Welcome to Research Bank, our open research repository that includes research produced by students and staff while affiliated with Unitec, Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), Otago Polytechnic, Toi Ohomai and Southern Institute of Technology (SIT). It is intended to facilitate scholarly communication and shared access to our research outputs

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    How do they see us?
    (2023-07) Pizzini, Nigel; Unitec, Te Pūkenga
    RESEARCH QUESTION What are the barriers perceived and experienced by High School students when considering seeing a school counsellor for emotional or mental well-being support?
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    An investigation into the use of discovered objects to inspire artworks in clay
    (2022) Dickey, Julienne
    The project was an investigation into the use of natural and manufactured discovered objects, which exhibit decay, accretions, deterioration and abandonment, to inspire ceramic or ceramic and mixed media artworks. In what way could these objects, or their characteristics of decay, be represented, referenced or included in the process of working with clay? What was the relationship between the discovered and the created objects, such that a conversation might be enabled between them? I aimed to explore the parallels between the transformation of the objects through the processes wrought by time and external forces, the transformation of clay through manipulation, adulteration and firing, and the transformation of the artist during the creative dialogue with the materials. The aesthetic of the imperfect was highlighted as a metaphor for life’s uncertainties, messiness and tensions, as well as its connectedness, inventiveness and beauty – its imperfect perfection.
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    A scoping review of interventions used with individuals with dyslexia to improve their writing performance
    (2023) Kroger, Raewyn; https://online.op.ac.nz/industry-and-research/research/expertise/search/
    Developmental dyslexia is the common term for the neurobiological disorder known as “Specific Learning Disorder in Reading” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5. It is believed that 14% of students in the United States of America have this diagnosis (Dyslexia Basics - International Dyslexia Association, n.d.). Dyslexia can significantly impact the academic, vocational, social, and emotional aspects of a person’s life, disrupting their meaningful engagement in occupations. Because dyslexia is a complex language disorder with multiple phenotypes and symptoms, no one profession can address all areas of difficulty. Occupational therapists are often brought into interdisciplinary teams in schools to support the writing of students with dyslexia. Historically occupational therapists have worked within a very limited scope, most commonly to address the individual prerequisite components of writing, such as visual motor and perceptual skills, fine motor skills, cognitive and executive function skills, and sensory processing skills (Grajo & Gutman, 2019.) Given the broad range of skills and practice scope that occupational therapists have, and in keeping with the current emphasis on top-down approaches and consideration of how literacy impacts the child's life role as a student, it is time for occupational therapists to consider best practice for occupational therapy interventions in supporting the occupation of transcription for students with dyslexia. Objective A scoping review with narrative synthesis was conducted to ascertain the strategies being used currently to improve the writing of students with dyslexia. The knowledge gained from the review was used to inform the overarching aim of this thesis: To guide occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists working under an interdisciplinary team model in supporting the occupation of transcription for students with dyslexia. Method Articles for this scoping review were identified through a computerised search of five electronic databases accessible by the Otago Polytechnic library: PubMed, ProQuest Central, Taylor and Francis, Cinahl, and ERIC. To ensure current and relevant information was considered, each article's date of publication was within ten years of the current year, 2010 - 2020. The literature search procedure was complimented by manually scanning the reference lists of retrieved articles. This identified two articles outside the inclusion dates. Because these articles were named in multiple reference lists, they were considered relevant and important to current thinking and thus included. Articles were evaluated according to predetermined criteria for inclusion at the title, abstract, and article levels. Seven articles were selected for review. Descriptive content analysis was used to map the current use of strategies and interventions. Results This scoping review identified that the strategy currently used and recommended to improve the writing of students with dyslexia is interdisciplinary team collaboration, including and prioritising the student's family, individualising, and providing explicit multi- component interventions. The necessity of understanding the language and interpretations of other professionals in the field in order to be an effective and respected team member was highlighted. The purpose of this review was to use the new knowledge to guide occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists working under an interdisciplinary team model in supporting the occupation of transcription for students with dyslexia. It is very clear from the findings that it is time for occupational therapists to reconsider their current roles and create the opportunity to increase their functional role in literacy. There is plenty of space in this complex field for occupational therapists to upskill and embrace literacy holistically while remaining within their scope of practice.
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    Establishing a strategy to create a safe community space in and around Selwyn Reserve, Mission Bay, Auckland
    (2022) Norriss, Lyle; Otago Polytechnic, Te Pūkenga; https://online.op.ac.nz/industry-and-research/research/expertise/search/
    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Selwyn Reserve is a large reserve in the Auckland suburb of Mission Bay. The reserve is characterised by a stone house and fountain which sit close to the North facing beach. Selwyn Reserve is frequented by people from across Auckland’s isthmus and tourists to the region. The chronic issue which exists pertains to the alcohol consumed during hours of darkness in Selwyn Reserve, particularly during the weekend. The purpose of this research was to establish a long-term sustainable solution for the chronic issue which exists at Selwyn Reserve, Mission Bay, Auckland. RESEARCH APPROACH The research utilised Te Ara Tika (Hudson et al. 2010) as a framework, bringing Te Ao Māori into all components of the research ensuring the voice of iwi was present, heard, and actioned. The research was conducted utilising a sequential mixed-method design, with existent Police and Council data, influencing the questions asked in the interview phase and during a community led hui. Un-tested PANDA Model At the time of the research PANDA (Problem, Analyse, Nominate, Deploy, Assess the impact) was an untested method for solving chronic issues. Research findings identified what the issue at Mission Bay was, when it occurred, and who was involved. Additionally, the commitment of the community to solve the chronic issue is considerable. The approach taken to interviews and the hui was beneficial in ensuring that the various components of PANDA could be covered, to establish a comprehensive long-term sustainable solution for Selwyn Reserve, Mission Bay. The learnings around the approach will assist others seeking solutions for chronic issues.
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    Field study to compare and evaluate summer thermal comfort of school buildings with different moderate thermal mass in their building elements
    (MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), 2023-11-22) Su, Bin; McPherson, Peter; Jadresin-Milic, Renata; Wang, Xinxin; Shamout, Sameh; Liang, Y.; Unitec, Te Pūkenga; Architon (N.Z.)
    Previous studies show that moderate thermal mass in school building elements can pos itively impact the winter indoor thermal environment in a temperate climate with mild, humid winters. Based on a field study, this research contributes new physical data of the summer indoor thermal environment of Auckland school buildings with different designs of moderate thermal mass in their building elements to add to the previous winter field-study data and demonstrates that a school building with moderate thermal mass is adequate in a temperate climate with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers. This field study compared and evaluated the summer indoor thermal environment of classrooms with different moderate thermal mass in their building elements during the summer school term and the summer school holidays. This study found that a classroom with thermal mass in its building elements has 19% to 21% more time in summer than a classroom without any thermal mass in its building elements when indoor air temperatures are within the thermal comfort zone, which was solely impacted by the building’s thermal performance. This study established a suitable research method to analyse the field-study data and identify the differences in the indoor thermal environments of the school buildings with different designs of moderate thermal mass in their building element.

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