21 November 2018

MIT recently recognised its staff who make a big difference to the institute and to the lives of students. IT lecturer, Ann Khan from the School of Business Services won the Premier Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Here’s what makes her such a great lecturer.

How long have you been at MIT?

About 15 years. I started off as a community learning facilitator. I’ve been lecturing for nine or ten years in Business. Before that I was in industry, but started off working with at-risk Māori youth. After I left school I did a one year secretarial course at MIT. I travelled around Australia for a few years. My husband and I have run a panel beating shop.

What do you love about teaching?

I think it’s seeing people transform. It’s the reward of seeing the light come on and student’s having a great learning experience. I didn’t have a great learning experience at school so I’ve had this passion for providing great learning environments. Teachers back then taught a particular way and it might have not been the way I learnt. I’m sticking to that story. It can put you off. What I strive for at MIT is to make an inclusive environment so everyone can have a good experience particularly second-time learners. I have been a second-time learner myself. I dreaded the thought of going into higher education after school, but had a good experience at MIT.

Tell us about yourself? Where were you born? Family? Interests outside work?

I was born and bred in South Auckland in a big family by today’s standards. There were seven kids. It’s a very encouraging, supportive family. We’re very competitive. I was born with spina bifida. It’s made me very determined. That’s where the ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’ attitude comes from. I’m aware anything is possible. We spent a lot of time in Whangamata. I love fishing, kayaking, I like to push myself as hard as I can. When someone says I can’t do something, I have an immediate push to do it. It can be exhausting.

What was your reaction to winning the top award?

Complete surprise. Just knowing everyone I work with is so amazing I wonder how I am deserving of it. I almost fell off my chair I wasn’t expecting to win. Very honoured.

The project you won for was developing a virtual company intranet that encourages students to collaborate and apply real-world business skills. Tell us about that project?

So what it is, is when they log into Canvas the layout mirrors a company intranet. It’s got templates, forms, FAQs, they have to update the twitter feed. The assessments follow that as well. The students process customer orders, they have to go in and resolve issues, find the correct templates. It’s very self-determined learning to get them ready for industry. It’s more facilitated teaching than up at the front teaching. The site can be copied into any of the other programmes. Contact centre is the first I used it for and I’m using it to teach HR as well. The students are exposed to the tools used by industry and it’s created in partnership with them. I’ve worked with big companies to ensure the design and layout is fit for purpose.

What does receiving this recognition mean?

It’s recognition from my peers and encourages me to strive for innovation and share best practices. It’s extremely humbling for your peers to recognize your abilities. Seeing students succeed is probably enough recognition in this job. It’s nice to see that the work you put into a concept like this has value.

What do you think you will do with the prize?

Professional Development, I’d either like to go and see other institutes using the Hyflex Model and share best practices. Maybe more work with Pasifika going to a Pasifika tertiary and seeing how we can support each other as it’s one of our priority learning groups.

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