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Lecturer empowers students to take control of their studies

22 October 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

LiezelNel (1)_read more — Prof Liezel Nel, who received the 2020 Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award in the category Research in Teaching and Learning, says this recognition of her work is undoubtedly an inspiration to continue her research with even more vigour and enthusiasm.

Prof Liezel Nel, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State (UFS), was announced as winner in the category Research in Teaching and Learning at the 2020 UFS Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards, hosted by the Centre for Teaching and Learning in September this year.

Prof Nel, who is passionate about the Computer Science discipline due to its ever-changing nature, says she not only constantly revises the subject material, but also the way in which she presents it to students. “In order to be an effective facilitator, I adjust my teaching and learning strategies based on the needs of my students and their pace and depth of understanding,” she says.

As an adjunct professor, she currently teaches Web Development and Internet Programming modules on both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Prof Nel also supervises master's and PhD projects in the field of Computer Science Education.

She believes in a research-informed way of teaching that is sensitive to the needs of individual students in a diverse educational context. Prof Nel is constantly investigating innovative ways in which the teaching and learning experiences of Computer Science students can be enhanced. “My teaching philosophy is geared towards the empowerment of my students in order for them to take control of their own learning experiences,” she adds.

Best teaching experience

She is in the position of working with students who are entering higher education for the first time and is of the opinion that especially first-year students need to be exposed to the best possible teaching experience.

“My students and I work together to overcome many of the unique challenges they are experiencing in order to better prepare them on an academic and a personal level for the successful completion of their higher education journey and for a successful career in Computer Science,” she says.

Besides the role that Prof Nel is playing in preparing first-year students, she also participates in the development of postgraduate students. “By involving all my postgraduate students in teaching and learning-related projects, I believe that I am playing a valuable role in shaping a new generation of teaching and learning scholars,” declares Prof Nel.

Continuous excellence

Her work to enhance the learning experiences of her students has received both local and national recognition. Since 2009, she has received numerous awards, including the UFS prestige award for Excellence in e-learning, the UFS prestige award for Excellence in Teaching; and the UFS Vice-Chancellor’s award for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Prof Nel also received the National Excellence in Teaching and Learning award from the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa and the Council for Higher Education (CHE).

News Archive

Nothing beats hard work, says Kovsie

2011-10-13

Khethiwe Mtshali

Khethiwe Mtshali is a classic example of a go-getter. This hard-working 23-year-old student from Ladysmith, who is currently studying at our Qwaqwa Campus, strongly believes in her own abilities. She believes that hard work pays off and that a person will be richly rewarded if you give it your best. Khethiwe has recently returned from a month-long visit to China where she was stationed at the Fresh Water Fisheries Research Centre of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences in Wuxi City.

“I was nominated to go to China to learn and conduct research, as South Africa lacks expertise in the field of food security and related fields of science,” says Khethiwe, a 2011 recipient of the Golden Key Award and an M.Sc.in Zoology student who specialises in Parasitology.

“The Chinese is a hard-working nation that I wish we could emulate as South Africans. Doing my research on parasitology of fish and other related agricultural diseases over there was a worthwhile experience that will not only benefit me as an individual, but the entire Parasitology Division of the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the Qwaqwa Campus. This research is surely going to put the university and the entire country in a better position to compete with the best in the field of parasitology,” Khethiwe said.

After completing her B.Sc. degree in 2008, Khethiwe worked as a teacher at Ezakheni High School for a year before she was summoned back to our university by her mentor and Head of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, Dr Oriel Thekisoe, where she studied towards an honours degree, which she passed with distinction last year.

“If it had not been for Dr Thekisoe, I think I would still be a teacher whose potential would not have been tapped to the maximum. I wish to thank him for pushing me to do my best at all times. He has taught me that where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Khethiwe said.

The best is yet to come for this proud Kovsie who can teach you a thing or two in Chinese!

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