May 2023 - Kuaha Matihiko

Mar 30, 2023 / 2 min read

PŪHORO SUMMER INTERNSHIP – DATA STOCKTAKE

Introduction and Overview of Pūhoro STEMM Academy

Summer interns, Helena Mercer and Mosiah Igatia, from the Pūhoro STEMM academy (https://www.puhoro.org.nz), undertook summer internships within our research project over the 2022-2023 break. The Pūhoro STEMM academy helps rangatahi see the connection between mātauranga Māori in STEMM; improves their academic achievement in STEMM; and, through strategic partnerships, provides pathways into high-value careers.

Description of Summer Interns and their Tasks

Helena and Mosiah’s tasks were to identify providers of land and water (L&W) data within New Zealand and to conduct a basic international search for data providers such as satellite providers, ESA, and NASA. Additionally, they reviewed each provider’s portal or website to identify available data formats and conduct a usability assessment of each provider’s website, with a particular focus on the good and bad aspects of each site from the perspective of an end-user with little experience of accessing L&W data. This generated rich insight into an end user’s perspective on the usability of existing L&W data sources/websites.

Compilation of Data and Reviews in OneNote

The students’ findings were compiled in OneNote, which resulted in 184 pages of data. Based on their stocktake and usability review findings, the project team created 50+ wireframes as initial options for the design of the Kuaha Matahiko user interface. The wireframes were compiled into Miro to enable the development team to create a prototype for Kuaha Matihiko

Identification of Geographic Gaps in L&W Data Coverage

This desktop stocktake exercise provided valuable information on the availability and accessibility of L&W data in New Zealand. One interesting finding was the existence of geographic gaps in data coverage, a factor that has also been confirmed in wananga and hui with a range of stakeholders. These findings are being compiled and will be explored in a publication due for public release later in the year.

Additional Research Efforts

In addition to the data stocktake, the research team has been conducting a survey and engaging in a hui/wananga process to gather valuable insights and perspectives.