The Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) recently hosted the annual Research Innovation in Teaching and Learning Conference (RITAL) to discuss and debate teaching, learning, curriculum and assessment issues related to higher education.

The one-day conference funded by the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG), was themed: Beyond the Pandemic: Rethinking and Revitalising our Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education Institutions was held on the Granger Bay Campus.

The RITAL conference brought together academics across the disciplines who are interested in discussing teaching, learning, curriculum and pedagogical practices beyond the COVID-19 pandemic at CPUT.

The Research Coordinator at Fundani, Dr Najwa Norodien-Fataar, who chaired the conference, said their aim was to enable academics to rethink and revitalise their roles as lecturers beyond the pandemic. Academics who were recipients of the Research Innovation Fund in Teaching and Learning (RIFTAL) also presented their research findings to the CPUT academic community. Approximately 60 academics attended the conference and participated in debates on various teaching, learning, curriculum and assessment matters. The conference attracted academics from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and the Faculty of Education.

“A key concern for all academics is to use technology meaningfully by placing pedagogy at the centre of student learning. Several presentations focused on pedagogy as central to productive learning at universities. A crucial aspect of pedagogy is to ensure that students engage with knowledge in a dialogical manner between lecturers and students and between students and students,” Norodien-Fataar observed.

The Director of the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the Durban University of Technology, Prof Mncedisi Maphalala, delivered a keynote address which was titled: Re-imagining Higher Education online learning environments Post Covid-19 and beyond: A self-directed learning Perspective.

Teaching Excellence Award winner Dr Sweta Patnaik, from the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, also provided a presentation and focused on how she consistently sought feedback from students regarding their understanding of the subjects she teaches. Patnaik emphasised that she always looked for innovative ways to ensure students learn effectively.

“A crucial message of the conference was to emphasise pedagogy as central to student learning. Several presentations focused on the relationship between pedagogy and technology-enhanced learning and how to ensure access to knowledge through our mixed, blended, and contact delivery modes,” Norodien-Fataar observed.

One of the presenters, Prof Jessy van Wyk, Head of the Department: Food Science and Technology, said the conference was “an enormous success, in my opinion”. “What really impressed me was the amount as well as the scope of the work done by so many staff at CPUT around delivering quality and student-centred Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) to our students. The scope covers a healthy mix of one, research based on tried-and-tested methods (e.g., the Socratic method) as well as new theories and methods (with a particular focus on the digital space) and two, implementing those methodologies in the classroom and laboratories and evaluating the impact towards continuous improvement.”

In her presentation, Van Wyk stated that her department was able to develop new curricula aimed at producing graduates that are job-ready, practitioners capable of complex practice such as enhanced graduate employability. “Successfully developing and delivering these curricula are facilitated by the depth of experience in the department, as well as input from our wide network of partnerships, with industry, local and international universities.”

Click the RITAL blog link for more information: https://blogs.cput.ac.za/rital/

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Supplemented with funding from the University Capacity Development Grant, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), CPUT recently celebrated the National Science Week (NSW).

The event which included the Vice-Chancellor’s STEM Symposium brought together STEM learners, students, practitioners, educators, industry and government in celebration of NSW with the theme: “Transforming lives through evidence-based science”.

“This is the 3rd successful National Science Week institutional grant awarded to Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (SLCE) from NRF [National Research Foundation]/SAASTA [South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement] to CPUT and every year it gets bigger and better” says Jacqui Scheepers, Project and Programme Manager for NSW. CPUT in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), NRF)/ SAASTA) hosted a memorable NSW recently.

NSW Project Team, David Haarhoff, Frikkie George, Wardah Peck and Jean Collins coordinated a myriad of activities throughout the week. SLCE kick started NSW with a STEM Roadshow to high schools in De Doorns, Laingsburg and Beaufort. Approximately 2300 learners benefited from the STEM roadshow conducted in partnership with, Western Cape Government’s Mark de Bruin: Local Government: Central Karoo; and Monica Warden: Government Communication Information Systems. Students and staff from the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment; and Faculty of Applied Sciences, delivered presentations and demonstrations on the STEM themes. In Beaufort West, Mayor, Ashley Sauls engaged with CPUT and Dr Anthony Obilana, Food Sciences and Technology, addressed parents and learners.

A STEM Expo student Competition addressed the current energy crises and the importance of millets contributing toward a healthy diet. The week ended off with the VC’s STEM Symposium and included exhibitions and a World Café focussed on the sub-themes: Energy: Building sustainable electricity together – Power of Community and Agriculture: Advancing millets for a healthy diet.

“The excitement leading up to the VC’s STEM Symposium was memorable, stressful but extremely rewarding considering the large landscape and the impact of various role-players” said David Haarhoff, project lead for the VC’s STEM Symposium. The Symposium attracted individuals from industry, schools, researchers, academia and all spheres relating to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) sector. Refreshments and entertainment were selected to align to the subthemes.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo conducted the welcoming address and re-iterated the importance of STEM at both schools and the University as well as the importance of equality within the STEM sector. Nhlapo recapitulated and advocated for more females to join the sector. This sentiment was also echoed by the Executive Director in the VC’s Office, Prof Hay-Swemmer in her motivational speech.

Dr Marco Adonis, Head of Department: Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, delivered a thought provoking presentation on the 2022 global electricity statistics and the centralised versus decentralised generation of energy. Adonis emphasised the importance of generating a diversity of energy supply for a sustainable energy future, and that diversity allows for flexibility and security, as it is South Africa’s strength.

Masters student, Ridaa Manuel, emphasised the importance of turning ideas into action. He re-iterated that South Africans have the right tools to solve the energy crises in Africa. Ridaa is the founder of Green New World and is currently employed at the University of the Western Cape as coordinator of the Energy Storage Graduate Programme at the Energy Storage Innovation Lab.

Ndumiso Mshicileli, Manager: Agrifood Technology Station provided context in respect of Millets and the importance thereof for building a holistic body and mind.

Symposium delegates were welcomed in the Major Sports Hall by a dynamic and entertaining demonstration by Ahmr Chippendale from the Cape Town Science Centre. “Delegates expressed their excitement and indicated how thoroughly they enjoyed the demonstration,” says Haarhoff.

Exhibitions in the Major Sports Hall showcased various prototypes/models by staff and students in alignment with the sub-themes of NSW.

The STEM World Café created dialogical spaces where delegates could engage, reflect and respond to questions aligned to the subthemes. Calvin Maseko, Director: Advancement said the event was exceptionally fabulous. Maseko said the topics were well planned, relevant to the current times and well delivered.

“NSW is our Vision 2030 in action - through the collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts of our students and staff in partnership with its quintuple helix partners,” says Scheepers.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The at-risk Science and Mathematics students from numerous departments recently attended the STEM (Science, Technology, Education & Maths) mid-year boot camp intervention programme held at South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre.

The students came from the departments such as Maritime Studies, Marine Engineering, Mathematics, Marine Physics, B.Ed. FET Physical Science and Mathematics, Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Mathematics. The STEM boot camp has been designed to prepare students for the mid-year assessments.

The CPUT STEM Support Lead, Dr Frikkie George, says the boot camp intervention programme is one of the imperatives of the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) STEM project funded by the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET). The first Bootcamp was conducted in 2022 during the September recess. The Bootcamps take place twice a year - in May to prepare students for the mid-year assessments and in September to prepare students for the year-end final assessment.

“The Bootcamp targets at-risk mathematics, physics and chemistry students identified by lecturers. The interest and requests from students to attend grew, however, due to funding we can only accommodate 50 students in May and 100 in September,” said George.

During the bootcamp students worked through the assessments of the first semester in discipline specific sessions. Lecturers, Jerome Tangkeh from Mathematics and Physics Department, Rhulani Saka from Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, tutors, and STEM Club members facilitated the bootcamp sessions. The bootcamp was well attended despite the short notice to students and the timing of the bootcamp (last week of lecturers). Over the two days 95% of the students attended. The difference in the results of the pre-diagnostic and post-diagnostic tests indicate a 5% improvement.

To quantitively determine the success of the bootcamp intervention for recording purposes, students write a pre-diagnostic test at the start of the bootcamp and a post-diagnostic test at the end of the Bootcamp. The facilitators also randomly interview students during the bootcamp to qualitatively determine the students' experiences of the different sessions. The facilitators also track the academic performance in the mid-year and year-end assessments of the students who attend. “These measures are important to indicate whether the bootcamp makes an impact in the academic performance of students who attend the bootcamps.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.