Niki Davis | |
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Occupation(s) | Academic and researcher |
Known for | Informing how teaching, leadership and research can effectively manage e-learning. |
Academic background | |
Education |
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Academic work | |
Discipline | Educational research |
Notable ideas | Educational systems being prepared for a digital learning world |
Niki Davis is an educator and researcher based in Aotearoa New Zealand whose work has focused on equipping teachers to effectively deliver information and communication technologies in a global education context. Her research has explored how teaching,learning and assessment can be inclusive and ethically managed in non-traditional spaces involving E-learning while acknowledging the role of the knowledge of indigenous peoples in assisting to build critically reflective research communities. She worked in universities in the United Kingdom and the United States before becoming a Distinguished Professor at the University of Canterbury in 2008,retiring and becoming Professor Emeritus in 2020. Davis has been involved in a range of initiatives and organisations that promote knowledge of digital technologies in education and is widely published in this field.
Davis was raised in Ireland,and started her career as a professor of Telematics at the University of Exeter in 1995,later becoming a part-time professor of ICT in Education in the University of London Knowledge Lab. [1] From 2000 to 2008,she was a professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Director of the Center for Technology in Learning and Teaching at Iowa State University. [2] She moved to New Zealand in 2008 and joined the University of Canterbury's College of Education,noting that "she was attracted to the University by its desire to be a leader with new technologies to benefit society,including indigenous peoples." [3] Davis was a Distinguished Professor of e-learning at the University of Canterbury from 2008 until 2020 when she retired and became Professor Emeritus,while remaining associated with the e-Learning Research Lab that she had set up in 2008, [4] specifically as an adjunct staff member and Associated Lab Leader at the University of Canterbury's Child Well-being Research Institute. [5]
Davis was President of the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ) [6] and,after the organisation changed its name to the 'Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand (FLANZ)',she was editor of the Journal of Open,Flexible and Distance Learning from 2014 to 2017 when she stood down and took on the Associate Editor role. Davis was thanked for the "care and expertise she has provided to both the Journal and the Editorial Team". [7]
In 2020,Davis was acknowledged for her contributions toward the setting up of A Better Start,one of 11 New Zealand Government-funded National Science Challenges, [8] and as a member of the Successful Learning team on the Challenge. [9]
She is a Research Advisor to the Better Start Literacy Approach programme and served on the advisory board of the National Language Foreign Resource Centre, [10] the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa from 2014 to 2017. [11]
In 1996,the European Commission released the Report of the Task Force:Educational Software and Multimedia Task force report [12] which Davis said indicated the high priority that was being placed on the importance of distant learning techniques into education systems so that location no longer determined the ability of people to become skilled and educated. [13]
The globalisation of education and the need for teachers to be trained in the use of information communications technology (ICT) to incorporate global themes into learning,became a research focus for Davis. In 1999,she developed a set of principles for future teacher education that would use research to understand the role of ICT in increasing access to learning on a global scale and "stimulating rich contexts for critical reflection". [14] Davis drew attention to the challenges for society as the world adjusted to a collaborative environment and the importance of the teaching profession becoming more evidence-based. In the same paper,Davis noted that this was about fitting education into complex cultures by integrating new technologies into an inclusive approach to understanding inequalities. [15]
How ICT could facilitate intercultural interactions within a global educational environment was a theme visited often by Davis. In 2005,she was an editor of a special issue of Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education and took the stance that intercultural education was a general term pertaining to the ability to "understand,empathize with,and respect all ethnicities" and part of gaining competence in this area involved understanding that education was global and could involve the facilitation of distance learning technologies such as "e-mail,Internet,and computer simulations",which required specific pre-service training for teachers. [16]
Between 2001 and 2005,Davis was a project partner in International Leadership in Educational Technology (ILET),a research project that investigated the establishment of a PhD specialization in Intercultural Educational Technology (IET). This was an acknowledgement of the new information and communication technologies that were happening internationally in schools and universities and the importance of these for teacher training and research. [17] Follow up papers to this research,co-authored by Davis,noted that the project had highlighted the need to "extend the cultural and theoretical perspectives beyond the historically dominant European cultures", [18] and that "while the project has also dispelled any naïve beliefs as to our ability to effect widespread change in our universities...[it had]... confirmed [the] belief that communication technologies,blended with faculty collaboration and limited student travel,[made] potent ingredients for the preparation of the next generation of leaders of educational technology". [19]
In 2013,Davis was a Principal investigator along with Julie Mackey in collaborative research in a New Zealand school that explored what successful leaders did to integrate digital technologies and how teacher capability could be improved as a result. The study found effective leaders ensured that the relevance of IT learning was aligned with the school's vision,that teachers were supported to experience the new technologies before using them in their classes and increasing the expectation of staff to be innovative risk-takers,committed to using these to improve student learning. [20]
Davis's work began to focus on virtual learning and distance education,and after co-authoring an article noting research in the United States that had shown by 2005 almost one-third of US public schools had students involved in this type of learning, [21] she collaborated to produce a comprehensive analysis of this research that included clear definitions of the concepts and details of the educational teamwork in the US schools that was essential in making the programmes effective. [22] Involvement in a project,Teacher Education Goes Into Virtual Schooling (TEGIVS) from 2005 to 2008,resulted in Davis collaborating on research that addressed the concerns and misconceptions held about virtual schooling. Several papers on the research clarified that it was different from adult distance learning because a facilitator needed to be the same site as the learner (in person). It noted that common misconceptions and concerns around virtual schooling included threats to careers,possible "academic dishonesty,reduced interaction,teacher feedback,and lack of rigour...[but concluded that]...The curriculum innovations in this innovative teacher preparation program were shown to address these misconceptions and concerns and facilitate understanding and acceptance of VS as an alternative form of education by many of these pre-service teachers". [23]
Blended learning was investigated in a New Zealand School in 2011 with data collected from observations of online and face-to-face learning and interviews with the teachers and students. The paper for this case study set the context within initiatives by the New Zealand Ministry of Education,including laptops for teachers,the rollout of fast internet connectivity and the establishment of a national Virtual Learning Network involving clusters of schools. Identified positive outcomes included flexibility of learning,the development of higher-level critical thinking skills by students and professional growth for teachers,while challenges noted were about access to ICT,lack of experience of teachers and the need for more school infrastructure to support the process. [24] Following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake,an investigation by Davis revealed that the necessary virtual schooling in the area at the time had been a community success and recognised the value of engaging in twenty-first-century education in a fast-changing world. [25]
The COVID-19 pandemic that began around 2020 led to widespread distance learning by school-age children in many countries,including Aotearoa,New Zealand. There were challenges learning online from home and some of the inequities were explored by the Greater Christchurch Schools' Network's (GCSN) survey of schools in its region in 2020,published as Closing the Digital Divide during the COVID-19 Lockdown:Student,whānau and staff perspectives. In the forward to this report,Steve Wakefield,Chairman of the Trust explained:"The GCSN is a charitable trust which works to bridge the digital divide for school-aged students and their whānau through the development,implementation,and evaluation of programmes and initiatives in the greater Christchurch region. The findings of this report highlight the ongoing impact of the digital divide,particularly for students keeping up with their peers while learning from home. It demonstrates the importance of continuing local and national initiatives to bridge that divide for school-aged students". [26] : p.3 The author,Dr Gabrielle Wall,General Manager of GCSN,stated that "this was a huge learning curve for everyone,but what it highlights is that students on average liked being able to learn via digital tools. The challenge is to make sure that all students have equal access to digital tools and connectivity". [27] As a member of the GCSN Board,Davis advised upon and reviewed this report. She also supported the leadership of Professor Amina Chariana to bridge even more extensive divides in India and deploy e-learning to reach underserved children in many states. Charaina's 2022 book Integrated Approach to Technology in Education in India [28] included a chapter on integrating information technology in the Covid era.
Davis co-presented at the Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (2009) and noted the work that had been done in New Zealand to build an awareness that kaupapa Māori [29] and action research were not incompatible,particularly if there was a shared acceptance of the importance of critical analysis of the role of research in varied historical contexts. [30] Davis has reflected that "cultural inclusiveness of online spaces" was important, [1] and when experts at the UNESCO-hosted Edusummit in 2011 highlighted the need for a radical restructuring of schools,including reaching indigenous peoples with ICT, [31] she responded with an urgent call for "visionary leadership" in New Zealand education in response to the challenges and importance of engaging with Māori. [32] In 2014,Davis co-presented a paper noting that the New Zealand Ministry of Education was developing pilot programmes to explore inclusive approaches to meeting the needs of priority groups such as Māori,Pasifika and students with special needs. [33] Davis had previously collaborated on research into how Māori had adopted digital technologies in Aotearoa New Zealand. It was noted in the abstract "[that the researchers located] their exploration in a discussion of the historical context of colonisation,Māori movement towards self-determination,and in a discussion of Māori values and approaches to knowledge...[and]...the ways Māori have taken and adapted digital technologies for a range of broadly defined educational purposes." [34]
Davis was awarded the first Outstanding Global Educator by the International Society of Information Technology and Teacher Education in 2010. [35]
Distance education,also known as distance learning,is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school,or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally,this usually involved correspondence courses wherein the student corresponded with the school via mail. Distance education is a technology-mediated modality and has evolved with the evolution of technologies such as video conferencing,TV,and the Internet. Today,it usually involves online education and the learning is usually mediated by some form of technology. A distance learning program can either be completely a remote learning,or a combination of both online learning and traditional offline classroom instruction. Other modalities include distance learning with complementary virtual environment or teaching in virtual environment (e-learning).
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to education:
The education system in New Zealand implements a three-tier model which includes primary and intermediate schools,followed by secondary schools and by tertiary education at universities and polytechnics. The academic year in New Zealand varies between institutions,but generally runs from early February until mid-December for primary schools,late January to late November or early December for secondary schools and polytechnics,and from late February until mid-November for universities.
Blended learning or hybrid learning,also known as technology-mediated instruction,web-enhanced instruction,or mixed-mode instruction,is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with physical place-based classroom methods.
A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration,documentation,tracking,reporting,automation,and delivery of educational courses,training programs,materials or learning and development programs. The learning management system concept emerged directly from e-Learning. Learning management systems make up the largest segment of the learning system market. The first introduction of the LMS was in the late 1990s. Learning management systems have faced a massive growth in usage due to the emphasis on remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Educational technology is the combined use of computer hardware,software,and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation,"EdTech," it often refers to the industry of companies that create educational technology. In EdTech Inc.:Selling,Automating and Globalizing Higher Education in the Digital Age,Tanner Mirrlees and Shahid Alvi (2019) argue "EdTech is no exception to industry ownership and market rules" and "define the EdTech industries as all the privately owned companies currently involved in the financing,production and distribution of commercial hardware,software,cultural goods,services and platforms for the educational market with the goal of turning a profit. Many of these companies are US-based and rapidly expanding into educational markets across North America,and increasingly growing all over the world."
Editing technology is the use of technology tools in general content areas in education in order to allow students to apply computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving. Generally speaking,the curriculum drives the use of technology and not vice versa. Technology integration is defined as the use of technology to enhance and support the educational environment. Technology integration in the classroom can also support classroom instruction by creating opportunities for students to complete assignments on the computer rather than with normal pencil and paper. In a larger sense,technology integration can also refer to the use of an integration platform and application programming interface (API) in the management of a school,to integrate disparate SaaS applications,databases,and programs used by an educational institution so that their data can be shared in real-time across all systems on campus,thus supporting students' education by improving data quality and access for faculty and staff.
"Curriculum integration with the use of technology involves the infusion of technology as a tool to enhance the learning in a content area or multidisciplinary setting... Effective technology integration is achieved when students can select technology tools to help them obtain information on time,analyze and synthesize it,and present it professionally to an authentic audience. Technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions—as accessible as all other classroom tools. The focus in each lesson or unit is the curriculum outcome,not the technology."
An edublog is a blog created for educational purposes. Edublogs archive and support student and teacher learning by facilitating reflection,questioning by self and others,collaboration and by providing contexts for engaging in higher-order thinking. Edublogs proliferated when blogging architecture became more simplified and teachers perceived the instructional potential of blogs as an online resource. The use of blogs has become popular in education institutions including public schools and colleges. Blogs can be useful tools for sharing information and tips among co-workers,providing information for students,or keeping in contact with parents. Common examples include blogs written by or for teachers,blogs maintained for the purpose of classroom instruction,or blogs written about educational policy. Educators who blog are sometimes called edubloggers.
Dr. Jane Gilbert is an educationalist in New Zealand. She was the Chief Researcher of New Zealand Council for Educational Research. From 2014,Jane was appointed as a professor of education at Auckland University of Technology.
The development of state schooling in New Zealand has been shaped by social,economic and political interactions between Māori as tangata whenua,missionaries,settlers,voluntary organisations and the state of New Zealand which assumed a full legislative role in education in 1852. While the initiatives and systems were driven by colonial ambitions to protect and civilise the indigenous people through assimilation,and install a model of education based on European concepts of the purposes and delivery of learning,Māori actively engaged with the process to retain their traditional knowledge and language by participating in missions schools,contesting many aspects of Native schools and establishing Kura Kaupapa Māori. Arguably to create and reform an education system that aimed to reduce inequalities and enable social mobility,a series of acts of parliament has attempted to resolve differences between competing interests as the country faced social,cultural and economic challenges. In response to criticism of the education system and the role of the state in managing and delivering equitable learning,there were radical reforms in the late 1980s. These changes resulted in the establishment of self-managing schools and a decentralisation of the system,with the Department of Education being replaced by the Ministry of Education whose role has been to implement government reforms. While these systems are under review,they remain in place as of 2023.
The Swedish National Agency for Education is a Government agency in Sweden that oversees the Swedish public school system for children and adults.
Angus Hikairo Macfarlane is a New Zealand academic and professor at the University of Canterbury.
Kura kaupapa Māori are Māori-language immersion schools in New Zealand,where the philosophy and practice reflect Māori cultural values with the aim of revitalising Māori language,knowledge and culture. Kura kaupapa Māori are established under the Education Act (1989). The term kaupapa Māori is used by Māori to mean any particular plan of action created by Māori to express Māori aspirations,values and principles.
A virtual learning environment (VLE) in educational technology is a web-based platform for the digital aspects of courses of study,usually within educational institutions. They present resources,activities,and interactions within a course structure and provide for the different stages of assessment. VLEs also usually report on participation and have some level of integration with other institutional systems. In North America,VLEs are often referred to as Learning Management Systems (LMS).
David G. Hebert is a musicologist and comparative educationist,employed as Professor of Music at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences,where he leads the Grieg Academy Music Education (GAME) research group. He has contributed to the fields of music education,ethnomusicology,sociomusicology,comparative education,and East Asian Studies. Since 2018,he has been manager of the Nordic Network for Music Education,a multinational state-funded organization that sponsors intensive Master courses and exchange of university music lecturers and students across Northern Europe. He is also a visiting professor in Sweden with the Malmo Academy of Music at Lund University,and an honorary professor with the Education University of Hong Kong. He has previously been sponsored by East Asian governments as a visiting research scholar with Nichibunken in Kyoto,Japan,and the Central Conservatory of Music,in Beijing,China.
Virtual exchange is an instructional approach or practice for language learning. It broadly refers to the "notion of 'connecting' language learners in pedagogically structured interaction and collaboration" through computer-mediated communication for the purpose of improving their language skills,intercultural communicative competence,and digital literacies. Although it proliferated with the advance of the internet and web 2.0 technologies in the 1990s,its roots can be traced to learning networks pioneered by Célestin Freinet in 1920s and,according to Dooly,even earlier in Jardine's work with collaborative writing at the University of Glasgow at the end of the 17th to the early 18th century.
Digital Media in education is measured by a person's ability to access,analyze,evaluate,and produce media content and communication in a variety of forms. These media may involve incorporating multiple digital softwares,devices,and platforms as a tool for learning. The use of digital media in education is growing rapidly in today's age,competing with books for the leading form of communication. This form of education is slowly combating the traditional forms of education that have been around for a long time. With the introduction of virtual education,there has been a need for more incorporation of new digital platforms in online classrooms.
In 2020,school systems in the United States began to close down in March because of the spread of COVID-19. This was a historic event in the history of the United States schooling system because it forced schools to shut-down. At the very peak of school closures,COVID-19 affected 55.1 million students in 124,000 public and private U.S. schools. The effects of widespread school shut-downs were felt nationwide,and aggravated several social inequalities in gender,technology,educational achievement,and mental health.
Aotearoa New Zealand's histories (ANZH) and Te Takanga o Te Wā are documents for use in English- and Maori-medium New Zealand curriculums from 2023 to guide the explicit and compulsory teaching about the country's history. Although the final documents,released in 2022,were part of reviews of the New Zealand education system by the newly elected Labour government from 2017,there had been pressure building prior to this for the focus of the reforms to be on developing a curriculum that truly reflected the history of New Zealand. This had included a petition taken to parliament in 2015 by high school students expressing concerns about how the New Zealand wars were being taught,ongoing debate in the media amongst academics and educationists and another petition urging teaching of New Zealand histories to be compulsory. In response to this,the government created an advisory group in 2018,and in 2019 initiated a recommendation from the group to establish an agreed process for updating the National Curriculum. After a process of consultation,draft documents were trialled and reviewed in 2021 and the final copies launched in March 2022,with the expectation that schools will have the reforms implemented by 2023.
Sonja Lee Macfarlane (née Bateman) is a New Zealand education academic and an associate professor at the University of Canterbury. Macfarlane specialises in the development of cultural awareness in the New Zealand education system.