Concluding Blog Post Interview on Higher Education in NZ

Linda Jean Kenix on US and NZ Higher Education

To say that we have been blessed to visit the land of Aotearoa/New Zealand is a vast understatement. I believe I will be a stronger teacher, scholar, and citizen for this truly amazing experience. Hopefully I can give a presentation at RSU after fall semester begins to describe it in the big picture. In my final log for "Communication Across the Ocean," Linda Jean Kenix shares some of the similarities and differences between American and New Zealand higher ed. As a native of Washington, D.C. she is the perfect cultural translator. Once again my thanks go out to Rob Stowell for his excellent production work. And thank you, RSU, for the experience of a lifetime. I'll be back on campus full-time on June 3. --Jeff

Linda Jean Kenix on higher education in New Zealand. 

1. Most degrees here are 3 years. What are some of the practical differences with this track?

2. How does the structure of the term differ, including New Zealand's bigger mid-semester break. 

3. Can you describe the published marking scale at New Zealand Universities?

4. Is assessment of student learning as big a priority here as in the U.S.?

5. Graduate classes seem less structured here. Is it more like the British model?