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12 December 2018 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah
Prolific Researchers
Qwaqwa Campus prolific researchers, Drs Tom Ashafa, Maria Tsakeni, and Rodwell Makombe flanked by the Vice-Rector: Academic and Research, Prof Corli Witthuhn(far left), and Acting Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research, Dr Jared McDonald(far right).

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on the Qwaqwa Campus recently presented deserving academics with awards in recognition of their innovative teaching and learning practices.

“These annual awards are aimed at encouraging our academics to put extra effort in their different disciplines, as well as making valued contribution towards the advancement of the scholarship of teaching and learning at the University of the Free State,” said Fred Mudavanhu, Deputy Director: Centre for Teaching and Learning.

“To be considered for an award, academics had to apply. The adjudication panel was made up of three reviewers – one each from the Qwaqwa and Bloemfontein Campuses, as well as an external adjudicator,” added Mudavanhu. The three categories were Departmental Awards, Research in Teaching and Learning, and Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

The winners were as follows:

Departmental Award – Sociology

Winners: Nhlanhla Ndlovu and Cebelihle Sokhela

Research in Teaching and Learning

Winner: Dr Maria Tsakeni (School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology)

Innovation in Teaching and Learning

Winner: Marthinus Delport (Industrial Psychology)

First runner-up: Marne van Niekerk (Accounting)

Second runner-up: Michaela Martin (Political Studies and Governance)

Third runner-up: Dr Cias Tsotetsi (School of Education Studies)

Meanwhile, the Academic and Research office also awarded outstanding researchers at the same ceremony. The winners were as follows:

Prolific Researchers

Faculty of Education – Dr Maria Tsakeni

Faculty of the Humanities – Dr Rodwell Makombe

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences – Dr Tom Ashafa

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences – None

Best Emerging Researchers

Faculty of Education – Dr Bekithemba Dube

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences – Marthinus Delport and Marne van Niekerk

Faculty of the Humanities – Dr Tshepo Moloi and Bianca Naude

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences – Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala

Lifetime Achievers

Prof Birhanu Dejene

Prof Rodney Moffett

News Archive

Laptop in, paper out
2013-07-31

 

Prof Pieter Nel gives advice to students.
Photo: Johan Roux
31 July 2013

The first major steps to a paperless lecture environment for the School of Medicine were taken in July 2013 with the presentation of laptops to all first-year- medical students.

The aim is to have the entire undergraduate medical programme computer-driven within a few years and to get rid of paper in the classroom.

Prof Pieter Nel, Programme Director: Health Sciences at the school in the Faculty of Health Sciences, said, “As far as we know, this action is the first of its kind in any medical school in South Africa whereby an entire class are supplied with computers for this purpose. We also have no knowledge of anything similar in any programme within any other faculty at any university in South Africa.”

All first-year medical students received laptops. The UFS is facilitating the process to provide students with computer access via their own laptops. “The reason for this is that the undergraduate health-sciences programme will be totally computerised from now on. Students will therefore utilise their laptops in all their contact sessions.”

The entire building where teaching takes place is equipped with Wi-Fi. The students buy the laptops at a much lower cost than the commercial price.

Prof Nel said the printing costs of study material during a student’s undergraduate study years can amount to as much as R5 000.

In future, first-year students will receive laptops, computerising the entire undergraduate health-sciences programme within a few years, Prof Nel said.

During the presentation of the first laptops, Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, referred to this action as a big step forward in modernising the undergraduate training of medical students in the faculty.

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