Tertiary teaching in New Zealand/Educational culture in New Zealand/Where have we come from?/Summary

Summary of Topic Two [[Image:Pikitu Marae.jpg|border|right|Whanau (family) day at Pikitu Marae]]
In this topic we have looked at the past - maybe! Many of the lessons learnt from traditional education are very relevant to today. The Socratic model of a learning conversation, or the guru - disciple relationship, are still probably the best ways of learning, and if we are lucky enough to work alongside a wonderful teacher we will follow the role model, of course. However, in today's busy world, there will be a need for other methods. A lecture is a very efficient technique - one wise person can talk to hundreds of people in a lecture theatre, or thousands online. Note the choice of words - "talk to." If we want to talk with our teachers or our learners, there needs to be a middle path, somewhere between the one-on-one and the one-to-many. This development is taking place all over the educational world, including a debate between those who would present all education in the form of MOOCs (click here for more information) and those who value the engagement between teacher and learner.

In New Zealand there is a growing understanding based on the Maori word "Ako". One aspect of this is reciprocity - but there is more. Here is a link to an excellent description of Ako on the NZ Ministry of Education website.

So this leads us to the next topic - where are we going with tertiary education - not just in New Zealand, but globally? Click here for the next exciting instalment - Topic Three!