Latest News Archive
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News Items
| 2022-10-13 |
Vision 130 sets the tone for the UFS for the next 12 years |
| 2022-10-13 |
Vision 130 sets the tone for the UFS for the next 12 years |
| 2022-10-31 |
Netball star Sne Mdletshe hopes to inspire excellence |
| 2022-10-31 |
Netball star Sne Mdletshe hopes to inspire excellence |
| 2022-10-31 |
Prof Sithole to lend expertise on UNESCO science advisory board |
| 2022-10-31 |
Prof Sithole to lend expertise on UNESCO science advisory board |
| 2022-10-28 |
UFS Drama Department scores big wins at Vrystaat Arts Festival |
| 2022-10-28 |
UFS Drama Department scores big wins at Vrystaat Arts Festival |
| 2022-10-28 |
Global Citizen Series: A conversation with The Rt Hon the Lord Peter Hain |
| 2022-10-28 |
Global Citizen Series: A conversation with The Rt Hon the Lord Peter Hain |
| 2022-10-27 |
UFS student to produce cheaper sanitary towels for disadvantaged girls, women |
| 2022-10-27 |
UFS student to produce cheaper sanitary towels for disadvantaged girls, women |
| 2022-10-26 |
Expanded Collaboration for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Limpopo |
| 2022-10-26 |
Expanded Collaboration for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Limpopo |
| 2022-10-26 |
Socially developing communities or making them dependent |
| 2022-10-26 |
Socially developing communities or making them dependent |
| 2022-10-26 |
UFS research fellow appointed UNDP Human Rights Research Chair |
| 2022-10-26 |
UFS research fellow appointed UNDP Human Rights Research Chair |
| 2022-10-25 |
Celebrating excellence at the UFS Learning & Teaching awards |
| 2022-10-25 |
Celebrating excellence at the UFS Learning & Teaching awards |
| 2022-10-25 |
A journey of Pride – UFS commemorates Pride Month |
| 2022-10-25 |
A journey of Pride – UFS commemorates Pride Month |
| 2022-10-24 |
Celebrating more than 20 years of University-Community Engagement |
| 2022-10-24 |
Celebrating more than 20 years of University-Community Engagement |
| 2022-10-24 |
Prof Paul Oberholster latest UFS scientist inaugurated by Academy of Science |
| 2022-10-24 |
Prof Paul Oberholster latest UFS scientist inaugurated by Academy of Science |
| 2022-10-21 |
UFS doctoral student authors bat-centred children’s book |
| 2022-10-21 |
UFS doctoral student authors bat-centred children’s book |
| 2022-10-20 |
Putting mental health in the spotlight through filmmaking |
| 2022-10-20 |
Putting mental health in the spotlight through filmmaking |
| 2022-10-20 |
Making mental health conversations trend |
| 2022-10-20 |
Making mental health conversations trend |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS names its top sport achievers |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS names its top sport achievers |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS Convocation reflects on past five years at AGM |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS Convocation reflects on past five years at AGM |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS staff member Nambitha Manqola scoops national Librarian award |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS staff member Nambitha Manqola scoops national Librarian award |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS Womxn’s Forum and KovsieAct join hands to Support the Jagersfontein Community |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS Womxn’s Forum and KovsieAct join hands to Support the Jagersfontein Community |
| 2022-10-18 |
Register as a potential stem cell donor |
| 2022-10-18 |
Register as a potential stem cell donor |
| 2022-10-18 |
Participatory research illuminating complexities of poverty, the potential of youth fighting it |
| 2022-10-18 |
Participatory research illuminating complexities of poverty, the potential of youth fighting it |
| 2022-10-18 |
The ANC's elective conference – continued cycle of women's exclusion |
| 2022-10-18 |
The ANC's elective conference – continued cycle of women's exclusion |
| 2022-10-14 |
Students need a Sustainable Food System on Campus |
| 2022-10-14 |
Students need a Sustainable Food System on Campus |
| 2022-10-14 |
UFS Business School: The future of business is now |
| 2022-10-14 |
UFS Business School: The future of business is now |
| 2022-10-14 |
Invite: Tutu-Jonker Lecture, 'Faltering resilience – a nation in need of conciliation' |
| 2022-10-14 |
Invite: Tutu-Jonker Lecture, 'Faltering resilience – a nation in need of conciliation' |
| 2022-10-13 |
Invitation to apply for the Emerging Scholars Accelerator Programme |
| 2022-10-13 |
Invitation to apply for the Emerging Scholars Accelerator Programme |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS biologists discover new tiny, white-thumbed bat species from Eswatini |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS biologists discover new tiny, white-thumbed bat species from Eswatini |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS among world’s best universities in Times Higher Education ranking |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS among world’s best universities in Times Higher Education ranking |
| 2022-10-12 |
Global Citizen Webinar: A conversation with Judge Albie Sachs |
| 2022-10-12 |
Global Citizen Webinar: A conversation with Judge Albie Sachs |
| 2022-10-12 |
Advancing innovative, effective mathematics and science teaching |
| 2022-10-12 |
Advancing innovative, effective mathematics and science teaching |
| 2022-10-12 |
Great futures don’t fall from heaven – it has to be fought for |
| 2022-10-12 |
Great futures don’t fall from heaven – it has to be fought for |
| 2022-10-11 |
Qwaqwa research conference highlights value of research that is centred on humanity |
| 2022-10-11 |
Qwaqwa research conference highlights value of research that is centred on humanity |
| 2022-10-10 |
Plant-based medicine a possible cure for post-COVID-19 tuberculosis |
| 2022-10-10 |
Plant-based medicine a possible cure for post-COVID-19 tuberculosis |
| 2022-10-10 |
Making a difference with the No Student Hungry Programme |
| 2022-10-10 |
Making a difference with the No Student Hungry Programme |
| 2022-10-10 |
Raising hope and awareness for the homeless: the invisible who deserve to be seen |
| 2022-10-10 |
Raising hope and awareness for the homeless: the invisible who deserve to be seen |
| 2022-10-10 |
Annual conference enhances teaching and learning |
| 2022-10-10 |
Annual conference enhances teaching and learning |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS students get to experience study abroad opportunities in Spain and Germany |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS students get to experience study abroad opportunities in Spain and Germany |
| 2022-10-06 |
It’s a home semi-final for UFS netball team |
| 2022-10-06 |
It’s a home semi-final for UFS netball team |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS counselling psychologist to lead mental health initiatives |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS counselling psychologist to lead mental health initiatives |
| 2022-10-05 |
UFS preparing young people for the world of work |
| 2022-10-05 |
UFS preparing young people for the world of work |
| 2022-10-05 |
New advance medical imaging technology for the Department of Medical Physics |
| 2022-10-05 |
New advance medical imaging technology for the Department of Medical Physics |
| 2022-10-04 |
From kombucha to leather-like textile |
| 2022-10-04 |
From kombucha to leather-like textile |
| 2022-10-04 |
The arts coming together at the UFS |
| 2022-10-04 |
The arts coming together at the UFS |
| 2022-10-04 |
UFS scholar first to participate in the University of Michigan fellowship programme |
| 2022-10-04 |
UFS scholar first to participate in the University of Michigan fellowship programme |
Project aims to boost science pass rate
2009-01-19
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Attending the launch of the HP grant of about R1 million to the UFS are, from the left: Mr Leon Erasmus, Country Manager for HP Technology Services in South Africa, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS, and Mr Cobus van Breda, researcher at the UFS's Centre for Education Development and manager of the project.
Photo: Lacea Loader |
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The University of the Free State (UFS), in partnership with computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP), wants to boost the pass rate of its science students by using mobile technology.
The UFS is one of only 15 universities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the only university in South Africa to receive a grant from HP to promote mobile technology for teaching in higher education valued at USD$ 100,000 (or about R1 million). Altogether 80 universities from 28 countries applied for the grant.
“Last year HP invited a number of selected universities to submit proposals in which they had to explain how they are going to utilise mobile technologies in the redesign of a course that is presented at the university. The proposal of the Centre for Education Development (CED) at the UFS entitled “Understanding Physics through data logging” was accepted,” says Mr Cobus van Breda, researcher at CED and manager of the project.
According to Mr van Breda, students who do not meet the entrance requirements for the three-year B.Sc. programme have to enroll for the four-year curriculum with the first year actually preparing them for the three-year curriculum.
In order to increase the success rate of these students, the project envisages to enhance their understanding of science principles by utilising the advantages of personal computer (PC) tablet technology and other information and communication technologies (ICT) to support effective teaching and learning methodology.
“By using PC tablet technology in collaboration with data-logging software, a personal response system, the internet and other interactive ICT applications, an environment different from a traditional teaching milieu is created. This will consequently result in a different approach to addressing students’ learning issues,” says Mr van Breda.
The pilot project was launched during the fourth term of 2008 when 130 first-year B.Sc. students (of the four-year curriculum) did the practical component of the physics section of the Concepts in General Science (CGS) module by conducting experiments in a computerised laboratory, using data-logging software amongst other technology applications. “The pilot project delivered good results and students found the interactive application very helpful,” says Mr van Breda.
”The unique feature of the latter is the fact that real-life data can be collected with electronic sensors and instantly presented as computer graphs. It can then be analysed and interpreted immediately, thus more time can be devoted to actual Science principles and phenomena and less time on time-consuming data processing,” says Mr van Breda.
The CGS module can be seen as a prerequisite for further studies in physics at university level and in this regard it is of essence to keep looking for new models of learning and teaching which can result in student success. This year the theoretical and practical component of the physics section of the CGS programme will be done in an integrated manner.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
16 January 2009
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