Certificate in
Foundation Studies
With UP Education’s online delivery’s rich learning environment, you’ll get access to all the expertise, guidance, tools and resources you need.
Student support and pastoral care
Student support team
Our friendly Student Support Team is here to assist students with practical and personal challenges, as well as immigration matters, visas, insurance, accommodation, and banking. It’s a great place for students to access information about living and studying in New Zealand.
Email: studentsupport@up.education
Parent portal
Parents and caregivers are kept up to date with student progress via a web-based portal. A unique login and password gives access to personal information, including on accommodation, daily timetables, attendance records and academic reports. The portal also has information on programmes, schedules and events.
We use WeChat for a range of purposes but mainly pre-enrolment enquiries. Support is offered by our Regional Representatives who speak both English and Chinese.
Online Delivery
How the programme is delivered
We use a number of online applications to deliver our AUT University Certificate in Foundation Studies and ensure you have the most effective and intuitive learning experience. You're not alone. Enjoy real-time interaction with your teacher as we take you through your learning process. You can discuss tasks, ask questions and solve problems – all live.
The main platforms that we use are:
As part of this, we use a range of powerful digital technologies to bring you an engaging and rich learning experience, preparing you for university and your future in New Zealand.
Blackboard
Microsoft Teams is an easy-to-use, effective tool for live lessons and our main video-conferencing tool.
They form the backbone of our online learning. Here, teachers will interact directly with students. Teachers will take students through challenging problems, explain concepts in detail, and give students tasks to do that may get them to work by themselves or in a group. Students use this tool to practice their listening and speaking skills – especially when they use the tool to give live presentations.
Microsoft Teams
Nearpod
Nearpod is an interactive, lesson building platform that teachers use to make students’ learning come to life. Teachers create lessons with slides, quizzes, weblinks, collaboration spaces for students to draw and write their ideas. These lessons can either be self-paced, which is ideal for students studying at home in their own time, or live, which is suitable for Microsoft Teams meetings where the class progresses together.
After students have completed each lesson, the teacher is given detailed analytics about both class and individual performance.
Education Perfect
Find out how these other interactive tools will also help you develop and enjoy your learning online:
Kahoot
provides short (5-10 minutes) game-based quizzes and learning games as part of our lessons.
Socrative
is an interactive tool that allows for students and teachers to use their phones to participate in quick questions and polls within lessons as a short (5-10 minutes) activity.
Flipgrid
allows students to make short videos and share them with each other as part of the classroom. This can take place in a live lesson, or over a week or so as part of self–directed learning.
Flipped Learning
UP Education’s online delivery has been based on flipped learning where you will receive and complete assigned ‘pre-learning’ video lessons and tasks before class via Blackboard, then work through them with your teacher during class to deepen the knowledge gained during your streamed lesson time with your teacher.
We have been successfully using this learning method for over 5 years.
Online Delivery
Curriculum and study tips
Orientation
In the online orientation, all students will be introduced to Blackboard, our main learning management system. Blackboard is where we will provide clear instructions and links to all other platforms.
Scheduled live lessons on Microsoft Teams NZT 11:30am-5:30pm, Monday to Friday (real time mornings in CST). Actual period times with the teacher will vary depending on your timetable for the subjects you are studying. You’ll be notified about your schedule when you begin your programme. Outside of scheduled classes you’ll self-study using our range of asynchronous (not real time) tools – Blackboard, Education Perfect, OneNote, Teams etc.
Hours
Attendance
- Instruction will be in English.
- You’ll have ongoing support and interaction with your teacher using the learning and discussion forums tools within Blackboard, or by email, WeChat or another platform
- Homework – all assignments, information and work is provided and submitted securely and privately between students and teachers via Blackboard.
Curriculum
How would your timetable look?
Online Delivery
Most frequent questions and answers
The course will start at the same time as it does for all other students – expected next start date in April 2022
As soon as we are confident that the borders will re-open, we will work towards welcoming students to New Zealand. There is likely to be some delay with visas due to the backlog and so exact timing will be confirmed when we know more. We will provide online learning for as long as required while students wait for visas to be processed.
- Our central LMS (Learning management system) is Blackboard
- For the past five years, we have been developing our ability to deliver our learning in a flipped model. We will be using this approach for online as well as our on-campus learning delivery
- We are using Microsoft Teams for videoconferencing tool for live lessons with our teachers and students
- For over 10 years, we have been using Education Perfect to help our students practice their Mathematics as well as their English. We will keep using this outstanding tool with our online students
Our teaching staff use a range of additional online interactive tools to ensure students interact, practice and engage with their online learning and each other:
- Nearpod is used for interactive lessons and learning activities
- Kahoot is used for game-based quizzes and short (5 – 10 minutes) learning activities that are part of our lessons
- Socrative allows for students and teachers to participate in quick polls and answer questions via their phone:
- Flipgrid allows students to produce and share short videos with each other as part of the class. This can either take place during a live lesson or as part of self-directed learning:
We have the unique advantage of being a very technologically advanced institution already, where we use inter-active methods, are an Apple Distinguished School and use a flipped learning approach, so all of our teaching staff are well versed in using technology in the classroom every day.
The Flipped approach we have been using for over 5 years supports this as we are very comfortable preparing learning content for students to access before a ‘class’, the difference now is that the ‘class’ is online, not face to face.
We run professional development workshops for our teachers continuously, to bring their existing knowledge together with some new platforms to provide you with the best possible online learning experience.
There is no reason for you to fall behind, as you will be studying at the same pace as your classmates in New Zealand. We will have welfare staff available who will be dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition for you once you arrive in New Zealand. Students can also ask questions via the chat on Microsoft Teams or in emails.
You will receive a timetable after Orientation day, posted on BlackBoard. All times are in New Zealand timezone. Please talk to your teacher about what lessons are self study and what online lessons must be attended. Most online lessons will be during the afternoon (New Zealand time).
Almost all subjects will be available online. Please check our website for the full list of online course availability.
Online AUT courses may include:
Accounting, Algebra, Cell Biology, Design and Art History, English 1, English 2A, English 2B, Government and Society, Microeconomics, NZ Culture and Society, Quantitative Methods, Statistics, Electricity.
Yes, classes are compulsory, as you will be commencing your course online, and will be expected to attend in that same way as you would be if you were physically in class in New Zealand. We will also monitor your interaction with the online resources we make available, so we have evidence of full participation as this is important for your future success. Classes are compulsory not just for attendance, but also for authentication. We need to know that it is you, producing your own work.
We understand that from time to time students may be unwell and unable to attend class. Up Education policy requires 90% attendance, and a doctor’s note for any absences for more than 2 days. You must email or text your teacher if you are not attending a class. They will inform the Attendance Officer.
We understand that this is new and that you may not have studied online before, but we would recommend that you try the online learning option and see how it goes, this will allow you to stay on track with your study plans.
Yes, if you decide to withdraw within the aforementioned 2-week period, you will receive a refund of tuition fees paid minus a NZ$1,000 administrative fee.
If there is anything that you would like to discuss, please contact our student support team.
During orientation, we will introduce you to your individual support contacts who will include:
- the Deans responsible for your programme
- your teachers
- your Education Pathway counsellor, who will guide you through the choice of your courses
- Student services, who will support you with accommodation and any general inquiries.
For anything other inquiries, we are confident that we will be able to answer all of your questions during our orientation programme, but please reach out to your representative or Regional Manager if you’d like to speak to someone.
