Latest News Archive
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News Items
2020-09-30 |
Social Work Student Association raise funds for Sunflower House |
2020-09-30 |
Social Work Student Association raise funds for Sunflower House |
2020-09-29 |
Can COVID-19 change us for the better? |
2020-09-29 |
Can COVID-19 change us for the better? |
2020-09-28 |
UFS’ Next Generation Sequencing Unit designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre |
2020-09-28 |
UFS’ Next Generation Sequencing Unit designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre |
2020-09-28 |
SA needs tough, bold decisions post-COVID-19 |
2020-09-28 |
SA needs tough, bold decisions post-COVID-19 |
2020-09-24 |
International Cultural Diversity Festival connects cultures |
2020-09-24 |
International Cultural Diversity Festival connects cultures |
2020-09-23 |
#HeritageDay: South African diversity a microcosm of the world |
2020-09-23 |
#HeritageDay: South African diversity a microcosm of the world |
2020-09-23 |
Legalising communal artisanal small-scale miners |
2020-09-23 |
Legalising communal artisanal small-scale miners |
2020-09-23 |
The Heritage of Hope |
2020-09-23 |
The Heritage of Hope |
2020-09-23 |
Third Amazing Race journey through Africa |
2020-09-23 |
Third Amazing Race journey through Africa |
2020-09-23 |
Can we use African Indigenous Knowledge to tackle COVID-19? |
2020-09-23 |
Can we use African Indigenous Knowledge to tackle COVID-19? |
2020-09-23 |
UFS hosts 2020 Virtual International Cultural Diversity Festival |
2020-09-23 |
UFS hosts 2020 Virtual International Cultural Diversity Festival |
2020-09-21 |
Update on developments at the UFS |
2020-09-21 |
Update on developments at the UFS |
2020-09-22 |
You too can get behind Ubuntu |
2020-09-22 |
You too can get behind Ubuntu |
2020-09-17 |
Nutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic |
2020-09-17 |
Nutrition in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic |
2020-09-16 |
Student Affairs research colloquium: Connecting meaningfully in a digital world |
2020-09-16 |
Student Affairs research colloquium: Connecting meaningfully in a digital world |
2020-09-16 |
UFS hosts national #HeritageDay webinar with SA Poet Laureate |
2020-09-16 |
UFS hosts national #HeritageDay webinar with SA Poet Laureate |
2020-09-15 |
Plant breeding enhances crop improvement |
2020-09-15 |
Plant breeding enhances crop improvement |
2020-09-15 |
Your safety and survival key during kidnapping |
2020-09-15 |
Your safety and survival key during kidnapping |
2020-09-14 |
UFS part of new international digital humanities history project |
2020-09-14 |
UFS part of new international digital humanities history project |
2020-09-14 |
Kovsie sports star one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 exceptional young South Africans |
2020-09-14 |
Kovsie sports star one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 exceptional young South Africans |
2020-09-11 |
UFS dermatologist publishes first-ever comprehensive skin atlas |
2020-09-11 |
UFS dermatologist publishes first-ever comprehensive skin atlas |
2020-09-11 |
Black women’s hair: A political battlefield |
2020-09-11 |
Black women’s hair: A political battlefield |
2020-09-11 |
The ignored threat of fungal infections |
2020-09-11 |
The ignored threat of fungal infections |
2020-09-10 |
‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music |
2020-09-10 |
‘Do, Re, Mental Health’ – Harmonising Well-being with Music |
2020-09-10 |
Dr Madiope participating in annual Adelaide Tambo lecture at TUT |
2020-09-10 |
Dr Madiope participating in annual Adelaide Tambo lecture at TUT |
2020-09-10 |
'Kamphoer' author delivers another compelling novel |
2020-09-10 |
'Kamphoer' author delivers another compelling novel |
2020-09-09 |
2020 UFS Thought-Leader Series: The South African Economy |
2020-09-09 |
2020 UFS Thought-Leader Series: The South African Economy |
2020-09-09 |
Call for contributions: 2020 International Cultural Diversity Festival |
2020-09-09 |
Call for contributions: 2020 International Cultural Diversity Festival |
2020-09-08 |
Finding safe havens for biodiversity in the eastern Free State |
2020-09-08 |
Finding safe havens for biodiversity in the eastern Free State |
2020-09-07 |
UFS and CUT research projects get funding |
2020-09-07 |
UFS and CUT research projects get funding |
2020-09-07 |
‘People must be at the centre of what we do’ |
2020-09-07 |
‘People must be at the centre of what we do’ |
2020-09-05 |
We are ready |
2020-09-05 |
We are ready |
2020-09-04 |
Return of students to campus during Level 2 |
2020-09-04 |
Return of students to campus during Level 2 |
2020-09-03 |
Opportunities revealed by COVID-19 for continuously developing a universally accessible university |
2020-09-03 |
Opportunities revealed by COVID-19 for continuously developing a universally accessible university |
2020-08-31 |
ITP Transformation Week: Call for Contributions |
2020-08-31 |
ITP Transformation Week: Call for Contributions |
2020-09-02 |
Faculty of Health Sciences welcomes donations of PPEs |
2020-09-02 |
Faculty of Health Sciences welcomes donations of PPEs |
2020-09-03 |
Virtual Graduation Ceremonies, 6-9 October 2020 |
2020-09-03 |
Virtual Graduation Ceremonies, 6-9 October 2020 |
2020-09-07 |
New biosafety laboratory to improve health quality |
2020-09-07 |
New biosafety laboratory to improve health quality |
2020-09-02 |
UFS postdoctoral fellow wins medal at international webinar |
2020-09-02 |
UFS postdoctoral fellow wins medal at international webinar |
2020-09-02 |
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, visits the UFS |
2020-09-02 |
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, visits the UFS |
2020-09-01 |
SAA, fly me to the moon |
2020-09-01 |
SAA, fly me to the moon |
2020-09-01 |
First-ever UFS winner of TEN Campaign Award says it will open doors to many learning opportunities for her |
2020-09-01 |
First-ever UFS winner of TEN Campaign Award says it will open doors to many learning opportunities for her |
2020-09-01 |
Devina Harry accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme |
2020-09-01 |
Devina Harry accepted into the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme |
2020-09-01 |
Intersectionality of womanhood unpacked in UFS Women’s Month webinar |
2020-09-01 |
Intersectionality of womanhood unpacked in UFS Women’s Month webinar |
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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