Oral Presentations

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Start date: 2020Has files: Yes

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Hearing from the experts – Parents’ knowledge of what works for their children
    (22/07/2015) Dharan V
    Given that children and young persons with ASD require support both at home and school, one of the fundamental factors for the success of all types of supports, services and interventions is the effective collaboration and open communication between families, schools, other professionals and organisations. This inextricable nature of partnership has its own complexities, and if interventions and supports are to be successful, there needs to be a better understanding of ways in which the supports are perceived to be usefuland effective by families. This presentation is drawn from a small researchproject undertaken for the first time in New Zealand in the form of a nationalsurvey to understand parents’/caregivers’ of children and young persons with ASD aged 0-21 of what works for their children and whānau. Particularly the research focused on the supports at home, out of home/after school carearrangements and educational settings. Data was gathered using an e-survey sent to parents using the Autism NZ database, followed by a small number of families participating in Focus Groups and five case studies. This presentation will report on the e-survey findings of 335 families who participated in the survey that was distributed through Autism NZ database. Broadly, themes that emerged from parent responses to key questionsindicate that parents were accessing a range of services for supporting the communication, behaviour and social difficulties of their children with ASD. These supports were provided either by individuals or organisations, but often their access was dictated by what was available than what is needed.. While specific therapy needs were identified by some, there was an overarching desire for their children to be in educational settings alongside their peers supported by adequate and appropriate resources. More training and support for classroom teachers as well as parents was emphasised strongly. This presentation will share these findings and more. The topic of presentation aligns well with the conference themes and will be of interest to all those who work with and support families, children and young persons.
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    Plastic Pollution Prevention in Pacific Large Ocean Island Developing States (LOSIDS)
    (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for the Pacific and UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, 4/02/2021) Farrelly T; Borrelle SB; Fuller S
    The rate of plastic pollution entering the environment is accelerating with plastic productionpredicted to increase by 40% over the next decade. Plastic pollution transcends territorial boundarieson ocean and air currents. Large Ocean Small Island Developing States (LOSIDS) are on the frontlineof the plastics crisis and associated climate change impacts. This desktop gap analysis identifiedpotential strengths and weaknesses in national policy frameworks in 52 key documents relevantto plastic pollution in ten Pacific LOSIDS. The study found considerable gaps in the vertical andhorizontal integration of plastic pollution-related policy, and a lack of access to current science-basedevidence on plastic pollution including evidence related to human health impacts and microplastics.The study concludes that, even if Pacific LOSIDS were to include best practice management of plasticpollution across all policy frameworks, they could not prevent plastic pollution, and that a plasticpollution convention is needed
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    Degree apprenticeships: Is this the future for employer-led partnerships in New Zealand?
    (26/10/2017) Poskitt JM
    Work-ready graduates with practical skills and theoretical knowledge in engineering is essential. Traditionally, potential employees arrive with either theoretical knowledge from University study, or with practical skills learnt ‘on the job’. Yet employers need personnel with theoretical and practical competencies from the outset to undertake project work. To address this, the Tertiary Education Commission initiated a pilot study of Degree Apprenticeships, aimed at investigating how a qualification comprising a nexus of practical and theoretical work could be integrated into the students’ work environment. A number of conditions needed consideration. Only if it was employer-led, endorsed by them and addressed their requirements could the innovation be successful. But given the multiple demands on employer time; different constraints according to the nature of their enterprise; urban-rural location, political and financial complexities; coordinating the innovation could be challenging. This was a four month study with a limited budget. A university-polytechnic team collaborated to facilitate the process. Engineering staff in the Polytechnic sector were invited to provide additional input and contributed pivotal knowledge of tertiary qualification standards to underpin the innovation. The presentation reports the collaborative and facilitative process undertaken. Research interviews were conducted with a small range of employers in purposively sampled urban, regional and rural locations in the North Island. Analysis of the interview data informed the initial draft standard, to which participants were invited to critically discuss and subsequently refine at two collaborative workshops. Balancing academic process and deadlines with the need to be responsive to employer realities created dilemmas, along with the need to manage power differentials in knowledge, experience and political influence. Employer-led learning partnerships are are seen as best practice in developing apprenticeship qualifications, providing there is a spirit of mutual respect, inter-dependence and collaboration across employer, student and tertiary providers.
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    Learning from moderation of OTJs: The political balancing act.
    (21/11/2016) Poskitt JM
    Internationally, attention to educational accountability sharpened during the Global Financial Crisis period, with a political need for student achievement data. International achievement testing strongly influenced educational policy globally (Volante, 2016) and in New Zealand (Poskitt, 2016a). “Advocates of standards-based reform argue that large-scale assessment programs provide valuable and necessary information to assist in the revision of national evaluation systems, curriculum standards, and performance targets” (Volante, 2016, p.3). Worldwide testing programs provide international and intra-national comparative data on student achievement at particular student ages, but they do not capture achievement across all year levels of compulsory schooling. Limited sampling size and the need for international comparability in content means the tests have reduced validity for local contextual purposes. To address the need for localised student achievement data across the primary school years, New Zealand implemented National Standards (NS) in 2010. The intention of NS was also to avoid risks of narrowing the curriculum and ‘teaching to the test’ by developing NS that were broad in description, linked to New Zealand Curriculum levels and utilized teachers’ professional judgments (Poskitt, 2016b). At the heart of the NS policy are overall teacher judgments (OTJs). Primary teachers are required to make standards judgments for each of their students in reading, writing and mathematics based on a range of achievement information. Schools vary in the ‘evidence’ they use and their interpretations of it. Social moderation is intended to assist the dependability of the OTJs. “This practice involves teachers expressing their interpretations of assessment criteria and standards with the aim of reaching agreement on the award of a standard” (Klenowski & Wyatt-Smith, 2014, p.74), and thereby increase the validity and reliability of teachers’ subsequent judgements. Little is known about the moderation processes used by New Zealand teachers. In what ways do teachers express their interpretations of assessment criteria and standards? What influences their judgments in moderation meetings? This paper examines the moderation conversations of teachers involved in a school cluster professional development initiative on student writing. Political influences are evident in relation to the power of: teacher knowledge and expectations, seniority (by age and designation), reference points used and limited resourcing. Unless resources are invested in ongoing professional learning for moderation, dependability of OTJs will be undermined. The resultant risk is political influences will usurp teacher involvement in assessment and rely primarily on international achievement tests for monitoring the health of NZ’s education system.