A Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, who fuses technology into his teaching, has earned himself a National Excellence in Teaching Awards Commendation from the Council on Higher Education/Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (CHE/HELTASA).

After bagging a CPUT Institutional Teaching Excellence Award earlier this year, Dr Zayd Waghid, entered the national awards and walked away with a commendation for his contribution to teaching and learning in the country’s higher education.

“The CHE/HELTASA Committee commends you for a portfolio demonstrating a rich and diverse teaching approach and a clearly articulated philosophy,” reads a letter from the Awards Committee. “We invite you to join us at the HELTASA Conference on 27-29 November 2019 in Grahamstown.”

Waghid says the commendation is a validation of his teaching excellence at national level and that his achievement shows that CPUT is serious about teaching.

“My teaching excellence stems from developing myself academically and having strong relations with my students,” says the former teacher at South Peninsula High.

Having grown up in a family of academics, he asserts his ambition to become a professor one day. His father Yusef is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Education at Stellenbosch University, while his brother, Dr Faiq Waghid, is an academic at CPUT’s Centre for Innovative Educational Technology.

Despite the commendation, Waghid says he feels the need to grow himself academically as well as further strengthen his student relations and collaborations with international universities.

He observed that when teaching their learners, his students’ teaching methods are similar to his as they also make use of technology in their classes.

Waghid, who joined CPUT four years ago, developed a teaching philosophy and innovative pedagogies which included the use of gamification, film and online group blogs.

His philosophy helps disadvantaged students who enter CPUT to transition into higher education through the use of technology.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT lecturer Bernie Millar is one of South Africa’s most innovative teachers. And she has the proof.

Millar has been voted as one of the most innovative teachers by the Council on Higher Education and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa.

A lecturer in the Textile and Technology Department, Millar is one of 14 teachers in South Africa to receive this recognition.

An annual award, it recognises teachers who are thinking out of the box and who are introducing innovative teaching methods to ensure students reach their full potential.

FUN: Awonke Kani and Noncedo Buso are learning how to multiply by playing a game of cards during one of Bernie Millar’s lessons

Millar’s uses teaching methods such as free writing, visual literacy education and new media. Earlier this year she introduced poker and other card games to teach mathematics.

“I like to try new things all the time. I also use laughter as a strategy. I want students to see learning as fun.”

And her efforts are paying off. This year alone, a majority of her students’ marks have doubled during the past few months.

Passionate about education, Millar says the highlight of teaching is engaging with students and being able to draw the best out of them.

Millar, who will receive the award in December, says she is very excited about the commendation.

“I am very pleased because this is not just an achievement for me and my department, but for CPUT,” she says.

Millar also holds the Faculty of Engineering Distinguished Teacher’s Award for 2012.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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