1. What is Te Puna Ako Learning Centre?
2. What kinds of things do students go to the Learning Centre for?
3. How do you work with students?
4. Who goes to the Learning Centre?
5. How do students get to the Learning Centre?
6. What can I do to help students get the benefit of learning development?
7. How can I involve the Learning Centre in my course?
8. How do I make contact with Te Puna Ako Learning Centre?
9. People are often surprised to know that…
10. What do students say about the learning centre?
1. What is Te Puna Ako Learning Centre?
Te Puna Ako Learning Centre provides learning resources, workshops and individual consultations for Unitec students. We aim to improve academic performance and student success and retention. Most students, regardless of age or background, will benefit from some guidance in developing the skills and understandings they need to succeed in their chosen course. We work alongside the academic staff at Unitec to promote achievement and excellence in learning from certificate through to postgraduate level.
2. What kinds of things do students go to the Learning Centre for?
Many students come to the learning centre to discuss their coursework. They may seek guidance in understanding assignment instructions, planning assignments, or reviewing written work to ensure that it is on track. Some students want to develop basic literacy while others want to develop their competence in academic writing at a very high level. Students also seek assistance with mathematical and statistical concepts and problem solving.
3. How do you work with students?
Te Puna Ako Learning Centre uses a student-centred approach. Students bring learning issues to us and we work from their questions and concerns. These may involve coursework tasks but may also include wider issues such as managing time and study, understanding expectations at different levels of study, and developing critical thinking. We see our role as encouraging students to develop independence in their approach to learning, but consider that the ability to seek assistance when necessary may be one hallmark of a successful autonomous learner.
4. Who goes to the Learning Centre?
We see students from vocational education and training through to post-graduate level. We focus on promoting our service to new Unitec students in particular, but students at any stage of study are welcome to attend.
We welcome visits from any Unitec staff members who are enrolled students on Unitec programmes. Staff members are also welcome to consult with us when developing research papers for publication.
5. How do students get to the Learning Centre?
The main way that students learn about our service is through the brief introductions our staff present at course orientations at the beginning of each semester. In addition students arrive through referrals from Programme staff and through word of mouth from other students. You can help students to get to us by reminding them of our services on a regular basis.
6. What can I do to help students get the benefit of learning development?
You can promote our service as a complement to your students’ course of studies. Knowing that lecturers value the development of academic performance skills encourages students to see this as an important part of their learning. Please continue to remind students that they can use Te Puna Ako Learning Centre at any point in their learning, and whatever the nature of their concern about study. You can also emphasise the varied nature of our work – from study sills to academic reading and writing to speaking; from catch-up mathematics to statistical advice for research.
7. How can I involve the Learning Centre in my course?
The main way to involve us in your course is to keep us up to date with programme schedules, assignment instructions and marking criteria. If you are aware of particular challenges being faced by your students it helps if we are informed of these. We can also inform you about learning issues that we notice in students from your course. You can include references to out Blackboard site “Academic Learning Development” on your programme site. We can provide course-specific workshops that address particular assignment. You may also wish to consult with out staff on ways you can help students meet the learning challenges they are facing.
8. How do I make contact with Te Puna Ako Learning Centre?
Each school at Unitec has a Te Puna Ako Learning Centre lecturer assigned to them for liaison purposes. You may have already been contacted by a lecturer at the Learning Centre who is interested in finding out how we can support your students. If not, contact our administrator on extension 8611 to find out who your liaison lecturer is and invite them to meet you.
9. People are often surprised to know that…
Te Puna Ako Learning Centre works with students who would like to improve already good grades, as well as those who may be struggling to pass their courses.
While grammar is often the presenting concern for EAL students, we find that it can often be developed through attention to other aspects such as reasoning skills and attention to paragraph structure.
Late evenings at Te Puna Ako Learning Centre are available by arrangement. The Learning Centre also runs several workshops for students outside of business hours.
10. What do students say about the learning centre?
“Welcoming, friendly, approachable and encouraging staff.”
“As a novice at tertiary education I am really impressed with how open and user-friendly the service is. No one seems too busy to help and no query seems too trivial.”
“…always welcomes students with open arms and helps us to reach our goals by encouraging and empowering students through the whole process.”