Learning advisors from the Central and Northern regions of Aotearoa New Zealand met on Friday, 13 November 2020 for our first professional development gathering since Covid-19 Lockdown. Our North Island Regional Hui was opened by Te Taku Parai, the Chairman of Ngāti Toa, who led the karakia (opening prayer) and welcomed staff and manuhiri (guests) to the Wikitoria Katene Health Centre at the Whitireia Campus in Porirua in the heart of Ngati Toa whenua (land).
CEO of Whitireia and Weltec, Mark Oldershaw, then opened the hui by acknowledging the impacts that both Covid-19 and the recent reforms in the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP) sector have had on staff and students, and the challenges and opportunities that have emerged as a consequence. Presenters Kaaryn Carter (Whitireia/Weltec); Tania Oxenham and Marion Tahana (Wintec); Julia Tanner (Massey) and Xiaodan Gao (Victoria); Rebecca Burns and Andrea Trueman (Whitireia/Weltec); and TJ Boutorwick and Kirsten Reid (Victoria) then presented their sessions, stimulating discussion on a range of topics from perceptions of success, tuakana-teina peer mentoring, trends in learning centre practice, strategies to support students with specific learning difficulties, and using data and evaluation responses to demonstrate the contribution that learning advisors make to learning and achievement.
The programme was well attended, with a blended delivery mode, enabling both presenters and attendees to participate in person and online. We are now looking forward to the Southern Regional Hui, which will be held on 2 December, along with the ATLAANZ AGM.