CLTD provides research-informed support in higher education learning and teaching. Our programmes and activities aim to enhance the quality of learning and teaching at Wits. We team up with faculties and service departments to support academics by providing:
• Academic professional learning courses and workshops
• Curriculum renewal and transformation
• Hyflex blended learning and teaching
• Evaluation and peer reviews of teaching.
• Higher education research and the scholarship of learning and teaching
• Individual and institutional capacity building in learning and teaching
This prospectus sets out the Centre’s academic professional learning opportunities for 2021. Where dates have already been scheduled, these are stipulated. The coordinators’ contact details are provided in each case if you have any queries about any aspect of the prospectus, including logistics.
Cost
CLTD workshops are offered free to employees of the University. However, when workshops are conducted in contact mode on campus, the Centre incurs considerable costs in terms of catering, printing, and consultants’ fees If a participant books a place in a workshop, and does not arrive, the attributable portion of costs so incurred will be recouped from the participant. There will be a penalty fee of R500 for non-attendance at a booked internal workshop, and R2 500 for non-attendance at abooked external workshop, unless we are given two working days’ notice to allow us to fill the place. (External workshops are indicated by means of an asterisk next to the workshop name).
Refreshments
When workshops are conducted in contact mode on campus, we provide tea and coffee at tea-breaks. We will however no longer be providing lunch packs. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages.
Booking
Bookings for most workshops are done via Oracle. From the Oracle log-in page, click on Employee Self Service, and then on My Learning Gateway, then on My Learning. All workshops are loaded under CLTD. Please book well in advance. All the workshops have limited capacity, and if your workshop of choice is full, you may need to be waitlisted for the next one scheduled. Only a few workshops ofaparticulartypeareoffered eachyear,andthesearefilledonafirst-come-first-servedbasis. Please be advised that whilst every care is taken with the scheduling of training, there is a chance that dates and times may change.
Venues
Until further notice, all our workshops and courses will be fully online in line with Covid19 guidelines. A link to the virtual online venue will be provided to all registered participants.
Once we return to ‘normal’ unless otherwise indicated workshops and courses are provided in one of the venues in the CLTD Building, West Campus. The nearest gate is Enoch Sontonga Gate 9. (CLTD is diagonally opposite the Flower Hall). The rooms are designated Frog, Tree, and Snow. Not all the venues are wheelchair accessible.
Please indicate on your booking form if you have specific needs related to being differently abled.
As parking space is limited, it is generally advisable, where possible, to walk to the building rather than drive, particularly when students are writing exams in the Flower Hall.
Website
Please visit the CLTD website at https://www.wits.ac.za/cltd/
Academic Professional Learning Opportunities
Students at emotional risk
The Counselling and Careers Development Unit is offering a half-day workshop to Wits academic and administrative support staff. The workshop covers mental wellness, as well as basic skills to identify, contain and refer students in need of psychological or psychiatric intervention. This includes the identification of certain high-risk characteristics/circumstances associated with the deterioration of the functioning of a student.
The primary objectives of this workshop are to provide university staff that lecture, support and/or work with students with relevant information to assist and support these students during their university career.
Date: 26 May 2021
Time: 13:30 14:30
Date: 3 August 2021
Time: 09:00 12:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: CCDU Staff
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Basic Supporter Skills training
The Counselling and Careers Development Unit staff are offering academic, support and residence staff a two-day workshop on supportive skills and basic counselling.
The requirement for the attendance of this Supportive Skills course is full attendance of the Students at Emotional Risk workshop. This training includes sections on selfreflection and self-awareness, as well as supporter and counselling skills.
Please note: Staff who are feeling emotionally fragile or who have experienced recent trauma or bereavement are advised not to attend at this point.
Date: 22 23 September 2021
Time: 08:30 14:00
Venue: TBC
Facilitator: CCDU Staff
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Core Learning and Teaching workshops & courses
As part of the professional learning opportunities, CLTD offers the following core courses/workshops once per semester/twice a year. The designed and developed fully online courses ulwazi (“Canvas”) aim to offer flexible engagement opportunities, requiring a self-directed approach to learning, with minimal, strategic contact or virtual sessions.
While we identify and recommend three learning pathways, please note that all offerings are open and flexible as per individual need.
The three recommended learning pathways with associated, differentiated offerings are depicted in Fig 1, some with an added mentoring component, underpinned by Community of Practice (COP) principles.
Emerging and Early Career Academic (ECA)
Academic Role; Tutor Programme/Partnership; New Academics Orientation Programme: New@Wits; Early Career Academic Development Programme (ECAD); Facilitating Online (Intro);Assessment (Intro)
Mid Career Academic (MCA)
Academic Role; Curriculum Development Suite (CD0-4); Facilitating Online; Assessment in Higher Education: Strategies for the digital age; Postgraduate Supervision; PGDip (Education) in the field of Higher Education; Mentoring; Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Senior Career Academic (SCA)
A community of practice (CoP) Assistant Deans
Emerging and Early-Career Academics (ECA)
1. Academic Role (aka Teaching Role)
2. Tutor Programme/Partnership
3. New Academics Orientation Programme: New@Wits
4. Early Career Academic Development Programme (ECAD)
5. Facilitating Online (Intro)
6. Assessment (Intro)
FIGURE 1 DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING PATHWAYS
Mid-Career Academics (MCA)
1. Academic Role (accredited short course)
2. Curriculum Development Suite (CD0 CD44: 4 weeks)
3. Facilitating Online (Accredited Short Course: 8 weeks)
4. Assessment in Higher Education: Strategies for the digital age (Online short course)
5. Postgraduate Supervision
6. PGDip E(HE) (Accredited course)
7. Mentoring
8. SoTL
Senior-Career Academics (SCA)
In 2021, we aim to foster a community of practice (CoP) amongst Assistant Deans, to engage in conversation about the needs of senior career academics. The purpose is to decide on a suite of offerings that will be designed, developed, and offered in 2022.
Date: 2 June 2021
Time: 09:00 11:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Early Career Academic Development (ECAD) Programme
The Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) and the Wits Research Office have jointly developed a programme to support the professional learning of early career academics (ECAs).
The programme is based on the intention to nurture new and emerging academics within the Wits context and specifically aims to:
• Instil the value of holistic professional learning to enable the teacher, researcher academic citizenship and scholarly academic roles.
• provide relevant resources and skills to mediate, negotiate and navigate the challenges experienced as early career academics within the Wits and higher education context.
• provide access to a supportive and collegial Wits and higher education network with opportunities for collaborations, mentorships, and a community of care.
• provide the dialogical space and platform to explore continuously changing higher education context and the changing demand made on academics and their roles.
The programme will be of particular interest to newly appointed academics at associate lecturer and lecturer levels, the academic pursuing a PhD qualification, the academic who has a PhD qualification for 5 years or less as well as those on the nap programme.
The ECAD Programme plans to provide support for ECADers to complement their disciplinary knowledge and skills by further developing their teaching, research, and interpersonal skills to enable them to effectively transition into productive academics within the Wits context. Successful completion of the programme will be based on participation in:
• mandatory full day ECAD orientation
• a choice of 4 research and teaching workshops, courses or programmes selected from the CLTD Prospectus
• 3 Communities of Practice meetings
• a 4-day facilitated writing retreat
• mentoring
• ECAD closing reflective valedictory session
Date: Various dates throughout the 2021 academic year to be communicated to participants.
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinators: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za Mrs Rieta Ganas rieta.ganas@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Academic Role
Given the continuous change and those especially associated with the shifts to remote learning and teaching, within the Higher Education sector and its influence onthe academic role within universities, there is a need for academics to unpack and explore their changing academic roles. This interactive workshop aims to bridge the age-old teaching and research divide that exists within universities, specificallyresearchintensive institutions. The workshop will introduce academics to the basic principles of their academic role within the South African higher education sector andwithin Wits in particular. The focus will then shift to academics exploring theirscholarship through their learning and teaching role within a faculty.
The university teacher has an important and demanding role to play in the process of supporting student learning through the design of learning and teaching contexts in which students can learn most effectively.
The teaching role within the Wits context, has many dimensions: providing a broad context of knowledge; helping students to understand, locate and create personally
and contextually relevant meaning of the knowledge; providing a learning environment that encourages students to think critically, solve problems and to be able to communicate in the language of the discipline or knowledge and it involves ongoing reflection on their practice. It also requires teachers to help students set and achieve their own aims through commitment and being responsible for their own learning.
The experiential learning activities within the workshop is designed so that the academic will engage with the academic role within the higher education sector. Principles of facilitating for learning to occur includes:
• principles of learning
• an overview of curriculum knowledge and blended learning design
• an overview of assessment
• embedding writing within the curriculum
• a micro teaching session (a scaled down teaching session), and
• feedback as well as reflective practice.
The aim of the workshop is to encourage lecturers to take up their teaching role in a scholarly manner with creativity, enthusiasm, and self-reflection.
Who should attend?
New academics, early career academics or academics who have been at Wits for a while and who would like to improve their learning and teaching environments. Numbers are limited, and early booking is advised. Attendance is expected for all sessions.
Date: 18 20 May, 24 May and 22 June 2021
Time: 08:30 16:00
Date: 19 21 and 25 October and 18 November 2021
Time: 08:30 16:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Assessment in Higher Education: Strategies for the digital age
Effective learning and teaching involve the integration and alignment of three core elements, namely curriculum, facilitation practices and learning interactions1, and assessment. In this context, ensuring alignment between course outcomes, content, learning interactions and assessment is important for curricular coherence, and
1 For example, student↔facilitator, student↔student, and student↔content interactions during the course of a learning conversation.
contributes to the validity and reliability of assessments. Consequently, there is a need for academics to appreciate the role assessment plays in students’ achievement of structured learning outcomes, and to be able to design quality assessments for specific contexts. In addition to the need for understanding assessment practices, more generally, there is a growing need to understand and know how to develop different types of assessment in the online space. In response to this need, the Centre for Learning Teaching and Development (CLTD) at Wits has developed this fully online short course on assessment with special focus on assessment in the digital space.
Date: 5 May 2021
Time: TBC 8 weeks
Date: 7 October 2021
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Mr. Sipho Hlabane sipho.hlabane@wits.ac.za
The rate of change in the world demands that we re-imagine and restructure the foundational learning relationships between student, knowledge, and teacher. New ways of thinking about curriculum are needed if we are to respond to the current challengesandfuturedemandsforexcellenceinHigher Education.
Curriculum lies at the heart of what Higher Education institutions dowith andfor their students and constitutes the main vehicle through which the aims of Higher Education can be achieved.Itisthus vitally important for the design, development, implementation, and ongoing renewal of curriculum to be underpinned by sound educational principles, guided by the values espoused by the institution offeringthecurriculumandfitforclearly articulatedpurposes.
While the fundamental questions around curriculum design and development remain the same, the contexts and challenges keep evolving and changing. It is therefore important to encourage and support academicstafftodevelop appropriately structured and deepenedcurricula that promote the Wits key graduate attributes.
This programme is structured for academics who wish to evaluate, revise, or develop a curriculum at course or preferably programme level. The various aspects of the programme will address selected curricular issues, including selecting, sequencing, and aligning the knowledge areas that underpin the discipline or profession and the creation of curricular ‘spaces’ to support and enhance student learning
Dates:
Academics can opt to enrol for all 4 curriculum workshops within the series or may enrol for only selected workshops as needed. Each CD runs over one week
2021 1st run
• CD 0 12 16 April
• CD 1 19 23 April
• CD 2 26 30 April
• CD 3 3 7 May
• CD 4 10 14 May
Venue:
2021 2nd run
• CD 0 9 12 Aug
• CD 1 16 20 Aug
• CD 2 23 27 Aug
• CD 3 30 Aug 3 Sept
• CD 4 6 10 Sept
Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
This fully online component of the curriculum development workshop series kicks off with an exploration of learning theories and how these theories inform personal learning and teaching philosophies. An understanding of how one views knowledge and how one comes to know is important as it shapes methodologies, approaches, and practices Deep reflection on one’s philosophies (often tacit) goes a long way in being intentional about curriculum design.
Date: 12 16 April 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Date: 9 12 August 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
CD 1: Curriculum Orientation and Contexts
Curriculum means different things to different people and operates within different levels at an institution. This makes the concept of curriculum highly contested and complex especially within the curriculum decolonisation and transformation debates. To enable coherent and meaningful curricula, academics should critically interrogate their curriculum orientations and the influence this has on their curriculum decisions.
Their curriculum design and development should be approached in a scholarly manner especially when required to evaluate, design, interpret and implement curricula.
The workshop will address curriculum as a concept and enable academics to further examine how curriculum policies are shaped by societal, institutional, personal, and interpersonal contexts and processes. The workshop will also introduce academics to key theories that underpin the principles of curriculum design. The workshop provides an opportunity to engage with the conceptual and contextual aspects of curriculum design like constructive alignment and being able to construct contextually relevant intended learning outcomes.
Date: 19 23 April 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Date: 16 20 Aug 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Discover practical ways of making your pedagogy more contextually relevant and open to diversity. In this (half-day) workshop, we will explore ways of using open educational resources, open education practices, open access, and open facilitation practices leading to more engaging learning experiences. We will focus on approaches which take into account who students are (student identities) and what they bring with them (experiences and practices).
Date: 26 30 April 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Date: 23 27 August 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
Participants in this workshop will consider assessment from the viewpoints of the different stakeholders and will gain a deeper appreciation of assessment as an intrinsic part of the student learning process. Focusing on a particular course, participants will explore how learning outcomes, assessment tasks, and learning and teaching activities build and enhance the growth of desirable attributes, knowledge,
skills and values using appropriate assessment methods and educational technologies that are diverse, complementary and embedded strategically throughout the course. Challenges associated with providing meaningful feedback for undergraduate and postgraduate students will also be considered.
Date: 3 7 May 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Date: 30 Aug 3 Sept
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Mr. Sipho Hlabane sipho.hlabane@wits.ac.za
Do you currently teach a course you would like to revamp or improve? This workshop will give you practical ways to enhance your course through curriculum (re)design, adding multimedia and interactive elements, and developing authentic assessments. You will develop curriculum outputs to use in your course. Outputs may include a curriculum course map, module outline, student guide, assessment instruments and tools, multimedia, etc.
*Please bring your own device
Date: 10 14 May 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Date: 6 10 Sept 2021
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Ms Nazira Hoosen nazira.hoosen@wits.a.za
As a Wits academic, you are now required to develop a blended approach to your courses and include an online component. This facilitating online course (FO), an open educational resource that has been reconceptualised for the Wits context, will support you in this new role as an online facilitator and designer of online interactions and engagements. You will develop the design skills required to create interactive online learning experiences, the facilitation skills required to enable meaningful online discussions, and the technical skills to use tools (such as blogs, podcasts, and synchronous communication software) to deepen student engagement. At the end
of this course, you are required to submit an e-portfolio (electronic collection of evidence) of your personal growth as an online facilitator. As an end of course assessment, the e-portfolio will demonstrate your learning journey over a period of time. The course is offered twice a year with each offering facilitated over a period of eight weeks (week 0 7). The offerings are facilitated in a fully online modality
Notional hours for this accredited course are calculated at 100 hours.
• 60 hours online engagement readings/activities, discussions, desktop research
• 20 hours self-study research/following links
• 10 hours live virtual sessions
• 10 hours final assessment comprises approximately 60 90 minutes a day over a week to complete an e-portfolio
Dates:
Time:
1st Run May June 2021 (8 weeks)
• Week 0
• Week 1 5 8 May 10 14 May
• Week 2 17 21 May
• Week 3 24 28 May
• Week 4 31 May 4 June
• Week 5 7 11 June
• Week 6 14 18 June
• Week 7 21 25 June
2nd Run Sept Oct 2021 (8 weeks)
• Week 0
• Week 1 1 4 Sept 6 10 Sept
• Week 2 13 17 Sept
• Week 3 20 24 Sept
• Week 4 27 Sept 01 Oct
• Week 5 4 8 Oct
• Week 6 11 15 Oct
• Week 7 18 22 Oct
Venue: Online (Meeting confirmed) link will be e-mailed once bookings are
Coordinator: Ms Nazira Hoosen nazira.hoosen@wits.ac.za
This half-day mentoring workshop aims to guide efforts towards adding a mentoring component to programmes. Come and explore skills, principles, concepts, and activities that may contribute to mentoring relationships and collaboratively suggest guidance on staying connected with mentees during a time of social and physical distancing.
Date: 22 June 2021
Time: 9:00 11:00
Date: 22 September 2021
Time: 9:00 11:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
Tutoring is an integral part of the University teaching and learning process. The Tutor Professional Learning Programme (TPDP) provides tutors with the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to enable them to execute their tutoring responsibilities. The programme consists of a series of asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities that will provide tutors with practical insights on tutoring for both online and face-to-face tutoring in higher education. The 2021 first semester workshops will focus on how to use the virtual platforms available for meaningful tutoring purposes that stimulate students’ learning The following topics will be covered:
• Exploring tutoring in South African higher education context during Covid-19
• Facilitating and supporting learning in the Tutoring
• Online and Blended learning in the Tutoring space
• Developing a tutorial plan
• Digital tools for online teaching and learning (Ulwazi)
Date: On request
Duration: 4 hours
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Mr. Sipho Hlabane sipho.hlabane@wits.ac.za
In South Africa and many countries globally, higher education has changed from being an elite system to a mass system. This massive increase in enrolment has contributed to the increase in the diversity of the student population. This means thatacademics need to think carefully about their curriculum choices, facilitation practices, and assessment as they engage in a multicultural diverse classroom. Thisworkshop will introduce participants to strategies on how toteach multicultural diversestudents in the 21st century. The workshop starts with exploring literature on culturallyresponsive facilitation practices and then moves on to take participants through various process on designing and developing culturally relevant curricula, facilitationpractices, and assessments.
Date: 24 May 2021
Date: 6 October 2021
Time: 9:00 12:00
Time: 9:00 12:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
As part of interrogating ‘good’ teaching practices what programme quality enhancement could look like this half-day workshop explores an overview of the scholarship of learning and teaching (SOTL) in Higher Education. It further outlines several suggestions through which SOTL may be established and scholarship improved. We invite you to come and share your thoughts, ideas, and practices on enhancing SOTL.
Date: 29 June 2021
Time: 09:00 12:00
Date: 16 November 2021
Time: 09:00 12:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
Postgraduate Graduate Diploma (Education) in the field of Higher Education
The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (In the field of higher education) is offered by the School of Education in collaboration with the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) at the University of the Witwatersrand. The broad aim of the PGDip E (HE) is to provide academics with a relevant tertiary teaching qualification in line with international trends. The programme is designed to foster a scholarly and professional approach to university teaching, assessment, and curriculum development and design. Specific aims are to assist academics to:
• Strengthen their roles in teaching, assessment, and curriculum development and course design
• Update and extend their ‘working theories’ and practices as educators
• Deepen engagement with the university as a rapidly changing site of research and scholarship
The qualification consists of three core modules namely: Learning and Teaching in Higher Education; Assessment in Higher Education, and Curriculum Design and Development in Higher Education. New Directions or Enhancing research supervision can be selected as the elective. The PGDip E (HE) is a formal 120-credit qualification at NQF level 8 and the qualification is awarded by the Faculty of Humanities. Participants must complete the post graduate registration procedures with Wits School of Education.
Date: 2021/2022 Academic Year – closed programme
Time: TBC
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinators: Dr Laura Dison laura.dison@wits.ac.za Ms Rieta Ganas rieta.ganas@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Technologies for Teaching (T4T)
In the last few months, CLTD’s emphasis on training has been focused mainly on getting lecturers up and running for the teaching block. With this phase having now been completed, we shift our focus now to introduce new areas of the Learning Management System (LMS) and other technologies that support engaging and active learning environments. The webinars that will be offered going forward are:
3) Intro to Conferences (“BigBlueButton”) in ulwazi
4) Enhance learning through video with Canvas Studio
5) Using Canvas New Analytics to improve student engagement
6) Smart Educational Technologies for Student-centered (Inter)active Learning
To support lecturers that still require assistance with orientation of ulwazi, we are busy curating numerous self-directed resources based on workshops that we had offered in the past few months. The following self-directed resources are being developed:
This webinar will assist you in using various approaches to design interactive learning environments to enhance the learning experiences of your students. This webinar will be faciliatated over two days. Day one focuses on discussing challenges experienced and the value of planning, whilst day 2 draws on designing and developing your lesson plan on ulwazi.
To attend this webinar, please contact the coordinators
Effective education involves the integration and alignment of three core systems, namely, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. In this context, ensuring alignment between course outcomes, content and assessment is important for curricular coherence, and contributes to the validity of assessments. Consequently, there is a need for academics to appreciate the role of assessment in student’s learning and to be able to design quality assessments for particular contexts. In addition to the need for understanding and skill in assessment practices, more generally, there is a growing need to understand and know how to develop different types of assessment in the online space. This workshop focuses on digital assessment in the field of Higher Education with special emphasis on assessment tools in ulwazi and other available platforms.
To attend this webinar, please contact the coordinators
Coordinator: Neo Petlele Neo.Petlele@wits.ac.za
Contact: Instructional Design Support IDSupport.cltd@wits.ac.za
Date
Wednesday, 14 April 2021
Click here to join the meeting 09:00 11:00
Wednesday, 28 April 2021
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Wednesday, 12 May 2021
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Wednesday, 26 May 2021
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Wednesday, 9 June 2021
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Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Click here to join the meeting 13:00 15:00
Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Click here to join the meeting 09:00 11:00
Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Click here to join the meeting 13:00 15:00
Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Assessments
Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Date
Wednesday, 11 August 2021
Click here to join the meeting 09:00 11:00
Wednesday, 25 August 2021
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Wednesday, 15 September 2021
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Wednesday, 29 September 2021
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Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Click here to join the meeting 09:00 11:00
Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Click here to join the meeting 13:00 15:00
Wednesday, 10 November 2021
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Wednesday, 24 November 2021
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Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
Digital Assessments Neo Petlele & Sipho Hlabane
3. Intro to Conferences (“BigBlueButton”) in ulwazi
This webinar will focus on facilitating synchronous online learning interactions in ulwazi. Some of the topics that will be covered include:
• Accessing conferences
• Setting up online meeting spaces
• Facilitating synchronous learning in your course sites
To attend this webinar, please contact the coordinators
Contact: Instructional Design Support IDSupport.cltd@wits.ac.za
Thursday, 15 April 2021
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Thursday, 8 July 2021
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Thursday, 15 July 2021
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Thursday, 29 July 2021
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09:00-10:30
Intro to Conferences (“BigBlueButton”) in ulwazi
Balitiye Monareng & Sharon Coetzer
09:00-10:30
Intro to Conferences (“BigBlueButton”) in ulwazi
Balitiye Monareng & Sharon Coetzer
09:00-10:30
Intro to Conferences (“BigBlueButton”) in ulwazi
Balitiye Monareng & Sharon Coetzer
09:00-10:30
Intro to Conferences (“BigBlueButton”) in ulwazi
Balitiye Monareng & Sharon Coetzer
4. Enhance learning through video with Canvas Studio
Canvas Studio is a modern video platform that allows instructors and students to actively collaborate through video media. Studio makes it easy for lecturers to create engaging videos and for students to participate in dynamic conversations and assessments. This webinar will look at how to:
• Navigate studio
• Create videos using studio
• Design and deliver assessments that are embedded directly in the video
Contact: Instructional Design Support IDSupport.cltd@wits.ac.za
Friday, 16 April 2021
Thursday, 29 April 2021
Thursday, 6 May 2021
Thursday, 27 May 2021
Thursday, 3 June 2021
Thursday, 24 June 2021
Tuesday, 6 July 2021
Tuesday, 27 July 2021
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
9:00-10:30
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
Teaching with Studio Balitiye Monareng & Neo Petlele
5. Using Canvas New Analytics to improve student engagement
In an online class we don’t receive feedback from our students in the same way that we do in a face-to-face class, so how do we know how our students are doing in an asynchronous learning environment? The Canvas New Analytics tool helps you see the interaction students are having with the course materials in your course on ulwazi. These analytics can help you identify which students may not be as engaged and allow you to reach out to those students.
This webinar will look at how to:
• enable the new analytics tool
• view student page views and participation activity
• track average course grades using interactive graphs or tables
6. Smart Educational Technologies for Student-centered (Inter)active Learning
These webinars and face-to-face workshops aim to provide opportunities for academics and academic support professionals to learn about using smart classroom technologies to design and facilitate student-centered (inter)active learning experiences. Training will take place over two days.
The online session on Day 1 will introduce participants to the Smart Classroom teaching and learning technologies and suggest ways to use these technologies to create an (inter)active student-centered learning experience.
The face-to-face workshop on Day 2 which occurs the day after the webinar will demonstrate how smart technologies may be applied in real-life teaching and learning situations and will offer participants an opportunity to test out various teaching and learning scenarios.
Day 1 will take place online from 09:00 - 10:30 and Day 2 will take place onsite in the Smart Classroom in the Gate House building (GH403) at the Wits Braamfontein campus from 10:0012:30/ 11:00 – 13:30 (Please refer to training schedule). Please note that due to COVID-19 regulations we will only be accepting 12 participants per training session.
Bookings need to be made at least 48 hours prior to the training session and participants should arrive at the onsite workshops at least 15 minutes before the session begins.
Webinars: 09:00 – 10:30
Onsite Workshops: 10:00 – 12:30/ 11:00 – 13:30 (Please refer to training schedule)
Contact: Instructional Design Support IDSupport.cltd@wits.ac.za
Monday, 14 June 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Tuesday, 15 June 2021 11:00 –13:30 Face-to-face
Wednesday, 30 June 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Thursday, 1 July 2021 10:00 –12:30 Face-to-face
Wednesday, 21 July 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Thursday, 22 July 2021 10:00 –12:30 Face-to-face
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Wednesday, 11 August 2021 10:00 –12:30 Face-to-face
Wednesday, 22 September 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Thursday, 23 September 2021 10:00 –12:30 Face-to-face
Monday, 4 October 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Tuesday, 5 October 2021 11:00 –13:30 Face-to-face
Wednesday, 17 November 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Thursday, 18 November 2021 10:00 –12:30 Face-to-face
Wednesday, 1 December 2021 9:00 –10:30 Online
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Gatehouse GH403
Facilitation in a Smart classroom
Sharon Coetzer & Nkaba Senne
Sharon Coetzer & Nkaba Senne
Sharon Coetzer & Antoinette Malgas
Sharon Coetzer & Antoinette Malgas
Sharon Coetzer & Neo Petlele
Sharon Coetzer & Neo Petlele
Sharon Coetzer & Balitiye Monareng
Sharon Coetzer & Balitiye Monareng
Sharon Coetzer & Balitiye Monareng
Sharon Coetzer & Balitiye Monareng
Sharon Coetzer & Antoinette Malgas
Sharon Coetzer & Antoinette Malgas
Sharon Coetzer & Neo Petlele
Sharon Coetzer & Neo Petlele
Sharon Coetzer & Nkaba Senne
Date Session Workshop
Thursday, 2 December 2021 10:00 –12:30
Face-to-face
7. Self-Directed Resources
Gatehouse GH403
1) Designing & building your course on ulwazi
Facilitator(s)
Sharon Coetzer & Nkaba Senne
This is a self-directed resource that will focus mainly on designing, building, and publishing your course site. Some topics that will be covered include:
This self-directed resource focuses on the use of the assessments tools in ulwazi and covers the following:
• Assignment: How to create an assignment for submission
• Quizzes: How to create a quiz
• Rubric: How to add a Rubric to assignments, graded discussions and quizzes.
• SpeedGrader: How to grade assignments, discussions and quizzes using SpeedGrader.
• Gradebook: How to set up Gradebook to publish assessment grade/marks.
Coordinator: Neo Petlele Neo.Petlele@wits.ac.za
3)
Using Turnitin in ulwazi
This self-directed resource covers setting up Turnitin assignments (a similarity detection tool that helps detect plagiarism) in a course site. Some topics that are covered include:
• How to set up your Turnitin assignment
• Submitting your documentation to the Turnitin system
• Accessing and analysing a Turnitin report
• Printing your report
Coordinator: Nkaba Senne nkaba.senne@wits.ac.za
4) Using Gradescope in ulwazi
Gradescope is an assessment tool that allows lecturers to grade and provide feedback on handwritten paper-based student work, quizzes, and assignments in an online platform. The tool is well suited for grading assessments based on handwritten work, calculations, drawings or chemical structures, cells, circuits, coding, etc. With Gradescope, students can upload written assessments to be graded. Lecturers can mark student assessments with annotation tools using text and pencil comments as feedback with reference to a dynamic rubric. This self-directed resource covers the following:
• How to create different question types in Gradescope
• How to enable your students to submit their work to Gradescope.
• How to grade assessments in Gradescope
• How to create rubric items
Coordinator: Neo Petlele
Neo.Petlele@wits.ac.za
5) Faculty Video Studio and Camtasia
The Faculty Video Studio and Camtasia resource focuses on the creation and placement of online video lessons within an active blended (online) learning environment.
This self-directed resource covers the following:
• The active blended learning approach
• Video lessons – the who, what, when, where, why and how
Digital Literacy Skills for Students is an initiative CLTD offers as part of developing the tutoring student ambassadors so they can train and assist new first year students transitioning from high school into the university.
Digital Literacy Skills looks at the basic ICT skills a student needs to successfully function in an academic environment. Students often enter the higher education environment with a broad set of digital skills however even those who are proficient in using technological tools, are not necessarily proficient in using ICT skills for academic purposes.
AIM
To help students develop digital skills needed to succeed in both academia and the world of work. A student completing this program can proficiently use digital tools available and adapt application software needed to function in the university and beyond. Students who are successful in this program can access, manage, integrate,
evaluate, create and communicate information.
Date: TBC
Time: TBC
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Ms Antoinette Malgas Antoinette.Malgas@wits.ac.za
Contact: Ms Antoinette Malgas Antoinette.Malgas@wits.ac.za
Research and Postgraduate Supervision
Research Project Budgeting
A research project budget is a vital component of any funding proposal. Join the facilitators both Business Development Managers at Wits Enterprise as they discuss how to develop a budget that supports and enhances your research or consulting proposal. The workshop will take place online and allows delegates to develop their own budgets that account for direct and indirect costs (CORY). It covers issues such as VAT, student bursaries and charge-out rates. You need not be an accountant to make sense of these issues. In fact, the course is intended for non-accountants.
Date: 5 May 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 9 September 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Venue: Online via MS Teams (Teams Meeting link will be email through once bookings are confirmed)
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Publishing for Impact
Whether you are driven by altruism and want your research to improve the world, or by a desire to increase your reputation as a research focused scholar, or a combination of both, you need to plan where, when, and how you publish your research. Too often we base our publishing habits on what we picked up from our PhD supervisors and colleagues without giving any thought to a careful strategy. Join Dr Robin Drennan in a workshop that looks at the wide array of possibilities for sharing your knowledge with others. In this workshop you will be exposed to ideas that may help you strategically decide where your research output is to be shared and / or published.
Date: 12 13 August 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Project Planning in the Research Context
How do you plan a research project? Is it possible to plan research? The classical project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) is often unsuitable for research projects simply because it is impossible to estimate the time for each task. Research is, after all, a step into the unknown. Take heart, this does not mean your research project will descend into chaos. There are other ways of managing research projects that are agile enough to deal with the complexities of volatile research projects. Dr Robin Drennan, the Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, will describe some of these more agile project management techniques that will allow you to plan, in the absence of information and despite uncertainty, for the unknown.
Date: 14 May 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 10 September 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Planning your Academic Career
Do you know what you need to do today to achieve your career goals in six years’ time? A successful academic career requires a considerable amount of juggling. Research, teaching, supervision, community engagement, funding, sabbaticals, conferences, promotion, NRF ratings they all need to be factored into your plan. Dr Robin Drennan, the Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, will help you develop a five to seven-year macro plan that will ensure you are well placed to make the best of your career. An emphasis is placed on research throughout this workshop.
Date: 19 March 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 4 June 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Planning your Sabbatical
A sabbatical comes once every six years so it is vital to make the most of it. Dr Robin Drennan, the Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, will share some pointers on how, when and what to plan for a successful sabbatical. This workshop will help you develop a plan and so make the most of the opportunity. Your sabbatical plan should maximise the impact of the time on your research. Various funding options will also be discussed.
Date: 5 March 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 30 July 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Writing Winning Proposals
Discover, with the support of Dr Robin Drennan, Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, how to write a persuasive proposal for research funding. Having understood that every funder is contractually bound to deliver a return of some sort on the funds under their management, it is plain to see several ‘magical buttons’ that will get you funding Some of these buttons are explicit but others are not. The trick is to find them. The workshop material also covers the differences between a research plan, a problem statement, rationale and motivation,and aims and objectives, all elements of typical proposals. The importance of selecting appropriate reviewers, leaving nothing to chance and the need to make every part of the proposal supportive of your bid for funding are also discussed. Finally,the workshop explores differences in writing styles: Persuasive writing used in proposalsand standard writing techniques used in the publication of research outputs.
Date: 12 March 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 20 August 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 18 June 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Date: 15 October 2021
Time: 09:00 13:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan Robin.Drennan@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Lunchtime Talk How to Structure an Academic CV
The curriculum vitae, which is Latin for ‘course of life’ is a very important tool in the quest for academic achievement. At the simplest level it is a record of your achievements, a trace record, at the other extreme it can take on all the elements of a marketing campaign. Join us for a lunchtime (1 hour) discussion on different ways to layout your CV to best emphasise your achievements.
Date: 19 April 2021
Time: 13h15 14h15
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Zotero
This is a virtual workshop that will introduce you to Zotero, a free, open-source alternative to reference manager systems. Zotero allows you to easily save bibliographic details, comments, indexing terms, and direct links to webpages, word documents, and even articles that are in library subscription databases. You will be shown how you can use Zotero tointegrate your references into your research in many citation styles using Microsoft Word. For more information, please visit Library Libguides. http://libguides.wits.ac.za/zotero
Date: 18 February 2021
Time: 09:30 11:00
Date: 14 May 2021
Time: 09:30 11:00
Date: 8 October 2021
Time: 09:30 11:00
Date: 5 March 2021
Time: 09:30 11:00
Date: 20 August 2021
Time: 09:30 11:00
Further dates will be communicated via the Wits News, and Events on the Intranet
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Enhancing Research Supervision
This course aims to enhance research supervisory capacity taking into account the diverse context and conditions in which supervisors work as well as the differences in institutional and disciplinary postgraduate supervisory practices and processes.
After engaging with the course and the course materials the participant should be able to:
• Develop a strategy to address power relations and create an inclusive and participatory learning environment in their supervisory context
• Critically reflect on the importance of scholarship in their learning environment
• Critique their supervisory practices and implement changes aimed at enhancing student learning
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the supervisory processes in their context and recommend improvements
• Participate in a collegial network of support and build an online community of practice that enhances supervisory practice
• This 30-credit short course at NQF Level 8 comprises the following phases: 3 days face-to-face; 6 weeks on-line; and 3 days face-to-face and includes assessment tasks. An e Portfolio (100%) inclusive of formative and summative assessments must be submitted at the conclusion of the course for credit assessment.
Date: 9 June August 2021
Time: 13:30 14:30
Date: 14 September 7 November 2021
Time: 09:00 12:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Good supervision is central to successful graduate research, yet it is difficult to define and develop. This half-day introductory workshop explores models and systems of supervision, institutional policy and procedures, and supervisor-student relationships.
Date: 21 April 2021
Time: 08:30 to 13:00
Date: 8 June 2021
Date: 26 May 2021
Time: 08:30 to 13:00
Date: 15 September 2021
Time: 08:30 to 13:00
Time: 08:30 to 13:00
27 October 2021 11 November 2021
08:30 to 13:00 08:30 to 13:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za
Contact: Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za
Evaluation Services
Teaching and course evaluations to enhance students’ learning experience
Academic staff with teaching responsibilities are required to conduct evaluations of their teaching and courses, and further reflect on this as part of a process to enhance the quality of offerings. The CLTD believes that effective evaluation of teaching and courses requires academic staff to understand the purpose of evaluations and further create opportunities for meaningful evaluations to support reflective practice. The workshop aims to provide participants with an opportunity to do the following:
• Examine the role of evaluations of teaching and courses to support quality enhancement for both teaching and courses
• Develop an awareness of processes and the platform used at Wits to conduct meaningful evaluations
• Explore ways in which students can be encouraged to participate constructively in evaluation processes
• Prepare for using evaluation feedback in processes of continuous improvement of teaching and courses
Peer Review is a process through which valuable feedback on teaching practice and courses could be solicited by engaging the expertise of academic peers. Engaging in peer reviews provide academic staff an opportunity to triangulate data drawn through student feedback (questionnaires) in the process of self-reflection. Peer reviews create an opportunity for academic staff to examine and reflect collaboratively on teaching practice based on observed lessons and other selected teaching artefacts. The process is meant to be collegial and supportive in a manner that allows for professional learning of both the reviewer and the reviewee. The workshop targets all staff tasked with the responsibility to conduct reviews in the respective schools and those that want to be reviewed. The workshop provides participants with an opportunity to:
• Examine the purpose of peer reviews and relevance in supporting development of teaching competence
• Explore different models that are used when conducting peer reviews
• Engage with the guidelines for conducting meaningful peer reviews (i.e. clarify roles and responsibilities)
• Address different concerns or challenges related to peer review processes
• Explore the idea of a peer review as a scholarly and collaborative reflection activity
CLTD offers support to academic staff to elicit feedback on effectiveness of teaching and courses for the purposes of continuing professional learning, enhancement of learning and teaching practice as well as accountability. Different methods should be used to ensure a holistic evaluation of teaching practice. Each method offers different benefits, and the technique chosen should be appropriate to the need or exigency which has prompted the evaluation process.
Student feedback on teaching and courses using Blue Explorance
The CLTD recommends that lecturers use student feedback as a formative opportunity to learn from input. The results offer useful indicators of trends but have limited value in getting to the heart of facilitation practices. They are most useful when contextualised in information obtained from the more qualitative forms of evaluation as scores can often be the consequence of multiple factors, e.g. mismatched expectations.
For years, Wits has conducted student evaluations using the ALP system (Assessment of Lecturer Performance) via a paper-based system. In 2017 an online system called Blue Explorance was piloted and has since been launched as a Wits online system used to conduct evaluations. This move is meant to ensure efficient and effective evaluation processes. In 2020 the Blue Explorance system was launched across all faculties. This means all academic staff are expected to participate in the online system and the opportunity for paper-based evaluations will no longer be available.
In 2021 CLTD will continue to on board staff to the Blue Explorance system and further stabilise the use of the platform. This will be done through self-help material and customised workshops upon request by faculties.
To ensure adoption and effective use of Blue Explorance, the CLTD will continue to have engagements with all stakeholders. The following are different ways in which
staff will be supported to ensure they are able to use the system and faculties can arrange customised sessions around these areas:
Information sessions
Target: Academic staff Description Estimated Time
Blue Explorance Basics To create awareness of Blue Explorance: how the system works, the responsibilities of the different stakeholders, creating evaluation forms, and monitoring response rates 1 hour
Sessions dates and times will be negotiated between schools / Faculties and the CLTD staff
Blue Explorance sessions for School Administrators
Target: School Admins Description Estimated Time
Blue Explorance Basics To create awareness of Blue Explorance process and Teacher App used to prepare evaluation data. For example, how Blue Explorance & Teacher App works, their responsibility in the process, how to access the Teacher App,how to load data on the App and awareness on support provided by CLTD to ensure their work is efficient.
1 hour
Sessions dates and times will be communicated to all school administrators before each evaluation project in the respective teaching blocks/ terms. Recordings of sessions will be emailed to all administrators for future reference and continuous support.
Blue Explorance Open lunch hour discussions
Target: Academic Staff Description
Blue Explorance Open hour Open forum where CLTD Evaluation Services staff respond to questions and challenges experienced by staff when using Blue Explorance system. 1 hour
These sessions will be held twice a year (1 per semester) to address challenges experienced by academic staff. Webinar dates are as follows:
Date: 29 April 2021
Time: 13:00 14:00
Date: 29 July 2021
Time: 13:00 14:00
Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)
To consolidate knowledge on Blue Explorance and further explore features that will enhance user experience such as:
Question personalisation, subject view management, enhancing students’ participation and closing the feedback loop
1hr 30min
Sessions will be organised and customised for each Faculty and/School as per arrangement between Faculty Academic Developers and CLTD staff.
Self-help material
The CLTD appreciates that academics have busy schedules hence not everyone will have the opportunity to participate in organised information sharing session. To address this easy-to-follow online materials are developed and will be made accessible to all staff. For example, the material includes step-by-step guides (on how to select questions, monitor students’ participation, and access reports). Related short video clips and a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document will be made available on the ‘Better Blended Learning’ site on ulwazi, as well as on the CLTD website
Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID)
This technique is generally used to provide an in-depth exploration of challenges identified through student feedback and peer review or to intervene when there have
been clear and serious impediments to the learning process or to the success of the teaching. It is also useful for getting information on the learning preferences and particular learning difficulties of students. It often highlights mismatched expectations where students have anticipated certain approaches to the teaching or specific content in the course. The frustration caused by this mismatch often leads to low ALP scores, and SGID can be useful in unpacking the background to such scores.
Learning and Teaching Advisors in the Faculties and Schools may be contacted for advice on using SGID.
Peer Reviews
CLTD recommends that lecturers use expertise from within their Faculty or disciplines to conduct peer reviews. The CLTD is open to School/Faculty requests for a peer review workshop to support both staff identified as reviewers and those staff that require a review.
As part of peer reviews staff are encouraged to use External Examiners Reports as they are produced by experts with extensive knowledge in subject matter and teaching in the discipline. External Examiners’ reports can also be useful in providing feedback on the quality and standards of teaching.
Learning and Teaching Advisors in the Faculties may be contacted for advice on using Peer Reviews. It is highly recommended that all reviewers go through training so that they are prepared for the responsibility.
Using Evaluations Constructively
Academic staff need to make informed choices and interpretations of what kinds of feedback each form of evaluation offers and about the value or weight of the different types of evidence garnered CLTD’s preferred stance is to use evaluation of teaching and courses in a formative approach aimed at improvement, rather thanto make categorical judgements about an individual’s teaching practice. CLTD is happy to assist academic staff and academic managers in this regard.
It is important to remember that both Peer Review and Small Group Instructional Diagnosis are highly intensive forms of getting quality feedback. They are labour and time intensive and given the limited resources in the university it is advisable to prepare for and schedule these well in advance. As CLTD has limited resources we cannot offer these services as freely as we would like to, and we are encouraging academic staff to engage faculty or school colleagues to conduct reviews.
For general information on Evaluations of Teaching and Courses at Wits University, please use the following link to access the relevant policy: http://intranet.wits.ac.za/exec/registrar/Policies/Forms/AllItems.aspx
For information on the Blue Explorance system and other evaluation matters, please contact the following CLTD staff:
For further information on conducting an evaluation of your teaching or interpreting and use of feedback data collected:
• Dr Rejoice Nsibande 011) 717 1474 Rejoice.Nsibande@wits.ac.za
Faculty Collaboration / Partnership
Table 2 shows the CLTD reps and Faculty reps (mostly faculty learning and teaching reps) that will collaborate to offer customised, contextually relevant learning opportunities to faculties. As far as possible, the teams aim to negotiate:
a. customised learning opportunities (early career, mid-career and senior career) to identified cohorts
b. customised/faculty specific offerings (if/when needed) to groups/schools on an ad hoc basis
c. staff engagement in reflection/evaluation at the end of each semester (all Faculties). This could be in the form of a Symposium (see Section C Symposium)
d. a scholarly approach to learning and teaching
e. the fostering of communities of practice
f. quality enhancement
Due to capacity constraints, we strongly recommend working with groups/schools as opposed to individuals
Table 1 Faculty Reps
Faculty
CLTD Representatives
CLM Rieta Ganas and Neo Petlele
Engineering
Health Sciences
Humanities
Sciences
Faculty Representatives
Greig Krull, Fiona Macalister, and Myrtle Adams-Gardner
Nazira Hoosen and Nkaba Senne Nozuko Makhuvha
Nazira Hoosen and Balitiye Monareng
Najma Agherdien, Antoinette Malgas and Rejoice Nsibande
Sipho Hlabane and Shane Pachagadu
Shirra Moch, Hilary and Ann George, Paula Barnard-Ashton, and Mark Allen
Catherine Tam and Renee Koch
Kershree Padayachee, Ashwini Jadhav, and Phiwe Dlamini
Symposia
Traditionally, CLTD hosts a Lekgotla (for Wits staff) and a Learning and Teaching Symposium (open to the higher education community) annually. This year we will only host the Symposium during the second semester. More information will follow.
We nurture and accept conditions that promote agency and creativity in order to endorse critical thinking, purposeful research-informed trialling or experimenting, rediscovery, renewal and innovation in African Higher Education contexts. We do this because in the past we have tended to accept learning and teaching solutions borrowed from elsewhere, often divorced from our own contexts.
Our distinctive approach to facilitation, learning, and research promotes a “nonjudgmental” culture as the basis for the creation of transformative and creative communities, where tensions and diversities of opinions are welcomed as norms, but where independent thought and opinion merges with the “Ubuntu” concept of recognizing the other as one recognises self not lower or higher. In this context, there is a genuine meeting of the minds where knowledge production is inward and outward looking, resulting in authentic collaborations and partnerships locally, nationally, and internationally Our fundamental ideal is that of ‘trust’ and ‘acceptance’, where we all become culturally, socially, and environmentally responsible in our diverse aspirations of academic support provision. We are rooted inJohannesburg with its strong cosmopolitan edge, and we intend using this to our advantage, to ensure that the city is both the focus for our teaching and research work, and the platform from which our local and international relationships grow.
Mandate
The Centre for Learning, Teaching & development (CLTD) focuses on Continuous Academic Professional Learning and the adoption of a hyflex approach to Active Blended Learning. As part of a broader Curriculum Design and Development strategy, and by applying and engaging in research on facilitation practices, we aim to contribute towards deepening student learning and enhancing university teaching practices.
CLTD offers:
• Formal programmes such as the PG Dip (Education) in the field of Higher Education
• Informal workshops such as Postgraduate Supervision, Teaching/Academic role, and Assessment in Higher Education
• Support for academics, mostly through hands-on workshops, to design and develop hyflex blended learning courses
• Student and peer evaluation of and self-reflection on courses and teaching
Vision
Our vision is to inspire, influence and contribute to the development of transformative, effective, and innovative facilitation practices that enhance student “access with success” in meaningful higher education practice.
Mission
We collaborate with individuals, academic departments, and academic support units to build capacity and foster community development around good university teaching, and the stimulation of an institutional culture that values meaningful learning, guided by the Wits Learning and Teaching Plan 2020 2024.
To achieve the CLTD mission, we strive to:
• Enrich the status of learning and teaching at Wits by engaging with, encouraging, and celebrating Wits teachers
• Support academics as university teachers and researchers, and explore, integrate, evaluate different approaches to learning, teaching, & assessment
• Promote inclusivity and diversity through collaborative curriculum design and renewal
• Promote and support the adoption of a Hyflex approach to Active Blended learning, teaching, learning and assessment approaches and practices
• Promote university-wide Communities of Practice (CoPs) by creating dialogue around and conversations about learning and teaching
• Promote and support effective lecturer and course evaluation practices
• Promote and develop a culture of research and scholarship of learning and teaching (SoTL) in Higher Education
• Anticipate and address evolving issues and opportunities within Higher Education Academic practice by offering expertise, locally, nationally, and internationally
Foregrounding the Strategic and Operational Plan 2020
In developing our Operational Plan for 2020, four drivers have emerged as key in achieving our goals for CLTD. These will underpin our service and support delivery over this year, including:
• A ‘Distributed Leadership’ (Spillane, 2005, 2012) approach in delivering educational programmes in partnership with others locally, nationally, and internationally
• Commitment to the continuous professional learning of CLTD staff
• Our research and its growing impact on the Higher Education landscape, and
• Modelling the application of, and engagement with digital technology in providing hyflex blended learning opportunities for our course participants.
Centre for Learning, Teaching & Development
Course evaluation
In order to assess the effectiveness of our courses/workshops, and to gauge future needs, it would be appreciated if you would complete this course evaluation form.
Course name:
Date:
Facilitator details:
1. What did you expect to gain to from the course?
2. How did the course match your expectations?
What new applied competence have you acquired as a result of your participation in this course?
How will you apply what you have learned in your future facilitation practice?
How would you rate the facilitator & course with regards to:
Subject matter expertise Very poor Poor Average Good
Planning & preparation Very poor Poor Average Good
