Project-Based Digital Technologies Learning for Teachers and Students

LevelUp Works is an Auckland-based enterprise providing an authentic, project-based learning programme as a turn-key solution for teachers and students to advance their skills in Digital Technologies and other learning areas, in response to the New Zealand Digital Technologies & Hangarau Matihiko.

Creative Problem Solving

Co-designed by IT industry experts and schools in New Zealand, the Creative Problem Solving programme is designed as a series of Scratch-based digital creation projects and unplugged activities, aimed to encourage self-motivation and student agency, and achieve both Progress Outcomes of the Digital Technologies Curriculum, including:

  • Computational thinking for digital technologies
  • Designing and developing digital outcomes

Developed using an Agile approach, the programme is continually evolving as we receive feedback. You will see more contents/features added in the months to come.

In response to the impacts of COVID-19 to teachers and students, LevelUp Works opens up its programme for teachers and students to access at no cost until March 2021.

Future-Proof Students for a Career in IR4.0

Designed with IT industry experts, the programme develops the cognitive and social competencies students will find applicable to jobs and careers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4). Below are some of these competencies.

Relevant careers today includes:

  • Software Developer
  • UX Designer
  • Process Automation Specialist

Designed to Deepen NZ Curriculum Key Principles

Designed with the NZ Curriculum in mind, the programme aims to deepen the understanding of the Key Principles:

  • High expectations – project-based learning courages students to achieve personal excellence
  • Learning to learn – challenges at the end of every project encourages students to explore and learn how to learn
  • Treaty of Waitangi – the programme acknowledges the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and include specific projects and assets on Maori culture
  • Community Engagement – the programme encourages students to be involved in communities, such as family, whānau, school, and contribute and make connections with other people
  • Cultural diversity – designed in New Zealand, the programme reflects NZ’s cultural diversity
  • Coherence – the programme uses digital technologies to bridge across learning areas such as English, Arts, Languages, Mathematics and Statistics, Science, Social Sciences and Technology
  • Inclusion – the programme is designed with acknowledgement to the student’s identities and talents, allowing them to be creative to their personal ability
  • Future focus – the programme leads students to explore future themes such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality

Designed to Enhance Key Competencies

The programme enhances capabilities of students in the 5 Key Competencies identified in the New Zealand Curriculum:

  • Thinking – in particular the programme focused on problem solving, design thinking and computational thinking.
  • Using language, symbols, and texts – working with, being able to understand, and making sense of the codes (languages and symbols) in which knowledge is expressed.
  • Managing self – projects and challenges are designed to motivate students to explore and experiment with self-motivation
  • Relating to others – the programme is designed with unplugged sessions where students interact in a range of different situations, including things like being able to listen well, recognise different points of view, and share ideas.
  • Participating and contributing – the programme encourages students to be involved in communities, such as family, whānau, school, and contribute and make connections with other people