New eight week teaching blocks in the Faculty of Business and IT

We believe that engaging more people in tertiary education in South Auckland requires re-thinking how we teach to better suit modern student needs.

Under our new model, business and IT students will study two papers within an eight week block, instead of the traditional format of four papers delivered simultaneously over a 17 week semester.

There is no change to the total number of learning and teaching hours for each paper.

Our domestic students have indicated they would prefer to focus on fewer subjects at once, deal with less concurrent assignments and exams in the last few weeks of semester, and have greater flexibility in their study programmes.

We have trialled different formats for our programmes and there is strong evidence that the eight week teaching block leads to better local student retention, better success, a better student experience and potentially improved participation.

In short, it will help lead to better educational outcomes in South Auckland. We are committed to our students and always looking for ways we can help them succeed in their education and transition into great jobs.

Consultation with our domestic students demonstrated strong support for the new format.

There has been broad consultation with staff and leaders at MIT over the last two months. Feedback from staff was that they valued the ability to engage with learners more regularly, that the format gave more ability to continuously improve course content, and that it provided more flexibility.

There will be a six month transition period, and staff will be supported through the development of courses to the new duration in early 2017.

Key facts:
*Two papers delivered simultaneously across eight weeks, instead of four papers across 17 weeks
*No change to number of hours spent on each paper
*Motivated by student feedback: fewer subjects at once, less pressure at the end of semester
*Higher student retention and success rates during trial period
*Consultation shows strong student support for the new format

About MIT: At the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) our purpose is to get people into great jobs. We have been changing lives in South Auckland since 1970, and we are one of the largest providers of technical, vocational and professional education in New Zealand. Every year 16,000 students choose to study at MIT, and we have nine campuses within the greater Auckland region.

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