Fast Path into Engineering and Product Design 2021

The Fast Path into Engineering and Product Design course has wrapped up its second year and a new batch of adult students have headed off to begin the next leg of their journey at the University of Canterbury.

This course has continued to provide a unique pathway for adult students, allowing them to access foundational learning for Mathematics and Physics that would be critical for success in STEM subjects at university. The course blended these two subject areas and material was delivered in a hybrid model, with a mixture of face-to-face and online learning.

This year’s course had been altered after consultation with lecturers at UC. It involved a greater focus on mathematical content, a step away from unnecessary NCEA assessment, and an earlier entry into the university environment.

During discussion with some of this year’s students that have moved on to UC, they have explained that they found the Fast Path coursework very manageable and that have entered university with a much stronger foundation than their new classmates. UC Advisor and Mathematics Lecturer, Jane Clucas, has stated that she is very happy and confident that the Fast Path course is helping the students to develop a strong basis in the Mathematics necessary for students entering the STEM field.

Next year, the course will continue to run outside of the scope of the Kāhui and will be another offering that Te Puna Wai o Waipapa provides to its adult community.