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An increasingly complex and demanding research landscape has seen university libraries rapidly evolve their services. While research data management, bibliometrics, and research impact services have predominantly featured in the literature to date, the full scope of support libraries are currently providing to their institutions is unknown. This paper aims to present an up-to-date view of the scope and extent of research support services by university libraries across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. A coding process analyzed content data from university library websites. Eleven research support areas were identified. Service delivery is split between synchronous and asynchronous modes. This paper describes a lived experience of an evidence-based library and information practice approach to improving research support services at two Australian university libraries, and while it highlights continued maturation of research support services, more research is needed to better understand influences on service development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals may be victimised for a range of reasons, including their ethnicity or race. These experiences can have a significant impact on individuals' health, wellbeing, and educational opportunities. However, despite the intersectionality of racism and bullying, it is a relatively under-researched topic in the tertiary sector. This pilot study utilises the student voice of 13 tertiary students who identified with one or more ethnic minority. The study aimed to understand how educational institutions can provide better support to students who have experienced bullying at secondary school or university. Approximately half of the participants had sought support from friends and parents after bullying incidents. They highlighted the importance of having their experiences taken seriously by individuals who were empathetic and culturally sensitive. Conversely, a dismissive and insensitive response reinforced their belief that there was no point in seeking help, as nothing would change. These preliminary findings could inform educational policies to increase the efficacy of support systems for tertiary (and secondary) students of ethnic minorities in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies, as mediators and facilitators of learning, are altering tertiary education; how and when it occurs, what it entails, who has access, and how capabilities and skills are acknowledged. Digital badges are one such technological tool. Created to acknowledge competency, skill or achievement they have been adopted for a variety of purposes including to motivate learners, recognise achievement and accredit learning. Internationally, the use of digital badges is growing; however, much of the existing literature addresses the potential of digital badges while there is a relative paucity of empirical research, particularly in the Australasian region. This research explored the use of digital badges within New Zealand's public higher education sector. Using a mixed methods approach (national survey of staff followed by interviews), results revealed over half of the institutions were using badges or planned to in the future. Identified benefits included displaying achievement, motivating learners and evidencing learning. Challenges were also noted, including faculty members' lack of knowledge about badges, inconsistent use and lack of formal regulation of badges. The findings suggest that badge use is at the early adoption stage and provide valuable insights from which to develop future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing online learning communities is a promising pedagogical approach in online learning contexts for adult tertiary learners, but it is no easy task. Understanding how learning communities are formed and evaluating their efficacy in supporting learning involves a complex set of issues that have a bearing on the design and facilitation of successful online learning experiences. This paper describes the development of a framework for understanding and developing an online learning community for adult tertiary learners in a New Zealand tertiary institution. In accord with sociocultural views of learning and practices, the framework depicts learning as a mediated, situated, distributed, goaldirected, and participatory activity within a socially and culturally determined learning community. Evidence for the value of the framework is grounded in the findings of a case study of a semester-long fully online asynchronous graduate course. The framework informs our understanding of appropriate conditions for the development and conduct of online learning communities. Implications are presented for the design and facilitation of learning in such contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is informed by a kaupapa Māori methodology and reports on a "by Māori for Māori" peer mentoring programme. The programme, offered by the College of Business at Massey University, focuses on Māori students who are studying at a distance. We outline the programme and the experiences and perceptions from kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) interviews and discussions with seven Māori student mentors who are studying internally. Using Durie's (2009) model of Māori student success we identify a number of attributes that mentors developed by participating in this programme and providing help and support to distance students. Results suggest that mentoring programmes can provide mentors with opportunities to develop in areas such as leadership, which may not have been previously identified and discussed in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Aotearoa New Zealand, changes to the political landscape have made it increasingly difficult for Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP) to successfully deliver programmes in regions away from urban centres. Within this context, research was undertaken to identify some of the tensions associated with regional strategy development. Findings highlighted that each community and their needs are different; positive partnerships are required; there are resourcing challenges, yet ITP staff demonstrate a strong sense of social and moral responsibility to their learners and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stories from adult students with dyslexia are not widely heard in Aotearoa/New Zealand. While working alongside students with dyslexia we have gained access to some powerful stories of struggle and triumph. Our own practices, as a learning development lecturer and a literacy advisor, have been challenged by what we heard and this has prompted us to investigate dyslexia and the discourses that are associated with it in more depth. In order to learn more we interviewed four students about their study journeys, and asked them to identify what lecturers did or could do to make learning easier. Using a narrative analysis approach we identified five clear themes: resilience (these students were studying successfully); the positive impact of identification; the importance of self-awareness; implementation of compensatory strategies; and, the positive consequences of being open about dyslexia in terms of receiving institutional assistance and accessing support in the learning environment, for example, assistive technologies. Recommendations are also made about what lecturers can do to make learning easier for students with dyslexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues arising in the transition from secondary school to tertiary mathematics study are increasingly coming under scrutiny. In this paper, we analyse two practical aspects of the school-tertiary interface: teaching style; and assessment. We present some of the findings arising from a 2-year national project in New Zealand titled 'Analysing the Transition from Secondary to Tertiary Education in Mathematics' supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. The results provide evidence of similarities and differences between teachers and lecturers in their preferred teaching approaches and assessment strategies that contribute to a transitional gap between the school and tertiary sectors. The results also show that each group lacks a clear understanding of the issues involved in the transition from the other's perspective, and there is a need for improved communication between the two sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many are enthusiastic about the promises of online learning as a flexible form of learning, others are cautious and concerned with the quality of teaching and learning rendered in such environments. In response, this article reports on the findings of a study conducted to better understand the issues related to the nature of learning in online environments and how learning in such environments can be successfully facilitated. Ten online lecturers and their students were surveyed at the Faculty of Education, University of Waikato. Successful online teaching and learning was characterised as a social interactive process such as that embodied within learning communities. Teaching practices and responsibilities associated with four lecturer roles were crucial to this process-pedagogical, managerial, social and technological. Considering these multiple roles is argued to be a productive framework in enabling online lecturers to understand and act on each role's required responsibility, tasks and practices and adapt them to their particular teaching context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the rationale for developing a formal generic skills framework at tertiary education level in New Zealand. Employers require graduates to be work-ready after completion of study. The dynamics of this requirement change as the business environment changes. This increases pressure on education institutions and on the graduates. A generic skills framework which would be structured against up to ten skill areas may go some way to resolving this pressure. These skills would reflect those identified by employers and other stakeholders and reflect the interest in skills internationally. The benefits to the organisation would be in the immediate recognition of generic skills, ability, potential, and best it with the organisation's plans and strategies enabling a shorter learning curve. The challenge is in identifying which generic skills are required by employers. This paper presents an overview and a discussion of the results of a survey conducted with human resource professionals on the skills and their uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1990s, the overall number of international students studying at tertiary level in New Zealand has increased over 400% and, although enrolments have declined recently, there are still significant numbers of overseas students. This situation has brought continuing pedagogical challenges for tertiary teachers and students. The main purposes of this case study project were to uncover what was occurring within classrooms at one New Zealand university, what types of language and instructional styles were being used by lecturers, and which aspects of degree study international students found most difficult. It was anticipated that through developing a better understanding of key factors interacting with students' emerging academic literacy, improvements to educational practices in our multicultural, multilingual program could be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initially, this study of the attrition of adult Māori students in a Tertiary Institute was undertaken to determine whether the factors in the literature explaining attrition/retention in tertiary institutions were relevant to Māori students and whether the literature covered all the factors. The main finding was that they mostly did apply. Research published subsequently raised other issues that led to the conclusion that we need to reframe the concept of attrition/retention and accept that a certain level is inevitable. This suggests that it is time to turn our attention to strategies that ease the exit and return of Māori students to tertiary education institutions if they have to withdraw for any reason. At the same time, those of us in the tertiary education sector must continue to find ways to improve the quality of educational experiences for Māori students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students of Pacific Island descent bring a wide range of qualities to the mainstream British-based classroom system in New Zealand. They are diverse, collective, relational and bring strong elements of a Christian moral framework with them. This is a stark contrast to the individualistic, competitive, impersonal, secular approach utilised in many New Zealand tertiary classrooms. This paper explores the distinctive learning preferences of Pacific students and recommends pedagogical approaches which appreciate the socio economic circumstances of Pacific students, affirm their cultural backgrounds, build a certain type of relationship with the teacher, and create a warm classroom environment to maximize successful outcomes for the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the literature surrounding academic dishonesty issues in tertiary institutions both in New Zealand and overseas. It presents findings of investigations into the prevalence and perceptions of academic dishonesty, the reasons given for dishonest acts, ways in which academic honesty can be maintained in institutions, and the reasons for lack of action by academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]