Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Months
January February March May April June July August September October
Previous Archive
08 August 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Barend Nagel
Dr Rouxan Fouche
Dr Rouxan Fouché, Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State, whose award-winning research explores the impact of language in multilingual computer science education.

Dr Rouxan Fouché, Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State (UFS), earned national recognition when he received both the Best Informatics Paper and the Overall Best Paper awards at the 54th Annual Conference of the Southern African Computer Lecturers’ Association (SACLA 2025). Held in Bloemfontein from 30 July to 1 August, the conference brought together leading voices in computer science education from across the region. Dr Fouché’s award-winning paper, Beyond Language Barriers: Programme-Specific Effects of English Medium Instruction in South African Computer Science Education, explores the nuanced impact of language on student learning in multilingual computer science classrooms.

“It was incredibly humbling and exciting to receive this recognition,” said Dr Fouché. “When they announced the Best Informatics Paper Award, I was already thrilled, but when they called my name again for the Overall Best Paper Award, I was genuinely shocked.”

The paper, which investigates how English-medium instruction affects students differently across different types of modules, stood out for its relevance to both educational policy and classroom practice in multilingual contexts. “As a researcher, you hope your work will make an impact,” Dr Fouché reflected, “but to have it recognised at this level by peers across the computer science and informatics community in Southern Africa was beyond my expectations.”

Representing the UFS at SACLA added another layer of significance. “Our university has such a rich tradition in computer science and informatics education,” said Dr Fouché. “The Free State context, with our incredibly diverse student population representing all 11 official languages, provides a unique lens for understanding multilingual education. I was proud to show how the UFS is leading research into practical solutions for South African higher education challenges.”

 

Rethinking language barriers in STEM education

The award-winning study stemmed from a broader investigation into student attrition in computer science. “Language barriers represent just one component of the various factors I'm studying that affect student success and retention,” explained Dr Fouché. “Like many educators in South Africa, I knew that a very low percentage of our Department of Computer Science and Informatics students are native English speakers, yet we teach everything in English.”

What the research uncovered was unexpected. “Students with language difficulties weren't struggling uniformly across all modules as we might expect,” Dr Fouché said. “Instead, there were dramatic differences depending on the type of content.” In particular, programming modules seemed to pose very little additional difficulty for students with language barriers, while business-related modules presented significant challenges.

“The most significant finding was that programming education appears to naturally transcend language barriers,” said Dr Fouché. “We found negligible differences in perceived difficulty between students with and without language difficulties in core programming modules – effect sizes of just 0.017 to 0.041, which is essentially no difference.” Surprisingly, students with language difficulties actually found mathematics and physics modules easier than their English-proficient peers, while business modules showed the opposite trend.

“These findings suggest that instead of treating all technical subjects the same, we need programme-specific support strategies,” he said. “Computer science education might offer a more equitable pathway to technical careers for our multilingual student population.”

Dr Fouché hopes the findings will inform more tailored teaching approaches: “We should emphasise visual representations, multiple symbolic systems, and hands-on applications that play to students' compensatory strengths for mathematics and physics. We need targeted interventions for business-related modules and additional support for the dual cognitive load of processing both technical and business terminology simultaneously.”

 

A research journey driven by equity

Dr Fouché’s academic journey spans human-computer interaction, digital inclusion, and educational equity. His doctoral work used a community-based action research approach to address the digital divide in marginalised communities. “The connection between these areas is really about equity and access,” he said. “Whether it's digital inclusion in marginalised communities or language barriers in technical education, I'm interested in understanding and addressing the systemic factors that prevent people from fully participating in our increasingly digital world.”

He credits mentors such as Prof Tanya Stott and Prof Liezel Nel for shaping his research path, and values collaboration with colleagues such as Dr Wynand Nel and Dr Pakiso Khomokhoana, among others. His advice to emerging researchers? “Embrace the South African context as a strength, not a limitation. Our linguistic diversity, postcolonial educational legacy, and unique challenges aren’t obstacles to overcome, but valuable perspectives that can contribute to global knowledge.”

Dr Fouché is now planning a longitudinal study to track students over time and explore how early advantages or disadvantages related to language shape long-term academic and career outcomes. His work continues to position the UFS as a leader in evidence-based, inclusive computer science education.

Hand Read the paper: Beyond Language Barriers

News Archive

Academic and security arrangements on the Bloemfontein and South Campuses for the coming week
2016-02-28

All academic and administrative services on the Bloemfontein and South Campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS) will resume on Monday 29 February 2016.

The following academic and security arrangements have been put in place:

1.    Academic arrangements:
It is important to remember that losing an academic week has major implications for all students, particularly for first-year students, and for purposes of academic planning. The university will therefore resume its normal work on Monday 29 February 2016. Losing any additional time will severely disadvantage students, especially those who desperately need the time to catch up with lectures ahead of the coming tests and examinations. Many more students will struggle to complete the academic year if any further time is lost.

In order to ensure that the academic work of the university is not undermined, the UFS will extend this academic term by one week. This will allow the completion of the work scheduled for last week. Given the impact that disruptions had on the emotions and concentration of many of our students, academics are requested to manage the setting and re-setting of all tests and assignments scheduled for last week with sensitivity, and to be supportive of students as they re-start their academic work.  No student should be disadvantaged in terms of tests or assignments as a result of last week’s closure. We know you would do this anyway, but this is a reminder to all staff of what we expect to be a common approach and understanding on the part of lecturers.

We rely on the leadership of the deans in the seven faculties to support staff and students in dealing with the lost time in the most appropriate manner and in supporting all efforts to refocus energies on the academic project.

As the senior leadership and management of the university, we will continue to do everything in our power to make sure that the academic programme continues uninterrupted.

2.    Security arrangements:
The Bloemfontein Campus is secure and we have more than doubled the security arrangements, with the interdict firmly in place.

The university management condemns in the strongest possible terms the violence that took place at Xerox Shimla Park on the night of Monday 22 February 2016. It also condemns the disruptions of the university that followed Monday’s event, which resulted in the suspension of academic and administrative activities on the Bloemfontein Campus. In line with the terms of the interdict - and now that we are at full capacity to secure this very large and spread-out campus - the university will act swiftly and firmly if any protests or disruption recur.

The following security arrangements are in place:
2.1  Staff and students must have their staff and student cards with them when entering the campus. Passengers in motor vehicles will have to present their cards to security personnel before access could be granted. Security personnel will check this physically by verifying that each person has a valid staff or student card.

2.2  Buses will not be allowed to enter the campus and passengers will have to be dropped off outside the gates - passengers will enter through the turnstiles with their valid access cards. Anyone without a valid access card will have to go to the Visitors Centre and present positive proof of ID (SA ID, passport or driver’s licence).

2.3  Pedestrians will have to swipe their cards at the turnstiles at the gates. Those without cards will have to enter through the Visitors Centre by presenting positive proof of ID (SA ID, passport or driver’s licence).

2.4  Visitors must report to the Visitors Centre (at Gate 5 in DF Malherbe Drive) and present positive proof of ID (SA ID, passport or driver’s licence).

2.5  Due to anticipated delays, it is advised that people allow some additional time when planning their routes to campus and to also make use of the less busy gates, such as Gate 4 (Furstenburg Road) and Gate 2 (Roosmaryn Residence).

2.6  It is advised that walkways be used, especially at night, and that pedestrians should keep to areas that are well lit.

Security helpline: +27(0)51 401 2911 | +27(0)51 401 2634.
 

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept