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Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development

CLTD 2020PROSPECTUS

Learning, Teaching, Supervision & Research Support

2 3CLTD 2020 PROSPECTUS CLTD 2020 PROSPECTUS

ContentsCLTD Vision & Mission

1.1 Mandate 1.2 Vision 1.3 Mission 1.4 Our Principles and beliefs 1.5. Foregrounding the Strategic and Operational Plan 2020

Overview

Academic Professional Learning Opportunities General Induction Research Informed Teaching NOW at Wits – New Academics orientation to the Wits Context Early Career Academic Development Resilience Planning your Academic Career Planning your Sabbatical

Learning and Teaching The Academic Role Curriculum Design and Development CD 0: Learning and Teaching Philosophy CD 1: Curriculum Orientation and Contexts CD 2: Open pedagogies CD 3: Assessment for learning in higher education CD 4: Curriculum Development CD 5: Course Approval Post Graduate Diploma in Education (in the field of Higher Education) Facilitating Online (FO) 1Teaching multicultural diverse students Teaching in large classes Introduction to assessment and Wits assessment policy Designing authentic assessment tasks Designing meaningful assessment rubrics Principles of good effective feedback Postgraduate Pedagogy Developing a teaching portfolio Tutor training workshop

Technologies for Teaching (T4T). 27 Designing Blended Learning Experiences using wits-e. 27Wits-e IntroWits-e IntermediateTurnitinWits-e Advanced (online facilitation tools)Technologies for Teaching (T4T)Smart classroom TrainingEducational technology tools for learning and teaching

Research and Postgraduate Supervision Digital Data for Research Workshop Zotero Publishing for Impact Project Planning in the Research Context Research Project Budgeting Writing Winning Proposals for the NRF How to Structure an Academic CV Enhancing Research Supervision Postgraduate Supervision

Wits Writing Programme (WWP): using writing as a vehicle to teach course content Research writing: ways to improve our own writing and your students’ writing Writing Retreats: a chance to withdraw and make progress on a current writing project

Academic Citizenship Decolonising the curriculum Student Success and Development: Community of Practice (CoP) Students at Emotional Risk Basic Supporter Skills Training

Evaluation Service

Symposia and Lekgotlas Learning and teaching Lekgotla Learning and teaching Symposium

Feedback

Contact us


CLTD Vision & Mission

1.1 Mandate

The Centre for Learning, Teaching & development (CLTD) has a mandate to act as a resource to the Wits academic community, in order to enhance teaching practice and deepen student learning by using and engaging in pedagogical research. Our focus is on Continuous Professional Learning, Academic Development, and the adoption of an Active Blended Learning approach as part of a broader Curriculum Design and Development strategy.

The centre works in four main areas: Teaching, Learning & Assessment, Technology-enhanced Learning support, Evaluation and Writing & Learning (see figure1).

Figure 1: CLTD areas of continuous professional development support provision

1.2 Vision To inspire, influence and contribute to the development of transformative, effective, and innovative pedagogical practices that enhance student “access with success” in meaningful higher education practice.

1.3 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:1. Enrich the status of teaching and learning at Wits by, engaging with, encouraging and

celebrating WITS teachers;2. Support academics as university teachers and researchers, and explore, integrate,

evaluate different approaches to teaching, learning & assessment;3. Promote inclusivity and diversity through collaborative Curriculum design and renewal;4. Promote and support the adoption of Active Blended and Online teaching, learning and

assessment approaches and practices, Wits Writing Programme;5. Promote university-wide Communities of Practice (CoPs) by creating dialogue around

and conversations about teaching and learnin;6. Promote and support effective evaluation practices;7. Promote and develop Research in Higher Education and the Scholarship of Teaching and

Learning (SoTL);8. Anticipate and address evolving issues and opportunities within Higher Education

Academic practice by offering expertise, locally, nationally, and internationally.

1.4 Our Principles and beliefs We nurture and accept conditions that promote agency and creativity in order to endorse critical thinking, trialling or experimenting, re-discovery, renewal and innovation in African Higher Education contexts. We do this because in the past we have tended to accept teaching and learning solutions borrowed from elsewhere, often divorced from our own contexts. Our distinctive pedagogy and research promotes a “non-judgmental” 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 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. Rooted in Johannesburg, which has a strong cosmopolitan edge, we intend to use this as an advantage to make sure that the city is both a focus for our teaching and research work, and the platform from which our local and international relationships grow.

1.5. Foregrounding the Strategic and Operational Plan 2020

In developing our Operational Plan for 2020, four drivers have emerged as key in achieving our ambition for CLTD. These will underpin all of our service and support delivery over the next three years (2020- 2022):• A ‘Distributed Leadership’ (Spillane, 2005, 2012) approach is used in delivering educational programmes in partnership with others locally, nationally and internationally. • Commitment to the continuous development of CLTD staff.• Our research and the growing impact it has on the Higher Education sector.• The application of, and engagement with, digital technology.

Our Strategic and Operational Plan is informed and shaped by:• Wits Learning & Teaching Plan 2020-2024• National Framework for Enhancing Academics as Teachers,• Wits Framework for Continuous Professional Learning of Academics as University Teachers

The current CLTD strategic and operational plan aligns with the Wits Learning and Teaching Plan


Overview(2020-2024), which has seven focus areas, namely:

1. Increasing flexible and life-long learning opportunities 2. Enhancing academics as university teachers 3. Strengthening institutional capacity for curriculum development and renewal 4. Diversifying assessment methods5. Expanding post-graduate education 6. Expanding innovative formal and informal learning spaces 7. Using data analytics to promote student success

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

• Support with:

o Curriculum renewal and transformation

o Learning and teaching with technology (including face-to-face, blended, and online learning)

o Writing and Learning

o Evaluation and peer reviews of teaching.

o 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 2020. 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, there is a penalty fee of R500 for non-attendance at a booked internal workshop, and R2 500 for non-attendance at a booked 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). If a participant books a place in a workshop, and does not arrive, the Centre incurs considerable costs in terms of catering, printing, and consultants’ fees, and these need to be recouped.

Refreshments

We do provide tea and coffee at tea-breaks; however, we will no longer be providing lunch packs. You are welcome to bring your own food should you have particular needs that we are unable to meet.

Booking

Bookings for 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 wait-listed for the next one scheduled. Only a few workshops of a particular type are offered each year, and these are filled on a first-come-first-served basis. 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

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 particular needs with regard to any


disability. Limited parking is available outside the building, and 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

http://intranet.wits.ac.za/Pages/Default.aspx

Click on: Learning and Teaching (CLTD) in the Academic Matters tab on the Wits Intranet.

Academic Professional Learning Opportunities General Induction

• Are you new to the University?

• Would you like some guidance and information on the University so that you can better navigate your way as an employee and/or manager?

If these questions caught your eye, and have meaning to you, book yourself on the Wits Induction programme for new staff. The programme offers comprehensive, relevant and memorable information.

The Induction programme requires the support of Heads of Schools, managers and also colleagues of new staff members. Encourage new colleagues to attend!

Dates• TBC

Time• 08:30 – 17:30

Facilitators• TBC

Contact• Chantelle Murray: Human Resources Development Unit (HRDU)

( (011) 717-1471 * [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Research Informed Teaching

This programme involves taking a deliberate and systematic approach to investigating, reflecting on, and improving one’s own teaching. A research project follows an inquiry cycle of: formulating a question about student learning; defining measures of success; identifying or creating assessments and learning activities; implementing a learning activity or experience; collecting, analysing, and interpreting data; and reflecting on the experience.

This programme will run over one semester. It will have two 2-hour contact sessions (one at the beginning and one at the end of the semester), and a number of flexible online sessions and face-to-face support. Participants will need to plan for spending at least 2—3 hours per week to complete the programme successfully. The course is limited to 10—15 participants and will be run once a year (from March to end of February, the following year).

A small seed grant of up to R3 000 will be available to support short innovative or experimental approaches to teaching. The short-term objective is to identify and nurture small-scale teaching initiatives. The long-term aim is to promote a culture of innovation and experimentation, and to raise the quality of teaching across the institution.

Learning Outcomes

• Access the literature and current research to develop a deeper understanding of existing evidence-based knowledge concerning high-impact, evidence-based teaching practices.

• Integrate one or more evidence-based teaching strategies into a limited learning and teaching project.

• Implement the project

• Evaluate the project

• Share outcomes with the Wits community and the external teaching & learning community

*[It is recommended that participants first complete The CLTD Academic Role programme before participating in this programme]

This 30-credit short course at NQF Level 8 comprises the following phases: 1 face-to-face session at the beginning of the programme; 6 weeks on-line; 9 months to implement and evaluate the project and 1 face-to-face session at the end of the programme.

On request

Time for contact sessions• 11:00 – 13:00

Facilitators• Dr Rita Kizito and the CLTD Team

Contact• Yasmin Dadabhay

( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

The Induction Programme introduces newly appointed academic staff to teaching at the University of the Witwatersrand and is required as part of the Wits Continuous Professional Learning framework process for anyone new to University Teaching.

The programme runs over a year and consists of two main parts:

• A series of workshops and seminars during Semester 1

• A mini Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Project during Semester 2

Part I is compulsory for all new academics. It consists of 2 full day workshops (an introductory one and a closing one), and four 2½ face-to-face seminars/workshops. The one-day introduction covers key concepts and strategies involved in university teaching and learning with a focus on the Higher Education Context, Becoming and being an academic at Wits, with time to map out a Personal Development Plan.

Part II can be taken in the same year or whenever the candidate is ready during his/her probation period. It consists of two 2½ face-to-face seminars/workshops and two fully online seminars/workshops and a full day writing retreat.

Candidates who complete both parts will be invited to present at the CLTD Teaching and Learning Symposium in September/October each year.

Seasoned academics may choose to attend some sessions.

The programme for 2020 is as follows:

Part I

Title

Introduction to teaching @ Wits

Face-to-face

Teaching for Learning

Face-to-face

Course Design and Development

Face-to-face

Assessment as and for Learning

Face-to-face

Active Blended Learning

Face-to-face

Reflective Practice and Evaluation

Face-to-face

Date 1st April 2020 22nd April 2020 13th May 2020 3rd June 2020 24th June 2020 15th July 2020

Part II

Title

Orientation to SOTL

Face-to-face

Literature Review and SOTL resources

Online

(using TEAMS)

Problem Statement and developing and

abstract

Face-to-face

Discussions on Methodology ( MOOC)

Online ( using TEAMS)

Writing retreatPresentation at CLTD T&L Symposium

Date20th July 2020

29th July 2020 13th August 2020 26th August 2020 9th September

2020

TBA

Academics are expected to document their progress as part of their teaching portfolio for probation or promotion making use of supporting evidence from student evaluations, focus

Now at Wits – New Academic Orientation to the Wits Context



Early Career Academic Development

ECAD is a professional learning programme that aims to provide holistic institutional professional learning and support for early career academics (ECAs). An early career academic within the Wits context is either working towards a PhD or one who holds a PhD for 5 years and less. The programme is convened through a partnership between the Research office and the Centre for Learning and Teaching Development (CLTD).

Structure of the programme

There is a cohort of 40 academics per year who will spend a minimum of 70 notional hours within the programme.

The year-long, theoretically and contextually relevant programme includes attendance on a minimum of:

• 3 workshops from a suite of professional learning workshops on research and facilitation selected from the CLTD Prospectus and Research Office programmes

• 3 of the 6 communities of practice that would be convened during the year

• A 4 day off campus (non - residential) writing retreat

• Mentoring programme compiled by the mentee

Convenors• Dr Robin Drennan

• Ms Rieta Ganas

Contact• Candice Michael

( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Resilience

As an active academic, publishing one’s thoughts and sharing one’s ideas is often exposed to criticism. Peer review and critical analysis are fundamental processes in research, but they can also be hurtful. Setbacks occur in all professionals but to some extent are standard in the academy. Thus it is vital for early career academics to learn how to cope with setbacks. Resilience, the ability to bounce back, is a vital and necessary trait that can be developed and honed. Join us for a morning workshop where resilience techniques are discussed and practiced.

Date• 05 March 2020

Time• 09:00 – 13:00

Facilitators• Dr Robin Drennan

• Ms Rieta Ganas


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]


Planning your Academic Career

Do you know what you need to do today in order 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.

Dates• 21 February 2020

• 5 June 2020

Time• 09:00 – 13:00

Facilitator• Dr Robin Drennan


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

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.

Dates• 6 March 2020

• 26 June 2020

Time• 09:00 – 13:00



( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]


Learning and Teaching

The Academic Role

Given the continuous change within the Higher Education sector and its influence on the academic role within universities, this interactive workshop aims to bridge the age old teaching and research divide that exists within universities, specifically research intensive institutions. The workshop will introduce academics to the basic principles of their academic role within the South African higher education sector and within Wits in particular. The focus will then shift to academics exploring their scholarly development through their teaching and learning 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. More than that it also requires teachers to help students set and achieve their own aims through commitment and being responsible for their own learning.

As such 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, 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: please book early. Full attendance is compulsory for all sessions.

Dates

The Academic Role 1/2020

25 to 27 February and 2 March and 2 April


26 to 28 May and 1 June and 1 July


25 to 27 August and 31 August and 30 September


20 to 23 October and 26 October and 25 November

Time• 08:30 – 14:00

Coordinators• Mrs Rieta Ganas

• Mr Sipho Hlabane

• Mr Shane Pachagadu

• Mr Lerato Seohatse

• Ms Balitiye Monareng

• Ms Nkaba Senne

• Dr Rejoice Nsibande

• Ms Neo Petlele

• Ms Antoinette Malgas


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]


Curriculum Design and Development 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 challenges and future demands for excellence in Higher Education.

Curriculum lies at the heart of what Higher Education institutions do with and for their students and constitutes the main vehicle through which the aims of Higher Education can be achieved. It is thus 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 offering the curriculum and fit for clearly articulated purposes.

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 academic staff to develop appropriately structured and deepened curricula 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.

Academics can opt to enrol for all 5 curriculum workshops within the series or may enrol for only selected workshops as needed.

Series of workshops• CD0: Learning and Teaching Philosophy

• CD1: Curriculum orientations and principles underpinning curriculum design

• CD2: Open Pedagogies

• CD3: Assessment for learning in Higher Education

• CD4: Curriculum Development

Dates

1st Offering

• CD0 – 4 March 2020

• CD1 – 5 and 6 March 2020

• CD2 – 31 March 2020

• CD3 – 14-15 April 2020

• CD4 – 21, 22 and 29 April 2020

2nd Offering

• CD0 – 23 July 2020

• CD1 – 28 and 29 July 2020

• CD2 – 5 August 2020

• CD3 – 11 and 12 August 2020

• CD4 – 18, 19 and 24 August 2020

Time• 08:30 – 14:00

Coordinator• Mrs Rieta Ganas


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]


CD 0: Learning and Teaching Philosophy

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. Having 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 more intentional about curriculum design. This workshop will be facilitated on Wits-e.


• 23 July 2020

Time• Fully online

Coordinator• Dr Najma Agherdien

• Mr Shane Pachagadu

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.

Dates• 5 and 6 March 2020

• 28 and 29 July 2020

Time• 08:30 – 14:00

Coordinator• Mrs Rieta Ganas


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]



CD 2: Open pedagogies

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 pedagogies to develop 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).


• 5 August 2020

Time• 08:30 – 16:00

Coordinators• Dr Najma Agherdien

• Ms Nazira Hoosen


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

CD 3: Assessment for learning in higher education

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.

Dates• 14 and 15 April 2020

• 11 and 12 August 2020

Time• 08:30 – 14:00

Coordinator• Mr. Sipho Hlabane


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]




CD 4: Curriculum Development

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

Dates• 21 April 2020

• 18 August 2020

Time• 09:00 – 14:00

Coordinators• Ms Nazira Hoosen


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

CD 5: Course Approval

This is a half-day workshop designed for Wits staff and facilitated by QAPO. The aim is to provide academic and administrative management staff with an awareness and knowledge of the quality compliance and regulation within Wits and Higher Education. Participants will have the opportunity to complete the required Wits online documents for course approval.

Dates• 5 May 2020

• 8 September 2020

Time• 09:00 – 13:00

Coordinators• Tanya Healy

• Ms Joy Alexander

Contact• Please contact the Quality and Academic Planning Office



Post Graduate Diploma in 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; and

• Deepen engagement with the university as a rapidly changing site of research and scholarship.

The qualification consists of 3 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.

Coordinators• Dr Laura Dison

• Ms Rieta Ganas


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Facilitating Online (FO)

As a Wits academic, you have been requested to develop a blended approach to your courses, and include an online component. This facilitating online course (FOC), 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 three times a year with each offering being facilitated over a period of five weeks. Two offerings are facilitated in a fully online modality and one is facilitated on a blended modality.

Notional hours for this accredited course is calculated at 80 hours.• 50 hours Online engagement - readings/activities, discussions, desktop research

• 10 hours self-study - research/following links

• 12 hours live sessions at CLTD (2 hrs per week: 9:00 – 11:00). PS! We will use Big Blue Button for the virtual sessions

• 08 hours final assessment - comprises approximately 60 – 90 minutes a day over a week to complete an e-p vortfolio

DatesFO 1 – 13 February to 19 March 2020 – fully online

FO 2 - 7 May to 18 June 2020 – blended

FO 3 - 6 August to 5 September 2020 – fully online

Time• Fully Online

• Contact sessions (one per week) 09:00 to 11:00 (contact day to be negotiated)

Coordinator• Dr Najma Agherdien

• Ms Nazira Hoosen




( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

• Candice Michael

( ( (011) 717-1475 * * [email protected]

Teaching multicultural diverse students

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 that academics need to think carefully about their curriculum choices, pedagogies and assessment as they engage in a multicultural diverse classroom. This half-day workshop will introduce participants to strategies on how to teach multicultural diverse students in the 21st century. The workshop starts with exploring literature on culturally responsive pedagogies and then moves on to take participants through various process on designing and developing culturally relevant curricular, pedagogies and assessment.

Dates• 5 May 2020

Time• 08:30 – 13:00



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]





Teaching in large classes

In the past decade there has been a substantial increase in the number of enrolments in South Af-rican Universities and it is estimated that this increase will continue. One of the likely concerns of these increases is the increase of class sizes in universities, especially at undergraduate level. This two hours’ workshop will introduce participants to strategies on how to deal with inherent challeng-es associated with teaching large classes. The focus will be on how lecturers can promote engage-ment and managing logistical issues associated with large classes. Assessment and integration of technology in large classes will also be part of the discussion.


Time• 09:00 – 11:00



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Introduction to assessment and Wits assessment policy

Assessment is an integral and vital part of teaching and learning and it has major influence in learning than teaching. Assessments are used to investigate what people know and can do and to make decisions regarding whether they have learned what was expected. In this workshop participants will consider the role of assessment from different perspective but particularly from the wits perspective. The wits senate standing orders on assessment of student learning will be unpacked.


• 22 July 2020

Time• 09:00 – 11:00



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]




Designing authentic assessment tasks

Authenticity has been identified as a key characteristic of assessment design which promotes learning and the development of higher order skills. Studies indicate that authentic assessment has an impact on the quality and depth of learning achieved by the students. In addition, authentic as-sessment appears as a model that can enhance employability because it promotes abilities needed in the workplace, like problems solving skills, autonomy, self-regulation and metacognition. In this workshop, participants will be taken through the process of designing authentic assessment tasks as well as injecting realism, cognitive challenge and evaluative judgement into tests and examina-tions.

Dates• 16 September 2020

Time• 08:30 – 12:00



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Introduction to assessment and Wits assessment policy

Assessment is an integral and vital part of teaching and learning and it has major influence in learning than teaching. Assessments are used to investigate what people know and can do and to make decisions regarding whether they have learned what was expected. In this workshop participants will consider the role of assessment from different perspective but particularly from the wits perspective. The wits senate standing orders on assessment of student learning will be unpacked.


• 22 July 2020

Time• 09:00 – 11:00



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]




Designing meaningful assessment rubrics

Rubrics are widely used scoring tools in higher education. They provide rigorous assessment frameworks for translating authentic examples of student work in higher education. This hands on half day workshop will take lecturers through the steps of designing meaningful rubrics based on principles of good assessment.

Dates• 7 October 2020

Time• 08:30 – 12:00



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Principles of effective feedback

Higher education institutions are being criticised more for inadequacies in the feedback they provide to students than for almost any other aspect of their courses. Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement, but this impact can be either positive or negative. This workshop raise awareness about the power of feedback by considering different models and cultures of feedback in higher education. The workshop will also look into different forms of feedback and the importance feedback literacy.

Dates• 4 June 2020



( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]




Postgraduate Pedagogy

Traditionally the postgraduate experience has been seen as being the most intense, personal and individual learning experience in higher education. By its very nature it has had a significant element of learner agency with much of the teaching involving mentoring rather than instruction. In the past decade or so, this picture of postgraduate learning and teaching has been radically shaken up and has become a wide and disparate set of practices and processes. How is postgraduate learning and teaching to be best understood in all its complexity in the current higher education context? What spaces are there for different practices and voices in postgraduate contexts at Wits?

This workshop will enable participants to explore the following aspects which need urgent and rigorous attention:

• Small group teaching

• Cohort supervision

• Academic writing

• Plagiarism

Date• 6 May 2020


Time• 08:30 – 13:30

Coordinator• Professor Marissa Rollnick


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Developing a teaching portfolio

Kincheloe (2003) argues that how teachers engage in their teaching practice is linked to their understanding of who they are as beings (educators), what it means to facilitate, who are their students, and what it means to learn. Both conceptions are evolving and emergent thus it is crucial to engage these questions in-depth and continuously.

Teaching portfolios are an opportunity to engage these critical questions and also provide space for documenting practice to demonstrate growth, pedagogical competence and excellence in teaching. A teaching portfolio is not only a requirement of the institution, but it is a crucial space for reflective practice and continuous engagement with practice. The workshop on developing a teaching portfolio is fully online and hands-on; it starts with exploring literature on reflective practice and professional learning then moves on to take participants through various processes on developing a teaching portfolio. Participants will draft their teaching philosophies and demonstrate how these philosophies translate into practice focused on student success.

There will be guidance offered by facilitators and peers. There is, however, an assumption that academics participating in this workshop have the basic scholarly understanding of curriculum, learning and teaching and assessment principles. The end-product of this workshop for each participant is a complete draft of a teaching portfolio.

On request

Time

Half day followed by online development of the teaching portfolio (8:30-14:00)

Coordinator• Dr Rejoice Nsibande


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]




Tutor training workshop

This workshop is specifically designed for postgraduate students, teaching assistants and postdoctoral fellows who undertake some teaching and tutoring responsibilities at wits. The workshop will provide a space to raise awareness of the complexity inherent in guiding a group of students to succeed in their studies through meaningful tutoring support. The workshop focus on conceptual understanding of the teaching and learning environment including basic understanding of the theories of learning. Participants will also be introduced to basic principles of assessment. The workshop is followed by a micro teaching session where participants are engaged in real teaching situation for developing skills in order to get deeper knowledge regarding the art of teaching.

Dates

On request

Time• 08:30 – 14:00


• Dr Ashwini Jadhav


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Technologies for Teaching (T4T)Designing Blended Learning Experiences using wits-e

Designing Blended Learning Experiences using Wits-e is a series of workshops designed to assist Wits academics and support staff in transitioning content to a blended learning environment. The series of workshops provides Wits academics with an opportunity to learn about and experience blended learning environments from a student’s perspective.

These workshops will help you:

• Learn strategies to design course content for blended learning and teaching approaches

• Increase understanding of appropriate technologies for blended learning.

• Develop a community with other academics in the University in a blended learning context

Enhancing your curriculum for blended learning

In this workshop you will explore what blended learning means in the university context. We will also delve into the different models of blended learning and how to best transition from a face-to-face model to a more flexible teaching approach that capitalizes on both face-to-face and online model.

12 March 10:00 – 14:00

22 July 10:00 – 14:00

6 October 10:00 – 14:00

Facilitators• Antoinette Malgas

( (011) 717-7175 * [email protected]

• Nkaba Senne

( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]

• Neo Petlele

( (011) 717-7183 * [email protected]

• Michelle Balitiye Monareng

( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]



Wits-e Intro

This session will give you an overview of Wits-e, introducing you to the various tools available to use and how to use these tools effectively in a Blended Learning context. It guides you on how to structure your course, add/upload course content into Wits-e, guide your learners on the usage of discussion tools, communication tools, Lesson tools in embedding videos, linking to Forums etc.

Some of the topics that will be covered are: Building a course structure; Building your site; Adding course content; Adding students/Participants; Creating announcements; Adding more tools to your site; Tool Order (how to rename tools and order your menu) and Web links, Creating an Overview to orientate participants to your site.

12 Feb 10:00 – 12:005 March 10:00 – 12:0014 April 10:00 – 12:0024 June 10:00 – 12:0016 September 10:00 – 12:007 October 10:00 – 12:004 November 10:00 – 12:00

Facilitators• Antionette Malgas

* [email protected]

Wits-e Intermediate

Have you ever wondered how you would create an online assessment? In this session you will learn how to structure and manage online assessments. We will cover setting up online tests and quizzes and enabling students to submit their essays online. You will also learn how to manage student marks generated from online assignments, and how you can use Wits-e to add and manage all student grades for your course. Finally, we will introduce you to Lockdown browser and how may you use it to prevent student dishonesty whilst completing your assessment in a controlled environment.

NOTE: It is highly recommended that you first attend the Introduction session before attending the Intermediate session.

Dates24 March 9:00 – 12:0016 April 9:00 – 12:001 July 9:00 – 12:0022 September 9:00 – 12:0014 October 9:00 – 12:0012 November 9:00 – 12:00

Facilitator:• Neo Petlele

* [email protected]




Turnitin

This workshop covers setting up of the Turnitin tool (a similarity detection tool that helps detect plagiarism) within Wits-e. In this session, you will learn how to submit your documentation to the Turnitin system, how to access the Turnitin report and analyse it, and lastly how to print your report.

Dates2 April 10:00 – 12:0013 May 10:00 – 12:002 July 10:00 – 12:0030 September 10:00 – 12:0028 October 10:00 – 12:0018 November 10:00 – 12:00

Facilitator:• Nkaba Senne

* [email protected]

Wits-e Advanced (online facilitation tools)

As we move into online learning environments, the need to explore tools that will aid us in facilitating these environments for teaching has become more prevalent. This workshop is designed to introduce various online tools that will assist you in interacting and facilitating learning environments in a safe space.

Dates30 April 10:00 – 12:0030 July 10:00 – 12:0024 November 10:00 – 12:00

Facilitators• Nkaba Senne

( ( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]

• Antoinette Malgas

( ( (011) 717-7175 * [email protected]

• Neo Petlele

( (011) 717-7183 * [email protected]


( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]







Technologies for Teaching (T4T)Are you actively moving towards a more blended approach in your teaching? These sessions will help you master available teaching technologies that could enhance your lessons in a blended learning and teaching environment.

Session 1: Pre-workshop exposure to content and discussion (online)

Two days prior to the Faculty Video Studio Workshop you will have access to a shared online platform where you will be introduced to Technologies for Teaching and have the opportunity to explore and discuss the pedagogical value of knowing the technology.

Session Duration: 2 days

Session 2: Faculty Video Studio Workshop (face-to-face)

In this half-day workshop you will discover practical and creative ways of using the Faculty Video Studio equipment and editing software to enhance your teaching praxis.

Session Duration: 4 Hours (9am-1pm)

Session 3: Post-workshop showcase and feedback (online)

In this final session you will showcase your newfound technology-based teaching skills gained in Sessions 1 and 2, on a shared online platform, receive feedback on your work, and have the opportunity to view colleagues’ work and provide constructive feedback.

Session Duration: 2 Hours (12pm-2pm)

Technologies for Teaching Session Dates for 2020

March April May June July August Sep Oct Nov

Session 1 24 - 25 9 - 14 12 - 13 15 - 17 14 - 15 18 - 19 7 - 8 13 - 14 3 - 4

Session 2 26 15 14 18 16 20 9 15 5

Session 3 29 12 21 27 29 29 27

Facilitators• Sharon Coetzer

* [email protected]


( ( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]

Smart classroom Training

Through its Learning & Teaching Plan and Digital Teaching & Learning Strategy, Wits has committed itself to becoming an ‘IT savvy’ university. To facilitate this process Wits has implemented Smart classrooms that offer state of the art software applications that allow for opportunities to create student-centred classroom activities such as live streaming and recording of interactive learning interactions. Recordings will be available through the integration of Wits-e (the institutional LMS) with Mediasite, a sophisticated video content management system (CMS). This CMS provides limited editing functionality, viewing statistics, auto-captioning and indexing of videos, and in-video quizzes, to name but a few.

To explore the full benefit of the smart classrooms, you will be required you to enroll in one of our training workshops.

Dates1 April 9:00 – 11:00

23 April 9:00 – 11:00

6 May 9:00 – 11:00

29 May 9:00 – 11:00

4 June 9:00 – 11:00

23 September 9:00 – 12:00

19 November 9:00 – 12:00

Venue: Gate house building: GH403


( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]


( (011) 717-7175 * [email protected]

• Neo Petlele

( (011) 717-7183 * [email protected]


( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]








Educational technology tools for learning and teaching

It has become overwhelming navigating the terrain of digital technologies, especially in learning and teaching. This workshop is designed to introduce you to some of the tools and strategies that you can use while facilitating learning interactions.

Dates3 June 10:00 – 12:00

6 Aug 10:00 – 12:00


( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]


( (011) 717-7175 * [email protected]

• Neo Petlele

( (011) 717-7183 * [email protected]


( (011) 717-7179 * [email protected]

Research and Postgraduate Supervision

Digital Data for Research Workshop

Digital data are becoming increasing ubiquitous. Many branches of research are now impacted by one’s ability to manage large and or complex data sets. Consider video recordings and Tweets in the social sciences, satellite tracker data in the natural sciences, PET and CT scans in the Health Sciences, to name just a few random examples. This workshop will help you transition into the world of Big Data painlessly without having to become a data scientist. Learn to collect, collate, store and archive large digital data sets. This knowledge may help you to comply with grantor’s requirements to share research data, but also enable you to get access to data shared by other researchers for your secondary analysis.

Dates• TBC

Time• 09:00 – 13:00

Facilitator• Mr Taariq Surtee

• Ms Nina Lewin


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]






Zotero

This hands-on workshop 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 to integrate 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

Dates

• 17 April 2020

• 5 June 2020

• 21 August 2020

• 9 October 2020

Further dates will be communicated via the Wits News, and Events on the Intranet

Time• 09:30 – 11:30

Venue• Wartenweiler Library, 1st floor, Electronic Classroom

Facilitator• Ms Thuli Dlamini


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Publishing for Impact

Publish 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, then 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.

Dates• 12 and 13 March 2020

• 13 and 14 August 2020

Time• 09:00 – 13:00



( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

http://libguides.wits.ac.za/zotero




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, plan for the unknown and plan despite uncertainty.

Dates• 22 May 2020


Time• 09:00 – 13:00



( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Research Project Budgeting

A research project budget is a vital component of any funding proposal. Join Dr Pamisha Pillay, Business Development Manager at Wits Enterprise, as she discusses how to develop a budget that supports and enhances your research or consulting proposal. The workshop makes use of PCs 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.



Time• 09:00 – 13:00

Facilitator• Dr Pamisha Pillay

• Mr Tendani Nevondo


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]




Writing Winning Proposals for the NRF

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 a number of ‘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 proposals and standard writing techniques used in the publication of research outputs.

Dates• 7 February 2020

• 27 March 2020

• 19 June 2020


Time• 09:00 – 13:00



( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

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 lunch time (1hour) discussion on different ways to layout your CV to best emphasise your achievements.

Date• 19 March 2020

Time• 13h15 – 14h15



( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]




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.

Dates

1st offering• 11 to 13 May 2020

• 14 and 15 July 2020

2nd offering

• 14 to 16 September 2020

• 10 and 11 November 2020

And two workshops on request

Time• 08:30 – 14:00

Facilitators• TBC


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

Postgraduate Supervision

Good supervision is central to successful graduate research, yet it is difficult to define and develop. This one-day workshop explores models and systems of supervision; institutional policy and procedures; and supervisor-student relationships.

Dates

5 February 202025 March 20204 May 202010 June 202022 July 20207 September 202027 October 202018 November 2020

Time• 08:30 – 15:30

Facilitators• TBC


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]




Wits Writing Programme (WWP): using writing as a vehicle to teach course contentWould you like to address the need for better writing at the same time as teaching your regular course?

Writing Intensive pedagogy uses writing, reading, and discussion exercises to teach the critical thinking skills required by a particular disciplinary course. WI teaching so requires a course to be re-designed around assignments and activities which promote active learning and engagement and allow for continuous feedback, which if you join the WWP, is supported through the allocation of Writing Fellow tutors to your course.

It may be that your course is already Writing Intensive. In this case submission for WI status provides formalised recognition and participation in a rapidly growing university-wide programme.

Brief background to the WWP

The Wits Writing Programme (WWP) is a cross-university programme of Writing Intensive (WI) courses. WI courses are existing courses which are adapted by the discipline specialist so that writing becomes a vehicle for learning to think and communicate effectively within the discipline.

The WWP is a UCDG funded project, currently in its third year of operation. Professor Nichols is the grant holder and has established a Writing Board of the Faculties comprising of representatives from all faculties to oversee its processes. In 2019, over 40 WI courses ran, supported by around 240 Writing Fellow tutors, effecting over 8000 students. In order to join the WWP and have a course recognized as WI, lecturers must first attend one of the workshops listed below.

Only for writing teachers?This approach will interest lecturers who are interested in processes of thinking and learning, and in developing excellent writing within their particular discipline. A course can be changed radically to make it WI or simply have some WI elements introduced. The WWP handbook (available on request from [email protected] ) outlines the criteria of WI courses and interested persons are welcome to come and browse the specially created reference writing library, which includes theoretical and resource materials, housed at the Wits Writing Centre (ground floor of Wartenweiler Library).

Joining the WWP will also allow you to make alliances with the growing community of WI lecturers in all faculties. All applications to join one of the WI workshops or WF workshops should be made in the first instance to Professor Pamela Nichols [email protected].

Next step

Think about the potential of a course which you teach, or are going to teach, to be WI. Browse the writing library and talk to any colleague who is already in the WWP, and then sign up for one of the WI workshops to adapt an existing course. Bring the description of the course you would like to propose as WI to the workshop. It may be that your course is already Writing Intensive, in which case you might find the workshop useful to help you to formalize the WI characteristics.

Please note that you need to email in advance [email protected] to confirm your attendance at one of the WI workshops for lecturers. Similarly, your postgraduate Writing Fellow

tutor has to send an email in advance to confirm their required attendance at one of the WF workshops.

Dates • Round 1

WI workshops (to adapt an existing course to make it WI): January 21, 22, and February 4.

(February 6: WI course proposals submitted by 10:00 AM to [email protected])

WF workshops (which are required orientation for Writing Fellow tutors): January 28, 29, and February 5, 6.

• Round 2:

WI workshops for lecturers: June 4, 5, 11, or 12.

(June 17: WI course proposals to be sent to [email protected])

WF workshops: July 15, 16, 17, 22, or 23.

• Round 3:

WI workshops for lecturers: November 4, 5, or 6.

(Monday November 11: WI course proposals to be sent to PCN)

Time and venueAll the above workshops run from 13h00 to 16h00 and are held at the Wits Writing Centre, ground floor of Wartenweiler Library.

FacilitatorProfessor Pamela Nichols


( x7-1473 * [email protected] * [email protected]






Research writing: ways to improve our own writing and your students’ writing

Need to improve your own writing, integrate writing into your academic life, and help your students to write better? This three-day course will practice ways to improve research writing and the teaching of research writing.

It will begin with writer-based writing and discuss argument, including elements of argument, construction and evaluation. Then we shall examine ways of using writing to think further; to explore our thinking so as to generate more material. Lastly we will shift to revision and reader-based writing and go over some techniques for revising style and argument.

Throughout, participants will be working on their own writing projects and applying ideas from the workshops to their own writing. The approach modelled will be writing intensive and will include discussions about how to transfer these skills and habits to students. Graduates from this course are encouraged to apply for the writing retreat in September, and will be given first preference

Dates• 20 to 22 May 2020

Time and venue• 09h00 – 13h00 at Wits Writing Centre, ground floor of Wartenweiler Library

Facilitator• Professor Pamela Nichols


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected] * [email protected]

Writing Retreats: a chance to withdraw and make progress on a current writing project

Do you need some time to put your head down and make some real progress on your writing project? This three-day, non-residential writing retreat, offers colleagues an opportunity to develop or complete a substantial piece of writing such as a journal article, chapter of a PhD or book. Aside from providing time and space to write, the retreat offers opportunity for re-seeing a project, giving and receiving feedback, initiating a sustainable writing group, and discussing ways in which writing retreats can be run.

Enrolment is limited to nine writers per retreat, with preference given to applicants from the May writing course. Applications should be directed in the first instance to Professor Pamela Nichols [email protected]

Dates • 2 to 4 September 2020

Time • 09h00 - 18h00

VenueFoxwood House

Facilitator:• Professor Pamela Nichols


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected] * [email protected]





Academic CitizenshipDecolonising the curriculum

“An open discussion on aspects of Decolonising the curriculum, as well as decolonising assessment, pedagogy, evaluation, and the learning space.”

Duration: lunch time seminars

Dates: To be confirmed

Coordinator• Mr Sipho Hlabane


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Student Success and Development: Community of Practice (CoP)

A series of workshops undertaken throughout the year will provide student development practitioners with opportunities to share information and experiences on student success initiatives. By exchanging knowledge, expertise and solutions to challenges, the CoP will be in a position to collectively draw on best practices to advance student success. Workshops will cover various aspect of student success and will focus on shared knowledge in a learning environment.

Dates• Quarterly

Time• 09:00 – 12:00

Facilitator• Ms Raazia Moosa


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Students at Emotional Risk

The Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) is offering this half-day workshop to Wits academic, support and residence staff. The workshop incorporates 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 objective of this workshop is to provide university staff who lecture, support and/or work with students with relevant information to assist and support these students during their university career.

Dates• 30 January 2020 – Health Sciences Faculty

• 12 February 2020 – Engineering and the Built Environment Faculty

• 11 March 2020 – Commerce, Law and Management Faculty

• 21 May 2020 – Humanities Faculty

• 16 July 2020 – Science Faculty

• 4 August 2020 – Open Workshop

Time• 08:30 – 14:00

Facilitator• CCDU Staff


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]


Basic Supporter Skills Training

The Counselling and Careers Development Unit 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 self-reflection 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.

Dates• 09 and 10 September 2020

Time • 08:30 – 14:00

Facilitator• CCDU Staff


( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Evaluation Service

Teaching and course evaluations to enhance students’ learning experience

Wits requires that all academic staff with teaching responsibilities 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 academics 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.

• Create awareness of processes and platform used at Wits to conduct meaningful evaluations.

• Explore ways in which students can be encouraged to participate constructively in evaluation processes.

• Prepare academic staff for using evaluation feedback in processes of continuous improvement of teaching and courses.

On Request

3Hrs


Peer Reviews

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 development benefits to 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.

On request

3Hrs

Evaluation Services

CLTD offers a range of methods to elicit feedback on effectiveness of teaching and courses by academic staff for the purposes of continuing professional learning, enhancement of learning and teaching practice as well as accountability. 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

For years, Wits has conducted what is known as ALP (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 that is going to be used to conduct evaluations. This move is meant to ensure efficient and effective evaluation processes. The CLTD is in the process to on-board all schools to the online system platform. In 2019 a few schools used Blue Explorance to conduct evaluations and in 2020 the system will be launched across all faculties.

It is important to note that on boarding staff to the Blue Explorance system is done in stages, staff will receive communication when their schools/Faculties are next on the line.

To ensure that the adoption and effective use of Blue Explorance, the CLTD will embark on extensive engagements with all stakeholders. The following are different ways in which staff will be supported to ensure they are able to use the system:

Information sessions:

Level 1 Title Description Estimated Time

Beginner Blue Explorance Basics

To create awareness of Blue Explorance:how the system work the responsibilities of the different stakeholderscreating evaluation forms, andmonitoring response rates

1 hr.

Sessions dates and times will be negotiated between schools / Faculties and the CLTD.

Level Title Description Estimated Time

None – everyone invited

Blue Explorance Open hour

Open forum where CLTD Evaluation Services staff respond to questions and challenges experienced by staff when using online system.

1 hr – lunch time

Blue Explorance Open lunch hour discussions will be held forth nightly until all Faculties are on board.

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 accessing reports). Related short video clips and Frequently Asked Questions document will be made available on the CLTD website.

Level 2 Title Description Estimated Time

Established User

Blue Explorance intermediate

To consolidate knowledge on Blue Explorance and further explore features that will enhance user experience such as:

Question personalistion

Subject view management

Enhancing students’ participation

Closing the feedback loop

1hr30min


Level 2 workshops will be advertised when all faculties are on board with using the Blue Explorance system. The CLTD envisage that this will be in Semester 2 of the 2020 Academic year.

The CLTD recommends that lecturers use student feedback as a formative, developmental input. The results offer useful indicators of trends, but have limited value in getting to the heart of pedagogical practice. 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, i.e. mismatched expectations.

Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID)

This technique is generally used to provide an in-depth exploration of challenges identified or flagged by broader-sweep approaches, 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 styles 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

Peer Reviews

We recommend 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 and they are experts both in disciplines 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

Lecturers 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, developmental fashion, rather than to make categorical judgements about lecturers’ teaching practice. We would be happy to assist lecturers and academic managers in this regard.

Please 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 entirely

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

ContactFor administrative information on ALPs and other matters:

• Mpumi Mazibuko

( (011) 717-1483 * [email protected]

For further information on conducting evaluations or interpreting student feedback:

• Dr Rejoice Nsibande

( (011) 717-1474 * [email protected]

http://intranet.wits.ac.za/exec/registrar/Policies/Forms/AllItems.aspx




Symposia and Lekgotlas

Learning and teaching Lekgotla

Please watch out for advertisements of the Learning and teaching Lekgotla on the Wits News, and Events on the Intranet

Dates• 19 and 20 May 2020

Time• 08:30 – 16:00

Facilitators• CLTD


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

• Candice Michael

( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Learning and teaching Symposium

Please watch out for advertisements of the Learning and teaching Lekgotla on the Wits News, and Events on the Intranet

Dates• 11 to 12 March 2020

• 19 and 20 October 2020

Time• 08:30 – 17:00

Facilitators• CLTD


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

• Candice Michael

( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

FeedbackWe value your feedback. It helps us to understand what is important to you. If you have been pleased with our level of service, let us know as it gives us the opportunity to recognise great service by our team members.

If you are not satisfied, please tell us. We take your suggestions seriously and use them to improve our business.

Recommended process

• Try to resolve the issue with the Facilitator(s) of the workshop.• If still unsatisfied, please feel free to request CLTD leadership to mediate, or arrange for mediation of the matter.

Contact us General Queries

Talk to us about academic career development, learning and teaching practices, and innovations in online and blended learning.


( (011) 717-1473 * [email protected]

• Candice Michael

( (011) 717-1475 * [email protected]

Centre for Learning and Teaching Development

Engaged Learning and Teaching

Learning, Teaching, Supervision & Research Support

Documents

PROSPECTUS - wits.ac.za · Educational technology tools for learning and teaching ... • The application of, and engagement with, digital technology. • Wits Learning & Teaching