Impact of Virtual Spaces on Indigenous-Centered Programs

• In Event: Indigenous Schools and Schooling in Diverse Democracies

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of virtual spaces on the provision of indigenous centred programmes in higher education with reference to two distinct case studies. The first case study examines the process of developing a 40 part international Massive Online Open Course MOOC on Indigenous Studies of Australia and New Zealand. The second case study examines the impact of virtual spaces on the online engagement of students in a course taught entirely through the medium of the Māori language. Based on a study of online engagement of students in a teacher education course, the tensions, issues and challenges affecting their experience of the online platform are explored.

Authors

• Huia Tomlins Jahnke, Massey University

• Sandra Styres, University of Toronto - OISE

• Maggie Walters