This article conceptualises how disruptions to conventional teaching models may lead to innovative practice. We have identified a gap in current knowledge around how innovations in higher education teaching and learning are initiated in times of crises. Disruptive Innovation Theory and Roger's Diffusion of Innovation Theory are used as lenses to…

Since seamless learning (SL) is still a rather unknown concept in higher education many educators classify it under the same categories as mobile, blended, online or hybrid learning. The purpose of this study is firstly to clarify the historical evolvement of the seamless learning concept over the past decades and, to position the seamless…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyse institutional strategy documents relating to technology-enhanced learning. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 84 documents were sampled from 71 leading higher education institutions (HEIs), identified through the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2018. Qualitative content analysis…

Innovations in schooling and the architectural design of schools offer the opportunity to re-examine existing pedagogical practices. Graduating teachers need to be ready to teach and conversant with changing school environments and approaches to school organisation. However, there is a dearth of research that explores the student teachers'…

Rapid developments in ideas of knowledge, the role of educational technologies and the needs of students suggest that innovation is important in higher education. However, many factors can affect how and whether innovation occurs. In a study of identified innovative teachers, five thematic dimensions were identified that served to support or…

The article outlines the making of an explanatory theory for internationalisation of higher education (IoHE) in the emerging global knowledge economy. A grounded theory method with reference to a Theory of Practice is utilised to theorise IoHE in New Zealand. The pivotal features of IoHE are conceptualised as rationality and relationality,…

Interpretive Case-based Modeling (ICM) was developed for this study as a new research methodology for investigating higher education adoption of technology-enhanced innovations in teaching and learning (eLearning). This research applied ICM in interviews with participants from Australian and New Zealand higher education institutions. The…

Background: High quality tertiary teaching is important for maximising the impact of tertiary education for students, employers and society, as well as for institutional reputation and accountability. Varied interpretations exist regarding what counts as 'innovative' tertiary teaching.Purpose: This study sought to explore the deeper drivers of…

East (2014) presented a largely qualitative study that uncovered how beginning teachers of languages other than English developed their understandings about task-based language teaching (TBLT) as they took part in a year-long initial teacher education programme in New Zealand. This paper reports a comparative re-production. It complements a recent…

Universities implement Learning Management Systems (LMSs) with the aspiration of improving educational practice. However, LMS adoption by academics within universities vary and frequently falls short of institutional aspirations. In this study, we propose an integrated and adopter--centred professional identity perspective of LMS adoption and…

The communicative language teaching approach that informs many school modern foreign language programmes has been realised in different ways as theorists and practitioners have sought to identify the most effective combinations of instruction and use [Mitchell, R. 2000. Applied linguistics and evidence-based classroom practice: the case of foreign…

Contribution: This paper demonstrated on a large scale that explicit articulation of creativity-related learning goals on engineering syllabi is quite limited, and primarily limited to the first year of study. Engineering educators may need to do more to ensure creativity is explicitly addressed as an expected learning outcome within engineering…

The appointment of the University of Waikato's first Assistant Vice-Chancellor Pacific in February 2019 was an important milestone, not only recognising years of work and dedication by numerous Pacific and Maori staff, but triggering a new strategic direction for 'Pacific at Waikato'. This paper explains that journey, one that is underpinned by…

Distance or online learning is more than simply uploading and delivering learning resources to learners but in fact, it is a process that provides learners with autonomy, responsibility, flexibility and choice. This can be a challenge for many academic teachers. In 2020, as universities globally shifted to online learning, in response to the…

The COVID-19 pandemic sent New Zealand universities into crisis, and as a key crisis response measure, classes were mostly moved online. While navigating national public health settings, educators simultaneously had to innovate quickly: to keep our courses in operation, students learning, and quality pedagogy present. The author has been…