"It's about empowering the whānau": Māori adult students succeeding at university

A large number of studies have demonstrated that Māori students are not performing well in education. The literature in the general area of Māori education paints a very grim picture that demonstrates a clear preoccupation with failure and underachievement. These studies often overlook the experiences of Māori adult students who return to study long after leaving school and experience considerable success. This paper focuses on the academic success of 16 indigenous students at a New Zealand university. It is based on the findings of a qualitative investigation that explored the experiences of Māori adult students who entered university with very few formal school qualifications and then went on to attain undergraduate degrees. This paper pays particular attention to the role of the whānau in facilitating Māori educational success at university

Te tuangi (the clam): A metaphor for teaching, learning and the key competencies

This article explores the shift from “essential skills” to “key competencies” in the school curriculum. Drawing on information gathered from teacher interviews and observations at a New Zealand primary school, this article suggests that culture and context strongly shape and influence the interpretation of key competencies. The authors develop a metaphor—te tuangi—to theorise the relationship between a learner (akonga) and a teacher (kaiako) in a cultural and social context

Tukua Kia Rere! Maori Adult Students Succeeding at University

A considerable amount of research has focussed on Māori underachievement in mainstream education. There is, however, much less research that celebrates Māori academic success. Even less has been written about the experiences of adult Māori students who return to study long after leaving school and go on to become academically successful in higher education. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge regarding Māori academic success at university. It sought to explore the experiences of sixteen adult Māori students who entered university via special admission and went on to attain undergraduate degrees. The study examined the challenges that these individual’s experienced on their way to becoming academically successful and identified the main factors that helped them to achieve educational success. An overarching Kaupapa Māori theoretical framework was employed in this study. A qualitative research methodology was implemented and Kaupapa Māori research principles informed both the research processes and the interpretation of research outcomes. The findings suggest four major factors contributed to the success of the participants in this study: a strong determination to succeed (whāia te iti kahurangi), the extended family (whānau), strong social support networks with peers and faculty (whakawhanaungatanga) and Te Ao Māori (the Māori World). However, some of these same factors were also found to hinder academic success in the university setting. The Manu Tukutuku (kite) model was developed directly from the research findings. In addition to providing a theoretical frame for understanding the experiences of Māori special admission students at university, this model also provides a useful ‘toolkit’ for those wanting to support Māori students within the university context. The implications of this study suggest that New Zealand Universities can better support Māori special admission students by being more inclusive of their cultural capital, by eliminating racism and discrimination in the university environment and by fostering better relationships between staff and students. Creating opportunities for Māori students to develop social networks at University was also identified as important

Chapter 10 Breathlessness

This chapter uses a phenomenological approach to investigate the philosophical significance of a common yet debilitating experience: the experience of severe and pathological breathlessness. Using two key examples of breathlessness in the case of respiratory disease (somatic) and in anxiety disorders (considered as mental disorder) we show why a phenomenological approach to the study of these experiences is needed and how the distinction between the somatic and the mental comes under pressure when considering a complex phenomenon like breathlessness

Building Bridges in Classrooms: Collaboration for Integration and Globalization

International students are missing out on an immersive campus experience because they have few meaningful interactions with American students. This article describes three class projects with different instructors across different areas of study that sought to more successfully integrate international students while building a more global mindset in American students. Both groups of students in each of the three projects expressed positive experiences and a new outlook on the possibilities for relationships between international and domestic students on campus

Supporting a College-level Environment that Values Civility and Respect through Annual Bystander Awareness and Action Workshops

This presentation describes the evolution of a bystander workshop series within a large private university. The 2018 NASEM Report stresses the importance of creating organizational cultures of active support where the social norm is for harassing behaviors to be rare. For several years as part of an ADVANCE institutional transformation effort, workshops have been created to build bystander awareness and skill while exploring its history, research, benefits, and challenges. In 2016, a research focused and story gathering workshop was facilitated by an external consultant followed by a theatrical Playback Theatre based bystander workshop for faculty and staff where participant stories were used to bring issues to life. The following year, several more widely attended workshops were offered with a higher reliance on local actors through the newly created Diversity Theater program at the university. The college of liberal arts (CLA) saw value in the offerings and began working with campus partners on the design of annual workshops for college staff, faculty, and academic leaders. Through careful design and evaluation, each workshop set up the next workshop. The series involves 2-hour long, interactive workshops offered each fall. In the first year, participants engaged with Playback Theatre techniques to explore “Who is a bystander? Why do bystanders speak up or not? What are strategies?” The next fall, participants practiced and built skills using scenarios from meetings. The third year, power differentials were explored through answering questions “What if the bystander needs to speak up to a person with more POWER? Can several be ALLIES together?” This past fall, given that participants are versed in basic techniques and have tried or witnessed bystander moves, the session explored “How do I know if it is making a difference? Where can I go for broader systemic support?” This presentation explores impact and workshop evolution

Pathway of oxfendazole from the host into the worm:<i>Trichuris suis</i> in pigs

It is well known that the efficacy of a single oral dose of benzimidazoles against Trichuris spp. infections in humans and animals is poor, but is currently still used in control programmes against human trichuriasis. However, the route of the benzimidazoles from the treated host to Trichuris remains unknown. As parts of adult Trichuris are situated intracellularly in the caecum, they might be exposed to anthelmintic drugs in the intestinal content as well as the mucosa. In this study, the pathway of oxfendazole and its metabolites was explored using a T. suis-pig infection model, by simultaneously measuring drug concentrations within the worms and the caecal mucosa, caecal tissue, caecal content and plasma of pigs over time after a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg oxfendazole. Additionally, for comparison to the in vivo study, drug uptake and metabolism of oxfendazole by T. suis was examined after in vitro incubation. Oxfendazole and metabolites were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography.Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a strong and highly significant association between OFZ concentrations within T. suis and in plasma, along with a weaker association between OFZ concentrations in caecal tissue/mucosa and T. suis, suggesting that oxfendazole reaches T. suis after absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and enters the worms by the blood-enterocyte pathway. The fenbendazole sulfone level in T. suis was highly affected by the concentrations in plasma. In addition, correlations between drug concentrations in the host compartments, were generally highest for this metabolite. In comparison to oxfendazole, the correlation between plasma and content was particularly high for this metabolite, suggesting a high level of drug movement between these compartments and the possible involvement of the enterohepatic circulation. Keywords: Trichuris, Benzimidazole, Drug efficacy, Drug pathwa

Concert recording 2016-11-13

[Track 1]. Eight pieces. Andante [Track 2]. Allegro con moto [Track 3]. Allegro agitato / Max Bruch -- [Tracks 4-6].Trio pathetique / Mikhail Glinka -- [Tracks 7-9].Sonata for two clarinets / Francis Poulenc -- [Track 10]. Toccata and fugue in D minor, BWV 565 / J.S. Bach transcription by Anthony Brackett