Zealand Institutions Research Articles

Finding a Temporary Adhesive for Securing Objects for Display in Earthquake-Prone Regions

ABSTRACT New Zealand institutions and private collectors use both QuakeHold!™ Museum Wax and Rhoplex® N-580 to temporarily secure their objects on display, though the manufacture of Rhoplex® N-580 was discontinued in 2018. This paper studies the efficacy of a select group of adhesives to produce similar stabilising effects for terracotta and glass objects during seismic events, while also exhibiting properties which meet standards for conservation and display. Shake-table and tilt table test methods were used to imitate the effects of an earthquake on two types of objects secured to painted medium-density fibreboard or acrylic. Lascaux® 303HV shows promise for use as a temporary adhesive for small objects on display.

Towards an intelligent blended system of learning activities model for New Zealand institutions: an investigative approach

COVID-19 has accelerated the uptake of blended learning approaches all over the world. The need to restrict human interaction to reduce the possibility of infection has led to a full lockdown of all educational institutions. Blended learning is a new teaching style combining traditional and modern learning models, where the digital methods of teaching students do not completely replace the ways in which the traditional teachers used to interact with and teach the students. However, there are several challenges associated with the understanding of blended learning models and their implementation in an educational institution. With the development of these blended learning models, there have also been several challenges associated with the different ways of accepting the learning models and using them in combination. This is why this paper proposes a design for a system of blended learning activities that would provide students with a total learning model, which has not replaced the traditional learning models but has successfully utilized digital technologies and blended them with traditional learning. Therefore, they can be used along with the old way of teaching a student, evaluating how the student is performing and also how the staff are performing as teachers. This paper focuses on the development of this model for students in New Zealand.

Machinery of Government Reforms in New Zealand

This article assesses the reasons for frequent national-level administrative reforms in New Zealand and reflects on their potential consequences. It explores three potential reasons: the particularities of Wellington as a highly conducive place for ideas to be shared between decision makers and academics; the characteristics of New Zealand institutions; and the effects of innovations themselves as drivers of disappointment and more innovation. The article reflects on reforms as drivers of continuous and incremental improvements as opposed to a hyper-innovative, politically driven administrative system. It concludes by stressing the importance of incorporating experiences ‘from the bottom’ in reform processes, and reliance on reflective mechanisms capable of creating opportunities for incremental, piecemeal and often ‘inelegant’ administrative adjustments.

Machinery of Government Reforms in New Zealand

This article assesses the reasons for frequent national-level administrative reforms in New Zealand and reflects on their potential consequences. It explores three potential reasons: the particularities of Wellington as a highly conducive place for ideas to be shared between decision makers and academics; the characteristics of New Zealand institutions; and the effects of innovations themselves as drivers of disappointment and more innovation. The article reflects on reforms as drivers of continuous and incremental improvements as opposed to a hyper-innovative, politically driven administrative system. It concludes by stressing the importance of incorporating experiences ‘from the bottom’ in reform processes, and reliance on reflective mechanisms capable of creating opportunities for incremental, piecemeal and often ‘inelegant’ administrative adjustments.

New Zealanders returning from overseas: how their experiences of xenophobia could help us respond to superdiversity

ABSTRACTThis article draws on qualitative interview data with 42 New Zealanders returning to New Zealand after living overseas, finding they feel more like a ‘migrant’ than someone coming ‘home’. This is in part because New Zealand people and institutions demonstrate an intolerance to difference, theorised here as a form of xenophobia that inhibits the economic, social and political integration of participants. However, the same experiences and ideas that lead many New Zealanders to frame returnees as an ‘out-group’ can be regarded as a national resource. The article concludes that we should embrace – not ignore or disparage – returnees' awareness of integration issues, transnational networks and cross-cultural experiences as we attempt to maintain social cohesion in an increasingly superdiverse world.

Learning to be researchers in physical education and sport pedagogy: the perspectives of doctoral students and early career researchers

Numerous academics have argued that if a field is to progress, attention needs to be paid to how future generations of researchers are being prepared. To date, data generated on research training in physical education and sport pedagogy (PESP) have primarily focused on students undertaking doctoral programmes with a formal coursework component, which is the model predominantly used in the USA. The traditional master-apprentice model is still, however, the dominant model in many countries, including Australia, and there is a dearth of research on this model of research preparation. Hence, this study was an effort to capture the perspectives and experiences of doctoral students (DSs) and early career researchers (ECRs) who are/were engaged in programmes employing the apprentice model of training. The question we sought to examine was ‘what do PESP doctoral students and early career researchers perceive as the facilitators and challenges associated with learning to be researchers?’. The participants in this study included eight DSs and seven ECRs who were based in Australian and New Zealand institutions. Data were generated through a questionnaire that sought to identify participants’ various research training experiences, a workshop that brought participants together to discuss their research training, and follow-up individual semi-structured interviews. While much of the data generated through this study related to the importance of developing such generic research skills as writing, grant writing and presenting at conferences, participants also discussed PESP-specific skills and dispositions, including particular orientations towards research impact, and the development of research culture. Findings are discussed in reference to the neoliberalisation of education and questions are raised about the forms of research training developing researchers in PESP might need if they are to thrive as researchers within and beyond the field.

Academic mobility in the Anthropocene era: a comparative study of university policy at three New Zealand institutions

Anthropogenic climate change is a wicked problem, requiring fundamental behavioural and technological responses now, in the Anthropocene, a term denoting the current era of human dominance of biological, chemical and geological processes on Earth. Travel and transport policies are key to effective responses, confronting both leisure and business travellers, including academics. This paper explores in detail the factors that promote or suppress academic travel, examining institutional policies which frame academic mobility practices at three New Zealand universities; University of Otago, University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington. It finds evidence of little congruence between sustainability statements, with their wide discourses on environmental sustainability, and the institutional policies governing academic mobility. Three overriding themes emerging from the analysis are presented: hollow words (describing a lack of meaningful commitment to sustainability, with disconnections between sustainability rhetoric and key policies), unspoken words (assumptions about the necessity of travel) and facilitating mobilities (promoting travel, rewarding those who travel). These themes highlight varying degrees of divergence between the sustainability imperatives of these universities and the carbon emissions of institutionalised academic mobilities. Concluding remarks highlight opportunities for New Zealand's academic institutions to align travel policies with growing sustainability imperatives and discuss future research directions.

A university post-entry English language assessment: Charting the changes

The increasingly diverse language backgrounds of their students are creating new challenges for Englishmedium universities. One response in Australian and New Zealand institutions has been to introduce post-entry language assessment (PELA) to identify incoming students who need to enhance their academic language ability. One successful example of this type of programme is the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) at the University of Auckland, which has been implemented across the university since 2002. This paper discusses the reasons for introducing the assessment and outlines its current operation. As part of the validation process feedback is obtained from academic staff, and from students who have completed the assessment and been advised about their opportunities for enriching their academic literacy. The focus of this paper is on the ways the feedback has led to changes both in the composition and administration of the assessment and the delivery of effective English language programmes.

Getting Ready for the Next Step: The Eradication of Feral Cats on Large and Highest Priority Mexican Islands

Mexican islands’ biodiversity is very rich and diverse; several reptile, bird, and mammal endemic species live on them. However, ecological and evolutionary processes have been negatively affected by invasive species. To date, more than 20 island endemics, including mammals, birds and reptiles, have gone extinct on Mexican islands. As a very opportunistic predator that adapts easily to different environments, the feral cat is one of the most lethal invasive species. Restoration of island ecosystems can be achieved effectively by the eradication of this noxious species. In Mexico, 18 islands (<400 km2) have been cleared of feral cats using traditional techniques, i.e. trapping and hunting. These techniques are still being implemented on smaller islands or on islands where populations are small. Nevertheless, on big islands with complex terrain and topography, varied habitats and climates, and with non-target species, there are challenges to overcome. This includes Socorro (130 km2), Cerralvo (135 km2), and Guadalupe (240 km2) Islands. To achieve successful cat eradications on these islands, dispersion of toxic baits will be necessary. Currently, bait trials are being developed by Grupo de Ecologia y Conservacion de Islas, A.C., and supported by Australian and New Zealand institutions, as part of island-specific eradication plans. To date, these studies comprise feral cat and native species ecology for Cerralvo and Socorro Islands. All data gathered is valuable for eradication planning.

Quantifying variation of paediatric length of stay among intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand

ObjectiveTo quantify variation of mean paediatric length of stay (LoS) among intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia and New Zealand.MethodRetrospective data from Australian and New Zealand institutions that admitted children...

Experiences in Deploying Metadata Analysis Tools for Institutional Repositories

Current institutional repository software provides few tools to help metadata librarians understand and analyze their collections. In this article, we compare and contrast metadata analysis tools that were developed simultaneously, but independently, at two New Zealand institutions during a period of national investment in research repositories: the Metadata Analysis Tool (MAT) at The University of Waikato, and the Kiwi Research Information Service (KRIS) at the National Library of New Zealand. The tools have many similarities: they are convenient, online, on-demand services that harvest metadata using OAI-PMH; they were developed in response to feedback from repository administrators; and they both help pinpoint specific metadata errors as well as generating summary statistics. They also have significant differences: one is a dedicated tool wheres the other is part of a wider access tool; one gives a holistic view of the metadata whereas the other looks for specific problems; one seeks patterns in the data values whereas the other checks that those values conform to metadata standards. Both tools work in a complementary manner to existing Web-based administration tools. We have observed that discovery and correction of metadata errors can be quickly achieved by switching Web browser views from the analysis tool to the repository interface, and back. We summarize the findings from both tools’ deployment into a checklist of requirements for metadata analysis tools.

Becoming Individuals Together: Socialisation in the Japanese Preschool

Early childhood educators and parents in New Zealand commonly express the hope that young children become independent, creative individuals. In contrast, Japanese preschools work towards a harmonious group of children whose views and behaviour are mirrored by their classmates. Dominated by lengthy periods of free play with little disciplinary action by teachers, classes as large a forty introduce children to 'life in the group' (shūdan seikatsu) and to essential Japanese social values. This approach is often at odds with stereotypical images New Zealanders may have of Asian children as academically driven from an early age. As New Zealand institutions face increasing numbers of Asian children entering the early childhood sector, this paper examines the ideology and practice of shūdan seikatsu socialisation methods prevalent in Japanese preschools in the hope of stimulating critical reflection by New Zealand educators on their own methods and goals.

The Information Systems Academic Discipline in New Zealand

This paper examines the background and development of academic information systems as a field of teaching and research in universities in New Zealand, from its roots in the late 1970s until the present time. Interviews were held with key informants within the information systems departments in every university in the country, as well as one polytechnic institution which has recently applied for university status. Based on the interview data along with other data drawn from the universities’ Web sites and elsewhere, as well as the personal knowledge of the authors, individual case studies of each institution were prepared and validated by the key informants. The paper begins with an overview analysis of the current situation and recent past, with a special emphasis on the student enrolment issue. The information systems discipline is reviewed across the nine institutions through a detailed cross-case analysis including a number of summary tables comparing various statistics across all New Zealand institutions. The cross-case analysis addresses issues such as the role of international students in IS, the comparative location of IS in the various institutions, and the overall “nature” of IS across the country. The results of this study and analysis provide a unique perspective on the past, present, and future of academic information systems in New Zealand.

A Due Diligence Report on New Zealand's Educational Contribution to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

Rather than assuming New Zealand's educational sectors and institutions will be active and effective contributors to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) the authors ask instead: ‘Are New Zealand's school and university sectors actually in a position to respond programmatically to the UN initiative?’ The paper first reviews past efforts to introduce environmental education and education for sustainable development either directly or indirectly in the New Zealand school curricula and in university courses and degrees. The sobering conclusion is that by 2004 the gains could at best only be described as partial, limited and marginal, and certainly not transformational. The paper then reports on the first year of the UNDESD related activity in New Zealand. Again, the efforts have been minimal and the impacts negligible. The New Zealand evidence suggests that until understanding of the constraints of existing educational frameworks is taken seriously, prospects are slim for anything other than rhetorical and cosmetic adjustments in educational curricula and educational outcomes. This realization means early political effort associated with the decade should be concerned less with grand visions and the content of local projects and more with removing institutional obstacles and impediments to creating a ‘sustainability mindset’.

Can we track the impact of Australian mental health research?

Objective: Arguments are being made to increase research and development funding for mental health research in Australia. Consequently, the methods used to measure the results of increased investment require review. This study aimed to describe the status of Australian mental health research and to propose potential methods for tracking changes in research output. Specifically, we describe the research output of nations, Australian states, Australian and New Zealand institutions and Australian and New Zealand researchers using citation rates. Method: Information on research output was sourced from two international databases (Institute for scientific information [ISI] Essential Science Indicators and ISI Web of Science) and the ISI list of Highly Cited Researchers. Results: In an international setting, Australia does not perform as well as other comparable countries such as New Zealand or Canada in terms of research output. Within Australia, the scientific performance of institutions apparently relates to the strength of some individual researchers or consolidated research groups. Highly cited papers are evident in the fields of syndrome definition, epidemiology and epidemiological methods, cognitive science and prognostic or longitudinal studies. Conclusions: Australian researchers need to consider the success of New Zealand and Canadian researchers, particularly given the relatively low investment in health and medical research in New Zealand. Although citation analyses are fraught with difficulties, they can be effectively complemented by other measures of responsiveness to clinical or population needs and community expectations and should be conducted regularly and independently to monitor the status of Australian mental health research.

Can We Track the Impact of Australian Mental Health Research?

Arguments are being made to increase research and development funding for mental health research in Australia. Consequently, the methods used to measure the results of increased investment require review. This study aimed to describe the status of Australian mental health research and to propose potential methods for tracking changes in research output. Specifically, we describe the research output of nations, Australian states, Australian and New Zealand institutions and Australian and New Zealand researchers using citation rates. Information on research output was sourced from two international databases (Institute for scientific information [ISI] Essential Science Indicators and ISI Web of Science) and the ISI list of Highly Cited Researchers. In an international setting, Australia does not perform as well as other comparable countries such as New Zealand or Canada in terms of research output. Within Australia, the scientific performance of institutions apparently relates to the strength of some individual researchers or consolidated research groups. Highly cited papers are evident in the fields of syndrome definition, epidemiology and epidemiological methods, cognitive science and prognostic or longitudinal studies. Australian researchers need to consider the success of New Zealand and Canadian researchers, particularly given the relatively low investment in health and medical research in New Zealand. Although citation analyses are fraught with difficulties, they can be effectively complemented by other measures of responsiveness to clinical or population needs and community expectations and should be conducted regularly and independently to monitor the status of Australian mental health research.

Preserving the Institutional Past and Histories of Psychiatry: Writing about Tokanui Hospital, New Zealand, 1950s-1990s

role of institutional histories in evaluating psychiatry's past. Located near the small town of Te Awamutu in the North Island, Tokanui opened in 1912 and housed people with intellectual disability, those with acute psychiatric disability and those with neurological impairment.1 By the 1950s, Tokanui was overcrowded, housing more than 1000 patients. For many members of its community, the institution was a happy place. Tokanui's fiftieth Jubilee commemoration took place in 1962, and, at that point, a brief history was prepared to mark the half century of a place that had developed and changed alongside psychiatric practices in New Zealand. Tokanui also celebrated with a Jubilee ball, the proceeds of which helped to fund a swimming pool, opened later in 1968. Such practices and performances at moments of historic significance for institutions like Tokanui show that 'history' itself was valued by the institutional community. This article suggests that institutional histories have become even more important for places like Tokanui since the era of deinstitutionalisation or institutional closures. In New Zealand, this era was officially underway by the 1980s, but was arguably a process that began much earlier, as historians have suggested. In order to explore the value of an institutional history of Tokanui, the article provides some background to Tokanui's history and examines the experiences of the institution from the 1950s, and in the following decades until its proposed closure in the 1990s. It uses archival materials, official government records and histories of other New Zealand institutions. It also refers to some oral histories of members of Tokanui's community that were recorded in the 1990s to explore the problem of institutional memory and histories of psychiatry following the era of deinstitutionalisation. It argues that many histories of twentieth-century psychiatric institutions, produced during and after the era of deinstitutionalisation,

Stable carbon isotope ratios as indicators of marine versus terrestrial inputs to the diets of wild and captive tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

Stable carbon isotope analysis was used to examine feeding relationships of wild tuatara on Stephens Island and captive tuatara in New Zealand institutions. We first measured δ13C in three food items of wild tuatara. Pectoral muscle of fairy prions (a seabird eaten seasonally by tuatara) was significantly enriched in 13C compared with whole bodies of wild insects (darkling beetles and tree weta). Values for 813C in blood cells varied significantly among wild tuatara of different life‐history stages. Male tuatara were more enriched in 13C than were females or juveniles, suggesting that males prey more heavily on seabirds. Insect foods of captive tuatara varied dramatically in δ13C; this is attributed to differential consumption of plant material derived from the C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways. Blood cells from four different groups of captive tuatara differed significantly in δ13C. This was perhaps related to assimilation of insects with different δ13C values, and cannot be attributed to differences in seabird predation as captive tuatara do not have access to seabirds. For wild tuatara on Stephens Island, stable carbon isotope analysis provides support for the dietary information available from behavioural observations, gut analyses and measurements of plasma composition.

Revisiting examination questions in tertiary academic writing

This paper evaluates Horowitz's (1989) question categories in a different context from his North American study. Using a similar methodology, 311 questions from two different types of tertiary institutions in New Zealand are examined. Different occurrences of each of his question categories in the different types of institutions are considered. A comparison of our results with Horowitz's findings shows that differences between the New Zealand and American institutions appear to be related to “what writers are asked to write about”, whereas differences between the New Zealand institutions relate to “how writers are asked to write about it’. The results also suggest that assessment workshops within an institution may be useful for standardizing examination questions across disciplines.

Plasma corticosterone concentrations in wild and captive juvenile tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

Abstract High mortality and abnormal growth patterns commonly found in captive juvenile tuatara were hypothesised to be due in part to the effects of long‐term chronic stress of captivity. This study compared plasma concentrations of the reptilian adrenal steroid, corticosterone, in wild juvenile tuatara on Stephens Island, Cook Strait, and in captive juveniles of Stephens Island origin, held in New Zealand institutions, in February and August 1992. Seasonal variation in plasma concentration of corticosterone in wild juveniles in four seasons of the year was also examined. This is the first study of seasonal cycles in plasma corticosterone in a wild juvenile reptile. Plasma corticosterone concentrations were significantly higher in captive juvenile females (4.21 ± 0.27 ng/ml; mean ± SE) compared with wild juvenile females (2.44 ± 0.42 ng/ml) in February (P < 0.05), but not in August, and there was no difference in concentration between captive and wild juvenile males in either month. There was significant...