A photograph of the exterior of the UCSA Events Centre, built in the UCSA car park on Ilam Road.
A photograph of the exterior of the UCSA Events Centre, built in the UCSA car park on Ilam Road.
A photograph of the exterior of the UCSA Events Centre, built in the UCSA car park on Ilam Road.
A photograph of the exterior of the UCSA Events Centre, built in the UCSA car park on Ilam Road.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, photographed with Sam Johnson, head of the Student volunteer army, holds up a Ucan tshirtduring his visit to Campus during the progressive restart.
A photograph of All Black Richie McCaw and Student Volunteer Army Founder Sam Johnson cutting vegetables.
A scanned copy of a black and white photograph depicting a protest march against the Springbok Tour in 1981.
A scanned copy of a photograph depicting the set of a play titled 'Star Fleet'. The photograph is from 1983.
A PDF copy of pages 92-93 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Kirkwood Village University of Canterbury'. Photos: Heather Hayward
Governor General Sir Gerry Mataparae talks to the media during his visit to the University of Canterbury to present the ANZAC of the Year Award to the Student Volunteer Army.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. University student Sam Johnson organised through Facebook students to go into the suburbs to help residents clean up after Saturday morning's earthquake. They gathered in Halswell to help residents clean up the silt from their properties. Celia Mann and Dave White shovel dirt".
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
Post-graduate students who went on an exchange to Oxford after the February earthquakes talking to Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr at a function with Vice Chancellor Rod Car and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford Andrew Hamilton to sign a Memorandum of Understand between the two Universities.
A scanned copy of a black and white photograph depicting a music concert at the UCSA. The photo is from the 1980s.
A scanned copy of a photograph depicting the set of a play titled 'Star Fleet'. The photograph is from 1983.
Science education research shows that a traditional, stand-and-deliver lecture format is less effective than teaching strategies that are learner-centred and that promote active engagement. The Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI) has used this research to develop resources to improve learning in university science courses. We report on a successful adaptation and implementation of CWSEI in the New Zealand university context. This two-year project at Massey University and the University of Canterbury began by using perception and concept surveys before and after undergraduate science courses to measure students’ attitudes towards science as well as their knowledge. Using these data, and classroom observations of student engagement and corroborating focus groups, the research team worked with lecturers to create interventions to enhance student engagement and learning in those courses. Results show several positive changes related to these interventions and they suggest several recommendations for lecturers and course coordinators. The recommendations include:1. Make learning outcomes clear, both for the lecturer and the students; this helps to cull extraneous material and scaffold student learning. 2. Use interactive activities to improve engagement, develop deeper levels of thinking, and improve learning. 3. Intentionally foster “expert-like thinking” amongst students in the first few semesters of the degree programme. 4. Be flexible because one size does not fit all and contextual events are beyond anyone’s control.In addition to these recommendations, data collected at the Canterbury site during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes reinforced the understanding that the most carefully designed teaching innovations are subject to contextual conditions beyond the control of academics.
This dissertation contains three essays on the impact of unexpected adverse events on student outcomes. All three attempt to identify causal inference using plausibly exogenous shocks and econometric tools, applied to rich administrative data. In Chapter 2, I present evidence of the causal effects of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake on tertiary enrolment and completion. Using the shock of the 2011 earthquake on high school students in the Canterbury region, I estimate the effect of the earthquake on a range of outcomes including tertiary enrolment, degree completion and wages. I find the earthquake causes a substantial increase in tertiary enrolment, particularly for low ability high school leavers from damaged schools. However, I find no evidence that low ability students induced by the earthquake complete a degree on time. In Chapter 3, I identify the impact of repeat disaster exposure on university performance, by comparing outcomes for students who experience their first earthquake while in university, to outcomes for students with prior earthquake exposure. Using a triple-differences estimation strategy with individual-by-year fixed effects, I identify a precise null effect, suggesting that previous experience of earthquakes is not predictive of response to an additional shock two years later. The final chapter investigates the impact of injuries sustained in university on academic performance and wages, using administrative data including no-fault insurance claims, emergency department attendance and hospital admissions, linked with tertiary enrolment. I find injuries, including minor injuries, have a negative effect on re-enrolment, degree completion and grades in university.
Gold Award recipient Anthony Rohan, from Invercargill, Student Volunteer Army financial management. Pictured here with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee.
Gold Award recipient Sam Johnson (from Mayfield), Student Volunteer Army founder and leader. Pictured here with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee.
Vice Chancellor Rod Carr speaks at the visit of Governor General Sir Gerry Mataparae to the University of Canterbury to present the ANZAC of the Year Award to the Student Volunteer Army.
A representative of the Student Volunteer Army speaks at the visit of Governor General Sir Gerry Mataparae to the University of Canterbury to present SVA with the ANZAC of the Year Award.
Vice Chancellor Rod Carr speaks at the visit of Governor General Sir Gerry Mataparae to the University of Canterbury to present the ANZAC of the Year Award to the Student Volunteer Army.
Gold Award recipient Sam Johnson (from Mayfield), Student Volunteer Army founder and leader. Pictured here with Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr, Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Gerry Brownlee.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Christchurch Earthquake. University student Sam Johnson organised through Facebook students to go into the suburbs to help residents clean up after Saturday morning's earthquake. They gathered in Halswell to help residents clean up the silt from their properties. James Litchwark (L) and Tom van Laanen shovel dirt".
Panellists Neil Miller and Zoe George discuss a breakthrough in multi-storey buildings for earthquakes with Ben Moerman, a PHD student from the University of Canterbury studying Civil Engineering.