te Pua Wananga ki te Ao, and the recipient of the 2023 Te Whatu Kairangi – Aotearoa Tertiary Educator Award

Mana Ākonga, Mana Tāngata/Empowering everyone This presentation will focus on empowerment through Māori pedagogical practice. It will utilise the university's total immersion programme Te Tohu Paetahi as a framework for discussion. The presentation will discuss Māori pedagogy as a basis of empowering the learning journey of the student into their language, identity and culture.

• Teaching strategies - 1
• Teaching strategies - 2
• Teaching strategies - 3

• Curriculum Design

• Teaching Partnerships - 1

• Teaching Partnerships - 2

• Teaching English

• Research

Teaching Strategies - 1

12:10 - 13:10 NZDT / 10:10 - 11:10 AEDT 

Sharing what works: Teaching strategies to support the learning of criminology students

Alphabetical: Tori Berezowski, M.Sc, Justin Ellis, PhD, Peter Gogarty, Director Newcastle Justice Centre, Alice Neikirk, PhD and Ray Nickson, PhD, University of Newcastle Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions))

In this panel, five academics from the University of Newcastle will share specific teaching strategies that have potential to; enhance student participation, deepen knowledge of subject matter, and foster critical thinking skills. Underpinning these specific strategies is a broader conversation regarding the need to create inclusive learning experiences that foster student well-being in order to achieve the broader goals of a university education. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own teaching methods in discussions with the panel members. By reflecting on what works, and what doesn't, we help foster an environment of open collaboration where passionate educators can support each others' learning in relation to best practice approaches to pedagogy.

Watch Teaching strategies - 1 on Panopto.

 

Teaching Strategies - 2

13:20 - 14:20 NZDT / 11:20 - 12:20 AEDT

Testing Times: Multi-choice quizzes and learning land law

Jennifer Campion, Te Piringa - Faculty of Law, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) This session will relate my experiences using multi-choice quizzes a a tool for benchmarking learning and revising content in LEGAL307 Land Law. The talk will demonstrate the quizzes, discuss the way they are used in LEGAL307, share student feedback, and also consider the more general utility and limitations of the quizzes to support learning. Given the conference theme of "education without boundaries", we will discuss the way these quizzes support flexible learning approaches as well as allowing learning to transcend the boundaries of the lecture room.

Engaging students through inter-professional collaborative workshops

Mali Webb and Megan Barr, Univeristy of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) This presentation outlines a dynamic and inclusive approach to speech pathology education that fosters career readiness and accreditation alignment. Participants in this session will engage in a thought-provoking exploration of several key components:

1. Diverse and Inclusive Career-Ready Course Design: This course was designed around complex case studies that prioritise inclusivity.
2. Collaborative Course Development: The course was collaboratively designed with the entire University of Newcastle Speech Pathology team and experts from Learning Design and Teaching Innovation. This collaboration ensured curriculum was mapped to accreditation standards fostering career ready graduates and an interactive and engaging learning experience for students.
3. Flipped Learning Methodology: A flipped learning design emphasised the importance of pre-learning and barrier task assessments as integral components of the course structure. This approach allowed students to engage deeply with the material before attending class, allowing for rich discussion and feedback during the face to face workshops.
4. Expert-Led Workshops: Workshops were facilitated by specialist professionals from various regions across Australia. These experts brought diverse perspectives and experiences to the table, enriching the educational experience for students.
5. Diverse Assessment Strategies: Strategically designed diverse assessments that assess and promote comprehensive skill development.
6. Video Promotions for Engagement: To further enhance student engagement, video promotions prepared students for upcoming cases.
7. Mixed Group Learning: The randomised mixed group learning encouraged collaboration and the exchange of ideas among students with different backgrounds and perspectives. This promoted a more holistic and inclusive learning environment

This session will provide valuable insights into an innovative pedagogy, offering a blueprint for those seeking to enhance their courses and prepare students for successful careers in the field.

When things go wrong: A self-reflection on studying and learning practices

Kim Hebert-Losier, Senior Lecturer, Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) Learning human anatomy is content-based and requires recall, with a return to in-person assessment presenting challenges for educators and learners. Class average performance scores for a test used as part of a summative assessment dropped from approximately 20% from a similar assessment conducted online the previous year. In this session, an exercise developed to encourage students to self-reflect on their studying strategies and approaches will be presented and student responses discussed. Participants will reflect on the usefulness of this self-reflection practice and potential benefits in fostering learning practices and studying habits that suits individual learners.

Teaching Strategies - 3

15:20 - 16:20 NZDT / 13:20 - 14:20 AEDT

Role modeling Collaborative Reflective Circles

Shaleeza Sohail, Gesa Ruge, Fariza Sabrina, Melinda Lewis, Dimity Wehr (The University of Newcastle, Central Queensland University and University of Technology Sydney), Dr Rachel Thompson, University of Technology Sydney, Dr Sweta Thakur, King's Own Institute, Sydney and Dr Salahuddin Azad Central Queensland University, Melbourne

Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions))

Participants will view and later engage with a panel presentation emulating a Collaborative Reflective Circle (CRC) while elaborating the protocols and structure of CRC based on principles of inclusion and diversity. The major takeaway is a systematic strategy for embedding inclusive practices in their contextual pedagogies.

Curriculum Design

16:30 - 17:30 NZDT / 14:30 - 15:30 AEDT

Te Mātaiaho: The curriculum refresh addressing access, equity and inclusion ākonga Dr. Claire Coleman, Ministry of Education, Aotearoa NZ

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants will learn about the development and framework for the current draft of Te Mātaiaho the refreshed national NZ curriculum. The Ministry is two years into a six-year programme to refresh The New Zealand Curriculum. Te Mātaiaho will support students to experience success in their learning. It will give practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and will be inclusive, clear about the learning that matters, and easy to use from year 0 to year 13. The refreshed curriculum content is being developed and released in phases, and schools and kura will have until the beginning of 2027 to start using the fully refreshed curriculum. This presentation will highlight the key shifts from the current 2007 curriculum and how they seek to better prepare all ākonga for the future.

Curricular justice initiative (Indigenisation of curriculum)

Associate Professor Kevin Sobel-Read, Associate Professor Amy Maguire, Dr Samuel B. Woldemariam, University of Newcastle School of Law and Justice

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

The session explores a curricular justice initiative work at Newcastle School of Law and Justice that aims to embed knowledge about Indigenous peoples and their encounters with the law. Participants will learn about the various aspects of the project, its development and the challenges to its implementation. We presented on the topic in 2021 and found the forum engaging. This year, we plan to provide an update on the project and how it is taking shape.

 

Inclusion Oral Health – A Content Analysis of Australian Oral Health Therapy Curricula

Kelly-Jean Burden, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants will be introduced a paradigm shift currently taking place in Oral Health education which leans into the social sciences for a greater understanding of how oral health can be more inclusive and better serve those most in need within the Australian context.

Teaching Partnerships - 1

12:10 - 13:10 NZDT / 10:10 - 11:10 AEDT 

Bridging Boundaries Through Teaching Partnerships

Jennifer Campion, Stephanie Gibbons, Dr Ang McGaughran, Victor Fester, Dr Alison Jolley (AJ) and Nigel Robertson, University of Waikato

Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions))

In this session, panellists will discuss experiences of exploring and developing their teaching practice through partnering with teaching staff from outside their discipline. Panellists are participants of the Teaching Partnerships Initiative, a programme designed to facilitate collaborative work on teaching and learning at the University of Waikato. Fourteen teaching staff were matched into groups of two or three members with similar teaching and learning interests but from different disciplines. In these partnerships staff defined their goals and worked together to achieve and reflect on them over a period of four-six months with the support of a facilitator from Te Puna Ako – Centre for Tertiary Teaching & Learning. During the session, the panellists will share what they accomplished during the partnership, what challenges they encountered, and what components made the partnership successful. Participants will leave the session with fresh ideas for teaching and learning as well as recommendations for engaging in similar partnerships.

 

Teaching Partnerships - 2

13:20 - 14:20 NZDT / 11:20 - 12:20 AEDT

Building Community and Inclusive Education through Advance HE Fellowship: how Advance HE supports inclusive access to education

Dr Josephine Vaughan and Leanne Vaughan, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) 

This session will provide an introduction to the University of Newcastle’s approach to the Advance HE Fellowship, its benefits and how it is helping to build community and a culture of mentoring. Participants will:

• have a brief introduction to Advance HE
• learn about the ways Advance HE asks us to reflect on inclusivity and diversity in the application
• hear about some examples from successful HE applications on how inclusive access to education is included in teaching practices.

 

Bringing the(ir) world into the classroom: Using active and inquiry-based learning as inclusive teaching strategies

Dr Elaine Xu MPRIA, Lecturer in Strategic Communications and Emily Rokobauer, PhD candidate, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) 

In this session, participants will learn about the application of both inclusive teaching and constructive alignment strategies for a new course, entitled “Global Media Industries”, that was delivered at the University of Newcastle in Semester 2, 2023. The presenters, a teaching team comprising the course coordinator and tutor, will detail how they actively gathered student feedback using tutorial learning activities and incorporated their analysis of marking feedback into the design of the course (i.e., weekly lectures and learning activities). They will also share how they built scope into the course design to allow students to shape the active learning and inquiry-based activities undertaken during tutorials, which enabled them to identify and integrate examples that facilitate authentic and real-word learning. Over the last several months (July to October 2023), these strategies were observed to deepen students’ engagement with the course’s content and assessment tasks, enhance their higher order thinking, and serve as an effective means for the teaching team to identify learning gaps. Drawing together their learning points, the presenters will conclude by reflecting on their experiences implementing inclusive teaching strategies, as well as the challenges faced when engaging diverse learners, in a course that is compulsory for Communication undergraduates but does not mandate minimum attendance at lectures and tutorials.

Benefits of Authentic Learning Through Industry Engagement: A Case Study

Craig Robertson (Lecturer, School of Applied Business), Sanjeev Kumar .V.R (Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Business), Unitec - Te Pukenga

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Presenting and reflecting on our experience and answering the participant's (audience) questions.

Teaching English

15:20 - 16:20 NZDT / 13:20 - 14:20 AEDT

The use of Audio-Visual Aids (AVA) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teaching Salwa, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

It is expected that the participants will learn on the use of AVA materials to cater EFL students' needs in Indonesian settings.

Inclusive Analytical Reading Tasks for EAL students using Perusall

Lucy Campbell, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

This presentation will trace the instructor rational behind preparing EAL students for analytical reading tasks, the steps taken to implement this within Perusall and the results for the instructor and students.

Inclusive Assessments in Language Teaching

Rosario Iguin, Unitec-Te Pūkenga

Kōrero - Discussion (20 minutes)

Inclusive Assessments in Language Teaching: Current Approaches and Future Possibilities In the field of language education, inclusive assessments are pivotal yet often overlooked. This presentation aims to stimulate critical dialogue about our attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding inclusivity in language teaching and assessments. The discussion will be drawn from theoretical frameworks within education and beyond. Our reflections will then be captured on how to apply inclusivity to assessments, and our learning and teaching approaches. This presentation serves as a call to action, challenging educators to reevaluate and adapt their assessment approaches in the realm of language learning and teaching. Attendees will gain actionable insights for enhancing both quality and inclusivity in their professional practice.

Research

16:30 - 17:30 NZDT / 14:30 - 15:30 AEDT 

Integrating inclusivity in research communications workshops

Brendan D. Sheridan, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato/University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) 

Participants will learn about actions taken to promote inclusivity in workshops about communicating research both in the academy and beyond. The presentation focuses on three key workshops in particular (from the series) that were taught in 2023 and aimed at research postgraduate students.

Queer Connections and Fostering Inclusion through Qualitative Focus Group Design

Dr Annika Herb & Dr David Betts, The University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

This session will explore the development of strategies to foster belonging and inclusion amongst vulnerable queer participants in qualitative focus groups in the Seeing the Self Project, a project exploring young readers’ reactions to queer Young Adut literature. The presentation will provide an overview of the Seeing the Self project and its findings on the importance of queer Young Adult literature for all readers for identity development, affirmation, and empathy development. The session will then discuss the strategies to develop inclusive, safe, and reflexive research spaces with queer participants, and how researchers and educators can employ these when working with vulnerable minority groups.

Open Education Resources - opportunities for 2024

Jess Howie and Yilan Chen, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Following a major restructure in 2022, the University of Waikato Library has a renewed interest in supporting the use and development of Open Education Resources (OERs), with a view to reducing barriers to learning for students. Participants will discover what opportunities are available for adopting, adapting, and creating Open Educational Resources, including Open Textbooks.

Storytelling and pop culture

12:10 - 13:10 NZDT / 10:10 - 11:10 AEDT 

Exploring the potential of student-led zines to make universities more equitable, inclusive and accessible 

Dr Michael Kilmister, Victoria Grace-Bland, Mat Haine, Aaliya Williams, University of Reading

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Can the production of student-created 'zines' (compact, self-published magazines) influence teaching and learning to be more inclusive and accessible for all? Does this creative medium reveal perspectives that the usual methods for hearing the student voice, such as focus groups, might overlook? Moreover, do zine-making workshops have the potential to bring together marginalised student communities and offer a shared project to influence change in teaching and learning practice? These questions sparked a student-staff partnership centred around zines at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. This ongoing project has involved students at every step, and has so far led to the publication of three zines with distinct but interrelated themes: belonging and community; decolonising the curriculum; and diversity and inclusion. In this talk, the presenters will reflect on their process for facilitating a series of zine-making workshops, drawing on student and staff feedback as well as their own observations. Initial feedback indicates that these creative exercises and spaces afford a relaxed, safe, and inspiring environment, enabling students to openly share authentic points of view. Early staff responses reveal that zines are an engaging and visually striking way to convey and amplify the student voice. Consequently, the presentation will argue that zine-making appears to open up a relatively unexplored avenue for fostering inclusive higher education settings. 

Storytelling and inclusive education principles for active student engagement

Tess Rendoth, Lecturer, School of Education and Chris Lawrence, Learning Designer, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

2 sides of one story will be told, and then the relationship explored in this presentation. First, we will hear the story told from each perspective, the lecturer and the learning designer, and then hear how these were woven together to create a collaborative partnership. Tess and Chris worked together in redesigning a very large course (500+ students) on Inclusive education practice for initial teacher education students by specifically using the exact pedagogies spoken about in the course itself. Tess and Chris will present initial student feedback, and also discuss some of the story 'rewrites' that are taking place due to contemporaneous and responsive student feedback. Through learning about how Tess and Chris applied storytelling devices and evidence-based practices of inclusive education to the courses online and face-to-face components, participants will be able to reflect on their practice and walk away with an introductory toolbox for their own.

The testimony of pop culture icons as catalyst for student engagement

Dr Nigel Gearing, Learning & Teaching Designer, University of Auckland

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

With examples, reflect on why some students relate so strongly to the struggles of pop icons and if these artists were able to achieve redemption, how they did this and what their journeys can teach us, brainstorm content for a 500-word biography on Tina Turner, draw on testimonies of my students, ranging from (but certainly not limited to) Eminem, Elton John, Boy George, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson to demonstrate that when students feel safe, they will incorporate their own experiences, understanding of and/or empathy for such struggle into their own writing of empathetic biographies, with these stories becoming the catalyst that empowers their entire cohort to thrive. 

Disability 1

13:20 - 14:20 NZDT / 11:20 - 12:20 AEDT

The language and discourse of disability: an exploration of student narratives and experiences

Jessica Anderson, Dr Chelsea Blickem, Nikita van Dijk and Logan Robinson, University of Waikato

Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions))

Using narratives collected during a summer scholarship project, which investigated disabled students’ learning experiences, this discussion will explore the discourses and language used to describe disability, with a view to encouraging staff to better understand and engage with the culture, language and experiences of disabled students. Drawing on the learnings from this session, staff will then be able to apply their awareness into their teaching practice/praxis and work with students and colleagues with greater empathy, flexibility and understanding

Accessibility

15:20 - 16:20 NZDT / 13:20 - 14:20 AEDT 

Tertiary Assessment from Cook Islander’s Perspectives Dr Frances Edwards, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants will consider the impact of assessment design and practice on Cook Islanders' tertiary experiences of inclusion. The paper will focus on culturally responsive pedagogies and assessment practices for Pacific peoples.

Service Learning International - 2023 Start-Up

Associate Professor Dr. Vishalache Balakrishnan, Universiti Malaya

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants would be able to experience an innovative pedagogy that is expected to include students and educational practitioners at all levels.

A New Era of Cross Regional Democratisation of Access to Quality Education: Transcending Socio-economic and Geopolitical Barriers

Collins Chong Yew Keat - Foreign Affairs and Security Strategist, Universiti Malaya Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants will get deeper insights and a more comprehensive discourse on the new trends, risks, challenges and openings for inclusive education and the new frontiers of creating institutional and public bulwark of expanding access to education and the delivery of new educational approaches that cut across contextual and socio-economic barriers.

Global Ambassadors

16:30 - 17:30 NZDT / 14:30 - 15:30 AEDT

Their focus, their impact, their future.

Kurt Cordice - Program Director/Facilitator, Jasrose Kaur-Mallhi - Global Ambassador Alumni, Nandini Saily - Global Ambassador, Ekkjot Mallhi - Global Ambassador, Riya Behere - Global Ambassador, Global Ambassadors Project - Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty

Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions))

The Global Ambassadors Project of Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty is coming to the end of its two-year pilot period. Designed to be both student led and guided, the program has offered significant access, connection and opportunity to a diverse group of young people between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age. They have taken on a range of impactful projects and offered representation of both youth and diversity in rooms that normally are lacking in both. During this panel discussion, the program designer and facilitator will offer a brief overview of the project and its history. A brief discussion of pedagogies related to the program will be discussed, and key challenges and outcomes will be highlighted. Ambassadors and ambassador alumni on the panel will offer anecdotes that relate to the discussion. They will also offer their own thoughts as to the importance of the program in relation to their secondary and tertiary education goals. Finally, the panel will end with a Q&A session, providing an opportunity for a more open discussion with all panellists. (Ref. www.ambassadors.org.nz)

AI

12:10 - 13:10 NZDT / 10:10 - 11:10 AEDT 

Uses of generative AI in second language classrooms

Anthony Ryan, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) Over the past decade, third level education has become more international. This means that more students are taking classes in a language that is not their mother tongue. This session covers some of the ways that new AI tools can benefit teachers and learners in these second language classrooms. There will be brief overview of the tools in focus and then a short practical description of applications in class.

Generative AI to support Learning & Teaching

Omer Rana, Cardiff University

Kōrero - Discussion (20 minutes)

ChatGPT, an AI-based chatbot, was released to provide coherent and useful replies based on analysis of large volumes of data. There are conflicting views on how effective such chatbots can be in practice -- some mention their significant benefits in providing general purpose content that can help learners initiate their learning process, others are against their use and worried about issues of plagarism. Our preliminary evaluation concludes that ChatGPT performed differently in each subject area including finance, coding and maths. While ChatGPT has the ability to help educators by creating instructional content, offering suggestions and acting as an online educational tool for learners by answering questions, transforming education through smartphones and IoT gadgets, and promoting group work, there are still limitations in how such chatbots can be used effectively to support particular subject and topic areas. Current limitations include the possibility of producing inaccurate or false data and circumventing duplicate content (plagiarism) detectors where originality is essential. The often reported “hallucinations” within GenerativeAI in general, and also relevant for ChatGPT, can render its use of limited benefit where accuracy is essential. It has been reported that students are also utilising chatbots to write letters to companies for recruitment purposes and to frame research questions to carry out surveys. The following questions will be considered:

1. How subject specific prompts can be used to improve engagement with chatbots -- ChatGPT + others;
2. How students and learners can be supported in making more effective use of such systems, rather then preventing their use -- across all areas of teaching and learning;
3. Experience with plagarism detectors that can identify whether content has been directly generated using such Chatbots

 

This session will build on an existing publication: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/160449/ and a similar 45-minute session at the "Learning & Teaching" conference organised at Cardiff University in September 2023.

Interpreting the Unintentional: AI-Generated Content in Higher Education

Dr Paul Scriven, RMIT University

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

For better or worse, Large-Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are set to disrupt higher education. We worry how students are violating academic integrity, while also assessing ways in which to integrate AI into learning and teaching content and activities. Bender et al. (2021) employed the term “stochastic parrot” in reference to how LLMs operate: we interpret the text output as meaningful, but this output has no intended meaning behind it, at least not in the same way as if the writer was a human. This presentation considers the question: what are the implications in higher education for how AI models generate content that we interpret as knowledge?

Virtual Realities

13:20 - 14:20 NZDT / 11:20 - 12:20 AEDT

Inclusive and virtual Learning Environments

Susan Ledger and Angela Page, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Introduction and exposure to Asia Pacific Inclusive Education and Virtual Learning Environments and associated theoretical underpinnings. Design principles for future inclusive and virtual learning environments. Education Simulation - A multidisciplinary approach Dr Denise Higgins, University of Newcastle Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) This presentation will introduce multidisciplinary simulation education, starting with the definition of simulation and continuing with when and where it can be used. The presentation will cover the indication for use including how to design simulation activities and finishing with discussing the learners.

Developing a "Virtual Mars Colony" to Enhance the Teaching and Assessment of Outer Space Law

Dr Anna Marie Brennan, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Outer Space Law is often criticised for being 'science-fiction' for its apparent detachment from reality. This raises difficulties in stimulating the intellectual inquisition and engagement of tertiary students. In response to this challenge I am exploring how to enhance the teaching and learning experience of my Level 4 Outer Space Law module at the University of Waikato by using 3D graphics technology to create a "virtual Mars colony". This paper will consider the potential pedagogical benefits of deploying this approach. It will also outline how a digital 3D model representing a hypothetical colony could be developed to teach the basic premises of Outer Space Law to students and also incorporated into lectures, workshops and assessments. Finally, the paper will suggest the potential benefits and disadvantages of incorporating this new technology into the legal teaching environment, reflecting on emerging and traditional pedagogy in this area.

Online Learning

15:20 - 16:20 NZDT / 13:20 - 14:20 AEDT 

Navigating Accelerated Online-Only Learning: Unveiling the Student Experience

Professor Amanda Wilson, University of Technology Sydney 

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

In the rapidly evolving realm of post-graduate education, the rise of accelerated online-only courses has become a focal point. This session offers an exploration of these courses, which are delivered asynchronously, incorporating technology to meet the demands of modern learners. Despite their popularity, there are concerns about the efficacy of accelerated learning, compounded by a scarcity of insight into the student perspective. This session aims to explore this learning mode and its impact on students.

Australian health sciences students’ perceptions of online versus blended delivery in the post-COVID-19

Feifei Han, Australian Catholic University

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) 

Through a presentation of Australian health sciences students’ perceptions of the benefits and bottlenecks of online versus blended learning, participants can reflect on how to improve on issues related to online and blended deliveries in the Post Pandemic Era.

'Returning to normal'? Bourdieu, systems thinking, and online teaching post Covid

 Anthony Richardson, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Covid-19, and particularly the rapid shift to online teaching over the last few years, has been a massive shock for all education stakeholders (teachers, students and administrators). One sociological insight of Bourdieu is that moments of systemic rupture and disruption provide an opportunity to challenge and even reset aspects of our shared social reality (doxa). However, this is never guaranteed, given our desire for things to ‘return to normal’ – our shared ‘sense of normality’ is self-reinforcing and socially resilient. For example, as Covid recedes in our shared history we may wish to see our social reality (and tertiary teaching) as a ‘rubber ball’ which can simply ‘bounce back’ to 'the way things were'. However, this talk argues that looking at our postCovid world through the frame of systems theory and resilience suggests that there is no ‘going back’. Tertiary education is not a ‘rubber ball’.

Disability 2

16:30 - 17:30 NZDT / 14:30 - 15:30 AEDT

Through the lens of a disabled student: how we access and engage with the university

Jessica Anderson, Dr Chelsea Blickem, Nikita van Dijk and Logan Robinson, University of Waikato

Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions)) This discussion will provide the audience with a glimpse into the day-to-day experiences of campus life for disabled students. Using footage of students navigating the campus, and a range of facilities and locations, the discussion will highlight a range of access and engagement issues that our students may face. The discussion will invite open dialogue as we explore how we all might improve the campus experience for all students, and invite staff to critically reflect on assumptions and consider how they might enhance the learning and teaching experience to be as inclusive as possible. This session will offer staff a number of practical considerations that they can adopt in their teaching practice.

Visuals

12:10 - 13:10 NZDT / 10:10 - 11:10 AEDT 

Vernacular design and sustainability in education

Philip Moffitt, Lancaster University (Department of Educational Research)

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

This session demonstrates how a community of international students and lecturers, in engineering education in the United Kingdom, confront and reject pre-ordained visual imagery intended for teaching and learning in sustainable engineering. Expansive learning enables the group to replace learning media with their own, culturally diverse, ethnographic imagery of vernacular engineering solutions. Students and lecturers share indigenous knowledge and imagery of sustainable engineering techniques in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, in qualitatively meaningful interactions to learn engineering principles and sustainability. The session focuses on expansive learning principles, rather than sustainable engineering principles.

Exploring Educational Opportunities: Navigating Virtual Exhibitions in the Metaverse

Dr. Shin Yi Chew, Universiti Malaya

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants will gain insights into students' experiences within virtual exhibitions conducted in both the metaverse and Microsoft Teams.

Diversity and Inclusivity in Focus: Photovoice as a Teaching Strategy

Associate Professor Tamara Young, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A) This presentation will focus on my use of photovoice in teaching a first year leisure studies course. Participants will learn about the ways photovoice can be employed in the classroom and, specifically, as an assessment task designed for an analysis of diversity and inclusivity.

Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies

13:20 - 14:20 NZDT / 11:20 - 12:20 AEDT 

The Transformative Role of Spirituality (Wairuatanga) in the Teaching and Learning Environment

Dr. Elias Martis; Gladys Elkington, Dr. Liya Anthony and Dr. Norma RosalesAnderson, Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

The presentation will highlight the role of wairuatanga (spirituality) in the indigenous holistic approach to pedagogy in the context of teaching and learning at a tertiary level. The experience of four kaiako (educators) of a Bachelor of Bicultural Social Work programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, a pan-tribal tertiary institution of Aotearoa will be shared.

Enacting a critical pedagogy of place in online platforms

A/Prof Kathleen Butler and Shelly McGrath, Wollotuka Institute of Indigenous Education and Research, The University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

While the topic of climate change has gained traction across tertiary landscapes in Australia, courses written and delivered from an Indigenous perspective are limited. This session discusses how a critical pedagogy of place (Gruenewald, 2003) can be used to support cross-disciplinary learning scaffolded through an Indigenous lens. The presentation begins with a brief case study of how the facilitators approach the onlinedelivery of their course ABOR2243, Indigenous Peoples and the Environment, a core unit of their Bachelor of Global Indigenous Studies. After exploring aspects of the course content and assessment methodology to demonstrate how place-based education can be facilitated via online learning platforms, the presenters discuss the importance of embedding critical pedagogies that centre Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being, further empowering students to understand how this can be applied in their own personal contexts. The session concludes by reiterating how reflective practice must sit at the heart of all learning to create environments that allow students to situate themselves, and thus enact change in their everyday lives.

Three Māori pedagogies: Ako, Te Whare Tapa Whā, and the Ranga model

Stephen Bright, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Most tertiary teachers are familiar with a range of learning models and pedagogies drawn from western educational traditions. This short presentation will introduce three pedagogical models from Te Ao Māori - the Māori world - and consider some ways they could be applied in a tertiary learning environment.

Pacific and Māori pedagogies

15:20 - 16:20 NZDT / 13:20 - 14:20 AEDT

Māori and Pacific data in linguistics classes

Juile Barbour, Kanauhea Wessels, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, Te Herenga Waka

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Māori and Pacific language data rarely appears in introductory linguistic text books. In a discipline with a dearth of Māori and Pacific scholars, there is an opportunity to reflect on our teaching materials and consider ways in which we can make our classes more inclusive spaces. In this presentation, we share some of the materials and associated activities that we incorporate into undergraduate linguistics classes, in an effort to make our disciplinary content more attractive to students who join our classes with a variety of heritage languages.

Adapting the Strands of a Mat: Designing a Tertiary Teachers course for Pacific Learners

Dr Shailesh Lal, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Pacific tertiary student performance, retention and completion rates have lingered across Aotearoa New Zealand when compared to non-Pacific students (Tiakiwai & Hemi, 2022). A significant step to countering this trend could be training tertiary teachers to adapt to the needs of Pacific students. Tertiary teaching can be supported through a culturally relevant course in the Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching programme. I was tasked with designing such a course. The purpose of this presentation is to detail the experiences and challenges of my designing such a paper. I provide a brief description of the journey I undertook in navigating through the various research papers, commission reports and personal experiences of working with Pacific students to arrive at a paper which allows the ‘Pacific learner’ to adjust to university studies. I eventually realised that this learner could either be a student or an academic.

Empowering Pacific & Māori Students via Zoom

Georgia Brown, Tineka Wymer and Stephanie Gibbons, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

When discussing online teaching, a common refrain is that online teaching doesn’t suit Pacific and Māori students: they learn kanohi ki te kanohi. We present some experiences from students who attended a zoom tutorial for Pacific students in 2023. These experiences show that a quality online learning experience is possible, and that Pacific and Māori students value and appreciate online options.

Kindness

16:30 - 17:30 NZDT / 14:30 - 15:30 AEDT

Pedagogies of kindness for student completion, retention, and wellbeing

Dan Weijers & Kate Stevens, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

Participants will hear reasons and small scale evidence for being very supportive to students in the way they communicate with them, especially around late assignments.

Coaching as a pedagogy of kindness: How GROW model can foster inclusion and enhance learning experiences for diverse student groups

Sarah Bashir, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

There is an increased focus on fostering inclusive learning in contemporary educational institutions. This study explored how a coaching framework can act as a pedagogy of kindness to enable an inclusive learning experience for diverse groups of students in a New Zealand university. A model adapted from the GROW model was used as a framework for the pedagogy of kindness. The class had 35 students from Pacific, Māori, Asian, South Asian, African, European, and New Zealand European backgrounds. Students adapted the GROW model to address issues related to cultural stereotypes and enhanced their understanding of cultural competence. Students' improvement in these areas was observed over three months through their submitted assignments, with a frequency of one every week. Results indicated that the PEEPS model increased students' involvement in group work. They were also kinder and more attentive to classmates, eliminating cultural stereotypes and fostering cultural humility, eventually leading to an inclusive learning experience. Findings also illustrated that students were more engaged with the teacher in and outside the class and showed greater interest in responding to feedback. At the end of the session, participants will learn how coaching can effectively be used as a pedagogy of kindness to impact students' learning and improve inclusion.

Less stress and more success – Five key components to a programme induction to reduce burnout and increase student engagement

Cassandra Cook, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

The presentation will focus on five key components to add to any post graduate programme induction that has been shown to enable better student engagement and inclusion, reduce burnout and stress and enable students to better succeed within their programme. These practices will focus on enhancing a positive relationship between Kaiako and ākonga through empathy, connection, transparency and supporting self-esteem.

The Lightning Talks

12:10 - 13:10 NZDT / 10:10 - 11:10 AEDT

Ice-Breakers and Inclusion: Informalities of teaching

Tegan Stettaford, University of Newcastle

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy

As a younger academic, I have often found it hard to have that stricter, more formal approach to my teaching. I have found some aspects of a more informal, laid-back approach to teaching to be very engaging for students regardless of age. I have a strong focus around ice-breakers being brought into every class setting to ensure a more relaxed start to sessions, to get some discussion going around a non-academic topic, and to give all students the chance to engage and have a say in a non-confrontational manner. This includes start of the session fun questions and discussion about individual preferences, prizes and friendly competitions, food, and kahoots run by students.

Rethinking assessment design: Enhancing inclusivity through authentic assessment

Sadie Whittam (Senior Lecturer, Solicitor and Director of Clinical Legal Education), Lancaster University

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy

In this session, the presenter will discuss two practical examples of embedding authentic assessment in law modules. Drawing on student feedback from an ethics approved research study, the presenter will examine student experiences of authentic assessment. This will include an exploration of how authentic assessment can be a more inclusive and engaging form of assessment. The presenter is a Senior Lecturer and practising solicitor at Lancaster University, and the winner of Oxford University Press's Law Teacher of the Year award (2023).

Inclusion in and through qualitative research

Dr Meredith Tavener, University of Newcastle

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy To share how the choice of research topics and collaborators can enable a teaching curriculum with diverse, research-informed practical learning experiences that speak specifically to inclusion.

Strengthening Hauora: Holistic coaching as support strategy for enhancing Taha Hinengaro among undergraduate students in a New Zealand university

Sarah Bashir, Waikato University

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy

The talk will discuss holistic coaching to enhance one of the four fundamental aspects of the Hauora Māori: Taha Hinengaro, or mental and emotional well-being. Taha Hinengaro relates to the illustration of feelings and thoughts in the individual minds, consciences and hearts. Holistic coaching can strengthen Huaora for all undergraduate students, most importantly, Māori, Pasifika and other indigenous students. At the end of this session, the audience willknow some effective holistic coaching strategies to enhance undergraduate students' emotional and mental well-being.

The Marriage between ChatGPT and Perusall

Dr Liang (Kathy) Li, University of Waikato

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy

 ChatGPT is a highly sophisticated chatbot (Lund & Wang, 2023). It has the ability to interpret user requests and generate appropriate responses in human-like text (Kasneci et al., 2023). It can be effectively employed to generate customised reading materials through a sequence of questions. However, it is important to acknowledge that the resulting text often exhibits deficiencies in cohesion, coherence, and accuracy. On the other hand, Perusall as a free collaborative e-reading tool (Clarke, 2021), offers a platform where users can interact within the “anchored environments” (Gao, et al., 2013, p. 476) to engage with assigned readings and fellow participants. This interaction involves highlighting and annotating texts with supplementary information, comments, and questions. The use of Perusall serves as a valuable tool for instructors to enhance the text generated by ChatGPT. Instructors can incorporate background information, establish smoother transitions, and craft thought-provoking conclusions within the question-answer-based reading to ensure a more comprehensible reading experience. As experts in the field, they can “review, validate and explain” (Kasneci et al., 2023, p. 5) the AI-generated information before presenting it to their students, who are learners in the field. They can also prompt students to identify, discuss, rectify, evaluate, and expand upon the content to foster deeper engagement and critical thinking.

Building Belonging in a New Landscape

Ali Falconer, Dr Annika Herb and Leanne Vaughan, University of Newcastle

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy

This talk will explore the challenges of building belonging in a post-COVID landscape, and strategies used in Education Development for academic staff to foster belonging and inclusion. It addresses student identity, online and face-to-face learning environments, and retention strategies implemented to aid student belonging. The session will explore a resource on building belonging developed by the Education Development team at the University of Newcastle.

Integrating whakawhānaungatanga into a strength-based community assessment

Lara Wall and Stefan Heinz, Huataki Waiora - Nursing, University of Waikato

Hiko - Lightning talk (5 mins) - a brief presentation on a specific example of teaching practice or pedagogy

Discuss the inclusion of extending invites to student's friends and whānau to assessment to showcase their mahi. This is a mana-enhancing assessment that promotes whakawhānaungatanga and includes a shared kai. The whāinga of the assessment - a strength-based community assessment - aligns with how the project was assessed.

Students and work

13:20 - 14:20 NZDT / 11:20 - 12:20 AEDT 

Culminating the Academic Experience with a Capstone Project

Willem de Lange, Julia Mullarney, Hazel Needham, Linda Peters (School of Science) and Kirsten Petrie (Division of Education), University of Waikato

Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions)) The capstone project is a work-integrated learning (WIL) option for BSc undergraduate students in their final year of study. As a new development in 2018 capstones were developed to enhance students’ scientific knowledge and help them develop transferable skills in readiness to transition to employment or postgraduate study. Each capstone project has been led by academic staff members from across the School of Science, in partnership with partners external to the university. With our strengths being in the discipline of science the development of capstone projects has required use to explore pedagogical strategies that boost technical and scientific knowledge, whilst simultaneously challenging students to develop the necessary skills to thrive as future employees. In this session we discuss the strategies we have adopted to encourage, often reluctant science students, to develop their interpersonal skills and function effectively as a member of a working team of scientists, ready to work in Aotearoa NZ.

Professional development resources

15:20 - 16:20 NZDT / 13:20 - 14:20 AEDT

Unlock your professional potential: A journey into Ako Aotearoa's online, selfdirected educator pathways Ako Aotearoa’s Manako team,, Pathways Awarua Matapakinga a te pae - Panel discussion - (40 minutes panel presentation and discussion + 15 minutes audience questions)) Join us for an enlightening session introducing Ako Aotearoa's free online, self-directedprofessional development pathways, hosted on Pathways Awarua. Ako Aotearoa’s Manako team will provide you with a comprehensive overview of their diverse offerings, including Māori Cultural Capability, Pacific Cultural Centredness, Digital Literacy, Universal Design for Learning, Developing Learner Agency, and Tapatoru – a professional development framework, reflective practice tool, and whole-organisation approach to capability building. The session will wrap up with Q&A, and participants can enter a draw for a chance to win a facilitated Ako Aotearoa course valued at $150. Don't miss this opportunity to find out how you can enhance your professional development journey!

Diversity

16:30 - 17:30 NZDT / 14:30 - 15:30 AEDT

Equity through Representation in the Curriculum: the case of intersex people

Dr. Rogena Sterling, Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

The outcome of this session would be to expose the audience to a vulnerable population, intersex people, who are not represented in the curriculum and the use of current system has only further made them invisible and enforced the hetero-patriarchy system, despite aiming for gender equality within the system. Historical knowledge is critical to improve inclusion, representation, and equity in the education curriculum.

Expanding Horizons: Integrating Feminist/Critical Judgment Methodologies in Jurisprudence Education to Enhance Inclusivity

Dr Kcasey McLoughlin, University of Newcastle

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

In light of ongoing debates about jurisprudence and legal theory course syllabi, this talk explores the integration of the feminist/critical judgment methodologies to enrich and diversify legal education. These critical judgment projects involve scholars rewriting existing legal decisions within the bounds of legal formalism (e.g. they must be legal plausible). Recent discussions have underscored the need to revaluate the content of jurisprudence courses, prompting a paradigm shift towards a more inclusive curriculum. By exposing students to the contingency of legal judgment through critical judgment projects, many of the theoretical arguments that are central to jurisprudential debates come alive for students, revealing the possibilities not taken. This approach ensures students encounter a diverse range of voices, disrupting traditional hierarchies that have privileged certain perspectives within the Law. I plan to discuss case studies from my own teaching, drawing on the Feminist Judgment Projects and the Indigenous Judgment Project. Outcome: I plan to reflect on the evolving landscape of jurisprudence curricula and the transformative potential of feminist/critical judgment projects in shaping an inclusive and dynamic legal pedagogy.

Yarning: On an Experiential Pedagogical Strategy for Non-Indigenous Students

Elinor Assoulin, RMIT University

Whakaaturanga - Presentation (15 minutes + 5 mins Q & A)

The participants will have the opportunity to delve into the application of Yarning, a prevalent form of cultural discourse among Indigenous Australians, as an effective tool for teaching and learning. This unique approach is particularly directed towards non-Indigenous students enrolled in the Indigenous Studies subject at RMIT’s School of Global, Urban, and Social Studies. The focal point of the presentation revolves around the utilisation of Yarning as a conduit for conveying complex subjects, specifically concentrating on its implementation in teaching the Stolen (and Stealing) Generations topic. By embracing the Yarning methodology, educatorsenhance students' understanding of the profound impact and ramifications of this practice within the broader context of Indigenous Australian history. Through exploration of the Yarning process, firsthand experiences, merits, challenges, and lessons learned, the session equips participants with both theoretical insights and practical strategies for weaving Indigenous perspectives into the educational landscape.

Second keynote

10:30 - 11:30 NZT (24 Nov) / 21:30 - 22:30 GMT (23 Nov)

Second keynote: Professor Steven Warburton, Pro Vice Chancellor Education and Innovation, The University of Newcastle (Australia)

Future ready? Ensuring meaningful work integrated learning (WIL) for all:

This presentation will explore the value of WIL in providing key skills for future workforce needs. Against a backdrop of significant changes in the workplace and challenges to resources and recognition within institutions, we will ask whether we can make WIL experiences accessible, meaningful and of high quality for all our students. Newcastle University's Career-ready Placements project will provide a critical case study to better understand and address key challenges in this area.