Browsing by Author "Fields A"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Digital inclusion in New Zealand
    (Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ), 12/02/2020) Hartnett M; Fields A
    Digital inclusion—having what we need to participate in, contribute to, and succeed in the digital world—is becoming a priority for individuals, groups, and governments around the world. Not having the necessary motivation, access, skills, and trust to engage with all things digital can result in both individuals and groups being digitally excluded. In this Editorial we look at what is encompassed by digital inclusion, who is most likely to be excluded, and the New Zealand government’s recent publication of the Digital Inclusion Blueprint. Following this discussion, the papers included in this issue are introduced.
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    Editorial: Open Access–Our golden route in academic publishing in an increasingly open world
    (FLANZ, 2015) Fields A; Davis N; Hartnett MK
    Open access (OA) publishing — that is, the immediate, online, free availability of research outputs without many of the restrictions imposed by traditional copyright agreements — is changing the landscape of scholarly publications. The Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (JOFDL) is well positioned in the changing world of publishing with its focus on making high-quality research in the Asia–Pacific region readily available to all. The recent inclusion of JOFDL in the Directory of Open Access Journals highlights this commitment to accessibility. With that in mind, the three articles in this issue of JOFDL explore the experiences of learners in three separate and distinct educational contexts in Aotearoa New Zealand. Two of the articles are situated in the schooling sector, where research on students learning at a distance is urgently needed to inform the development of more equitable practice worldwide. The third paper explores student engagement at the tertiary level, continuing the theme from the 2014 DEANZ conference relating to the ‘e’ in engagement. Using the article by Jeurissen as a focus, the editorial highlights the role of open, flexible, and distance learning revitalising te reo Māori, the New Zealand indigenous language. The philosophy and methods of open access publishing are also discussed.
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    Improving Remote Teaching and Online Learning
    (Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ), 2021-08-08) Hartnett M; Fields A; Hartnett M; Fields A
    This issue of the Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (JOFDL) contains an invited piece from a well-known author in the field. The intention is to include an invited piece in subsequent issues. This contribution from Rick Shearer focuses on theory in open, flexible, and distance education. The choice of topic is timely given the experiences of emergency remote teaching (ERT) by teachers and academics over the last 18 months, and the prevailing view that online learning and teaching and ERT are equivalent. In addition to the invited article, this issue has four articles—a descriptive piece and three articles from presentations at the recent FLANZ 2021 Conference.
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    Raranga te Kete Aronui—Weaving the Basket: Continuing With Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning
    (Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ), 2020-12-15) Fields A; Hartnett M; Fields A; Hartnett M
    This issue of the Journal uses the metaphor of raranga te kete aronui (weaving the basket of the pursuit of knowledge) as it continues the conversation of developing areas of open, flexible, and distance learning (OFDL). It comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional face-to-face teaching in classrooms on a global scale, and the value of open, flexible, and distance learning has become starkly apparent. This issue has five articles which contribute to the ongoing knowledge presented in this issue. There are two articles based on educational theory: Higgins explores the theoretical history of OFDL, and the work of Nichols et al. is based on Mezirow’s 10 stages of transformative learning. Three research articles provide insight into a range of specific areas: Sime et al. use networked learning theory to investigate the design of a social exploration MOOC, Irons and Hartnett present exploratory research into the teaching of computational thinking in junior classrooms in New Zealand, and Nyugen describes the design and development of qualifications in early childhood education and care to meet a demand for New Zealand home-based early childhood educators to be qualified. These are all contributions to our weaving and filling of te kete aronui.
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    Taking stock of our journal's journey: A statement of impact
    (Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ), 2/07/2019) Fields A; Hartnett M; Fields, A; Hartnett, M
    Pausing to take stock of progress on a journey can achieve many things, including identifying how far you’ve come, which way you’ve come, and which way you want to go. A statement of impact for the Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (JOFDL) has been prepared, taking stock of the Journal at the current time in its journey. This statement identifies the Journal and its impact in terms of reach, use, and contribution to global academic research and publishing. The Editorial is rounded off with an overview of the articles in this issue.