Rate My Professor Sam Mehrtens

Mehrtens completed a Master of Arts degree from the University of Otago's School of Geography in the Division of Humanities in 2018. Supervised by Dr. Douglas Hill, his thesis titled 'Challenges to the Implementation of ICT in Primary Education in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea' examined barriers to integrating information and communication technology into primary schools in remote areas. The study addressed issues including accessibility, cost, technical support, professional development requirements, and cultural attitudes toward technological change. It underscored ICT's potential to mitigate remoteness and enhance education quality, aligning with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on education. This research followed a seven-week fieldtrip to East New Britain in 2017, supported by the Ron Lister Trust and an MFAT Postgraduate Award, and was presented at Pacific Voices XIV. Previously, Mehrtens worked as an administrator in the Department of Music, Theatre, and Performing Arts at the University of Otago. In 2015, shortly after his undergraduate studies, he undertook a 10-month volunteer assignment through Volunteer Service Abroad's UniVol programme at Kabaleo Teachers’ College in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. There, he assisted with the sports programme, conducted research proposal writing workshops, trained staff and students on Microsoft Office applications, and assumed additional roles as needed. He has described this experience as hugely influential and has advocated for similar opportunities among university colleagues across various divisions.