The Te Whare Tapa Whā template is an interactive edtool that introduces students to Mason Durie’s holistic Māori health model. This Canvas page helps learners explore each element of the model through a simple click-and-reveal task, making learning active, visual, and culturally grounded.
This page opens with a space for you to personalise the learning—add your own context, questions, or guidance at the top. Below this, each wall of the wharenui is revealed one at a time, helping ākonga explore the four dimensions of wellbeing (taha tinana, taha wairua, taha whānau, and taha hinengaro), along with the whenua foundation. Each reveal is brief and focused, making the learning accessible and engaging for all levels.
Designed to support both Māori and non-Māori students, this tool helps create inclusive online learning environments. It’s ideal for courses that touch on health, wellbeing, identity, or te ao Māori—but you can also use it more broadly to open discussions about student support and holistic development.
This resource aligns with the MIT Canvas Standards template and can be added directly to your course with no extra setup. You can also customise it to suit your course tone or include reflective prompts.
Here are five practical ways to use it:
- In a Nursing or Social Work course to introduce Māori models of wellbeing.
- In a Foundation Studies module to support personal development.
- As part of orientation or learner support, to build cultural safety.
- In Education programmes, when discussing diverse worldviews.
- As a reflective task linked to personal wellness planning.
You can find this template directly in Canvas Commons. Just search for Te Whare Tapa Whā and look out for the Fleximode Duck.