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08 October 2021 | Story Burneline Kaars | Photo Supplied
Some of the current staff well-being ambassadors.

A key responsibility of the Division of Organisational Development and Employee Well-being is to actively promote and enhance the health and well-being of University of the Free State (UFS) staff members. The philosophy of the programme views human beings as a complex interplay between various internal and external influences. Thus, optimal levels of health and well-being can only be achieved by following a holistic approach, both physically and emotionally. The way we function in one dimension can enhance or impede the way we function in another dimension. In response, the division develops and offers programmes for employees to enhance their overall well-being.

Staff Well-being Ambassadors Team

The implementation of the preventative programmes has been shown to have a beneficial impact on the health and well-being of attendees. Adequate attendance is also a critical factor in the success of preventative programmes, and as a result, continuous efforts are being implemented to reach as many employees as possible.

The Staff Well-being Ambassadors Programme (SWAP) at the UFS has been created and introduced to expand the reach and impact of the OD and Employee Well-being initiatives.  The Staff Well-being Ambassadors Team (SWAT) is truly the backbone of our OD and well-being programme. Employees who form part of SWAT will act as accredited representatives of the OD and Employee Well-being division within their respective departments and workplaces.

Promoting health and wellness

Staff well-being ambassadors are employees from across our three campuses, advocating for employees' holistic well-being and promoting a healthy workplace. The SWAT goal is to contribute to a supportive workplace environment and to encourage positive health and wellness behaviours. Ambassadors will support OD and Well-being initiatives by promoting health and wellness messages and behaviours, as well as inspiring their colleagues to get involved to improve their holistic well-being.

Please contact wellness@ufs.ac.za if you are interested in promoting health and well-being within your department or unit.

Burneline Kaars is Head of the Division of Organisational Development and Employee Well-being in the Department of Human Resources at the UFS.

News Archive

CTL experiments with mobile technology in teaching and learning
2016-05-23

Description: CTL experiments with mobile technology Tags: CTL experiments with mobile technology

On the left is Nokukhanya Nkosi, Researcher and Project manager at the Centre for Teaching and Learning presenting Annah Nggoepe her brand new laptop as part of the project which assesses the impact of personal mobile devices on teaching and learning.
Photo: Supplied

Video clip

Same curriculum. Add technology. Wait and see what happens. This research project which is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) seeks to understand the impact of personal mobile devices (PMD) in teaching and learning.

The University of the Free State (UFS), in conjunction with the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, and Sol Plaatje University, was approached by the DHET to spearhead this national collaborative project. Investigating whether the financial investment of a PMD on either the part of a university or of students adds value to the teaching and learning experience is the overall objective of the project.

Contemporary education
The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the UFS have been taking an active part in the project since 2015, focusing specifically on the use of personal mobile devices in teaching and learning by both staff and students.

At the student level, the study will focus specifically on not just the obstacles that first-generation students face in terms of using technology in teaching and learning, but how institutions can support these students through access to these devices.  “In 2015, the CTL conducted the Digital Identity Study of students which highlighted the view that students at the UFS deemed laptops to be the most important PMD in their studies,” said Nokukhanya Nkosi, Researcher and Project manager at the CTL.   

In April 2016, thirty students were presented with laptops funded by the project grant. For the next two years, the CTL will assess whether these laptops enable greater flexibility and effectiveness of teaching and learning, both inside and out of the classroom for these students.  

Rise of the digital classroom
Annah Ngoepe, a second-year Geography and Environmental Management student taking part in this study, commends the shift from using only textbooks in the past to incorporating technology. “The laptop has the latest applications and programmes, which are convenient for me as a student, because they help in my learning. I can also download textbooks, get summaries of the textbooks, and even other people’s views on a particular subject online.”

Tiana van der Merwe, Deputy Director at the CTL, anticipates that, after two years, the Centre would be able to make not only institutional recommendations, but also recommendations to the National Department of Higher Education.

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