DEANZ Award 2004

Previous Award Winners*

*Previously referred to as DEANZ Awards

DEANZ Award 2004

In 2004 there were three DEANZ Award Winners:

  • Bill Smith, Eastern Institute of Technology & Dr Darl Kolb, Business School, University of Auckland.
  • Professor Koenraad Kuiper, & Colin McMurtrie, Department of Linguistics, University of Canterbury.
  • Michael Alford and Sharon Roffey, Staff Development Section, United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

 

Collaborating across Distance, Functions and Institutional Boundaries.
Bill Smith, Eastern Institute of Technology & Dr Darl Kolb, Business School, University of Auckland.

Project Outline: The purpose of the project was to stimulate and facilitate the teaching of general and strategic management.

The two institutions have been co-operating in the use of a 10 week online business simulation “Mike’s Bikes” developed by an Auckland company. Being benchmarked against competing teams, students could build on their successes or rectify any shortcomings in their company performance.

Judges comments: The judges wish to acknowledge the inter-institutional collaborative nature of this project – a focus already of many discussions in this conference.

The focus of this project – an online simulation called Mike’s Bikes – promotes student participation, interaction and teamwork. These set it apart from a number of other entries that emphasised the delivery of course materials.

E-Lectures within an Integrated Multimedia Course Design.
Professor Koenraad Kuiper, & Colin McMurtrie, Department of Linguistics, University of Canterbury.

Project Outline: This project aimed to create a web-based set of learning pathways that complemented traditional pathways in two existing undergraduate courses.

It used WebCT to create an online full web interface for these courses allowing students off site access within an hour of any given lecture to all course related materials – PowerPoint files, and a tape recording of the lecture.

Judges Comments: The issues addressed in this application are those faced by many conference delegates here today, including

  • utilising scarce resources and expertise
  • addressing the ‘ant time/any place’ desires of students for learning
  • making best use of presentation technologies in traditional lectures

The judges found merit in this application in the way it demonstrated an ongoing process of reflection and evaluation, informed to some degree by research, in developing a solution to the issues that have just been outlined.

The application chronicles a sequence of carefully planned interventions that have been trialled and evaluated to the current point, where material presented and discussed with students in lecture formats is now made available through existing learning management systems.

A mix of technologies is used to provide Quicktime movies of presentations, self-test quizzes with instant feedback, plus email and discussion.

The judges found the formal paper submitted with this application would be of wide interest to other professionals working in tertiary education.

Flexible Learning Templates for Dispersed Learners.
Michael Alford and Sharon Roffey, Staff Development Section, United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Project Outline: Given the large number of UNHCR staff dispersed over 200 international locations, their project was the development of a series of easy to use templates for the development of learning and training materials. These templates were

  • a self-study guide for all staff learners
  • a coaching guide for coaches (including supervisors), and
  • a workshop or facilitated group learning guide for trainers and facilitators

Judges Comments: The judges thought that the documentation for this project was outstanding. The concept was huge and multi-levelled – serving the needs of a significantly large number of learners dispersed throughout many countries.

It was an example of the use of best practice in professional development, including learner-centred design, and ‘just in time’ availability of resources to support practitioners.

The templates provide a repertoire of tools and resources for subject matter experts wishing to develop self-directed or flexible learning guides for particular groups of learners.

These may also be used by supervisors and coaches in the UNHCR programme.

The project plan that underpinned the application was strong. The evaluation strategies were such that there was evidence of continual improvement.

There was innovative and effective use of low-tech solutions that were appropriate to the group being served, combining use of traditional print media with electronic media.