30 November 2004

New initiative to support tertiary teaching excellence

A major new intiative to support excellence in tertiary teaching was announced today by Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey.

Speaking to the Association of University Staff conference in Wellington, Steve Maharey said a National Centre for Tertiary Excellence will be established next year to build on the work already undertaken to acknowledge and reward excellence in tertiary teaching. The government has agreed to provide up to $4 million a year for the Centre’s operating costs.

“The standard of tertiary teaching is already high,” Steve Maharey said. “Like governments around the world we are keen to support tertiary teachers in areas like curriculum development, methods of assessment and good teaching practices.

“The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence will promote effective teaching and learning through: describing the components of effective teaching and learning documenting systems and practices (with examples and case studies) required for effective teaching and learning providing a clearing house for research on teaching and learning networking educators at local and regional levels undertaking research into teaching and learning.

“The National Centre will also explore the need for tertiary teaching qualifications and support the development and availability of quality professional development options for tertiary teachers. “A Teaching Matters Forum will be set up to provide advice on the establishment of the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence and other issues like the annual Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards.

“Through the internet and meetings around the country, the innovative approach of the Teaching Matters Forum will ensure that effective teaching and learning is seen as the cornerstone of a high performing and effective tertiary education system. We’ll use the feedback we receive from tertiary staff to develop our efforts to pursue excellence in teaching and learning.”

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>