Learning for Earth Ako Futures Research Cluster

Head of the School of Social and Cultural Studies in Education and co-Director of Te Puna Rangahau i- Ako, the Digital Education Futures Lab at the University of Canterbury. I am a Commonwealth of Learning Chair with a research focus exploring (post)digital (in)equality in Tertiary Education with a particular focus on perspectives and opportunities in the Pacific region. 

My work focuses on the creation and erosion of wellbeing in places. I have examined processes and events that contribute to lived experiences of distress and difficulty in a number of towns, cities and regions in New Zealand and the UK, while also working to identify the collaborations, policies and practices able to facilitate wellbeing within them. 

My early research considered rural and urban places disrupted by economic restructuring and neoliberal welfare reform, while more recent projects have focused on disaster-affected places. When examining these variously disrupted environments, I have investigated the spaces and settings within them that people experience as supportive, enabling and therapeutic and even, on occasion, as transformative. Empirical investigations in this regard have encompassed community drop-in centres, retreat centres, respite care agencies, residential care facilities, and urban community farms.  

I am currently an Associate Editor for Health & Place and the New Zealand Geographer, and an editorial board member for Social & Cultural Geography; Emotion, Space & Society; and the Australasian Journal of Disaster & Trauma Studies. 

Prof Bronwyn Hayward (MNZM, FRSNZ) is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations and Director of The Sustainability, Citizenship and Civic Imagination Research group. Her research is at the intersection of sustainability, youth, climate change and democracy. Bronwyn has held many Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change roles:  a Review Editor (AR7 Ciites special report)  AR6 (Synthesis report 2023) Coordinating lead Cities & infrastructure (2022) and a lead author of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 Degrees C (2018). She is co-primary investigator with University of Surrey's ESRC funded CUSP: Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity, where she leads the CYCLES Children and Youth in Cities lifestyle Evaluation study in 7 world cities. A Co-PI of the National Science Challenge Mana Rangatahi, supporting Indigenous young people facing climate change (2022-2025). She held an Erskine Fellowship with University College, Oxford, UK 2017. Recent books Children, Citizenship and Environment (Routledge, 2012 and a significantly revised second #SchoolStrike edition Routledge London, 2021 and Sea Change: Climate Politics and New Zealand (BWB, 2017). She served on the International Social Sciences Council steering committee - Transformative Research; Co-researcher with University of Oslo, Voices of the Future project; Lead author on UNEP's global survey of 18-35 year olds lifestyles and sustainabilityl Trustee for the UK Foundation for Democracy and Sustainability 2012-2016. Outside academia Bronwyn worked for children's TV; was a Ministerial appointment to the NZ Broadcasting Standards Authority; Trustee for the SPARK Foundation & Give A Little. She was inaugural joint winner of UC Arts Conscience & Critic of Society Research Award 2014, Kiwibank Local Hero (2019) Westpac/Stuff media winner of Supreme Woman of Influence & Environment categories (2022), She is co-convenor of Adaptation Futures 2025 the world's premiere climate adaptation event October 2025

My research, Transformational Computing, integrates cutting-edge technology and health, with a strong emphasis on creating impactful solutions to improve health outcomes. It spans diverse areas including neurorehabilitation, mental health, health-focused assistive technologies, and learning and training technology. My focus is on reshaping the design, development, and deployment of technology to enhance human health and functional capacity.

Neurorehabilitation:

Early contributions included pioneering the use of Extended Reality (XR) applications to support recovery for individuals with acquired brain injuries. This work continues to inform my development of innovative rehabilitation technologies for conditions such as stroke recovery and multiple sclerosis.

Mental Health:

I have developed augmented intelligence systems to support online community moderators and virtual AI companions designed to assist individuals navigating complex life circumstances. These initiatives reflect a commitment to leveraging technology to enhance mental well-being and resilience.

Health Training and Simulation:

My projects include creating immersive virtual environments for emergency responders and healthcare professionals, enhancing their preparedness and decision-making skills through validated simulation systems.

Food Psychology and Behaviour:

Recent collaborations have focused on understanding cravings and eating behaviours using immersive virtual reality, with applications in behavioural psychology, obesity prevention and smoking cessation.

Through these interdisciplinary endeavours, I aim to advance user-centred solutions that are both innovative and evidence-based, fostering collaboration between researchers, health professionals, technologists, educators, domain experts and end-users.

Professor Ben Kennedy is passionate about understanding rocks and sharing that excitement with others. He focuses on two major research questions: why volcanoes erupt and how people learn and teach most effectively about planet Earth. His work sits at the intersection of volcanology, geoscience education, hazard communication, and transdisciplinary collaboration, blending scientific discovery with innovative approaches to learning.

Ben’s research is shaped by the needs of society, particularly around volcanic‑hazard awareness, risk reduction, and science learning. He works closely with schools, international universities, research institutes, government agencies, and industry partners to understand what communities need to know about volcanoes and how they want to learn. His findings are used by government organisations responsible for volcano monitoring, hazard mapping, and eruption‑risk communication, and they also influence how teachers and lecturers design field‑based and digital learning experiences for thousands of students. In 2023, Ben received the Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize, recognising his leadership in public engagement and science communication. 

Driven by curiosity, creativity, and a sense of adventure, Ben travels widely to study volcanoes and collect rocks. His fieldwork spans Aotearoa New Zealand — including Tongariro, Ruapehu, Whakaari/White Island, the Auckland Volcanic Field, and Banks Peninsula — as well as volcanic systems around the world such as Krafla (Iceland), Puyehue (Chile), Kīlauea (Hawai‘i), and Yasur (Vanuatu).

Current Research Projects include:

• Learning on virtual and real field trips - Investigating how students learn geoscience through immersive virtual field trips and hands‑on field experiences.
• Digital storytelling for volcanic hazards - Developing online tools that help communities understand volcanic risk through narrative, visualisation, and interactive design.
• Earthquake experiments on magma - Shaking magma in the laboratory to explore how seismic activity influences eruption likelihood and magma behaviour.
• Communicating science around drilling into magma - Supporting public engagement and education for the Krafla Magma Testbed, an international project drilling into a magma chamber to advance geothermal energy.
• Mapping volcanic ballistics with drones and cannons - Using drones, high‑speed imaging, and ballistic experiments to improve hazard maps for explosive eruptions.
• Making and mapping lava flows - Creating lava flows in the laboratory and mapping real flows on Mt Ruapehu to understand emplacement processes.
• Linking eruption videos with monitoring data - Integrating high‑resolution eruption videos with seismic, acoustic, and gas data at Whakaari/White Island and Yasur to improve eruption forecasting.

Link to free online volcano courses:

• https://www.edx.org/resources/cultural-curiosity-cool-explosions-meet-edx-prize-winning-volcano-course-instructors
• https://www.edx.org/learn/energy/university-of-canterbury-volcano-field-science-culture-and-communication-new-zealand
• https://www.edx.org/learn/energy/university-of-canterbury-exploring-volcanoes-and-their-hazards-in-iceland

I am a researcher in Risk Science and Civil Systems Engineering. My research examines how hazards and other changes affect interconnected infrastructure, communities and economies, and how we can make better decisions under uncertainty.

I work across risk analysis, complex systems, climate adaptation and resilience, combining quantitative modelling with applied research alongside government, industry and communities. A central focus of my work is translating advances in risk science into methods and tools that can improve real-world planning and decision-making.

Kathryn’s work sits at the intersection of AI literacy, digital pedagogy, teacher professional knowledge, and education policy, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous and equity-centred approaches. She is best known for leading the development of the Scaffolded AI Literacy (SAIL) framework, which has shaped national curriculum reform in Aotearoa New Zealand and is informing institutional and international approaches to AI in education.

Her research is impact-driven and policy-engaged, translating conceptual and empirical work into curriculum design, professional learning, and system-level change. She works closely with schools, tertiary providers, government agencies, and international partners to ensure research outcomes are meaningful, adoptable, and sustainable.

Kathryn has published extensively in high-impact international journals, leads multiple funded research initiatives, and supervises doctoral research.

Enquiries are welcome from prospective PhD students and collaborators interested in AI literacy, digital pedagogy, curriculum reform, and education policy. Particular interest is on projects with strong theoretical grounding and applied impact across education systems.

Impact Highlights

• National curriculum influence: Research directly informed the redeveloped Digital Technologies Curriculum and is contributing to ongoing discussions around AI literacy integration across the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. 
• Framework adoption at scale: Developed nationally and internationally adopted frameworks ((TPACK)², He Whare Ako, He Whare Hangarau, and SAIL) now embedded in institutional strategies, professional learning, and teacher education programmes.
• Policy and sector engagement: Research has shaped institutional assessment policy, teacher preparation guidance, and national conversations on responsible AI use in education.
• Practice change: Funded projects have supported measurable changes in classroom and tertiary teaching practice through teacher-researcher partnerships and sector-wide professional learning.
• Leadership in emerging fields: Recognised nationally and internationally as a leader in AI literacy and digital pedagogy, with invited contributions to policy forums, curriculum advisory groups, and international research networks.

Selected Media Engagements and Keynotes

• Keynote addresses, lectures, and panels, including international and national appearances; informing MoE officials, professional bodies, and education leaders; and positioning Aotearoa New Zealand research within international AI-in-education conversations.
• Invited media commentary and interviews on AI and education for national and international outlets, contributing to public understanding of generative AI, assessment, and curriculum reform.
• The Conversation – Authored research-informed articles on digital education and AI, including one piece translated into French and read by over 63,000 readers, extending reach beyond academic audiences.

Designing and Facilitating Transformative Experiences through Research and Teaching

For 35 years, I have measured the impact that experiences have on individuals and organisations in order to design more impactful ones for them. This work has occurred within an array of contexts including a US Senator’s office, the Peace Corps, white water rafting, Outward Bound courses, school camps, field trips, study abroad experiences, and middle school, high school, and university classrooms. In 2011, I used my expertise in this area to create a course, CHCH101: Rebuilding Christchurch, for Student Volunteer Army members to take after their amazing response to the earthquakes. CHCH101 then became the foundation for the Bachelor of Youth and Community Leadership, which was launched in 2020. My current projects include designing more impactful experiences that are accessible and inclusive through the use of technology in the form of documentary films, online learning, and virtual reality.

I am a strong advocate for experiential education where foundational knowledge skills are linked with practical experiences and real-world applications and narratives. I consider that students learn best when they are active (not passive) learners that can touch, feel and interact with the subject matter. I adopt a scaffolded learning approach where different teaching methods including utilising innovative digital tools, as well as immersive hands-on, approaches are needed for different levels of knowledge, experience and perspectives to achieve comprehensive understanding. Using my strong background in geology, I deliver high quality, innovative and holistically designed geoscience education programmes that are informed by pedagogy research and best practice.   

I am the 100 level coordinator for Geological Sciences and currently run and design practical skills labs and fieldtrips for first and second year geology courses at the University of Canterbury.
I consider Geoscience Education research as an essential part of my full-time teaching role. This includes the use of electronic learning media, learning analytics and curriculum innovation across our geology programme. Current research topics also include the outputs and lessons from designing virtual fieldtrips at tertiary level, designing an Earth Science garden at UC for school and community outreach and teaching purposes, weaving digital 3D models and digital objects with field experiences, enhancing and supporting spatial visualisation skills, especially in 3D, and exploring the role and potentials of neurodivergent thinking in the geosciences. I also research into best-practice teacher training and review processes.
I am an avid photographer and passionate about inspiring people into geology through my photographs. I am a lead author and past editor for the website, Geotrips.

My PhD research ending in 2010 was on investigating active tectonics, geomorphology, fault mapping and sequence stratigraphy by seismic and DEM interpretation, and the evolution of a section of the active Hikurangi subduction zone plate margin off-shore the Poverty Bay region in the North Island, New Zealand.
I was part of the teams mapping the Greendale Fault rupture from the 2010 Christchurch Earthquake and am a member of the University of Canterbury fault rupture team investigating the landscape effects of the 14 Nov 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake based in the Waiau region around the epicentre. Research is ongoing.
I also currently supervise projects in glacial geomorphology and large-scale landscape evolution.