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ePortfolios play an important role in tertiary education globally in the 21st Century. Several studies have advocated for the implementation of ePortfolios on the basis that they have the potential to integrate technology whilst making learning visible and meaningful for students. However, rarely is the implementation of ePortfolios, considered from the students' perspective. The development of web-based learning resources including ePortfolios platforms are often driven by software developers with an extensive degree of technical expertise, rather than teachers and educators and, without acknowledging potential difficulties this may create for students (Andrews & Cole, 2015; Beckers, Dolmons, & Merriënboer, 2016; Cordier et al. (2016); Leacock & Nesbit, 2007; Nam & Smith-Jackson, 2007). The aim of this study was to explore students' perspectives on the value of an ePortfolio platform in the final year for nursing students in the Bachelor of Nursing programme in a New Zealand tertiary institute. The data for this study were obtained through focus group sessions. Thematic analysis identified four themes from the data which were the importance of ease of use, feedback, transparency, and the role of supporting technology. This study aligns with previous literature in demonstrating students' preference for the use of ePortfolios but extends our knowledge by considering the value of ePortfolios from students' perspectives.

This paper explores the experience of emotion for eight preservice teachers as they learn to assess their students while concurrently being assessed. This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews and assessment-related artefacts. Findings indicate that emotional engagement influenced preservice teachers' assessment decision making. The teachers also experienced emotional reactions as in turn they were assessed. This paper argues for the need of preservice teachers to be cognisant of the influence of emotion on themselves and their work, to allow them to better rationalise their assessment decision making and reflect on their practice.

Increasing diversity in engineering, which is a goal of the profession, education and government, starts with increasing the diversity of those choosing to study the discipline. This paper focuses on girls' engagement in engineering. Data is from a survey of girls attending a university open day and interviews with practising female engineers. The notion of "possible selves" is used to explain patterns in their responses. Both prospective and participant groups indicated that family, friends, teachers and societal messages informed and influenced their view of what engineering involved and who could be an engineer. Practising female engineers identified the impact of school subject choices, 'hands-on' and practical home experiences and the nature of the lecturer and peer support. This paper contributes to discussions of when and how to encourage girls into engineering, offering evidence that a comprehensive approach is needed that includes the community, schools and tertiary institutions as well as the profession.

Recent university graduates face an ever-changing professional landscape where it can be challenging to find jobs that lead to successful careers. This is particularly the case for emergent professions such as Creative Technologies, given the changing nature of technology and the value as well as the challenges of working across traditional disciplines. This paper presents a research project that seeks to help fresh creative technologists get better work opportunities in a changing landscape. Students, alumni, and industry experts were interviewed to identify current perceptions and practices, opportunities and challenges, and to generate insights that inform the design of future solutions. Three themes were identified from these interviews: unexplored existing opportunities, a demand for employability skills, and the need for better student-industry interactions. The first refers to opportunities that may already be available but lack sufficient recognition or need more visibility. The second points to the need of an ongoing dialogue between academia and industry to identify the changing landscape of skills in demand. The third highlights the need for creative collaborations across sectors and actors to increase the interaction between students and potential employers. The insights from this study inform the aspects that need to be addressed to design solutions that help Creative Technologies graduates start their careers in the right directions. The research raises new questions about why and how universities in the future can engage stakeholders to make the most of existing untapped opportunities and restructure processes to align with changing demands in industry.

Engaging and motivating learners to successfully complete their studies are crucial elements for the success of distance educators around the world. The researchers' AIM newsletter, which is formatted in accordance with motivational learning theory, has been delivered to first-year learners in economics at Open Polytechnic of New Zealand from 2010 to 2022. AIM is an acronym for Academic content, Information for the course, and Motivation--three critical elements that are required to meet the challenges of effective online course facilitation. This paper uses Keller's IMMS to evaluate the learner's perspective of the AIM newsletter. Results show that learners consider AIM newsletter attracts the learner's attention and provides relevant links between theory and current world examples, linking the learner's own experiences, increasing their confidence in the course, and providing overall satisfaction with the learning experience. In essence, AIM newsletter provides an effective and efficient method of delivering and motivating learners throughout their studies.

This paper presents a small-scale qualitative investigation which explored early first-year transition experiences of pre-service teacher students. The study took place in one university in Aotearoa New Zealand, involving 24 students and three co-researchers from a Faculty of Education. Perceptions of students' transition experiences were gathered through an essay task six weeks into the first semester; data were analysed using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological theory to identify barriers and enablers related to students' transition experiences in various contexts. Diverse transitions accounts of 'becoming a pre-service teacher student' were analysed as being complex and intertwined with historical, social, cultural and political elements. These findings have implications for providers and educators of pre-service teacher programmes. Purposeful application of Bronfenbrenner's theory to identify, name and understand how various transition barriers and enablers impact wellbeing and resilience could open up a more visible, shared and understood transition experience.

Learning online from home bubbles through the use of information communication technology (ICT) stretches the engagement and enactment of "va" (relational connections) between students and lecturers as well as Pacific people in the community. In this paper, "talanoa" is used to capture students' online learning experiences and their perceived understanding of connections. Such experiences are embodied in people's interactions, conversations, problem-solving, knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas and practice. As the "va" space online between lecturer and student as well as people in the community is physically "mama'o" (distanced), the perceived space of learning connection raises concern over ethics and practice. Engaging in open talanoa of the uncertainties linked to online interactions within the post-COVID context and the place of "va" ethics can lead to "talanoa malie" that highlight possibilities and solutions.

This paper reports on a study investigating the use of digital devices by language students at universities in New Zealand, Sweden and Germany. The study also examines the use of social media for learning a foreign language in an institutional context, using survey results from language students in the three countries. Based on an online survey (n=156) with foreign language learners in Sweden, Germany and New Zealand, everyday use of devices and applications by students is compared and analysed applying the digital literacies framework described by Pegrum et al., 2018. Focusing on digital tools (including devices and applications) which facilitate informal communication, we attempt to answer the research questions: "How do students interact and communicate digitally / using social networking in educational contexts and beyond?" and "How do students use online tools, devices and applications, for information retrieval and learning?" The results provide a rationale for why students' everyday habits when using such tools should be considered in educational contexts. This exploratory study also describes how devices and applications can facilitate second language acquisition and can be used in a language education context. We recommend guidelines for teacher trainers regarding the development of digital literacies in foreign language teaching.

The current world crisis of COVID-19 has enforced international lockdowns in educational institutions, necessitating that these institutions quickly transition to online learning. In mathematics education studies, where collaborative problem-solving is considered a necessary pedagogical approach, lecturers have had challenges incorporating collaborative problem-solving in an authentic manner. There are now also complex living and learning contexts in which the students have to undertake their learning processes. This paper examines students' experiences of the rapid transition to online learning and their perceptions of the advantages and barriers that ensued. A small comparative case study was used to explore the complexity of the situation, within rich, authentic settings. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The participants found that personal circumstances related to having children and partners at home while they studied, and aspects such as not interacting directly with other students to clarify and mediate their thinking, led to major initial frustrations with collaborating. While some of these continued throughout lockdown they did adjust and recognize that the advantages, such as a mix of formal and informal digital pedagogical media, gave them greater flexibility and led to deeper reflective thinking. We contend that some elements related to the adaptions made should become permanent features of face-to-face learning.

Many Open and Distance Learning (ODL) providers report that their students are prone to lower rates of retention and completion than campus-based students. Against this background, there is growing interest around distance-specific learning support. The current research investigated the experiences of students during their first semester as distance learners at Massey University in New Zealand. The overarching methodology was Design-Based Research, within which phenomenological data gathering methods were used to study the experiences of twenty participants from their own point of view. Using video cameras, over twenty-two hours of self-reflections were gathered between July and November 2011 using a technique adapted from previous studies. A grounded theory approach was applied to the process of thematic data analysis. Results revealed how participants varied in their engagement with learning supports, including orientation events, outreach activity, cultural services, learning consultants, library services, fellow students, lecturers, residential courses, and other people. The discussion reflects on clusters of participants who utilised learning supports effectively, moderately and barely. The paper concludes by summarizing how the current research has had an impact on the design of learning support services at one of the world's leading providers of distance education. [This paper has been awarded an ICDE Prize for Innovation and Best Practice on the theme of Impact at the 25th ICDE Conference, held in Tianjin (China) in October 2013.]

There is a rich literature on students' and teachers' intuitions and misconceptions about probability. However, less attention has been paid to the development of pre-service teachers' probabilistic thinking in teacher education. Based on this, the second author developed a lesson sequence for teaching probability. In particular, it demonstrates how a game context can be used to explore the relationship between experimental and theoretical probabilities in a collaborative learning setting. The lesson sequence integrates concepts and processes related to probability and is grounded in socio-cultural theory. We trialed the sequence with secondary pre-service teachers. This paper focuses on their understanding of the probability concepts embedded in the sequence. Video and audio data indicates that while teachers used a range of strategies and data displays to explain the ideas integrated in the lessons, some reverted to equiprobability bias. The findings also reveal that pre-service teachers can modify their thinking when engaged in rich teaching and learning tasks.

Mathematical and statistical thinking is involved across the breadth of people's home and work life and leisure activities. This paper reports on an aspect of a project that aimed to develop preservice teacher awareness of the mathematical and statistical thinking required across the breadth of primary teachers' professional role. This thinking is conceptualised as the mathematics and statistics embedded in each of the curriculum learning areas, in data literacy, and administration and management tasks. Mentor meetings indicated pre-service teachers who were completing a one-year graduate diploma initially had a limited awareness of the extent of this thinking. Through focus group discussions across the year participating preservice teachers' commentary showed an increased awareness and appreciation of the breadth of contexts where teachers might encounter mathematics and statistics thinking beyond mathematics lessons. Given awareness is fundamental to learning and subsequent action we posit that developing this awareness during teacher education is important.

Perspective transformation (the enduring development of a person's understanding, the reformulation of their experience, and new ways of acting in the world) is widely understood to be an important outcome of adult education. Various studies performed over the last 30 or so years since Mezirow's theory was first proposed have confirmed its presence and importance in higher education. However, the question remains as to whether transformative learning takes place in vocational distance and online education--particularly if it's not explicitly promoted. This paper investigates the extent of transformative learning taking place in adult learners studying at a distance, online. Drawing on King's Learning Activities Survey (LAS), Open Polytechnic students (n=499) across seven qualifications (six discipline areas) responded to a survey asking about their experience of perspective transformation. The instrument also sought insight as to how vocational providers of vocational online and distance education might promote transformative learning outcomes in learners. Survey results show evidence of perspective transformation in students to varying degrees that are mainly determined by the qualification being studied. The results also reveal which instructional design approaches and teaching activities might contribute to transformation.

Despite increasing scholarly interest in tertiary student perceptions of plagiarism, very little is known about those held by postgraduate (PG) students, although differences between undergraduate (UG) and PG students relate to both their characteristics and the demands of their studies. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research within the context of international education, where managing plagiarism is seen as a major challenge. This paper reports on a recent online survey with 207 Vietnamese (n = 72) and local (n = 135) PG students at a New Zealand university regarding their perceptions of plagiarism. The findings showed significant differences both between and within the two groups. Perception variations arose from a range of influences and prior experiences, not just the culture in which the students were initially educated. Differences related to participants' age, gender, academic levels, disciplines, and teaching experience. This study's findings contribute knowledge about under-researched PG students and problematize prevalent stereotypes of international students regarding plagiarism. They generate implications for higher education institutions to accommodate international and domestic PG student needs in ways that respect their diversities in detail as individuals, not as members of a homogeneous group. Further qualitative research to explore PG student perceptions in greater depth is recommended.

This research is based on the T-shaped professional model (Gardner, 2017), which advocates developing a breadth of knowledge and skills, and exhibiting boundary-spanning competencies such as teamwork, communication, organizational perspective and networks. This paper describes a thematic content analysis of 271 students' reflections about their main tasks during their sport management and coaching work-integrated learning (WIL) placements. The findings highlight a breadth and depth of WIL activity, which reinforces the notion of developing T-shaped professionals (Gardner, 2017), who are characterized by their deep disciplinary knowledge in at least one area (e.g., event management), and their ability to function as 'adaptive innovators' across boundaries between disciplines (e.g., various business activities). In developing students as 'reflective practitioners', a key finding is the importance of the WIL learning process that facilitates reflective work-based experiences. It provides an ideal environment for encouraging the individual student to develop self-efficacy, analytical, systems and critical thinking skills, and a problem-solving mind-set/approach.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has attracted considerable attention as an instrument for enhancing professional practice and developing work-readiness in graduates. It is widely considered as a point of difference in developing graduate employability by enhancing skill outcomes through an authentic learning experience. This paper focuses on student insights of the added value of WIL and their development of personal and professional graduate attributes. Thematic content analysis was undertaken of students' reflections (n=271) of their perceived learning outcomes and overall experiences from their sport management and coaching WIL experiences at Massey University, New Zealand. The findings show that enjoyment, achievement and reinforcing career decisions added value to the student's experiences. Gratitude for the support and mentoring of workplace and academic supervisors was also evident. Development of personal attributes involving self-management, enterprise, and effective communication were important learning outcomes. Professional development of a community of practice and leadership responsibilities were also highlighted.

An increasing number of Chinese students pursue their higher education degree in an overseas university. This research paper sets out to raise a discussion about some of the major challenges that such Chinese postgraduates might experience when studying at universities in English speaking countries drawing from ethnographic and sociological perspectives. The paper seeks to enhance understanding of a growing phenomenon amongst student communities in Higher Education institutions in English speaking countries. The challenges faced by Chinese students can be disorientating and stressful but overcoming them can lead to opening up of a range of opportunities from which the students can benefit particularly after they have graduated from their study. As many HE institutions come to depend upon the growing number of Chinese students enrolling with them the paper touches upon an issue of cross national concern. Both authors have experience of students seeking to study in English-speaking countries. They are currently pursuing research at the Institute of Education, University College London. The present paper is drawn from a wider programme of research into student exchanges and flows.

This review aims to address the major sources of stress experienced by international students, the role of individual differences, the chronology of their stress levels and wellbeing over time, and gaps in the existing literature. Two electronic databases (PubMed and Psych Info) were searched for English peer-reviewed articles using eight search terms. Thirty-eight studies were included in this paper and divided into themes and sub-themes including sources of stress, individual differences and mental health including stress, depression and wellbeing. The findings highlight major stressors and show mixed results in some areas due to the lack of homogenous samples based on country of origin or ethnicity and sometimes context differences concerning the country or university social dynamics. Limitations were identified in the methodology, and several recommendations for future research are included.

This paper reports on two projects which investigated graded readers (GRs) as meaningful input for learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL). Project One examined the intentions of six writers of Japanese GRs. A focus group interview demonstrated that the writers had a genuine communicative intent in the writing process. Project Two investigated how fourteen learners of JFL responded to the GRs produced by these writers. Most participants welcomed lexical simplification in the GRs and their think-aloud protocols indicated that they experienced an effortless reading process with the GRs. This implies that GRs can be productive reading materials for JFL reading fluency development. In the affective domain, the less proficient participants tended to react favourably to the writers' communicative intent, whereas advanced participants demonstrated negative perceptions toward reading the GRs. The paper argues that the potential of GRs as meaningful input for learners of JFL is maximized when their efficacy is explicitly taught. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 3 notes.)

The increasingly diverse language backgrounds of their students are creating new challenges for English-medium universities. One response in Australian and New Zealand institutions has been to introduce post-entry language assessment (PELA) to identify incoming students who need to enhance their academic language ability. One successful example of this type of programme is the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) at the University of Auckland, which has been implemented across the university since 2002. This paper discusses the reasons for introducing the assessment and outlines its current operation. As part of the validation process feedback is obtained from academic staff, and from students who have completed the assessment and been advised about their opportunities for enriching their academic literacy. The focus of this paper is on the ways the feedback has led to changes both in the composition and administration of the assessment and the delivery of effective English language programmes.

In this paper, we critically interrogate the way in which comparative and international education coursework at two large institutions in Australia and New Zealand embody or challenge teleological, colonial, and Western/Northern-centric perspectives on education and development. Embedded within a broader and introspective examination of our roles as comparative and international educators in these universities, we deconstruct the intent behind our course objectives, readings, lecture content and assessment tasks, and place them into conversation with our own pedagogical self-reflections, observations of practice and student feedback. In doing so, we highlight ways in which we believe we are beginning to prepare a new generation of more critically conscious, and regionally-minded set of teachers, development practitioners and researchers. Specifically, by "making the familiar strange," and encouraging our students to co-construct knowledge, we argue we can begin to create actionable spaces which encourage an alternative reading of the world; something colleagues from across Oceania and further afield have long argued for as part of the decolonizing process. We also highlight how this process has led us to better recognize our own positionalities and epistemologies as CIE educators, in hopes that it can lead to an ongoing space for dialogue between educators and researchers within and beyond the region.

Registered nurses today are required to maintain a portfolio of evidence of their competence to practice. This evidence collection commences at undergraduate level with nursing programmes requiring portfolio's as assessments, which are often submitted in hard copy. This paper describes the outcome when a small group of tutorial staff introduced ePortfolio's into an undergraduate nursing degree. Evaluation of the effectiveness was collected through reflective conversations, which focused on issues that arise when implementing this change to a curriculum, along with improving understanding of ePortfolios and their use in practice. Routine student evaluations and the lessons learnt from tutorial staff reflections were used to inform the planning for wider implementation of ePortfolio's.

The rising cost of textbooks is influencing students' choice of courses, as well as the quality of their learning experience once they are enrolled in a course, according to recent studies. This paper builds on those studies by exploring the possible effects that textbook costs may be having on study behaviours of students at one New Zealand tertiary institution: University of Otago. Perceptions of undergraduate students (n-811) about cost of, and access to, textbooks and possible influences on their study behaviours were gathered through a questionnaire. Results showed that students: are more likely to buy textbooks than access them through libraries; experienced purchasing expensive textbooks that were rarely used; questioned the value of textbooks; described alternative resource-seeking behaviours; and are heavily reliant on alternatives suggested by lecturers. Perceptions about affordability and academic value, access issues and consequential influences on study-related behaviours and attitudes are discussed.

This paper describes an experiment carried out at International Pacific College (IPC) as part of an EAP (English for Academic Purposes) paper taught in year one of the BA programme. The trial was aimed at instilling students with the motivation to self-monitor their pronunciation, attempting to raise it to an internationally acceptable level of intelligibility. In this experiment, the students were encouraged to take responsibility for progress and competency within both reading and pronunciation. A fundamental part of the process was embedding pronunciation into as many academic skills as possible, including reading, listening, and note taking.

Non-traditional ways of achieving a business qualification are becoming more common and popular internationally. In this case study from New Zealand, a joint delivery model including full credit between two higher education institutions, a vocational-based polytechnic and a traditional university, shows the strong foundations that can be built to assist a diverse student group moving into higher levels of study. A representative sample of graduates (2009-2014) from the New Zealand Diploma in Business taught at a polytechnic who then progressed to a business or management degree with a partner university were surveyed to gauge student expectations and experiences of both study environments. In particular, the survey focused on how the diploma programme assists the students in transitioning from a vocational based introductory programme to an academic business degree. Graduates' employment outcomes were then compared to their initial enrolment expectations and key contributors to success were identified. The paper describes the findings from the study and discusses the implications for those who are managing and teaching the qualifications at both levels. The overall purpose of the inquiry is to ensure that the quality of the student experience is enhanced and the teaching and learning delivery options offered through this inter-institutional approach are aligned to the needs and expectations of the learners. Of particular interest are the comments from students around both content knowledge and skills generated through their studies that have directly contributed to their current work role and the connection they make between the polytechnic and university experience and their longer term career aspirations. Key skills graduates gained as outcomes of the NZ Diploma in Business qualification were identified relative to their current employment. Other findings discussed include: Maori graduates are less likely to be employed and less likely to continue on to degree studies. Male graduates are less likely to use the diploma skills in their employment. Lower age group students rate the diploma more highly for preparing them for degree studies and in assisting them with completion of their degree than do mature students.

Educational digital games are often presented at Technology in Language Education conferences. The games are entertaining and are backed by research detailing how games can improve the learning experience through active critical learning, learner interaction, competition, challenge, and high learner motivation. The authors, inspired by such presentations, were interested in creating digital games to mitigate problems of demotivation in a beginner Japanese kanji (non-alphabetic script) class at Auckland University of Technology but found there was no body of research on digital games for learning non-alphabetic scripts. This paper contributes to filling this gap by describing the creation of three digital games for kanji learning. Difficulties were experienced during the development of the games and these are described with reference to the divide, discussed in gaming literature, between the type of digital games being showcased at conferences and the reality for teachers wishing to emulate the practice by developing their own digital games. Questionnaire responses and the game-related journal entries of three cohorts of learners were analysed, and teacher reflections on the action research project were used to answer the questions "Should we be leaving this field to the experts?" and "Other than high-end multi-level curriculum-centred digital games, are there different gaming scenarios worth exploring?"

Practicum is the cornerstone of teacher education. Triadic assessment of practicum is an established model in early childhood initial teacher education in New Zealand. Based on a phenomenographic study on assessment of practicum, this paper presents a new perspective on triadic assessment. Interview data are collected from 35 participants (20 associate teachers, 5 visiting lecturers, 10 student teachers) to obtain a specimen of collective conceptions of key stakeholders about triadic assessment. The analysis reveals three sets of logically related categories of conceptions (outcome spaces) that denote the tensions around the final judging role in assessment of practicum, in particular, visiting lecturers' scheduled observation. Based on the findings from this study, we contemplate some significant modifications to the triadic assessment model which calls in question visiting lecturers' final judging role in assessment of practicum.

This paper investigates the use of "Facebook" for out-of-class, informal language learning. 190 New Zealand university language students (Chinese, German, French, Japanese and Spanish) completed an anonymous online questionnaire on (1) their perceptions of "Facebook" as a multilingual environment, (2) their online writing practices and (3) their views on the educational value of their experiences. Findings indicate that language students are using a range of "Facebook" features to expose themselves to the languages they study (L2) and to communicate in their L2 with native speaker "Facebook" friends. The use of the social networking site varied according to proficiency-levels of the participants (beginner, intermediate and advanced levels), strength of social ties with native speaker "Facebook" friends and personal attitudes towards the site. Learning experiences on "Facebook" were not perceived as useful for the formal language learning context which suggests the need for bridging strategies between informal and formal learning environments.

Contribution: This paper demonstrated on a large scale that explicit articulation of creativity-related learning goals on engineering syllabi is quite limited, and primarily limited to the first year of study. Engineering educators may need to do more to ensure creativity is explicitly addressed as an expected learning outcome within engineering syllabi. Background: Prior studies have shown inclusion of creativity within engineering syllabi and course activities are generally limited. Students may perceive educators do not value creativity, and their studies have limited influence on their creative skills. Studies conflict on whether creativity skills increase over completing an engineering degree. Creativity has been demonstrated to be an important skill for engineering professionals, but one not necessarily appropriately addressed in engineering programs. Few studies have attempted to quantify coverage of creativity material on a nation-wide scale, as opposed to in a single or select few institutions. Research Questions: 1) To what extent do engineering educators explicitly articulate creativity and innovation-related learning goals and material on their course syllabi? and 2) To what extent do engineering educators explicitly articulate exposure to, or instruction in the use of, creativity heuristics within their course syllabi? Methodology: The online publicly accessible course outlines of 1109 compulsory courses from 42 degree programs accredited by two national engineering accreditation bodies were qualitatively analyzed in a two-stage approach using document analysis. Findings: Approximately 2% of compulsory electrical engineering course outlines explicitly articulate creativity-related material; only one course articulated engaging students in using creativity heuristics.

This paper reports on a qualitative evaluation of the postgraduate courses offered by distance in one university department. The types and amount of support provided to students was evaluated and compared with Simpson's (2008a) Proactive Motivational Support model (PaMS). While students were largely satisfied with the support they received during their studies, their perceptions of the levels and effectiveness of that support varied. They also perceived a variation in the levels of support between individual courses. A number of areas where support could be improved were identified, including those that met the characteristics of the PaMS model.

Seven counseling and guidance students from California participated in a study abroad program in which they were placed in a high school in Auckland, New Zealand, for one month. Their comments on the experience in response to researchers' questions form the basis of this paper. They suggest that the participants benefited from being immersed in a culturally different context where they had to consider differences in school organization, counseling priorities, and students' cultural mores. This immersion required them to think about their own professional values and to engage in high level learning, appropriate to masters level field experience work. They commented especially on different approaches to cultural and racial issues in New Zealand and California and on experiencing a counseling profession that is more focused on addressing social issues than on college readiness.

This paper reports on the findings of a reconceptualised Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme where a collaborative relationship between the university and partner schools saw the shared responsibility for the first year ITE programme. Findings from this study suggests that ongoing, authentic teaching experiences in collaboration with school-based university tutorials provided a strong foundation for the early development of teacher identity. Wenger's (1998) social theory of learning provides a theoretical framework for understanding why this community of practice has been particularly effective in planting the seed of teacher identity at such an early stage of the ITE programme.

Incorporating new media technologies that enable mobile learning to be part of educational practice poses challenges to those used to teaching in a traditional classroom environment. In this article three lecturers and a learning advisor from a New Zealand university reflect on their experiences in the progressive redesign of a Bachelor of Arts degree paper. Students were tasked with using mobile devices to make short movies and incorporate digital platforms and social media as part of mobile learning. A design-based research approach assisted the lecturers to use the transition of the paper over a two-year period as a case study to demonstrate how a change in mindset and skill base was necessary for them as well as the students in adapting to a mobile learning environment. Findings from this research indicate that the students' ability to apply creative skills using mobile devices, plus the lecturers' willingness to embrace new formats, enhanced the learning and teaching experience. Finally, this article presents guidelines to assist other institutions wishing to update courses to incorporate mobile learning.

Within the New Zealand university context, there has been a dramatic shift in the demographics of doctoral programs. Moving from an elitist educational environment to one that includes a variety of students from different cultures and educational and linguistic backgrounds has meant that "traditional" doctoral study, in which a student works largely alone under the supervision of just one or two more senior research scholars has become increasingly inadequate. This paper describes a qualitative research study of a cross-disciplinary, cohort-based doctoral writing initiative. Findings from the study have changed how doctoral support is conceptualised within our context and have led to the adoption of a student-focused "talk to think: think to write" peer learning environment.

In 1999, the New Zealand government released a new Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum that reflected a fundamental shift from the traditional and dominant skill mastery approach. The "new" HPE curriculum was based on humanistic principles and supported by constructivist notions of teaching and learning, within a critical pedagogy. Since this time, and a subsequent curriculum revision in 2007, the HPE curriculum writers have suggested that physical education (PE) teachers and physical education teacher education (PETE) students in New Zealand have struggled to understand the epistemological complexities and pedagogical implications of critical pedagogy in their practice. Therefore, this paper highlights the findings of a study that explored a New Zealand PETE program, in light of HPE within the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). Additionally, and in light of the findings, the authors consider an examination of Kirk's (2013) concept of models-based practice as it could apply to the preparation and professional development of physical education teachers in New Zealand. The case study included nine volunteer participants, from a cohort of 32 students, who were nearing graduation from a critically oriented PETE program in New Zealand. Semistructured interviews were deployed and analyzed and reoccurring themes central to the purpose of the study identified and explored. The participants viewed movement contexts as being pivotal for learning in physical education and that the NZC had multiple educational aims and purposes. Participants also believed that PE teachers were required to move beyond direct instruction and implement a variety of teaching styles to achieve these multiple aims. However, the participants also shared misunderstandings and paradigmatic uncertainty around the critical and humanistic underpinnings of the NZC and failed to demonstrate an understanding of how this is enacted through critical pedagogy. The implications of this theory to practice nexus are further discussed in light of recent research debate around models-based practice.

Cooperative education can be expressed in terms of a partnership between students, university and industry. A stakeholder-integrated approach to cooperative education involves formalized sustainable relationships between stakeholders. This study investigated the motives and determinants for the formation of cooperative education partnerships. Through a qualitative case study, the perceptions of cooperative education stakeholders were explored in the context of sport tertiary education. The students, industry and academics views supported multiple determinants such as reciprocity, efficiency, legitimacy and synergy as important in the formation of cooperative education partnerships. Interpersonal connections and individual factors also played a key role. However, for long-term viability the university and industry also need to consider strategic alignment rather than partnerships based on individual interests alone. Understanding the perceptions of the stakeholders involved in the partnership will contribute to improving the management and sustainability of sport cooperative education experiences for students, the university and industry. [Papers included in this "Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education" ("APJCE") Special Issue stem from selected manuscripts from the Australian Collaborative Education Network Annual Conference 2012.]

Research indicates learners studying at a distance can experience perceptions of isolation and lack of "belonging" and support, which can adversely affect their learning experience and performance. Recently, the advent of affordable, accessible and reliable high-speed broadband has meant that a whole new array of digital tools to support synchronous interaction between students and tutors engaged in online learning have become viable, thereby potentially helping to address some of these issues. This paper presents findings from a study involving postgraduate students using the Adobe Connect and Wimba Live virtual classrooms to present a series of seminars as part of Waikato University's Postgraduate Diploma in Education. It explores students' perspectives of the value of the classrooms for building relationships and supporting communication and interaction, and examines factors that influenced this. Results show that while virtual classroom use was viewed favourably, its value was influenced by task, communication tools, multimedia usability and technical/logistical factors--some of which were beyond student control. These factors will be explored and discussed, with recommendations being presented for teachers considering using virtual classrooms to support their online distance learning programmes.

In both traditional face-to-face and online learning contexts, self-efficacy has been shown to be a key contributor to learner success. Once established, self-efficacy can be generalised to other learning situations, with the strongest effect occurring with learning activities that are closest to those in which self-efficacy has been improved. Self-efficacy is not only a good predictor of learners' academic outcomes, but efficacious learners also tend to persist, cope, and adapt well, even when they have no prior experience. Learners who have low confidence in their ability to study can become frustrated, overwhelmed, and demotivated--they are more likely to achieve low grade point averages, and in some cases drop out. When people become online learners, especially for the first time, they may feel less confident, despite being familiar with day-to-day computer and technology usage. They may still lack essential learning and technology skills for tertiary education and online learning. To support these learners, online courses should be designed to foster learners' efficacy. Research findings have shown that embedded learner control in online modules can enhance learning, improve attitudes, and increase self-efficacy. However, little research has been done to examine self-efficacy of online learners with different levels of learner control in a real online class setting. Therefore, this paper describes current research that focuses on this gap in research, and uses a quantitative research design to investigate the relationship between learner control and learner self-efficacy. Online learning self-efficacy scales and a set of questionnaires were developed and validated. In a pilot study, 31 postgraduate online learners were asked to assess their own self-efficacy and experience with different levels of learner control. Preliminary results show a positive relationship between learner control and online learning self-efficacy.

This paper reports on a qualitative case study of a teacher and her students in a postgraduate Tourism course in New Zealand in which a learning management system, discussion forums, and wikis were used to facilitate student engagement and deeper learning of course content. Although the teacher was experienced in face-to-face teaching contexts, she was a novice in the design and delivery of online learning. However, she believed that technology could foster deeper and more meaningful critical collaborative inquiry among course participants and was keen to explore how this could be facilitated. Evaluative data were gathered from teacher interviews, student focus groups, and an online student survey. Findings indicate that the use of different online tools was effective for engaging students and helped them develop critical insights into key course concepts. However, careful planning and reflection on different pedagogical approaches were needed so that student learning could be supported in meaningful and relevant ways. Implications for supporting educators and students in blended, online learning in Tourism education are offered.

Although international and domestic students applying to English-medium universities may well meet the minimum language entry requirement, recent research indicates that this level of language proficiency often does not provide students with the means to cope effectively with their academic studies (Barthel, 2007; Elder, 2003; Read & Hayes, 2003). To resolve this dilemma our major, multicultural New Zealand university is addressing the problem through implementation of the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA), a post-entry programme administered to all first-year undergraduate students, regardless of their language background. We use the diagnostic outcomes to guide individual students with particular needs to appropriate forms of academic language enrichment. This paper outlines DELNA's history and administration, student responses to the assessment and the subsequent development and uptake of language support options.

This paper reports on the results of an observational parallel study conducted simultaneously at 2 universities--one each in New Zealand and Germany. It deals with university engineering students' difficulties in the formulation step of solving a typical application problem from a first-year calculus course. Two groups of students (54 in New Zealand and 50 in Germany) completed a questionnaire about their difficulties in solving the problem which was set as part of a mid-semester test. The research endeavoured to find reasons most of the students could not use their knowledge to construct a simple function in a familiar context. It was neither lack of mathematics knowledge nor an issue with the context. The students' difficulties are analysed and presented along with their suggestions on how to improve their skills in solving application problems.

iTunes U has become the main worldwide provider of educational podcasts but, despite its popularity, little is known about the type of user who downloads iTunes U language resources, or how those resources are used. This paper presents the results of the first major survey (1891 responses) of users of one of the most successful iTunes U content providers in terms of downloads. It presents a profile of the iTunes U language learner, their listening habits, and their opinion of the resources they download. Comparisons are drawn between language learners and learners of other subjects. The results show that in contrast with profiles of learners in other contexts--such as virtual learning environment-delivered podcasts, identified in previous research (mostly carried out with young university students who download podcasts for instrumental reasons)--iTunes U language learners are different. Respondents in this study are mostly middle-aged and employed, and they download resources for personal interest. Users have a high opinion of the quality of the materials, and they believe the materials help them to learn. The results also show that users listen to language podcasts on mobile devices, in sharp contrast with previous research. Finally, the paper discusses implications for further research.

This paper reports the responses of 235 tertiary commerce students to a questionnaire in relation to their learning and assessment experiences. Significant correlations between measures were used to identify underlying constructs within the overall set of variable measures. Logistic regression incorporating the factors was then used to further distinguish differences between students on the basis of their ethnicity, gender and age. These three demographic characteristics highlighted statistically significant differences across values and beliefs held by the student sample. The empirical findings are particularly relevant for those involved in higher education given the diverse and changing nature of the sector, particularly with the changing demographics of ethnicity, gender and age as well as international barriers in tertiary education opportunities. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

This paper reports on findings from a major New Zealand research project around staff perceptions of student evaluations of teaching. The main focus of this discussion is the insights that the research afforded into staff engagement with and use of student evaluations to inform their teaching practice and to improve student learning. The research data indicates that there is a gap between academics' relatively positive views of evaluation and their actual engagement with the process. A high percentage of academics, particularly at NZ universities, do not report engagement in dialogue or professional development activities around student evaluation. The use of evaluations in teaching tends to be individual, often isolated and unsystematic. This paper recommends some ideas for moving forward and argues for a cultural change that endorses, supports and rewards the systematic integration of student evaluations into teaching practice.

Although educational online technologies (EOTs) have transformed the delivery of learning in higher education, significant EOT challenges have impeded their effectiveness, preventing widespread implementation. The persistence of these challenges suggests that tertiary education institutes (TEIs) have experienced a gap in understandings about the reality of key stakeholders' EOT needs. This research made a phenomenological interpretation of key stakeholders' EOT experiences, to establish their current EOT needs and challenges and provide a basis from which to recommend methods for effective EOT support. It analysed the EOT experiences of 10 students and 10 teachers from New Zealand and Australia and interpreted the meanings of the phenomena through an abstraction and articulation of local and global themes. This paper is the first in a series of six publications that presents the local themes. It documents the interpretations of students' experiences with teachers, in reference to their use of four types of EOTs: online conference tools, learning management systems, blog sites and lecture capture tools. These interpretations, which include descriptions of stakeholders' EOT challenges, helped to inform a set of recommendations for effective EOT use, to assist TEIs in their efforts to address EOT challenges and meet stakeholders' needs.

Health professionals are attracted to the flexibility of the virtual classroom for their on-going education. Recent studies have documented the differences in pedagogy between Internet based learning online and the traditional classroom setting, but few have investigated student health professionals' transitional process while engaged in online learning. The purpose of this mixed methods evaluation study was to document students' experience of a six month online research methods paper (unit). Specifically it explores factors that influenced student transition to online pedagogy and successful completion of the paper. Descriptive qualitative and quantitative analyses were applied to 230 student evaluations and 1720 emails collected over a four year period. The findings supported those of previous studies; the main reasons students study online is the flexibility it offers (87%) and the ability to study without taking time off work (72%). The student experiences were captured in the overarching theme "from enduring to enjoying". A teacher who works within a collaborative team, engages students early with interactive skill acquisition learning activities, and is responsive to online students' unique needs, can successfully facilitate students through the virtual classroom transitional phases: from "virtual paralysis" to "engagement" to "getting into it" to "surprised enjoyment". Without strategies in place, however, teachers risk being overwhelmed by the onslaught of student emails, with the allotted teacher-student contact time slip sliding away. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

The use of the Internet to deliver courses at tertiary level is growing steadily, with the Internet being seen as the ideal solution to a range of issues facing educators in the 21st century. However, little is known as how best to use synchronous communication to support students' learning. This paper documents a New Zealand tertiary course entitled "Occupational Therapy and the Internet", delivered primarily on the Web using online chat. Findings from this study show that synchronous communication could facilitate content-related, in-depth, discussion and students valued the sharing of experience and the high quality of the learning gained. Issues in using synchronous communication in course delivery are also identified in this paper. (Contains 3 tables and 5 figures.)

The nature of learning to read in a second and foreign language (L2) can be more challenging when compared to learning other subjects. Therefore, the influence of instruction given in L2 classrooms cannot be underestimated. A balanced instruction needs to be taken in order to develop learners' reading proficiency and their motivation to read. This paper reports the findings of a cross-sectional survey which investigated what factors of L2 reading learners of Japanese found motivating and demotivating. It investigates whether or not students were familiar with strategies, whether or not they believed they would be fluent L2 Japanese readers, whether or not their perceptions toward L2 reading changed according to developmental stages, and so on. One of the noteworthy findings is that regardless of their levels, the respondents (132 university level learners of Japanese as a foreign language) sought language-learning opportunities from L2 reading rather than seeking engagement from the content of what they read. The findings also imply that whereas the intensive-reading-oriented instruction the respondents received may have been compatible with their initial language-learning oriented approach toward L2 reading, it seemed to have failed to show these learners an accessible path to master reading in their target language.

Online learning has grown considerably in recent years. However attrition rates from online courses indicate that not all learners are successful in such settings, and various factors have been identified as crucial to learner persistence. Research evidence suggests that motivation is one such factor. This study builds on previous studies by using self-determination theory (SDT) as an analytical framework to explore, in-depth, the motivation of pre-service teachers situated within an online learning context. In particular, the underlying concepts of autonomy, competence and relatedness from SDT were adopted as critical lenses to identify social and contextual influences which undermined the psychological needs of these learners. Most prominent among these in the current study were: high workload, assessment pressure, perceptions that the learning activity lacked relevance (autonomy-undermining), unclear and complicated guidelines, insufficient guidance and feedback from the instructor (competence-undermining), and communication issues with peers (relatedness-undermining). By not exclusively focusing on learners' autonomy needs as others have done, the paper offers a more extensive picture of undermining influences on motivation than has been previously identified in online studies.

Over the past decade, industry relevance and connectedness have evolved into a key requirement for students and their parents, who increasingly perceive employability upon graduation as a critical factor in the degree selection process. Simultaneously, professional bodies emphasise the need for high levels of industry engagement as a condition for accreditation, which in turn further impacts on the "marketability" of a specific degree. However, many of the skills emphasised by potential employers and industry reference groups are more closely aligned with generic graduate attributes, rather than discipline specific knowledge and skills. This increasingly includes an emphasis on cultural awareness, excellent communication skills and the ability to work in dispersed, often even virtual teams. This observation is arguably particularly relevant within the business (degree) context, where workforces become increasingly multicultural, as traditional borders and limitations make way for transnational opportunities. This paper discusses the benefits and challenges associated with a third year student project that set out to combine the need for discipline specific knowledge, with the acquisition of versatile, culturally sensitive business skills. Students participating in the aptly titled "communications challenge" competed against their peers as part of multicultural teams, representing twelve countries, across five continents. The authors conclude that experiential learning opportunities like this global, real life client project may not necessarily be popular amongst the wider student cohort. Furthermore, the acquisition of discipline specific knowledge may be limited when compared to "traditional" teaching deliveries. However, projects like this provide a number of benefits, in particular in the context of capstone units that set out to prepare students for a diverse career in an increasingly global, multicultural and complex environment.