Papers by Graham F Foster
Education Futures 21C, 2019
Never before has New Zealand’s education been in crisis conditions as bad as they are today! Teac... more Never before has New Zealand’s education been in crisis conditions as bad as they are today! Teachers and Principals are in conflict with the Ministry of Education and the Minister of Education. Teachers and Principals are resigning from their positions since they are experiencing high stress and very high workload. Some students are finding schooling beyond Year 8 to be irrelevant for their current socio-educational needs. Students are not adapting to the new stresses and expectations of the teenage-to-adult maturation process. Parents are unable to relate effectively to their “out of control” children. There is a great need to change the framework of New Zealand education by changing the focus from assessment-of-learning to assessment-for-learning by urgently applying the KUBDD Framework for Future Ready Education, reducing the emphasis on subject-based learning and assessment and increasing the significance of Multiple Literacies (MLs). These MLs provide more meaningful and more relevant learning for more students, including Maori, Pasifika and European NZ students who need greater support. We must not continue to use teaching and learning strategies that will not prepare students for 21st century living. This paper provides detail of the KUBDD and Multiple Literacies in an expansive set of tables. The teaching-learning-assessment strategies are provided through Concept Based Inquiry. The challenge is to choose the right pathway supported by a strong framework for ensuring the 21st century education direction is achieved and maintained, together with supportive pedagogies that will enable successful transformation of teaching, learning and assessment through the development of the New Zealand Curriculum 2022
New Zealand Association of Science Educators, 2014
After being challenged to improve the achievement of Maori students in Physics and increase the a... more After being challenged to improve the achievement of Maori students in Physics and increase the amount of Maori contexts used in Physics the following criteria were identified to be important:
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alone to engage Maori (and Pasifika) students since the under-lying importance of te Reo (Maori language), whanaungatanga (relationships) and turangawaewae (a place to stand) exert very significant influences on our students.
2. Acknowledgement and utilisation of the significance of cultural perspectives such as mana (prestige or authority), utu (balanced exchange)
3. The advantages offered by using whakataukī (proverbs) and understanding of the implications of brain theory as vocabulary and memory support.
4. Reinforcement of the importance of individual acknowledgement of students as part of the learning and teaching experience.
5. The suitable integration of taha Maori into Physics.
"Sharing and promoting each other’s cultures not only promotes peace and goodwill within the communities, but it creates a greater opportunities for meaningful relationships to be established."
Sharples, P (2006)
NZ Association of Science Educators magazin, 2004
Developing understanding and Key Competencies of Maori students requires acceptance of several un... more Developing understanding and Key Competencies of Maori students requires acceptance of several unique cultural factors of Kaupapa Maori. This paper explores and identifies a series of fundamental principles, which must be extended into mainstream educational settings and provide strategies for implementation in the classroom. The difference between Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge is developed and the need to recognise Indigenous Knowledge is justified. Finally, some more Generic Considerations are provided with research evidence. This paper has been peer-reviewed and published in both 2004 and 2013 in NZ Association of Science Educators magazine
Leading Innovation in NZ Schools, 2019
ERO’s 2018 report
Leading Innovative Learning in New Zealand Schools states that
“The world that... more ERO’s 2018 report
Leading Innovative Learning in New Zealand Schools states that
“The world that our learners will enter when they leave school has changed dramatically from the
world that traditional education prepared students for. The changes are ongoing and our
education system must meet the challenges they pose.
The Education Review Office (ERO) visited 12 schools to see how they were preparing their
students as 21st century learners. Leaders were innovative, rethinking and transforming teaching
and learning to equip students with the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for their
future. In doing so, they also maximised learning opportunities offered by digital technology and
flexible learning spaces.”
This survey provides school leaders and teacher-educators, the opportunity to analyse their own knowledge, skills and understandings about their school, to determine how they might become more innovative. There are opportunities for both individual and team analysis so that each educator might perceive the difference between their own understanding and the leadership team’s understanding of the issues and opportunities. That opportunity to see the difference in scores will enable thought and consideration of future focus and effort.
Education Futures 21C October 2019
This document analyses each of the NELPs and the objectives provided and then finally provides ev... more This document analyses each of the NELPs and the objectives provided and then finally provides evidenced-based recommendations for consideration. Each NELP is considered from the perspective of valid recent (2012-2019) education research and knowledge of practical issues after teaching for 50 years in middle and senior management positions.
Developing Multiple Literacies for Future Ready Education
Never before has New Zealand's education been in crisis conditions as bad as they are today! Teac... more Never before has New Zealand's education been in crisis conditions as bad as they are today! Teachers and Principals are in conflict with the Ministry of Education and the Minister of Education. Teachers and Principals are resigning from their positions since they are experiencing high stress and very high workload. Some students are finding schooling beyond Year 8 to be irrelevant for their current socio-educational needs. Students are not adapting to the new stresses and expectations of the teenage-to-adult maturation process. Parents are unable to relate effectively to their "out of control" children. There is a great need to change the framework of New Zealand education by changing the focus from assessment-of-learning to assessment-for-learning by urgently applying the KUBDD Framework for Future Ready Education, reducing the emphasis on subject-based learning and assessment and increasing the significance of Multiple Literacies (MLs). These MLs provide more meaningful and more relevant learning for more students, including Maori, Pasifika and European NZ students who need greater support. The paper provides detail of these Multiple Literacies in an expansive set of tables. The teaching-learning-assessment strategies are provided through Concept Based Inquiry.
Applying the KUBDD Education Framework to Catalyse Definition of 21st Century Subject-Based Learning and Competencies for Aotearoa New Zealand, 2019
This research paper asserts that New Zealand has now a unique opportunity to form coherent educat... more This research paper asserts that New Zealand has now a unique opportunity to form coherent education administration and teaching-learning-assessment frameworks. Examples of frameworks using the KUBDD Framework developed by Education Futures 21C are provided. Since technology has diversified there is the need to apply multiple literacies. The difference between skills, capabilities and competencies is provided, then the issues of including 21 st century competencies in a teaching-learning-assessment framework are detailed and questions are raised for the reader to consider. Finally there are the challenges for New Zealand Education and New Zealand's teacher-educators to broaden their view of what teaching needs to achieve in the 21 st century and to re-imagine and redevelop their teaching to provide Future Ready Education to our students.
To teach as we have always done so is to ignore the needs of the millennial students in the
21st... more To teach as we have always done so is to ignore the needs of the millennial students in the
21st Century! Students have different needs now and these differences in needs is becoming more apparent as society changes from a knowledge-based society that relies on just-in-case learning, to one that needs people to be just-in-time learners.
Learning and teaching should have changed dramatically in 2007 with the launch of the “new” New Zealand Curriculum. As the former sentence suggests, learning rather than teaching has now been placed at the top of the priority list. This implies that pedagogy, values, implementation of the Treaty of Waitangi principles, Key Competencies (unified by Thinking), Capabilities, Future focused learning, use of information technology to support learning and inclusiveness have now been promoted to become more important, with greater emphasis than prior to 2007. This process of change is continuous with new perspectives and needs for 21st century learning. These new perspectives include leadership, digital literacy, communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, global citizenship, problem solving and team working.
The changes in learning and teaching must lead to changes in assessment strategies and styles. There is a great need to develop assessments to signal the extent of development of the values, Key Competencies and Capabilities explained in the NZ Curriculum document. The assessments must reflect the development of future-focused attitudes and capabilities. Teachers must become more involved with Technology and Home Room/Form Class teachers need to be provided with professional development and recognition of their important function in the school.
Some schools are developing these capabilities to focus on 21st century learning and teaching. They are successfully implementing the 2007 NZ Curriculum by introducing new teaching strategies that are aligned to engagement, learning and assessment. These schools help us understand the needs of 21st century learners, strategies to engage them, and methods of assessment that are successful.
This book will introduce and discuss the new learning and teaching needs for the next phase in the 21st century. The complex educational issues of this next phase include developing these new curriculum perspectives, reduced emphasis on content, and changes to the various modes of assessment. Suggestions about how teacher-educators need to re-focus the learning, teaching and assessment processes through alignment and the use of new strategies, that need to be considered to achieve the intentions of the New Zealand Curriculum in secondary schools, will be developed. These developments imply the need to find improved ways to capture, motivate and inspire students using relevance, rationale, research-based methods, relaxed strategies, and supportive rapport. There are changes for both teachers and students. The readings will provide the re-focused perspectives.
Schools and education systems around the world are having to reconsider their design and approach... more Schools and education systems around the world are having to reconsider their design and approach to teaching and learning. What should schooling, teaching and, most especially, learning look like in this rapidly changing world? The OECD project Innovative Learning Environments has published The Nature of Learning to support schools as they reconsider their approach to learning and teaching. This publication uses research to inspire practice. It provides a powerful knowledge base for the design of learning environments for the 21st century. The seven principles are identified as:
Since publication of the NZ Curriculum in 2007 there has been a paradigm shift in schooling, asse... more Since publication of the NZ Curriculum in 2007 there has been a paradigm shift in schooling, assessment and in society. The students of today are quite different to those of the 1990's and certainly have different needs. We cannot continue with only standards based learning and assessment that focuses on content and memory alone. Students need more meta-cognitive based learning that builds competencies and confidence and focuses more on personalized learning using intrinsic motivation. This paper explains the what and why of the paradigm shift in terms of achievements.
To teach as we have always done is to ignore the needs of the millennial students in the 21 st Ce... more To teach as we have always done is to ignore the needs of the millennial students in the 21 st Century! Students have different needs now and these differences in needs are becoming more apparent as society changes from a knowledge-based society that relies on just-in-case learning, to one that needs people to be just-in-time learners. Learning and teaching should have changed dramatically in 2007 with the launch of the " new " New Zealand Curriculum. Learning rather than teaching has now been placed at the top of the priority list. This implies that pedagogy, values, implementation of the Treaty of Waitangi principles, Key Competencies (unified by Thinking), Capabilities, Future focused learning, use of multiple literacies to support learning and inclusiveness have now been promoted to become more important, with greater emphasis than prior to 2007. (1) In any review of the New Zealand Curriculum and NCEA system it is essential to ensure that assessment structure is closely aligned to the NZ Curriculum since assessment follows curriculum and not vice versa. Since they are an essential part of the NZ Curriculum, the Key Competencies and Values need to be wrapped into the learning and assessment contexts. So teaching, learning and assessment needs to include both content related learning and competency based learning included in the NZ Curriculum and NCEA assessment system. That is, both subject focused learning together with learning capabilities and competencies and values should be included in the assessment structure. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) framework uses the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 and 3 in secondary schools, though this is extended to Levels 4 to 8 in tertiary institutions. The criterion referenced Achievement Standards are linked to units of learning and each Achievement Standard (AS) specifies three levels of achievement (Achieved, Achieved with Merit, and Achieved with Excellence). These AS, together with Literacy and Numeracy requirements at each level, combine to contribute a summative assessment statement that requires a total of 80 credits to gain each NCEA Level of Achievement. Almost all of these Achievement Standards focus on content, memory work and skills, rather than include the Key Competencies, Values and learning dispositions that have been brought to the front of the 2007 NZ Curriculum document. Skills are assessed using Industry Training Organisation (ITO) Standards that apply Vocational Pathway Achievement Standards. NCEA AS are not closely linked to personalised learning as requested in the NZ Curriculum. While teacher-educators do consider the AS Outcomes to direct students into course for successive years, the final course constructed is a combination of AS that fit a particular theme or curriculum focus, rather than being a construct to support each student's learning needs. The combination of course studied by each student in one year does not necessarily have relevance to the needs of that student in the 21 st Century.
This CV describes and explains the details of my career and publications
Assessment should reveal how well our students have learned what we want them to learn, while ins... more Assessment should reveal how well our students have learned what we want them to learn, while instruction provides strategies and climate for that learning to occur. For effective learning teachers need to ‘capture’ the students through effective strategies. Students need to be focused, engaged and committed to participation. For learning to occur, learning objectives, instructional strategies and assessment need to be closely aligned. Only this alignment will ensure these three structural and procedural pillars reinforce each other, they provide a pathway to show teacher-educators know what they can assess, that ensures validity and reinforcement of the growth of student self-confidence, together with the assurances that curriculum objectives are being followed and achieved.
In New Zealand the assurance, that this alignment is occurring, provides a tremendous challenge to teacher-educators. The New Zealand Curriculum is a very complex document. While more experienced educators may find the reversed emphasis an obvious feature (compared to the previous curriculum documents), it is the more covert use of particular educational terminology and the implications that each one infers that is the most significant development. Throughout the statements there are ‘special words’ that convey extensive implications when further understanding is synthesized. The placement of the Aims, Principles, Values and Key Competencies at the front of the document signals the great significance of these statements
This article attempts to provide:
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alo... more This article attempts to provide:
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alone to engage Maori (and Pasifika) students since the under-lying importance of te Reo (Maori language), hanaungatanga (relationships) and tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) exert very significant influences on our students.
2. Acknowledgement and utilisation of the significance of cultural perspectives such as mana (prestige or authority), utu (balanced exchange) 3. 3. The advantages offered by using whakataukī (proverbs) and understanding of the implications of brain theory as vocabulary and memory support.
4. Reinforcement of the importance of individual acknowledgement of students as part of the learning and teaching experience.
5. The suitable integration of taha Maori into Physics.
Over the past eight years, 2008 – 2015, education professionals have continued to consider, analy... more Over the past eight years, 2008 – 2015, education professionals have continued to consider, analyse and understand the depth of the statements in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum document. Understanding and Implementing the NZC Handbook documents and develops these concepts and issues about the NZ Curriculum. Teachers need to understand these so that the true intentions of the NZC are implemented.
Many of these concepts are clouded by the covert use of particular educational terminology. These ‘special words’ convey extensive implications when further understanding is synthesized. Some of the book’s features include:
▪ The implications of the Vision statement, the Principle
and Key Competencies.
▪ Strategies to create full Treaty of Waitangi partnership,
develop coherence and include the values in teaching
and learning.
▪ The meaning and implications of future-focused learning.
▪ Can we teach ‘thinking’?
▪ Why should we use Wicked Problems and Systems Thinking?
▪ What might be missing from the NZC?
The book includes readings and questions to engage teacher-educators to consider and discuss the concepts and issues.
The book will provide an excellent resource for teacher trainees, or might be used to stimulate professional development of experienced teachers, either individually or in groups.
Continuous assessment in physics is important for students. It provides the development of mental... more Continuous assessment in physics is important for students. It provides the development of mental models by revising and revisiting concepts. In Physics 120 “Physics of Energy” and Physics 150 “Physics of Technology” at the University of Auckland, we identified that during 2007 and 2008 there was a significant and increasing non-participation rate in assignments and tests. In 2009 strategies were implemented to improve participation by adapting tutorials to be more interactive and aligned to the on-line assignment assessments. There were four online OASIS assignment assessments spread through each course. One week prior to submitting the assignment assessment, six practice questions were given. These questions were similar to those questions in the interactive tutorials. Four OASIS questions were given with changed variables as the assignment assessment. After the third and fourth OASIS assignments there was a strong indication that alignment between tutorial questions and assignments encouraged more participation and completion of OASIS assignments.
It is important and essential that we find and implement strategies that support improved student... more It is important and essential that we find and implement strategies that support improved student learning and achievement. The importance of the collaborative nature of scientific and technological work and the development of relationships prompted the implementation of ‘Team-Based Learning’ in the ‘Physics of Technology’ paper in Stage 1 at the University of Auckland in Semester 1, 2010. With over 310 enrolled students, this provided challenges of forming permanent groups that were properly formed, equitable and carefully managed. After allowing students one session to get to know their group peers, three other laboratory tutorial sessions provided physics challenge questions for both the individuals and team. Immediate feedback of assessment scores provided reinforcement of achievement and signalled on-going needs for both individuals and the group. The group achievements significantly exceeded the performance of any of the individuals in the group. Assignment scores improved significantly. However there were several aspects of the process we used that some students found problematic and which we will probably modify in future years.
Key Words: Relationships Collaboration Support Accountable Contributing
The 2009 report by Graham Foster and Brett A Armstrong identified barriers to learning in Physics... more The 2009 report by Graham Foster and Brett A Armstrong identified barriers to learning in Physics at Stage 1 and suggested strategies that might improve students‟ view of, and confidence about, studying Physics at Stage 1.
During 2010 several strategies were added to the mix in both Physics 120 „Physics of Energy‟ and Physics 160 „Physics for the Biological Sciences‟. The use of clickers, together with in-lecture problem solving, weekly bulletins, and Team Based Learning were some of the strategies implemented. In Semester1, 2011, these strategies were refined and applied. Additionally the opportunity was provided by Pearson Education to trial Mastering Physics, an on-line assignment strategy that had several advantages over the OASIS on-line system commonly used in Stage 1 Physics courses. These strategies facilitated the transfer from „content-focused‟ teaching to the „student-focused‟ teaching based on socio-cultural theory and the work being promoted in the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia, Canada. This paper places the strategies used in the appropriate theoretical context and reports the summative effect of implementing these strategies in the Physics 120 course. The student outcomes in both on-course assessments and examinations is analysed to determine the relative effectiveness of each strategy and the apparent gains that each strategy contributed to student performance. Conclusions and recommendations are provided.
Continuous assessment in physics is important for students developing mental models by revising a... more Continuous assessment in physics is important for students developing mental models by revising and revisiting concepts and also for keeping pace. In Physics 120 “Physics of Energy” and Physics 150 “Physics of Technology” at the University of Auckland we identified that during 2007 and 2008 there was a significant and increasing
non-participation rate in assignments and tests. In 2009 strategies were implemented to improve participation by adapting tutorials to be more interactive and aligned to the on-line assignment assessments. There were four online assignment assessments spread through each course. One week prior to submitting the assignment assessment, six practice questions were given. These questions formed the basis of the interactive tutorials, and then four of these questions given with changed variables as the assignment assessment. A mixed-method of research was used to observe and survey first-year Physics students in their second semester course to identify the effectiveness of these adaptations and to determine those features of learning and assessment that caused barriers to increased participation and the strategies that encouraged positive outcomes.
Drafts by Graham F Foster
academia.edu
This paper examines Curriculum Integration as just one aspect of curriculum development, learning... more This paper examines Curriculum Integration as just one aspect of curriculum development, learning, teaching, technology and assessment. Current research seems to show that we may need to consider partly removing the curriculum basis of subjects from Year 1 to 10 and substituting Multiple Literacies so that we might develop more progressive teaching, learning and assessment programs.
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Papers by Graham F Foster
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alone to engage Maori (and Pasifika) students since the under-lying importance of te Reo (Maori language), whanaungatanga (relationships) and turangawaewae (a place to stand) exert very significant influences on our students.
2. Acknowledgement and utilisation of the significance of cultural perspectives such as mana (prestige or authority), utu (balanced exchange)
3. The advantages offered by using whakataukī (proverbs) and understanding of the implications of brain theory as vocabulary and memory support.
4. Reinforcement of the importance of individual acknowledgement of students as part of the learning and teaching experience.
5. The suitable integration of taha Maori into Physics.
"Sharing and promoting each other’s cultures not only promotes peace and goodwill within the communities, but it creates a greater opportunities for meaningful relationships to be established."
Sharples, P (2006)
Leading Innovative Learning in New Zealand Schools states that
“The world that our learners will enter when they leave school has changed dramatically from the
world that traditional education prepared students for. The changes are ongoing and our
education system must meet the challenges they pose.
The Education Review Office (ERO) visited 12 schools to see how they were preparing their
students as 21st century learners. Leaders were innovative, rethinking and transforming teaching
and learning to equip students with the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for their
future. In doing so, they also maximised learning opportunities offered by digital technology and
flexible learning spaces.”
This survey provides school leaders and teacher-educators, the opportunity to analyse their own knowledge, skills and understandings about their school, to determine how they might become more innovative. There are opportunities for both individual and team analysis so that each educator might perceive the difference between their own understanding and the leadership team’s understanding of the issues and opportunities. That opportunity to see the difference in scores will enable thought and consideration of future focus and effort.
21st Century! Students have different needs now and these differences in needs is becoming more apparent as society changes from a knowledge-based society that relies on just-in-case learning, to one that needs people to be just-in-time learners.
Learning and teaching should have changed dramatically in 2007 with the launch of the “new” New Zealand Curriculum. As the former sentence suggests, learning rather than teaching has now been placed at the top of the priority list. This implies that pedagogy, values, implementation of the Treaty of Waitangi principles, Key Competencies (unified by Thinking), Capabilities, Future focused learning, use of information technology to support learning and inclusiveness have now been promoted to become more important, with greater emphasis than prior to 2007. This process of change is continuous with new perspectives and needs for 21st century learning. These new perspectives include leadership, digital literacy, communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, global citizenship, problem solving and team working.
The changes in learning and teaching must lead to changes in assessment strategies and styles. There is a great need to develop assessments to signal the extent of development of the values, Key Competencies and Capabilities explained in the NZ Curriculum document. The assessments must reflect the development of future-focused attitudes and capabilities. Teachers must become more involved with Technology and Home Room/Form Class teachers need to be provided with professional development and recognition of their important function in the school.
Some schools are developing these capabilities to focus on 21st century learning and teaching. They are successfully implementing the 2007 NZ Curriculum by introducing new teaching strategies that are aligned to engagement, learning and assessment. These schools help us understand the needs of 21st century learners, strategies to engage them, and methods of assessment that are successful.
This book will introduce and discuss the new learning and teaching needs for the next phase in the 21st century. The complex educational issues of this next phase include developing these new curriculum perspectives, reduced emphasis on content, and changes to the various modes of assessment. Suggestions about how teacher-educators need to re-focus the learning, teaching and assessment processes through alignment and the use of new strategies, that need to be considered to achieve the intentions of the New Zealand Curriculum in secondary schools, will be developed. These developments imply the need to find improved ways to capture, motivate and inspire students using relevance, rationale, research-based methods, relaxed strategies, and supportive rapport. There are changes for both teachers and students. The readings will provide the re-focused perspectives.
In New Zealand the assurance, that this alignment is occurring, provides a tremendous challenge to teacher-educators. The New Zealand Curriculum is a very complex document. While more experienced educators may find the reversed emphasis an obvious feature (compared to the previous curriculum documents), it is the more covert use of particular educational terminology and the implications that each one infers that is the most significant development. Throughout the statements there are ‘special words’ that convey extensive implications when further understanding is synthesized. The placement of the Aims, Principles, Values and Key Competencies at the front of the document signals the great significance of these statements
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alone to engage Maori (and Pasifika) students since the under-lying importance of te Reo (Maori language), hanaungatanga (relationships) and tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) exert very significant influences on our students.
2. Acknowledgement and utilisation of the significance of cultural perspectives such as mana (prestige or authority), utu (balanced exchange) 3. 3. The advantages offered by using whakataukī (proverbs) and understanding of the implications of brain theory as vocabulary and memory support.
4. Reinforcement of the importance of individual acknowledgement of students as part of the learning and teaching experience.
5. The suitable integration of taha Maori into Physics.
Many of these concepts are clouded by the covert use of particular educational terminology. These ‘special words’ convey extensive implications when further understanding is synthesized. Some of the book’s features include:
▪ The implications of the Vision statement, the Principle
and Key Competencies.
▪ Strategies to create full Treaty of Waitangi partnership,
develop coherence and include the values in teaching
and learning.
▪ The meaning and implications of future-focused learning.
▪ Can we teach ‘thinking’?
▪ Why should we use Wicked Problems and Systems Thinking?
▪ What might be missing from the NZC?
The book includes readings and questions to engage teacher-educators to consider and discuss the concepts and issues.
The book will provide an excellent resource for teacher trainees, or might be used to stimulate professional development of experienced teachers, either individually or in groups.
Key Words: Relationships Collaboration Support Accountable Contributing
During 2010 several strategies were added to the mix in both Physics 120 „Physics of Energy‟ and Physics 160 „Physics for the Biological Sciences‟. The use of clickers, together with in-lecture problem solving, weekly bulletins, and Team Based Learning were some of the strategies implemented. In Semester1, 2011, these strategies were refined and applied. Additionally the opportunity was provided by Pearson Education to trial Mastering Physics, an on-line assignment strategy that had several advantages over the OASIS on-line system commonly used in Stage 1 Physics courses. These strategies facilitated the transfer from „content-focused‟ teaching to the „student-focused‟ teaching based on socio-cultural theory and the work being promoted in the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia, Canada. This paper places the strategies used in the appropriate theoretical context and reports the summative effect of implementing these strategies in the Physics 120 course. The student outcomes in both on-course assessments and examinations is analysed to determine the relative effectiveness of each strategy and the apparent gains that each strategy contributed to student performance. Conclusions and recommendations are provided.
non-participation rate in assignments and tests. In 2009 strategies were implemented to improve participation by adapting tutorials to be more interactive and aligned to the on-line assignment assessments. There were four online assignment assessments spread through each course. One week prior to submitting the assignment assessment, six practice questions were given. These questions formed the basis of the interactive tutorials, and then four of these questions given with changed variables as the assignment assessment. A mixed-method of research was used to observe and survey first-year Physics students in their second semester course to identify the effectiveness of these adaptations and to determine those features of learning and assessment that caused barriers to increased participation and the strategies that encouraged positive outcomes.
Drafts by Graham F Foster
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alone to engage Maori (and Pasifika) students since the under-lying importance of te Reo (Maori language), whanaungatanga (relationships) and turangawaewae (a place to stand) exert very significant influences on our students.
2. Acknowledgement and utilisation of the significance of cultural perspectives such as mana (prestige or authority), utu (balanced exchange)
3. The advantages offered by using whakataukī (proverbs) and understanding of the implications of brain theory as vocabulary and memory support.
4. Reinforcement of the importance of individual acknowledgement of students as part of the learning and teaching experience.
5. The suitable integration of taha Maori into Physics.
"Sharing and promoting each other’s cultures not only promotes peace and goodwill within the communities, but it creates a greater opportunities for meaningful relationships to be established."
Sharples, P (2006)
Leading Innovative Learning in New Zealand Schools states that
“The world that our learners will enter when they leave school has changed dramatically from the
world that traditional education prepared students for. The changes are ongoing and our
education system must meet the challenges they pose.
The Education Review Office (ERO) visited 12 schools to see how they were preparing their
students as 21st century learners. Leaders were innovative, rethinking and transforming teaching
and learning to equip students with the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for their
future. In doing so, they also maximised learning opportunities offered by digital technology and
flexible learning spaces.”
This survey provides school leaders and teacher-educators, the opportunity to analyse their own knowledge, skills and understandings about their school, to determine how they might become more innovative. There are opportunities for both individual and team analysis so that each educator might perceive the difference between their own understanding and the leadership team’s understanding of the issues and opportunities. That opportunity to see the difference in scores will enable thought and consideration of future focus and effort.
21st Century! Students have different needs now and these differences in needs is becoming more apparent as society changes from a knowledge-based society that relies on just-in-case learning, to one that needs people to be just-in-time learners.
Learning and teaching should have changed dramatically in 2007 with the launch of the “new” New Zealand Curriculum. As the former sentence suggests, learning rather than teaching has now been placed at the top of the priority list. This implies that pedagogy, values, implementation of the Treaty of Waitangi principles, Key Competencies (unified by Thinking), Capabilities, Future focused learning, use of information technology to support learning and inclusiveness have now been promoted to become more important, with greater emphasis than prior to 2007. This process of change is continuous with new perspectives and needs for 21st century learning. These new perspectives include leadership, digital literacy, communication, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, global citizenship, problem solving and team working.
The changes in learning and teaching must lead to changes in assessment strategies and styles. There is a great need to develop assessments to signal the extent of development of the values, Key Competencies and Capabilities explained in the NZ Curriculum document. The assessments must reflect the development of future-focused attitudes and capabilities. Teachers must become more involved with Technology and Home Room/Form Class teachers need to be provided with professional development and recognition of their important function in the school.
Some schools are developing these capabilities to focus on 21st century learning and teaching. They are successfully implementing the 2007 NZ Curriculum by introducing new teaching strategies that are aligned to engagement, learning and assessment. These schools help us understand the needs of 21st century learners, strategies to engage them, and methods of assessment that are successful.
This book will introduce and discuss the new learning and teaching needs for the next phase in the 21st century. The complex educational issues of this next phase include developing these new curriculum perspectives, reduced emphasis on content, and changes to the various modes of assessment. Suggestions about how teacher-educators need to re-focus the learning, teaching and assessment processes through alignment and the use of new strategies, that need to be considered to achieve the intentions of the New Zealand Curriculum in secondary schools, will be developed. These developments imply the need to find improved ways to capture, motivate and inspire students using relevance, rationale, research-based methods, relaxed strategies, and supportive rapport. There are changes for both teachers and students. The readings will provide the re-focused perspectives.
In New Zealand the assurance, that this alignment is occurring, provides a tremendous challenge to teacher-educators. The New Zealand Curriculum is a very complex document. While more experienced educators may find the reversed emphasis an obvious feature (compared to the previous curriculum documents), it is the more covert use of particular educational terminology and the implications that each one infers that is the most significant development. Throughout the statements there are ‘special words’ that convey extensive implications when further understanding is synthesized. The placement of the Aims, Principles, Values and Key Competencies at the front of the document signals the great significance of these statements
1. The perspective that it is insufficient to use contexts alone to engage Maori (and Pasifika) students since the under-lying importance of te Reo (Maori language), hanaungatanga (relationships) and tūrangawaewae (a place to stand) exert very significant influences on our students.
2. Acknowledgement and utilisation of the significance of cultural perspectives such as mana (prestige or authority), utu (balanced exchange) 3. 3. The advantages offered by using whakataukī (proverbs) and understanding of the implications of brain theory as vocabulary and memory support.
4. Reinforcement of the importance of individual acknowledgement of students as part of the learning and teaching experience.
5. The suitable integration of taha Maori into Physics.
Many of these concepts are clouded by the covert use of particular educational terminology. These ‘special words’ convey extensive implications when further understanding is synthesized. Some of the book’s features include:
▪ The implications of the Vision statement, the Principle
and Key Competencies.
▪ Strategies to create full Treaty of Waitangi partnership,
develop coherence and include the values in teaching
and learning.
▪ The meaning and implications of future-focused learning.
▪ Can we teach ‘thinking’?
▪ Why should we use Wicked Problems and Systems Thinking?
▪ What might be missing from the NZC?
The book includes readings and questions to engage teacher-educators to consider and discuss the concepts and issues.
The book will provide an excellent resource for teacher trainees, or might be used to stimulate professional development of experienced teachers, either individually or in groups.
Key Words: Relationships Collaboration Support Accountable Contributing
During 2010 several strategies were added to the mix in both Physics 120 „Physics of Energy‟ and Physics 160 „Physics for the Biological Sciences‟. The use of clickers, together with in-lecture problem solving, weekly bulletins, and Team Based Learning were some of the strategies implemented. In Semester1, 2011, these strategies were refined and applied. Additionally the opportunity was provided by Pearson Education to trial Mastering Physics, an on-line assignment strategy that had several advantages over the OASIS on-line system commonly used in Stage 1 Physics courses. These strategies facilitated the transfer from „content-focused‟ teaching to the „student-focused‟ teaching based on socio-cultural theory and the work being promoted in the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia, Canada. This paper places the strategies used in the appropriate theoretical context and reports the summative effect of implementing these strategies in the Physics 120 course. The student outcomes in both on-course assessments and examinations is analysed to determine the relative effectiveness of each strategy and the apparent gains that each strategy contributed to student performance. Conclusions and recommendations are provided.
non-participation rate in assignments and tests. In 2009 strategies were implemented to improve participation by adapting tutorials to be more interactive and aligned to the on-line assignment assessments. There were four online assignment assessments spread through each course. One week prior to submitting the assignment assessment, six practice questions were given. These questions formed the basis of the interactive tutorials, and then four of these questions given with changed variables as the assignment assessment. A mixed-method of research was used to observe and survey first-year Physics students in their second semester course to identify the effectiveness of these adaptations and to determine those features of learning and assessment that caused barriers to increased participation and the strategies that encouraged positive outcomes.
This book provides both the theory and practical suggestions for teachers to enable engagement and learning while providing practical suggestions of Wicked Problems and Rich Tasks that engage students in relevant assessment.