Unitec has joined forces with The Mind Lab to offer a new post-graduate certificate in digital and collaborative learning.

The Mind Lab launched in central Auckland last year by Media Design School co-founder Frances Valintine and offers hand-on learning for children and adults, along with open source software so they can also learn at home.

The joint venture marks an opportunity for the organisation to teach primary and secondary teachers as well as students.

“To reach every child we need to help empower teachers, supporting them to use new technology, learning platforms and problem solving activities to transform their classrooms, their schools and their communities,” says Valintine.

As part of the new programme, teachers can spend time in the lab, trying out new ways to use spaces and technology and encourage entrepreneurship and creative problem solving, the organisations say.

They’ll complement this with practical application in schools and online learning. The part time, 32-week postgraduate qualification will give teachers new digital skills, teaching practices and the ability to transfer new knowledge to their school communities, Unitec says.

“The world of education is changing, from early childhood right through to tertiary education. The Mind Lab by Unitec is about helping teachers adapt the way they do things so they can respond to the needs of a new generation of learners,” says Unitec chief executive Rick Ede.

“To stay relevant we need to think differently and work collaboratively.”