Joint venture unveils post-grad qualification in digital learning

The Mind Lab by Unitec, a joint venture between The Mind Lab and Unitec Institute of Technology, plans to offer a new post-graduate qualification in digital and collaborative learning, giving teachers the opportunity to gain practical experience of the latest teaching practices.

The part-time 32 week postgraduate qualification will provide teachers with the opportunity to spend time in The Mind Lab by Unitec's learning environment, where they can try out new ways of using spaces, technology and collaboration to encourage entrepreneurship, risk taking, resilience and creative problem solving. This will be complemented by school-based applied practice and online learning.

"As technology continues to transform the way we live and work, our success as a country rests on our ability to compete in a digital economy. We want to support our teachers to provide our children with the very best education so they are ready to grasp these exciting opportunities with both hands.

“The Mind Lab previously offered students the opportunity to learn in a creative environment, but soon after it was opened in 2013 it became clear that if every New Zealand child is to benefit, the focus would have to broaden from teaching students to teaching their teachers.

“To reach every child we need to help empower teachers, supporting them to use new technology, learning platforms and problem solving activities to transform their classrooms, their schools and their communities. We have the opportunity to dramatically improve the opportunities for our children and we want to help make that happen," said The Mind Lab by Unitec's chairperson Frances Valintine.

"The world of education is changing, from early childhood right through to tertiary education. The Mind Lab by Unitec is about helping teachers adapt the way they do things so they can respond to the needs of a new generation of learners," said Unitec’s chief executive Rick Ede. "To stay relevant we need to think differently and work collaboratively. This joint venture is a swift and innovative response to a new demand."