Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
1 day ago
Zac Anderson is EIT’s new Head of School: Education and Social Sciences and the Centre for Veterinary Nursing.
A passion for academia and achieving educational reform for Māori learners are important for EIT’s new Head of School: Education and Social Sciences and the Centre for Veterinary Nursing.
Zac Anderson, who joins EIT from Tamatea High School where she was Deputy Principal, says that the opportunity to work at EIT was too good to pass up.
“I’ve been in New Zealand for twenty years from Australia, and I’ve always known EIT to have a fantastic reputation. I am feeling very fortunate to have been chosen and I think that it is going to be a great job.”
Zac’s role will see her leading a diverse team of social workers, early childhood and primary school professionals, and those teaching in the Centre for Veterinary Nursing.
“The kaupapa of the different departments within the school that I’m head of is all based on care for humans or animals, and teaching others to be the best they can be.”
Before Tamatea High School, Zac held various management positions at schools in Hawke’s Bay and was employed at the University of Waikato for four years. During her tenure at the University of Waikato, she was part of the Poutama Pounamu team led by Professor Mere Berryman, embedding transformative changes in culturally responsive pedagogies in kura throughout Aotearoa.
Zac says she sees her role as building her team, but also getting to know stakeholders in both Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti and getting to know what the community wants and needs from EIT’s graduates.
“It is about building the relationships with the stakeholders and the advisory groups in our different areas. I think this is going to be really important for me, so I know what they need and then we can make sure that it’s reflected in our teaching and learning programmes.”
“I’m excited that I work across both Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, because I know Gisborne, in particular, and the surrounding East Coast area. I lived and worked with Wairoa-based communities for so long, and there’s unique needs on the East Coast compared to Hawke’s Bay.”
Zac has a Master’s in Education, where she looked at critical leadership to achieve educational reform for Māori learners, “which is my passion”.
“I’ve been learning Te Reo since I arrived in New Zealand, but I’m nowhere near where I want to be. And I love that learning journey about the tikanga and the kawa of what it means to immerse yourself into te ao Māori.”
“It’s deeply important to me as a non-Māori leader to be very clear about what role I play as Tangata Tiriti in honouring the bicultural intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I am passionate about bringing practical effect to Te Tiriti in my daily practice. I will be enrolling soon in my PhD and no doubt this area of critical leadership to decolonise and indigenise our curriculum will be a focus of my research.”
Zac is mindful of the vital role research plays at an academic institute and she will be encouraging her staff on this front.
“Research really allows us to get the voice of our communities, our learners, our academics and our professionals, and really understand the nature of what we’re doing.”
“Research, to me, is all about making sure you’re at the cutting edge of practice , making sure that we’re taking into account what’s happening around the world, but for our own flavour here in Aotearoa.”
Originally from Australia, Zac has lived in Hawke’s Bay since 2004 with her wife, Kae Schlierike, and their three rescue dogs.
Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Zac to our team. Her connections in to the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast community and inclusive approach to education are a perfect fit for our organization. We are excited to see the contributions she will make to the school and the wider institution. She has already made a positive impression with her energy and passion in her short time with us.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
2 days ago
Amr van den Adel is a Senior Lecturer in the EIT School of Computing in Auckland.
ChatGPT in educational settings has potential benefits, but there are also challenges, research by an EIT lecturer has found.
The research, led by Amr van den Adel, a Senior Lecturer in the EIT School of Computing in Auckland, has recently been published in the renowned journal Educational Sciences, entitled ChatGPT promises and challenges in education: Computational and ethical perspectives. The other authors of the article are Ali Ahsan and Claire Davison, both from the University of Torrens Australia. Amr and the two other authors are all members of the Centre for Organisational Change and Agility at Torrens.
The study explores the integration of ChatGPT in educational settings. It highlights the potential benefits, but also addresses significant challenges like AI biases and the lack of emotional and interpersonal interactions typical in traditional education.
“The paper underscores the need for ongoing research to adapt educational strategies in response to rapidly evolving AI technologies, offering insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers,” says Amr.
“This paper investigates the integration of ChatGPT into educational environments, focusing on its potential to enhance personalised learning and the ethical concerns it raises. Through a systematic literature review, interest analysis, and case studies, the research scrutinises the application of ChatGPT in diverse educational contexts, evaluating its impact on teaching and learning practices.”
Amr says that the key findings reveal that ChatGPT can enrich education significantly by offering dynamic, personalised learning experiences and real-time feedback, thereby boosting teaching efficiency and learner engagement.
“However, the study also highlights significant challenges, such as biases in AI algorithms that may distort educational content and the inability of AI to replicate the emotional and interpersonal dynamics of traditional teacher–student interactions.”
“The paper acknowledges the fast-paced evolution of AI technologies, which may render some findings obsolete, underscoring the need for ongoing research to adapt educational strategies accordingly.”
Amr says that this study provides a balanced analysis of the opportunities and challenges of ChatGPT in education, emphasising ethical considerations and offering strategic insights for the responsible integration of AI technologies.
“These insights are valuable for educators, policymakers, and researchers involved in the digital transformation of education.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
6 mins ago
Horticulture lecturers Gerard Henry (left), Tania Basher and Tane Cruikshank with Helen Joros (second left) from the Department of Conservation.
Rare Ngutukākā (Kakabeak) plants, that survived Cyclone Gabrielle, have been planted by members of the EIT Primary Industries Horticulture team in a partnership with the Department of Conservation.
The seeds were collected , some by helicopter, from rare and precious wild Ngutukākā plants in the Wairoa region.
Primary Industries Programme Coordinator Lisa Turnbull says it means a lot to the team to have been able to get the plants to this point where they can be returned to the taiao.
Ngutukākā (kakabeak) is a plant of special significance to New Zealand. Its conservation status is Nationally Critical with less than 70 known plants growing in the wild.
These plants were first planted by the Growing Natives class in November 2022.
“DOC had collected the seeds from nine locations across the East Cape. They entrusted these seeds to Tania Basher our PI Technician, and the night class group of horticulture ākonga were excited to be able to sow these seeds and nurture the plants into young seedlings.”
Last month, some of the PI Horticulture team, students from Ruakituri School and Helen Jonos from DOC worked together to plant them in their new enclosure in the Ruakituri Valley.
“Being able to grow, nurture and return these special plants to the taiao alongside DOC was a wonderful collaboration, and we look forward to doing more to help with Ngutukākā regeneration in the future.”
Lisa says these particular plants became extra special as they survived the cyclone, when they were in the hardening off section on the Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale.
“They were rescued from the silt, repotted and looked after at home by members of the Primary Industries staff. It certainly has been a journey for them.”
Lecturers from EIT joined the Department of Conservation and students from Ruakituri School to plant rare Ngutukākā (Kakabeak) plants.
While it is the first time, they have partnered with the Department of Conservation to grow Ngutukākā, they hope to do it again.
“We are also exploring the idea of building our own predator proof planting area at the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre (ŌOLC) where our horticulture and environmental management ākonga can grow more Ngutukākā plants along with potentially other endangered species.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
1 hour ago
Dr Andrew Garrett is the new Head of EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science.
A former Commonwealth Games triathlete, who has been appointed the Head of EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science, is keen to use his new role to promote health, sport and exercise,
Dr Andrew Garrett represented the Isle of Man in the triathlon at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland and said that he knew then that he wanted to return to live in New Zealand.
“It was the first time I came to New Zealand. After competing and obviously enjoying the Commonwealth Games itself, I told myself that I would come back here at some point. And in 1996, I came back to a teaching post at Wintec in Hamilton.”
Currently living in Christchurch since December when he moved back here with his New Zealand raised wife Karen, Andrew had been Sport, Health and Exercise Science Programme Director and Graduate Research Director at the University of Hull..
Sport has played a big role in Andrew’s life being a former international triathlete. He is a keen veteran athlete having recently completed a 100-mile cycling sportive and several half Iron triathlons. He plans to take part in the Taupo half Ironman next March. His applied sport science work on preparing athletes for the Marathon des Sables has received television media attention in the UK from BBC Look North News and BBC Radio Humberside.
He says that he is looking forward to his new role. Initially he will be working remotely from Christchurch until his wife finishes her job there, but he will be commuting up to Napier regularly.
While he was drawn to the lifestyle offered by Hawke’s Bay, it was having a leadership role that attracted him. He is also keen to get to know the staff and EIT’s systems.
“After a period of uncertainty, there’s also an opportunity to provide some stability for the school at the institution.”
Andrew says the School of Health and Sport Science also has a role to play in bringing exercise into people’s lives to enhance the quality of life.
“I think that exercise can be paramount in balancing the mental health side of things. Our programmes show that there are now more opportunities available work-wise than perhaps weren’t available five or ten years ago. Exercise specialists are becoming more accessible to most people these days and at all stages of life.”
Andrew’s main area of research expertise are the markers of fatigue in temperature regulation during exercise in the time of climate change and he was an Associate Member of the Hull York Medical School (HYMS). His PhD work was funded by the Australian Military based at the University of Otago in New Zealand (Induction and decay of heat acclimation) and in collaboration with the Otago Medical School. He received an MSc in Sport Science from Loughborough University and his undergraduate degree is from the University of Wales in Cardiff.
Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science, said: “Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team, and we are confident that he will make a significant contribution to the success of the School of Health and Sport Science.”
“Whilst Andrew is currently working remotely, we are excited to welcome him to Hawke’s Bay soon so that he can immerse himself in our community to achieve the best outcomes for our ākonga.”
Conservation for the critically endangered kākāpō dates back 130 years to 1894, when Richard Henry first moved kākāpō to (then) predator free Resolution Island. Today, DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme combines the efforts of iwi, partners, scientists, rangers, volunteers, and donors to continue to protect and restore this taonga species.
Our purpose is to restore the mauri (life force) of the once plentiful kākāpō. So far, efforts have been rewarded and during nearly 30 years of the programme the population has increased from 51 to the 247 kākāpō alive today. It’s a long game with challenges that can be grouped into three main categories; habitat, genetics, and disease.
Kākāpō Advocacy Ranger, Andie Gentle, looks into the first challenge – habitat, and what it takes to find new sites for the growing kākāpō population.
Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island | Jake Osborne, DOC
Kākāpō pace
Aotearoa New Zealand’s much adored night parrots come with their own, unhurried pace. Longevity is on their side. The oldest kākāpō known today is at least 51 years old and it is estimated they could live between 60-90 years old. Many kākāpō reach their teens before they start successfully breeding and even then, they only breed once every 2-4 years.
Most of today’s 247 kākāpō live on two Southern predator-free islands which are reaching kākāpō-capacity. With each breeding season, there is an increasing need to find sites to support kākāpō populations into the future. To be suitable, sites need vast native forest, no predators (feral cats, rats and stoats) and the ability to stimulate successful breeding (more on that later).
Kākāpō-pace means each new site trial could take a decade or more to gather the information required. One long-term site trial that has recently been completed was on Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.
Kākāpō Lisa on Hauturu in 2018 | Jake Osborne, DOC
Hauturu & kākāpō
There are only two pest-free islands in New Zealand large enough to sustain a population of kākāpō that are certainly beyond the swimming distance of rats and stoats. One of them, Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, is a successful breeding home to a population of nearly 100 kākāpō. The other is Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.
Hauturu is a sanctuary 80km north-east of Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. It was New Zealand’s first nature reserve and is now a refuge for hundreds of rare and endangered plants, birds, and animals.
Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island | Jake Osborne, DOC
Kākāpō were first translocated to Hauturu in 1982. At the time, there were just 29 known kākāpō and it had become clear that they were being predated by cats on Rakiura/Stewart Island. With the presence of kiore (the Pacific rat) but no feral cats, Hauturu was identified as a safer haven. By the end of 1982, 21 kākāpō had been relocated there. Intensive management and supplementary feeding programmes began seven years later after no breeding had occurred on the island.
Breeding triggers
The only known trigger to stimulate kākāpō breeding today is the mast of the rimu tree. This happens once every 2-4 years on the Southern islands. We can predict a mast in advance by comparing seasonal temperatures year-on-year and counting fruit tips.
To best support the critically endangered kākāpō we supplementary feed them ahead of a breeding season to help them reach top breeding condition. Additional feeding for chick rearing is also required if the mast was big enough to stimulate breeding but didn’t result in enough fruit to sustain chick rearing (which may occur after storms or extreme weather events or if the fruit doesn’t ripen).
Despite the absence of rimu on Hauturu, several breeding attempts were made there in the 1990’s and two chicks were raised with supplementary feeding support. It was the kauri tree that was thought to be the most likely trigger to stimulate kākāpō breeding on the island. Regardless, this was proof that, with support, kākāpō could thrive on Hauturu.
There was just one big problem. The island’s terrain is much more extreme than the Southern islands, making this level of hands-on management logistically challenging.
The rugged terrain of Hauturu, being navigated by DOC rangers and Auckland Zoo team members as they carry out work with kākāpō on the island | DOC.
By 1999 more kākāpō had been discovered on Rakiura and the total population numbered 63. All kākāpō were returned South to help diversify the precious breeding populations that were now active on Whenua Hou and Maud Island. Following the removal of kākāpō, kiore were eradicated from Hauturu and the sanctuary gained pest-free status in 2004.
The trial
With supplementary feeding successful but not feasible on Hauturu, the next step was to learn if kākāpō could breed and raise chicks there without support. In 2012, eight of the total 125 kākāpō at the time were carefully selected by their genetic profiles and breeding history to help us find out. Over the coming years another nine joined the trial.
Seven of this cohort had been on Hauturu before. Notably, all seven returned to their old home ranges on the island within a couple of weeks of arriving back. Two of the returning birds were super-breeders Blades and Flossie, who had each produced the most offspring by a male and female respectively at the time.
Kākāpō Rangers Petrus and Bryony completing a transmitter change and health check on 27-year-old Tiwai on Hauturu, 2022 | DOC
What did we learn?
Unfortunately, the next decade saw limited breeding success on the island. In 2014 Heather was the only female to nest. She only hatched one of three fertile eggs herself and that chick needed support as, by ten days old, it was starving. It was the same poor result in 2016 when Heather and Lisa nested and the only chick to hatch also required support due to lack of food. Lisa nested again in 2021, but her two eggs were infertile.
During the trial period of 12 years, the kauri tree did not produce a heavy crop of seeds as it had in the past. Along with the poor nesting outcomes, this confirmed that while Hauturu is safe for kākāpō, they are unlikely to be productive on the island without supplementary feeding.
Heather’s 2014 chick Mahli pictured while receiving care at Auckland Zoo vet hospital | DOC
Wrapping up the trial
In 2023 it was decided that the kākāpō on Hauturu would be more valuable back on the Southern breeding islands, and the plan is for all to be returned by the end of this year.
It may not be the last time kākāpō live amongst the Hauturu forest, so remnant of primeval New Zealand. Given the long lifespan of kākāpō and the size and pest-free status of Hauturu, the island could play a role in the future security of the population until other safe breeding sites become available.
For now, the island has helped provide valuable data and insights to help manage kākāpō conservation for decades to come.
Left: DOC Ranger Richard Walle. Middle: Jasmine from Auckland Zoo carrying kākāpō before the first transfer off Hauturu, 2023. Right: DOC Ranger Dani completing a transmitter change and health check on Flossie in 2023. All photos by DOC.
It takes a village
DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery team worked closely with iwi (tribe) representatives from Ngāi Tahu and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust to undertake the trial and the required transfers of the manu between rohe.
Kākāpō are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori iwi of southern New Zealand. It is of great significance to iwi when the care and protection of a taonga is transferred. During the Hauturu trial local mana whenua Ngāti Manuhiri took on kaitiaki responsibilities of the manu through the tikanga of whāngai (the concept of fostering).
This trial was undertaken in association with Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund with practical assistance from Auckland Zoo staff and its vet hospital, the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine. It was also supported by Kākāpō Recovery Programme’s National Partner Meridian Energy and DOC’s National Partner Air New Zealand.
Ngāti Manuhiri and Ngāi Tahu representatives with DOC team members during (left) the first transfer from Hauturu to Fiordland in July 2023, and (right) the second transfer in August 2024. The final cohort of remaining monitored kākāpō on Hauturu will return later this year | DOC.
Moving forward to step back
Two new site trials are underway at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari in Waikato and Coal Island/Te Puka-Hereka in Fiordland, and there are more to come. Like at Hauturu, it will be years before results are known, but it is hoped that more breeding triggers could be discovered along the way.
The last three breeding seasons have been bumper on the Southern islands. The next breeding season is predicted to be 2026 and with more than 80 breeding-aged females, it could be the biggest yet.
Rakiura will be a game changer for kākāpō when it becomes predator free. From there, the goal will be to one day return kākāpō to all their natural ranges throughout New Zealand. Of course, these visions will rely on the success of the country’s predator free movements.
We’ve come a long way since 1894; just imagine Aotearoa after another 130 years of care and protection. Will kākāpō be roaming safe and free among our great-grandchildren?
Anything is possible, even when each day goes at kākāpō-pace.
Kākāpō Lisa on Hauturu in 2020 | Jake Osborne, DOC
Get involved
Together with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy we are grateful for the ongoing commitment from our supporters. There are lots of ways you can help ensure a brighter future for kākāpō.
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
5 mins ago
Tash Hau was recently appointed as Assistant Head of Te Ūranga Waka.
Tash Hau’s journey at EIT began when she enrolled in the NZ Certificate in Te Reo Māori (Level 2) and 16 years later it is still going strong, with her recent appointment to Assistant Head of Te Ūranga Waka.
Since 2007, Tash (Ngātiwai) has gained much experience in the education sector, having recently returned to EIT after three years as Professional Learning and Development Facilitator with the University of Waikato. There she was responsible for supporting Kāhui Ako clusters, principals and teachers to deliver educational opportunities that accelerate success and support equitable outcomes for Māori students.
Prior to this, Tash worked at EIT as a Programme Coordinator/Tutor for more than 10 years. She is also a graduate of all the qualifications from all levels of the te reo certificate, Bachelor of Arts (Māori) and Bachelor of Arts Māori (Honours) as well as the Master of Professional Practice (shared with the School of Education and Social Sciences).
Tash, 44, who grew up in Wairoa, says that her interest in learning te reo was sparked when she was about 12 years old and attended a Kapa Haka wānanga at Rangiahua marae.
“Everyone had an opportunity to share with the group and as one of our elders spoke in te reo Māori, laughter filled the wharenui. I remember vividly wishing I was able to understand and it was at that moment I knew learning my native language was something I needed to do. I realise now, that was my tīpuna (ancestors) guiding me”.
“And although it took probably 25 years from where the journey actually started, during which time I had my children, that I realised what pathway I needed to take”
After finishing school at Wairoa College, Tash spent some time in Gisborne before she travelled to Australia for five years where she has family. Coming from a small town, she felt it was important to see “what else was out there”. It was there that Tash started her family.
Tash moved back to New Zealand with her two eldest children, Alayh and Ibanez which has been a rewarding decision.
“My two youngest daughters Kheyz and Jhrsey have both been part of the Te Ūranga Waka whānau, with Jhrsey accompanying me to classes during the certificate level from eight days old. I was really grateful that within te ao Māori our babies are able to be included and cherished. I believe that as māmā, we shouldn’t have to choose between parenting and education, we are most definitely capable of both”.
She says she felt a number of emotions when she started learning te reo.
“The journey of reclamation was a combination of feeling overwhelmed in the initial stages and a calm sense of being exactly where I needed to be, a healing journey I was unaware I needed.”
“I just fell in love with the place, the people and the kaupapa.”
She is also grateful for the support she had right through the levels of study.
“I have to acknowledge my peers and the tutors across the years who supported me to actually achieve all of this.”
The transition from student to part-time tutor of the certificate programme is something to this day she is grateful for as it presented a pathway to give back to the place that has given her so much.
“I am indebted to the belief that our special kui, Nan Materoa Haenga had in me to pursue this pathway”.
“When we’re students, sometimes we can lack the belief in ourselves and our own abilities, but what I really appreciated was that as a kaiako, Nanny Materoa could see the potential in us and offered opportunities to nurture that.”
Being a Nan herself now to two beautiful mokopuna, Tash plans to continue sharing those teachings with them.
Since then it has been journey forward for Tash, with her efforts recently being rewarded with her appointment as Poutuara, Assistant Head of Te Ūranga Waka.
“EIT is home for me. I’m really invested in the people and the place. I’d like to thank my colleagues, friends, family and my partner Matenga for their ongoing support. It really does make all the difference.”
Pareputiputi Nuku, Pouarataki, Te Ūranga Waka and Te Whatukura, welcomed Tash back to her “whare”.
“We are so happy that Tash is returning to us not only with the amazing skills she left us with, but also the new knowledge and expertise she has gained over the past three years.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
9 seconds ago
Mike Schofield with New Zealand shot-putter Maddison-Lee Wesche, who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris this year.
EIT lecturer Mike Schofield’s research into biomechanics is reaping rewards as the shot-putter he coaches recently won a medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Mike, who is a lecturer in strength and conditioning at EIT, was a high performance coach for track and field throws for Athletics New Zealand in Auckland.
It was there that he became coach for New Zealand shot-putter Maddison-Lee Wesche, who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games earlier this month.
Speaking from Paris where he has been supporting Maddi, Mike said that the journey to the Olympics has been “awesome”. He has been coaching Maddi for about seven years.
“I’ve been lucky enough to apply some of the research that I’ve done within Maddi’s programme over the years, and to see it come to fruition. It’s been neat.”
Mike, who is normally based at the EIT Institute of Sport and Health (EIT ISH) at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park in Hastings, says that this semester he has been teaching a course in innovation where he has drawn on his own experience for examples.
“Part of this is showing the students that I lecture what innovation is in sport in a real-world context, and so I’ve been lecturing online from over here for ten days or so.”
“I have been going through some of the innovative tools we use in training, and in an Olympic Games programme.
“It provides a little bit of context around the application of some of the theory that they learn, to try to bridge the gap between theory and performance. It is quite a cool scenario that probably very few people, and especially students in a degree course, get to see inside an Olympic campaign, and in real time.”
Mike says there are a number of programmes that are used.
“These are iPad-based programmes, a few little sensors and bits of tech that we attach to bars and to Maddi, to measure certain variables that we’re interested in, and we’ve covered that off in class.”
Mike says that for him personally it has been important to see his historical research being used in a real world context through Maddi’s training process.
“My area of research is biomechanics and it is about evolving a technical model from a theoretical basis. Obviously it seems to have gelled with Maddi’s abilities, traits and personality, which has been quite cool.”
“The biggest thing that I’ve probably learned is that performance is a little more complex than research allows you to see, and it’s a blending of multiple pillars of sports science.”
“That’s broadened my horizons to skill acquisition and the peripheries of human behaviour combined with strength and conditioning and biomechanics. So the experience of working with someone like Maddi has broadened my understanding of performance.”
While Mike has enjoyed being in Paris, he says that the Olympic experience for him is more about performance.
“I get a real buzz out of trying to figure out the puzzle of how we throw it further?”
He says that sport science is probably a pretty new science and it is evolving year on year.
“That’s the challenge for us as lecturers and researchers is to keep up with the science and the practice. What we know today might not be what we know tomorrow.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
5 mins ago
Associate Professor Emily Nelson presented the fourth public lecture in a series: ‘Reconnecting Through Research’, at MTG Hawke’s Bay, organised by EIT’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC).
The ‘Learning in Nature’ research project at the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre on EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale shows the benefits of children connecting to nature, Associate Professor Emily Nelson says.
Dr Nelson, of EIT’s School of Education and Social Sciences, presented the fourth public lecture in a series: ‘Reconnecting Through Research’, at MTG Hawke’s Bay, organised by EIT’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC).
EIT Emeritus Professor Kay Morris Matthews, also Associate Researcher and Curator at MTG, introduced Emily as a “good academic citizen”.
“Emily Nelson was raised in Hawke’s Bay and has made a significant contribution to growing teachers in our region.”
Her lecture titled: ‘Learning in Nature: Emerging Values, Visions, Cautions and Potential’ focused on the research which began life as a developmental evaluation of the establishment of EIT’s Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre and was conducted jointly by Associate Professor Nelson and Professor Bronwen Cowie, University of Waikato.
The Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre promotes biodiversity management, connection to nature and sustainable futures and was sponsored by the Air NZ Environment Trust and spearheaded by Ngāti Pārau, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Department of Conservation.
Dr Nelson explored the value gained by educational groups who visited the Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre over the 2020/21 period.
The research involved over 40 participants, including contributions of 509 photographs, 13 interviews, 22 voiceovers, and 90 visual data nuggets. This comprehensive data collection highlights the transformative potential of nature-based learning environments.
She reflected on the perspectives on learning and connecting to nature shared by local primary school students and their teachers, particularly those from Bledisloe School who was an early adopter.
“At a time when we are grappling with a global ecological crisis and growing disconnection from nature in our daily lives, the stakes for connecting with nature are high.
“Young people are positioned increasingly as the hope for humanity’s future. But beyond adult-centric agendas, the Learning in Nature research paints a refreshing picture of human and more-than-human agency, very personal connections with the land and its inhabitants at Ōtātara and children’s bespoke visions for their futures.”
Dr Nelson said children’s bespoke connections with the natural world during their visits stimulated their curiosity and care for nature.
“In a time where children’s independent mobility is increasingly limited, they had adventures and free-exploration in a diverse landscape. The questions they asked, the interests they followed up at Ōtātara indicated that they were making the place their place. This care and belonging for nature is identified in research as pivotal for pro-conservation and pro-environmental behaviours flourishing.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
4 mins ago
Dr Chey Dearing, a Principal Academic Staff Member (PASM) in EIT’s School of Nursing, has led research that shows that tthousands of New Zealanders, especially people of Māori ,Pacific, or Asian ethnicity are not getting proper bowel cancer screening.
Thousands of New Zealanders, especially people of Māori ,Pacific, or Asian ethnicity are not getting proper bowel cancer screening, EIT-led research has found.
The new research, led by Dr Chey Dearing, a Principal Academic Staff Member (PASM) in EIT’s School of Nursing, shows that in ten years more than 7,000 eligible people tried but failed, due to an error with the bowel cancer screening test or it not being done properly.
The research has just been published in the New Zealand Medical Journal with Dr Dearing as the lead author. The article is entitled Attempt to engage, yet failure to obtain successful bowel cancer screening: more likely in Māori, Pacific peoples, Asians, men and high deprivation areas. Other authors are Louise O’Connor, Gastroenterology Nurse, Gastroenterology Department, Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital; Georgia C Dearing, Health Science Student, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland; and Bernard McEntee, Consultant General Surgeon, Gastroenterology Department, Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
Dearing says the people who are most likely to miss out on proper screening are people of Māori or Asian or Pacific ethnicity. Males were also more likely to miss out.
In New Zealand, bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer (CRC), is the second highest cause of cancer death. The researchers sought to characterise a unique population, the individuals who attempt to engage one or multiple times with screening yet fail to ever obtain successful screening. They did this by analysing data from the New Zealand National Bowel Screening Programme from 2012 to 2022.
The research shows that more than 7,000 individuals (1.26% of all participants) have attempted but failed to be successfully screened in the national bowel screening programme. In the first place, many factors including ethnicity, gender, language barriers and socio-economic status reduce participation in such screening. Targeted interventions to improve Māori and Pacific peoples’ participation show modest 2–5% increases or even reduced participation.
Dearing says that 7,126 (1.26 percent) failed to get tested properly for a variety of reasons. Bowel cancer screening tests that were returned but were unable to be processed are known as “spoilt kits”.
“Spoilt kits are technical errors, including reasons such as consent forms not being signed or dated, barcodes not being attached to the sample, insufficient sample collected, kits being outside expiry dates and other similar errors,” says Dearing.
Further compounding the issue was that when someone submitted a first “spoilt” kit, even though they were sent another (with some even contacted directly) they failed to respond or sent a second faulty kit back.
Dearing says that there are important variations in the failure to successfully receive CRC screening by gender, age, ethnicity, deprivation level and screening year, but says there are some solutions available.
“We suggest drop-off location checking services for all participants are required at locations determined after consultation with stakeholders. This might be in high-deprivation areas, or where culturally appropriate, perhaps located on maraes and other community centres.”
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
16 mins ago
Dr Gareth Allison is EIT’s new Head of the School of Business
An EIT educator who spent time working at an Indigenous tertiary institute in Australia’s Northern Territory, says that having an impact on people’s lives and in communities is key.
Dr Gareth Allison, who is EIT’s new Head of the School of Business, says that his job as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Tertiary Education and Research at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education gave him an insight into the role that education can play in people’s lives. He also spent part of his time there in the acting CEO role.
“What was great about the roles was what you were doing as an organisation was making a real impact on people’s lives. In that context it was changing the lives of people, families and communities that had been damaged by colonialism“
“We had a wide variety of offerings from very low level literacy and numeracy programmes delivered in the prisons, right through to postgraduate courses. I enjoyed my time there and it really was a place where I learnt a lot of lessons.”
Gareth, who joined EIT in May as postgraduate programme coordinator and lecturer in the Schools of Business and Computing, is looking forward to his new role heading the School of Business. He has also been appointed Head of the School of Tourism and Hospitality and the English Language Centre.
He is originally from Kaikōura and has worked extensively within the tertiary education sector since receiving his PhD from Lincoln University. He has worked at Lincoln University, Auckland University of Technology, Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai, the University of Canterbury and Ara Institute of Canterbury as well.
Gareth, who ran his own business in Christchurch for about a year after returning from Australia, says that he decided to come to EIT because it had always had a good reputation in the Polytech sector.
“I enjoy this sector a lot, its applied and real and I feel that you can make more of a difference.”
“I think that after what this community has been through, it’s a chance to make an impact and to do something meaningful, which is, to me, quite important.”
Research has been an important part of Gareth’s career and he is enjoying connecting with EIT’s rich research culture. His own doctoral thesis examined Cross-cultural motivations for the consumption of luxury products, but his interests are now more about multicultural marketplaces, food marketing, and ethical consumption.
He says that he is looking forward to the challenge of being Head of three distinct schools (Business, Tourism and Hospitality and the English Language Centre).
“My job in that space is to help to grow those areas till they are sustainable and vibrant and doing all the things they need to do.”
He says that while an important part of the School of Business was the postgraduate programmes in Auckland which focused on international students, he is keen to grow the undergraduate offering in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, as well as postgraduate offerings for domestic students in Hawke’s Bay.
“What i’d like to see is for the business school as a whole to be more engaged with the region that we’re in, to be more relevant, to be more a part of the community that we live and work in, and to be a real contributor to the economy of this region in terms of developing skills and creating opportunities for businesses and for students.”
“I’d also like for us to be more connected to all of our stakeholders, including Māori, and to increase our relevance in that space over time.”
John West, EIT’s Executive Dean: Faculty of Commerce and Technology, says: “EIT is delighted to be able to appoint Gareth who brings a breadth of Australian educational leadership and management experience, and a deep understanding of delivering educational outcomes to learners that often find access and success at tertiary education difficult.”
