About us
altLAB is dedicated to changing the way we work and learn. We provide colleagues with a range of educational support that aligns to key Learning and Teaching initiatives and directions at AUT.
Who we are
Comprised of Academics, Learning Designers, Educational Media and Learning Technology support, altLAB provides colleagues with a range of educational support.

We answer questions, form solutions, innovate and transform learning and teaching.
Direction
Our culture of open-mindedness, curiosity, critical thinking and collegiality, helps us tackle wicked problems in higher education.

Our work seeks to create exceptional learning experiences for all AUT students and support our mission of Great Graduates. We work in close collaboration with faculties and service divisions, to promote an evidence-based approach to educational practice, within the wider AUT community.
Dr Nell Mann
Acting Head, altLAB

Professional learning leadership

Academic practice development and support

Embedding university strategy in curriculum design

Research and scholarship in higher education

Dr John Davies
Acting Deputy Head, altLAB

Strategic approaches to curriculum design
Systematic learning design
Assessment and feedback design

Academic Consultancy
Our academic advisers and learning designers support colleagues in aligning strategy to practice to shape and provide exceptional learning experiences.

Our expertise lies in educational design and development, research and scholarship in teaching, curriculum mapping, learning design, digital learning, integrating biculturalism into the curriculum, contemporary approaches to assessment and feedback, flexible learning and integrated academic practice. We provide ongoing personalized support and a suite of required and elective professional learning programmes for AUT colleagues.
Dr Nhung Nguyen
Senior Lecturer

Distant/online courses
Research and Scholarship in teaching
Embedding graduate profiles

Sally Eberhard
Senior Learning Designer

Assessment feedback and design
Blended learning design
Designing learning outcomes

Dr Nawal Chanane
Senior Learning Designer

Approaches to learning design
Online assessment and feedback
Designing engaging online spaces

Dr Annemie Winters
Senior Lecturer

Lifelong learning
Design for learning
Online learning and teaching

Helen Andreassen
Senior Learning Designer

Evidence-informed practice
Student-centred learning
Curriculum development and alignment

Dr Jason Cui
Senior Learning Designer

Technology enhanced learning
Rubrics and feedback design
Active learning

Lisa Simperingham
Learning Designer

Active Learning
Academic Integrity
Online teaching and learning

Learning Technologists
Our learning technologists support the strategic and operational applications of technology systems. We support colleagues in leveraging technologies to enhance exceptional learning experiences.

Our expertise lies in understanding and maintaining the key learning technologies at AUT, including the learning management system (Canvas), ePortfolio system (Mahara) and other integrated tools. We provide responsive troubleshooting, consultation on technology options and training sessions for individuals or groups.
Shen Zhang
Lead, Learning Technologies

Canvas and emerging learning technologies
Teaching, learning and assessment processes
Technology Enhanced Learning practices

Samirah Ali
Learning Technologies Coordinator

Canvas specialist
Peer evaluation and feedback
Training & development

Benny Liu
Learning Technology Application Consultant

Canvas Advanced
ePortfolio (Mahara)
Canvas Data

Jawyei Wong
Senior Learning Technology Application Consultant

Canvas advanced
Canvas API
Analytics

Karl McGuirk
Learning Technologist

Professional Learning
Technology Enhanced Learning
Canvas Specialist
Training Resource Development

Metti Lampinen
Learning Technologist

Canvas specialist  
Training & development
Outcome-based assessments and Leanrning Mastery

Asif Rayhan Rasha
Learning Technologist

Canvas specialist
Outcome-based assessments and Learning Mastery
Training & development

Sonia Gurung
Learning Technologist

Integrated learning tools
Canvas Specialist
ePortfolio (Mahara)

Tanya McCullagh
Learning Technologist

Canvas Specialist
Professional Learning

Outcome-based assessments and Learning Mastery

Na Zhao
Learning Technologist

Canvas specialist
Outcome-based assessments and Learning Mastery
Training & development

Educational Media Development and Support
Our educational media developers support exceptional learning experiences through the creation and integration of rich digital media. Our expertise include professional video production and lecture capture support. We provide tailored support, educational training and the creation of integrated multimedia, from concept to finished product. 
Jin Hong
Digital Media Team Leader

Evaluation and advice on emerging learning technologies
Multimedia solutions for learning development

Video content management

Ben Ding
Digital Media Support

Video production for high-end quality requirement
Video content management
Lecture capture and Live streaming

Reza Mohammad Yari
Digital Media Developer

Video production for high-end quality requirement
Video content management
Lecture capture and Live streaming

Tara Bellairs
Digital Media Support

Video production for high-end quality requirement
Video content management
Lecture capture and Live streaming

Nadia Ahmed
Digital Media Developer

Video production for high-end quality requirement
Video /digital asserts content management
Lecture capture and Live streaming

What we do
altLAB works closely with AUT faculties and key stakeholders to align our initiatives and support to the priorities of the AUT community.

Our current projects and involvement with initiatives are outlined here.
Vision, Mission and Principles
Our Vision, Mission and Principles statement communicates our commitment to serving the AUT community and changing the way we work and learn.

Our Vision

"Changing the way we work and learn"

Associate Professor Benjamin Kehrwald
Director of Professional Learning/Head of altLAB

"This is an exciting time to be working in learning and teaching at AUT. The future of technology-enhanced learning is bright and being at New Zealand’s University of Technology means we have a special role to play.
We are looking forward to extending the remarkable work that has begun in 2020 into a future with engaging multimedia learning, more flexible learner-driven approaches, virtual reality, and highly connected student experiences which extend well beyond our campuses and make a difference in our communities. We’re just getting started."

Mission

Building capacity

Providing professional learning that equips all teaching staff with the fundamentals of curriculum design, assessment and pedagogy; providing a contemporary suite of digital resources to strengthen the skills and abilities of individuals and teams; supporting engagement in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and ensuring all new staff are prepared to meet the challenges of teaching in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand.

Enabling others

Building networks and connections across schools and faculties to support teaching and learning; building distributed expertise; fostering connections between individuals and groups; providing leadership and expertise; learning from and with others.

Creating community

Creating intentional opportunities to connect communities, to enhance partnerships and collaborations, and to share with, and learn from others.

Strengthening innovation

Bringing together novel ideas, and approaches; enhancing what we do by doing it differently; applying what we know in unique contexts; discovering creative solutions.

Strengthening our identity

Building our [altLAB] credibility; communicating our strengths and successes; enhancing the visibility of our services – activities and initiatives.

Principles

  • Our work is aligned with and supports AUT’s strategic learning and teaching directions.
  • Our work is underpinned by evidence.
  • We engage in systematic strategies to evaluate and disseminate the scope, quality, value and impact of our educational services – activities and initiatives.
  • We cultivate practices of service: with manaaki, to care for our people; mana aki, empowering self and collective efficacy; and mana ā kī, to be meaningful in our communication and relationships.
Where we are
altLAB, level 10,
WO Building (AUT City Campus)
56 Wakefield Street,
Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Get in touch
Get in touch with us via Service Now or book an in-person consultation with one of our learning design, learning technologies or video support specialists.
Service Now
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FeedbackFruits
FeedbackFruits

FeedbackFruits is an LMS-integrated tool suite designed to enhance student engagement, collaboration, and feedback in both asynchronous and synchronous learning. altLAB is conducting a pilot program throughout semester 2 to integrate the FeedbackFruits tool suite with Canvas. Working with a wide range of faculties, altLAB will implement FeedbackFruits’ tools into AUT courses and evaluate the lecturer and student experience. The pilot program focuses on creating streamlined teacher and peer feedback activities and enhancing student engagement within online course materials.

Assessment in 2021 and beyond
PVC Learning and Teaching

altLAB recently supported Professor Gayle Morris, PVC Learning and Teaching, on a discussion paper that explores authentic assessment and the place of summative examinations. While AUT is committed to authentic assessment (as part of the XLE Framework), summative examinations are often less authentic than alternatives.

What’s more, COVID-19 conditions have required AUT to adapt its assessment practices, with an explicit shift away from examinations. Drawing upon recent experiences, the paper supports a Learning and Teaching Committee discussion as AUT considers its assessment strategies and practices for 2021 and beyond

Wānanga Aronui
Office of Māori Advancement

Wānanga Aronui is a partnership between the Office of Māori Advancement and altLAB. The partnership is designing a Professional Learning programme to support the weaving of mātauranga Māori into curricula across the University. A dual-approach of ground-up, needs-based and top-down, values-driven has been adopted to ensure that we can support the needs of our teaching staff through cultivating Our Values.

To shape the professional learning programme we are set to run three wānanga; tāngata whenua, tāngata tiriti and a collaborative design of the wānanga, to conclude. The professional learning programme will be available in 2021.

Kōrerorero App
Te Ara Poutama: Māori indigenous development

Our digital media team collaborated with Te Ara Poutama: Māori indigenous development to design, develop and distribute the Kōrerorero Learn Te Reo Māori app. Kōrerorero, meaning conversations, is an interactive app designed to teach spoken te reo Māori through listening, repetition and learning of vocabulary/phrases that can be easily introduced into real life situations.

After a two-year collaboration, the app went live in Google Play and Apple stores on September 14 2020, after a two-year collaboration between Te Ara Poutama: Māori indigenous development and altLAB.

Culinary Arts Demonstration Videos
Faculty of Culture and Society

Culinary Arts contacted altLAB in early 2020 with the idea to film a series of videos demonstrating skills specific to the Diploma of Culinary Arts. Due to Campus Closures, in response to COVID-19, the project was placed on pause.

One paper leader noted that “lockdown really highlighted the lack of online resources we had available” and re-emphasised the importance of the video resource creation. Once the first trial videos are complete we plan to set up a monthly video shoot and build a library of teaching resources. altLAB sees potential to carry this approach across to other disciplines where demonstration plays a key role in learning.

HAP II
Health and Environmental Science

Human Anatomy and Physiology II (HAP II) is an interdisciplinary paper that is delivered to 1000+ on-campus and distance students each year. Delivery on such a large scale was the main driver in prompting the paper leader to reconsider the overall design.

altLAB initially met with the team to discuss what was working well and what could be changed ahead of Semester 2. With a longer-term redevelopment plan now in place, altLAB is working with the HAP II team to revisit paper learning outcomes and redesign assessments. The approach includes a shift away from final examinations to alternative assessments that are fair, culturally inclusive and constructively aligned.

Fresh perspectives for Communication Studies
Design and Creative Technologies

The School of Communication Studies recently invited altLAB to present possibilities for course redesign, with a focus on improved connection between formative and summative assessment. altLAB developed four new concepts for a sample paper.

While retaining the original learning outcomes and graduate profile, the learning, assessment and teaching approaches were reconsidered. The intended outcome was to provide academic staff with inspiration from which they could develop their own ideas and papers.