Research Projects
Project Activate
Auckland and Southland schools will soon be having classes together thanks to new interactive whiteboard (IWB) technology, working with Promethean.
Five Auckland and 10 Southland schools and colleges will be piloting the use of the technology to aid and enhance cooperative, distance and inquiry-based learning. A comprehensive and relevant teaching resource will also be created by teachers during the project.
Kopu Project
A cluster of small rural schools in the Thames/Coromandel area want to create an atmosphere where the children develop ‘a life long love of learning’. To achieve this, the Kopu Project aims to transition the schools to a 21st century model of teaching and learning where information communications technology (ICT) is a key part in the learning process.
The Kopu Project schools will move away from more teacher-dominated teaching methodologies to ones based more on an inquiry-based learning model, which teaches students to think more independently.
ICT complements inquiry-based learning as it links students to information where they need to apply critical thinking skills to work out an answer or solution for themselves. As ICT is interactive and allows students’ differing approaches to learning, it can help make learning more motivating, enjoyable and relevant. The teacher is still responsible for the learning of their students, but acts in a less directive or dominating role as students take more responsibility for constructing knowledge.