Our Philosophy

TERNZ welcomes tertiary teachers from all disciplines. The theme of every TERNZ conference is learning in tertiary education: our students' learning, our own learning, and the learning of our colleagues. The TERNZ colloquium-based format enables us to talk about education, so that the experience itself will be educational. The TERNZ philosophy is based upon the view that we as teachers and researchers, just like our students, learn most effectively in interactive settings where our experiences are valued.

The aims of the conference are:

• to promote the idea that the most valuable research into learning and teaching is that which draws directly upon our work as learners and teachers from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds;
• to explore new approaches to learning and teaching in a supportive environment;
• to develop a critical perspective in the face of the current rapidly changing contexts of higher and tertiary education;
• to build a network of teachers in higher and tertiary education who see their teaching as a valuable field for research.

Therefore, TERNZ differs from other academic conferences. There are no paper presentations. Our thinking is not led by "experts". Instead, themes are developed through a series of more extended conversations in which all participants have the opportunity to play an equal part.

Host groups

You will be assigned to a host group for the conference, and these small groups meet at regular intervals throughout. The purpose of the group is to provide a space to talk, meet other delegates, and extend the conversations from the parallel sessions. Discussions in the groups are guided by a facilitator, and the sessions are intended to be informal and enjoyable.