Hutt Valley STEMM event explores digital learning

Monday, 15 May 2017, 2:48 pm
Press Release: Open Polytechnic

Hutt Valley STEMM event explores digital learning for NCEA science students

Open Polytechnic hosted a technology focused event called ‘Bring your science teacher to breakfast’ on Friday [12 May,7.30-8.30am] at its Lower Hutt campus, as part of the 2017 Hutt STEMM Festival.

During the event, NCEA science students and teachers from the Hutt Valley explored the possibilities for interactive online learning, using Open Polytechnic’s online learning platform iQualify.

Open Polytechnic is New Zealand’s specialist provider of flexible online and distance learning at tertiary level and is exploring ways of working with schools to provide solutions to their digital learning needs.

This includes interactive online teaching tools and digitised learning materials created from the widely-used school resources produced by ESA Publications.

Attendees at the STEMM event included students and teachers from Sacred Heart College, St Orans and Heretaunga College who got stuck into the interactive session, exploring iQualify’s resources and online tools in NCEA science subjects.

“Open Polytechnic supports digital learning in the classroom and we were very excited to introduce these resources to the students and teachers this morning,” says Alex MacCreadie, Executive Director School Strategy.

“I feel it’s important to establish relationships between Open Polytechnic, schools and students in our community so we can collaborate and share our vision for enabling effective 21st century learning by supporting teachers to engage with an effective digital medium,” explains Alex.

Each student who attended the event will receive access to an iQualify NCEA Science course on an Achievement standard they are studying, so they can extend their science knowledge anytime, anywhere on any device.

Teachers were also able to explore the possibilities for online learning, bringing to life the concept of the “flipped classroom” and personalised curriculum.

“Science is the key to our future. We need more scientists, but we need them to be able to create, collaborate and be digitally literate. This is the generation that will need to solve the problems of the past and re-imagine the future,” says Alex.

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