Practices+that+lead+to+successful+Educational+outcomes+for+Māori

=**Practices that lead to successful educational outcomes for Māori**= toc Greenwood and Te Aika (2009) investigated successful tertiary programmes to identify factors that gave rise to Māori success in tertiary education settings. They identified 5 principles that breed success. We believe that these would need to be expressed in any e-learning development targeting Māori.
 * [[image:Crystal_Clear_action_back.png width="36" height="36" link="Context of Māori within the New Zealand Education System"]] ||  || >>>>>>>>>> [[image:48px-Crystal_Clear_app_kfm_home.png width="28" height="28" link="Introduction"]] || >>>>>>>>>>> [[image:Crystal_Clear_action_forward.png width="36" height="36" align="right" link="Using Mobile Technology to support Māori students"]] ||

**1. Tikanga**
Mead (2003) described "Tikanga" as a particular way of doing things (protocols) as determined by, whānau, hapu, Iwi of an area. It is a site-specific code of behaviour. e-Learning design must reflect the contexts (tikanga) of the rohe you are working in. It is important to integrate tikanga Māori into the content and operational style of the programme. Basing your programme on the tikanga of local Iwi was seen as vital by Māori students as it is an indicator of the programme’s cultural integrity.

A key aspect of tikanga Māori is affirmation of students’ connection to their community.Greenwood and Te Aika (2009Noted that In successful programmes the relationship of learning to community and personal development is consistently reinforced. This relationship is best expressed by the phrase "whakawhānaungatanga, whānaungatanga, whānau, au.

Greenwood and Te Aika (2009)also found that in the sites where Māori had a high degree of autonomy in running the programme, students and teachers worked as a whānau, “where everyone looks after each other and supports the Kaupapa”. Tikanga needs to be lived as it impacts on both subject matter and interactions. Significant for tikanga is the degree to which those involved in learning can practice values of aroha, manaakitanga and whānaungatanga.

Manaakitanga, (caring, sharing, and hospitality) within e-Learning offerings is most commonly found associated with student support functions and pastoral care of students but also should be evident in the way tutors respond to students online. Cultural safety/appropriateness in this instance is the ultimate expression of Manaakitanga.

Ahuatanga is the shape or form of something. Weller cited in Ferguson (2008) suggests that a pedagogical approach to e-learning is influenced by a teachers own values and beliefs. To be effective for Māori it is important then that the system and the delivery of the programme are congruent with a Māori world view.

It is tikanga that gives expression to the way things are done in any locality; tikanga defines Ahuatanga Māori, (a Māori way of doing things). Tikanga has certain similarities throughout the country but also embraces subtle differences depending upon which whānau, hapu, Iwi has the manawhenua (customary authority). In an e-Learning sense a programme will be Māori in a generic sense but will always be based upon the tikanga of a specific location.

Karakia (prayer) the opportunity to acknowledge the spiritual aspect of learning must be made provision for as it is an important part of all tikanga.

**2. Consultation**
Consultation in development and delivery is paramount, as the degree of Māori involvement in programme design affects the extent of tikanga implemented. Programmes needs to position themselves as an engaged participant in its community.

The authenticity of the consultation affects the degree of Māori support for a programme and impacts on the way Māori staff and students perceive programmes, their sense of ease and of the degree of cultural safety felt.

**3. Leadership**
Greenwood and Te Aika (2009) found that Leadership plays a major role in creating an environment conducive to Māori success where the leader:
 * shapes the vision,
 * provides encouragement support and energy
 * acts as a facilitator and sometimes buffer/mediator between the institution and the programme
 * provides a significant bridge to the community

We believe that future successful e-learning initiatives for Māori will need to be driven by such e-Learning champions.

Leaders need to be supported by effective staff, which are strong in their subject and cultural knowledge. All staff act as roles models for the students. Their mana is a draw card for the community and so it goes without saying that it is the teacher that has the greatest impact in easing the transition from conventional learning to an e-Learning environment (Ferguson, 2008).

Greenhalgh, Walker, Tipa-Rogers and Hunter (2011) conducted research on identifying tutor practices which result in increased completions for Māori students in PTE's. Their findings confirmed much of the discussion so far, namely that the incorporation by tutors of Māori cultural values into their teaching practices led to high levels of success.

**4. Appropriate learning environment**
The fourth principle is the development of a teaching environment and style that facilitates learning.

Ferguson, (2008) describes opportunities for authentic learner involvement in the programme (Ako) as important in the design of any programmes. Whakaputa whakaaro and whakawhiti kōrero (dialogue) are important aspects of Ako as dialogue underpins all relationships. Ferguson suggests that any e-learning practices adopted must foster/enable effective reciprocal dialogue between all parties involved in the education process and that recognising that what students bring to each programme is just as important as what their teachers bring.

“Ako” means both to “teach” and to “learn”.

The development of an environment that allows students to support each other and learn from each other enables varying needs to be met. This is termed a tuakana – teina (older - younger sibling) approach to learning.

Greenwood and Te Aika (2009) identified that in successful programmes the importance of being able to work as a collective group was emphasised. The students spoke of becoming a class hapū and commented positively on the support that this provided for them in their successful completion.

**//Ehara taku toa, he taki tahi, he toa taki tini//** **//My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success but success of a collective//**

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**5. Hua kina opening the door**
The fifth principle is a proactive and strategic removal of barriers to study.

E-learning is seen as part of the access solution as it makes it possible to study from home. If e-learning is coupled with the face-to-face (FTF) delivery of regional, community owned programme initiatives then a blended delivery e-learning offering would be very successful for Māori.

The MOE produced a series of articles to guide effective practices for e-learning, "Designing for diversity" is targeted specifically at answering the question, how do we design e-Learning for Māori learners. This research and the research of Ferguson (2008) confirms Māori learner’s cultural background affects how they learn, and that effective use of technology increases Māori learner’s ability to effectively participate in tertiary Education. Therefore when designing e-Learning we need to apply "cultural concepts/contexts" to programme design and delivery in order to maximise the success of Māori learners.

**Blended delivery**
Blended delivery is where e-Learning supplements and supports the FTF delivery. Ferguson (2008) describes her blended delivery offering, as encompassing ‘noho wānanga’ with FTF delivery of course content, video conferencing, continuous online support (email and forum chat via an LMS) and the introduction of Skype in 2008. E-learning technologies were proven to be an effective an essential tool to support the programme.

In Māori education a lot of emphasis is put on the need to retain a high level FTF interaction for Māori to be able to give full expression to tikanga. According to Pihama, Smith, Taki and Lee, 2004 (cited in Ferguson, 2008), kanohi ki te kanohi (FTF) is considered to be the preferred method of Ako (teaching and learning) for Māori teachers and students. FTF is also closely tied to the concept of kanohi kitea, meaning to be seen, to be visible to show support. Ferguson (2008) views the use of Skype, FTF, and online forums as an important way of embracing these kanohi concepts in an e-learning environment. In line with these kanohi concepts, all staff on e-learning programmes would be expected to have good online visibility, provide frequent, consistent, evaluative and kind feedback.

Titiro mai (look), kōrero mai (speak), me penei (do like this), and whakarongo mai (listen) are key Maori educational strategies employed by those engaged in the learning journey. These are not used in isolation but employed as an integrated delivery package. We have discussed a range of kitea supportive technologies and would also discuss the range of technologies that would support the me penei, kōrero and whakarongo aspects of learning like Skype, web cams, youtube etc, however this is outside the scope of our topic.

In the next section we will discuss one technology which has the potential to support all the functions mentioned above, that is M Technology.

Discussion Point 4
Please take part in the Discussion Point 4 topics, Ahuatanga and Designing for Cultural Difference:

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 * [[image:Crystal_Clear_action_back.png width="36" height="36" link="Context of Māori within the New Zealand Education System"]] ||  || >>>>>>>>>> [[image:48px-Crystal_Clear_app_kfm_home.png width="28" height="28" link="Introduction"]] || >>>>>>>>>>> [[image:Crystal_Clear_action_forward.png width="36" height="36" align="right" link="Using Mobile Technology to support Māori students"]] ||