Ako Victoria

Ako Victoria is a one-day learning and teaching event in Wellington. It's hosted twice a year by the University’s Centre for Academic Development.

Ako Victoria events bring Victoria University of Wellington staff together to talk about learning and teaching, and celebrate successes in the field. They also give staff the opportunity to:

• meet with other academics, managers, and support staff committed to improving learning and teaching
• share the outcomes of new learning and teaching research
• share innovations in digital learning and teaching
• highlight good practice in learning and teaching.

Ako Victoria

The next Ako Victoria event will be in September 2019. Further details on the theme will be posted as they become available.

Past events

The theme for Ako Victoria 2018 was Whakawhiti mai–Transitions to university study. Entering university study is both exciting and daunting. The complex microcosm of academic, social, and cultural life can be confusing and difficult to navigate for a newcomer. For transitions to undergraduate study, challenges include learning to learn—developing independent study skills, understanding assessment requirements and criteria, and managing expectations and competing demands. Students transitioning into postgraduate study often need to reflect on their existing learning approaches, beliefs and practices. The Higher Education literature suggests that students’ experiences during these transitions affect the attitudes and approaches they adopt in their university study.

Participants in the 2018 Ako Victoria conference worked together to answer the question “what would it take to gain a better understanding of these challenges and develop academic, administrative, and social means to mitigate them at the institutional and individual levels?” Nine presentations throughout the day covered diverse topics such as The role of Te Kawa a Māui in supporting biculturalism, identifying students most vulnerable to underperforming their expectations or aspirations, developing discipline specific critical thinking, analysis and writing skills in second year students, student transition to tertiary learning, transitioning based on digital technologies to develop essential skills, examining school-sector policy, and practice to advance Māori student engagement and achievement, and the macro effect of micro assignments. The event concluded with a University Senior Leaders’ Panel Discussion.

Ako Victoria 2017 coincided with the launch of Victoria University of Wellington’s Learning and Teaching Strategy, Te Rautaki Maruako. The strategy sets out the learning and teaching values and commitments to which the University aspires: Rangatiratanga (leadership and supporting others to become leaders); Manaakitanga (showing respect, generosity and care for others); Kaitiakitanga (protectiveness, looking after others); Whai mātauranga (pursuit of knowledge or wisdom); Whanaungatanga (family or kinship); Akoranga (learning and teaching).