Relational learning in practice
A showcase teaching practices in creating learning environments and experiences to build and sustain relationships with students.
There are several key questions that are helpful as we consider how we create the learning environments and experiences which will build and sustain these relationships. For example, how do different teaching approaches enable students to build connection with their discipline, with their teachers, with their peers, with place and with their evolving sense of themselves? How do the choices we make as educators contribute to the sense of belonging and meaning needed for student success?
How might staff support relational learning in their practice?
Suggested activities:
- create opportunities for cohort building within or across programmes
- encourage collaborative practices that maximise students’ opportunities to engage with and learn from their peers
- develop learning environments where students and staff are relationally and actively engaged
- support place-based learning with environments and communities and establish links with work contexts (where practical)
- locate learning ‘in time’
Teachers might:
- explore practical applications of mātauranga, kaupapa Māori pedagogies, and Te Tiriti in teaching
- practice Indigenous pedagogies that centre Pacific values and knowledge systems, such as ako (which means both to learn and to teach) as a process that involves learning and reflecting,1 where both the learner and teacher benefit from the sharing of knowledge2
- provide opportunities for learners and teachers to dialogue about the learning experience
- make use of quality blended learning designs that embrace connectivity and participation
Relational learning in practice
Teaching Tip: Reduce information overload at the start of your course
Dr Suzanne Reid brought her course syllabus to life through the addition of an interactive digital welcome map.
Teaching Tip: Humanise lecture videos to connect with students
These pointers from Dr Anthony Brand will help you make lecture videos more accessible and engaging.
Teaching Tip: Chunk lecture videos to improve engagement
Dr Anthony Brand shares his thoughts on how to organise your lecture recordings into bite-sized segments.
Teaching Tip: Foster a sense of community in large class settings
Dr Suzanne Reid suggests creating connections with students through personal expression.
Teaching Tip: Engage students in STEM through creative expression
Dr Sonia Fonua finds a way to engage students early, especially in STEM disciplines, by bringing personal meaning through creative expression.
Personal chemistry: Engaging students at scale
In the world of first-year chemistry, with over 1,000 students, how do you create meaningful connections? Dr Kaitlin Beare has been experimenting with innovative approaches to foster relational learning at scale.
Effective ways to keep students motivated
Dr Nigel Gearing reminds us of a few simple steps to enhance teaching and course design that can help alleviate the phenomenon of student disengagement.
Constructive Failure story: The epic success that couldn’t last
We uncover a teacher’s journey to forge deep connections through relational pedagogies—a path marked by both unparalleled success and an unexpected twist.
Stats and cats: Herding numbers in large classrooms
Step into Anna Fergusson’s classroom, where STATS 220: Data Technologies is more than just a course – it’s an adventure in data science.
Sprachwellen: Crafting German skills through podcasts and storytelling
Engaging students in creative exploration of German language and culture.
Page updated 22/02/2023 (minor edit)
- Morrison, Sandra L., and Timote M. Vaioleti. “Ako–A traditional learning concept for Maori and Pacific youth, and its relationship to lifelong learning.” Bildung und Erziehung 64, no. 4 (2011): 395-408. ↩
- Tomoana, Ria, and Whitireia New Zealand. “Sharing successful teaching and learning strategies for Māori, Pacific, and Youth learners.” Whitireia, New Zealand: An Ako Aotearoa Publication (2012). ↩