Kiwi students like watching and learning from short, funny and homegrown audio/visual content, according to new research commissioned by NZ On Air and the Digital Media Trust.*
The study, conducted by Waikato University Associate Professor Geoff Lealand, found that 95% of Aotearoa’s teachers use New Zealand-made audio/visual content in the classroom – up 4% on a similar study in 2016.
Nearly 190 teachers, predominantly from secondary schools across New Zealand, participated in the study. They say being able to watch and listen to local content helps encourage a sense of identity, pride and inclusion among students.
“The primary value of New Zealand-produced content lies in its role as a ‘reflective mirror’ on cultural identity and values, while imported content offers a ‘window on a wider world’,” Lealand says.
The 186 respondents nominated an extensive list of material that contributed to effective teaching, including feature films, short films, documentaries, television and radio programming and web series. Ease of access was an important factor; 75% of teachers used New Zealand content showcase site NZ On Screen frequently or sometimes, thanks to its wide range of material. Local media websites, like stuff.co.nz, nzherald.co.nz, radionz.co.nz and thespinoff.co.nz, emerged as important and useful content sources. Global video sharing or video on demand services YouTube, Netflix and Vimeo were also extensively used.
Read the full report here.
* NZ On Air funds the Digital Media Trust to manage NZ On Screen and AudioCulture.