Authentic learning experiences: complementary organizational strategy for academic professional development

There are numerous websites and considerable literature which describe approaches to learning and teaching using a range of technologies in higher education contexts for academic staff. Further, that as academic staff development is increasingly recognized as having an essential role to play in the recasting of ways in which teachers work with students and how students best learn, that this is an area ripe for new consideration. It is the author's contention here, that embracing the role of student, as a lived experience, can assist academic developers in reconsidering and renewing their conceptions of learning and teaching. This could go in some part in informing the practice and processes of academic staff developers in understanding, promoting and supporting flexible learning modes

Effects of cumpulsory voting on visible minority representation

This thesis examines the effects of compulsory voting on visible minority representation in directly elected legislatures with proportional electoral systems. The hypothesis is that there compulsory voting creates a positive effect on visible minority representation. The results show that this is true, but the margin is so small that it is likely other factors have large amounts of influence as well. Some of these factors are discussed

The nature of the gaze : a conceptual discussion of societal privilege from an indigenous perspective : a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, College of Health, Aotearoa New Zealand

This thesis explores how Kaupapa Māori paradigms can make important contributions to research topics that may not be of direct or immediate relevance to Māori communities. Insights gained from a Kaupapa Māori investigation of white privilege in Aotearoa New Zealand are discussed. I argue that cultural hegemony is maintained through structured forgetting, silence, and suppression of dissent that has dire consequences for dominant cultural groups as well as marginal. Structural racism and privilege are amenable to analyses utilising similar frameworks albeit from opposite sides that can provide valuable insights to understanding inequity more broadly. I also examine ways in which Kaupapa Māori analyses of white privilege can illuminate pathways of redress that will benefit all New Zealanders and provide more embracing perspectives of nationhood

The personal health and wellbeing of adults who work in early childhood education in New Zealand : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Nursing at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

This research is a descriptive study of the personal health and wellbeing of early childhood workers in New Zealand and describes the health status, behaviours and concerns of adults working in three early childhood education settings. Situated within the concept of Workplace Health Promotion and the idea of healthy work settings, it supports the New Zealand government's strategy to improve workplace health and safety by providing base-line data on the health and wellbeing of early childhood workers. A review of the literature highlighted four main areas of concern for adults who work with young children: exposure to infectious diseases, occupational injuries, risks to pregnant childcare workers and work related stress. A survey of 168 randomly selected participants was carried out in the Wellington area, 73 childcare teachers, 58 kindergarten teachers and 37 home-based educators. Ninety-two percent of respondents reported that they had good or excellent health. Significant differences were found between the groups for nutrition, days absent due to ilness, accidental injuries, job-related stress and ergonomic aspects of their work. Kindergarten teachers exhibited the most areas of health concern and home-based educators the least. All groups reported an increase in various physical symptoms since working with children, in particular backaches, muscle strain and fatigue. One quarter of respondents experienced an illness related to their work with children during the last year, most commonly respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. It is intended that the findings from this study will contribute towards the development and progress of workplace health promotion in early childhood education settings. The study alerts early childhood education employers of the need to assess influences on employee health such as workload and stress related issues, the provision of an ergonomically healthy work environment and adequate conditions of employment

[Review of] Gail Pellet and Stanley Nelson (producers and directors). Shattering the Silences

Our silence will not protect us, poet and feminist Audre Lorde has written, and broken silences recur with startling clarity in Shattering the Silences. The video documentary features professors of color from across the nation discussing their experiences as scholars, as people of color in predominantly white institutions, as women of color in predominantly male departments, and as husbands, mentors, and for some, as the first in their family to pursue a life in academia. Each story is compelling, sometimes painful, and always poignant