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Victoria University MOOCs a global success
The VUW edX team is about to release its fourth MOOC following the success of its previous online courses – more than 11,000 learners have enrolled to date, ranging in age from 10 to 90-years-old. The programmes have been very well received and have even been endorsed by edX as particularly high quality and accessible.
Steven Warburton, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Digital Futures) and director of VictoriaX, said the university’s MOOC platform is attracting a significant number of international learners.
“The majority of these learners hail from the US, UK, Canada and Australia, though learners from Brazil, India and a variety of Western European countries are also among those taking advantage of the university’s research and teaching on offer through the MOOCs.
“The global reach of this online platform means that world-class New Zealand research is disseminated to a broad international audience, and promotes the country and its cultures, as well as the quality of New Zealand education.”
Ranging from a virtual field trip to Antarctica, to learning about the theory and practice of restorative justice and exploring the idea of landscape as an expression of culture, VictoriaX’s MOOCs aim to appeal to a broad audience.
The latest MOOC to be offered, New Zealand Landscape as Culture: Maunga (Mountains) starts in August and is the second in a series of bicultural MOOCs looking at the New Zealand landscape through the lens of Māori and European cultures.
“Although New Zealand is the focus in this series, thinking about landscape as an expression of culture is transferable to learners in all parts of the world – particularly indigenous peoples who have similar connections to the land as Māori.”
VUW is the first New Zealand university to partner with edX and is using the global reach of this platform to increase awareness about the institution by offering learners abroad the flexibility to study for free from wherever they are.
Victoria’s MOOC programme fits into the university’s wider internationalisation goals by raising the profile of the university internationally through learner participation and organisational and institutional connections created in their development.
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Latin American agents tour New Zealand
The trip was organised by Carlos Robles, Director of IEP’s New Zealand Choice Schools, a consortium of 14 New Zealand secondary schools. It began in the north with a visit to Kerikeri, and covered schools right through to Dunedin – hitting Auckland, Te Puke, Napier, Rotorua, Wellington and Queenstown in between.
Carlos said the diverse range of schools and settings gave the agents useful insights into what New Zealand offers as a study destination.
“At Kerikeri High School, the agents participated in a Sailing Academy with the students, while in Queenstown they witnessed the modern facilities and collaborative learning approach at Wakatipu High School,” said Carlos.
“It showed agents the range of education experiences that Latin American students can have in New Zealand and that often aren’t available in their home countries.”
In Napier, the group visited Taradale High School and William Colenso College before hitting Western Heights High School in Rotorua where the students performed a haka. The whirlwind trip ended at Te Puke High School.
ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager Brazil, Ana Azevedo, said the agents returned to Mexico and Brazil with a deeper knowledge of the secondary school possibilities they can share with their students.
“It reinforces that experiencing a Kiwi classroom first-hand is a great way to inspire agents to promote the variety of high-quality education offerings in New Zealand.”
The agents also had some time for adventures including taking in the sights in Queenstown and Milford Sound, spending an afternoon at Te Papa in Wellington, cycling through the vineyards in Napier and relaxing in the hot pools of Rotorua.
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ENZ Europe connects with students
European students ‘Follow the Kiwi’ to New Zealand
L-R: The Follow the Kiwi Scholarship recipients Ellen, Gabriel and Gaia.
Three high school students from Germany, France and Italy have received Follow the Kiwi scholarships valued at $15,000 towards study at a New Zealand high school in 2018/2019: Ellen Mamier (Germany), Gabriel Zerguit (France) and Gaia Leidi (Italy).
They were chosen from nearly 200 students who applied for the scholarship, each submitting a motivational letter, video or photo collage saying why and what they want to study in New Zealand.
Olga Elli, ENZ’s Market Development Manager for Europe, is pleased with the response from both students and agents in Europe.
“There’s a real interest in New Zealand’s education offerings. Across all applications, we saw students wanting to try their hand at subjects like design, sciences, music, theatre, Māori culture or to learn some Kiwi sports like rugby!
“While many of the applicants are already enrolled and preparing for their Kiwi study experience, we hope the unsuccessful candidates who are still in the decision process will ‘follow the kiwi’ anyway. ENZ will refer these applicants to New Zealand providers, working with their agents to encourage them to study in a New Zealand high school.”
Kiwi Cup in Hamburg
Nearly 300 teenagers from Northern Germany and Denmark descended on Hamburg for the Kiwi Cup tournament – a two-day hockey competition that profiled New Zealand sporting expertise and education.
Twenty teams of German and Danish students aged 11-14 competed in the event, organised by THK Rissen (a Hamburg-based sports club) and Hausch & Partner, one of Germany’s largest student exchange agencies sending students to New Zealand.
To support the event, ENZ and 30 New Zealand schools provided promotional material and prizes such as hockey bags, shirts and fluffy Kiwis all the way from New Zealand. Rupert Holborow, New Zealand Ambassador in Germany, handed the trophies to the winners at the award ceremony.
Olga Elli said the tournament promoted student exchanges to New Zealand to around 300 high school students and has no doubt sparked an interest in many of them.
“This kind of partnership between the agency, New Zealand schools and ENZ is a great example of working together to highlight the New Zealand school system, where students also get to enjoy the lifestyle and sports outside the classroom.”
Lifeswap screens at German universities
Following its premiere in April, the ENZ-commissioned episode of Lifeswap has reached a broad audience of students after screening in nearly 90 university cinemas around Germany.
Olga said the university screenings have been well received and are a great opportunity to connect with students, particularly those open to study abroad options.
She joined Lifeswap creators Steffen Kreft and William Connor at a screening at the Technische Universität in Berlin.
“The episode was a great talking point – we could share our experience of making the episode and also give information about New Zealand as a study destination.
“Steffen was an international student himself, so can authentically talk to students about his experience at Massey studying animation and filmmaking.
“The episode got a huge applause and the students liked the jokes and blend of German and Kiwi humour.”
Lifeswap is an animated series that follows the lives of Jörg (a German) and Duncan (a Kiwi) and the cultural misunderstandings that crop up as they live and study in each other’s country.
The episode features a cameo from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who voiced a line of dialogue. It premiered in April during Ms Ardern’s visit to Berlin.
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Indian students look to Kiwi universities
The third round of the New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA) was announced earlier this month at a student and media event, with John Laxon, ENZ Regional Director for SSEA and actress Kriti Sanon, ENZ’s Brand Ambassador for India, on hand to present.
This round of NZEA is the biggest yet, with 34 scholarships together valued at $215,000 NZD. The scholarships are jointly funded by ENZ and all eight New Zealand universities, offering deserving Indian students partial scholarships to study at New Zealand universities.
On the back of the awards, ENZ also partnered with Universities New Zealand to launch the New Zealand Master’s campaign in India, promoting industry-linked 18-month taught Master’s qualifications for Indian students, with flexible options to suit a student’s career trajectory.
A dedicated microsite to help students explore options is now live.
ENZ’s Country Manager for India, Jugnu Roy, says both initiatives show there’s a growing interest among Indian students for tertiary qualifications in New Zealand universities.
“In particular, they are drawn to the flexible nature of the way New Zealand courses are structured and the fact that all our universities rank in top 3% of the world globally (QS world rankings).
“That they can access these ‘Future-proof’ programmes that help prepare students to enter the global marketplace is what makes us stand out as a study destination compared to other countries.
“Both of our announcements were well received by students and media – ENZ’s scholarship team saw a surge of high quality applications coming in for the 2018/19 round of NZEA.”
To amplify both announcements, ENZ and some New Zealand universities are organising a Counsellor Training Webinar later in the month to equip agents to help promote these initiatives to prospective students.
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Around the world in five
UK
What can the UK do to attract overseas students? Imitate Australia
The UK must not become complacent – competition for international students around the world is growing. We need a coordinated effort between universities, government and the private sector.
SCOTLAND
Push for post-study work scheme
Scotland has urged the UK government to review its immigration policy and to create a Scotland-specific post-study work scheme.
VIET NAM
Cram-and-exam framework has got to go
Employers across Vietnam say its graduates lack critical thinking skills and work-readiness and are calling for the cram-and-exam framework to go.
RUSSIA
New recruitment drive to attract students from Europe and America
The Russian government is planning to introduce a series of measures, including new scholarships and streamlined visa processing, to encourage more students from Western countries to study in Russia.
CHINA
Belt and Road countries attract students
Countries that are part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative are more popular among Chinese students as study destinations, with 66,100 students in ‘en route’ countries in 2017, up 15.7 percent from 2016.
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Funding round open for student wellbeing projects
The international student wellbeing strategy funding round 2018/19 is now open, with $750,000 of funding targeted at projects to improve the support and experience of international students in New Zealand.
The Ministry of Education is seeking Expressions of Interest on one-year projects that contribute to the outcomes of the International Student Wellbeing Strategy with a priority this year on safety and mental health support of international students
Each project can apply for up to a maximum of $150,000 funding.
Hayley Shields, ENZ’s Director Student Experience, encourages providers to apply for the second funding round.
“Wellbeing initiatives not only benefit international students, but also protect and enhance New Zealand’s reputation as a safe and welcoming study destination.
“While all students need wellbeing support services, international students – in a foreign country and culture, away from their support networks at home – can encounter additional challenges.
Applications close 24 August, with successful projects announced in November.
For more information, including how to apply, click here.
A list of previous projects from the 2017/18 round can be found here.
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Around the world in five
GERMANY
Vocational training system losing favour
The waning popularity of Germany’s vocational schools could intensify a skilled labour shortage. More than a third of German companies could not fill their training places last year, as young people increasingly prefer the status of a university degree over vocational training.
JAPAN
The need for continuing education
Providing employees with opportunities to continue their education could be key to helping Japanese companies improve their workforce quality. Some 50 percent of high school graduates in Japan go on to higher education, well below the OECD average of more than 60 percent.
SAUDI ARABIA
Universities halt courses for ‘non-regular’ students
Universities in Saudi Arabia have stopped admitting ‘non-regular’ or part-time students wishing to pursue a bachelor degree, as well as distance learning.
INDIA
‘Happiness classes’ to focus on students’ emotional wellbeing
The government in the Delhi National Capital Region has started “happiness classes” in local schools in an effort to shift the focus from student achievement to emotional wellbeing.
TAIWAN
Concern about higher education quality
A survey points to increasing concern about higher education in Taiwan, and the lack of international competitiveness among students and university-industry collaboration.
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ENZ workshops in September
Workshop 1: Students’ view from their window travelling along the digital freeway
Technology is changing the way education providers engage with potential students. Placing you in the driver’s seat on the digital freeway, you will experience first-hand what international students see as they race toward their destination. As with any road trip, there are detours, attractions and temptations that can change the direction.
This workshop will use a segmentation model to identify what tools are available and what skills are required, and give examples of how education providers, at various stages of digital maturity, can leverage them for success.
Target audience: Participants involved in international strategy, marketing, recruitment and admissions.
Outcomes:
- Identify how your organisation is segmented and what tools are appropriate
- Gain exposure to example initiatives that best-practice providers have used to improve their student recruitment efficiency
- Connect with other practitioners about their experiences and identify opportunities for further exploration.
Workshop 2: Beyond the great firewall: social media in China
Coming to grips with digital and social media in China is no easy task. Between VPNs, firewalls and the influx of local alternative platforms, it can be a difficult market to gain cut-through.
This workshop will empower participants to get beyond the great firewall and embrace digital and social media platforms in China. It will showcase best practice case studies and how best to engage prospective students.
Target audience: Marketing and recruitment professionals and student services staff. It is best suited to those who already have some knowledge of Chinese social media.
Outcomes:
- Learn how to incorporate Chinese social media into your wider recruitment strategy
- Gain an understanding of the financial input required
- Learn how to integrate your campaigns with agents.
These workshops will be available in:
Christchurch – 11 September 2018
Venue: ChristchurchNZ, Level 3, 101 Cashel StreetWellington – 12 September 2018
Venue: ENZ, Level 5 Lambton House, 160 Lambton QuayAuckland – 13 September 2018
Venue: ATEED, Level 8, 139 Quay St, AucklandWorkshop 1 will run in the mornings from 9am-12:30pm, followed by Workshop 2 from 1:30pm- 5:00pm.
The registration fee for a single workshop is $375, or you can register for both workshops for $500.
These workshops follow a series of well-reviewed workshops delivered by HECG across New Zealand earlier this year.
Feedback from previous HECG workshops:
"This is the most useful workshop I have attended in a long time. I will be able to take back a lot of ideas that can be applied at my institution. Very keen to delve deeper into some of the topics further. Great presenters!"
Register now by clicking here.
If you have any questions, please contact alan.johnston@enz.govt.nz
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Changes to English language testing
NZQA has published the result of its consultation on proposed changes to its Rules, including the removal of Rule 18.6. Institutions will no longer be able to provide internal English language proficiency assessments.
The change aims to ensure prospective students at TEOs have evidence of English language proficiency for enrolment. They must use one of the eight globally recognised international tests specified in Rule 18, such as IELTS and the Pearson Test of English.
This is one of nine changes that will come into effect on 22 August 2018. A transition period for institutions that currently provide such assessments is allowed until 31 December 2018, if an exemption notice is applied for.
As a result of the consultation feedback, NZQA and ENZ also identified an opportunity for New Zealand to develop its own standardised English language proficiency test.
ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson says ENZ is now exploring how such a test could work.
“We are having preliminary discussions to explore the feasibility of the industry developing a New Zealand-based language test which providers could choose to use.”
For more information on the NZQA Rule changes please click here.
Education providers should review their policies against the new Rules relevant to them, to ensure compliance for when they come into effect.
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NZQA approves micro-credentials
NZQA has announced the implementation of micro-credentials as part of New Zealand’s regulated education and training system.
Content: Micro-credentials, also known as badges, nano-credentials and nano-degrees, are stand-alone products that enable learners to access specific knowledge and skills in a cost-effective and time-efficient way. At 5 to 40 credits, they are smaller than qualifications.
NZQA is currently reviewing the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. One aim of the review is to enable the framework to allow for the recognition of other types of learning, like micro-credentials. This will ensure the new framework reflects the evolving nature of work, globalisation and the impact of digital technologies.
The move reflects the disruption we’re seeing in education delivery and potential for further online delivery.
While many jobs will always require full qualifications, there is a growing number of cases where micro-credentials might be more appropriate, as people require new up-to-date skills to keep pace with the changing workforce.
A micro-credentials system allows learners to ‘future-proof’ themselves by accessing a wide range of education and training options.
In August 2017, NZQA undertook a micro-credential pilot project with a range of organisations, which revealed a high degree of interest in the concept from a range of individuals and organisations in New Zealand.
For more information, please visit the NZQA website.
