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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

Students receive hands-on crime scene investigation training
2016-09-02

Description: Crime scene investigation training Tags: Crime scene investigation training

Ntau Mafisa, a forensic science honours student
at the UFS, and Captain Samuel Sethunya from
the SAPS Crime Scene Management in
Bloemfontein.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

With murder and robbery rates on the rise, the Forensic Science Programme of the Department of Genetics at the University of the Free State is playing a key role in training South Africa’s future crime scene investigators and forensic laboratory analysts.

According to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), murder and aggravated robbery rates for 2014/2015, as recorded by the South African Police Services (SAPS) have increased. Incidents of murder increased by 4.6% in the period from 2013/2014 to 2014/2015 and aggravated robbery increased by 8.5 % in the same period. The ISS is an African organisation thant enhances human security by providing independent and authoritative research, expert policy advice and capacity building.

Dr Ellen Mwenesongole, a forensic science lecturer at the Department of Genetics, said the university was one of a few universities in South Africa that actually had a forensic science programme, especially starting from undergraduate level.

Crime scene evaluation component incorporated in curriculum
As part of its Forensic Science Honours Programme, the department has, for the first time, incorporated a mock crime scene evaluation component in its curriculum. Students process a mock crime scene and are assessed based on how closely they follow standard operating procedures related to crime scenes and subsequent laboratory analysis of items of possible evidential value.

The mock crime scene forms part of a research project data collection of the honours students. In these projects students utilise different analytical methods to analyse and distinguish between different types of evidence such as hair fibres, cigarette butts, illicit drugs and dyes extracted from questioned documents and lipsticks.

Students utilise different analytical methods to analyse
and distinguish between different types of evidence.

This year, the department trained the first group of nine students in the Forensic Science Honours Programme. Dr Mwenesongole, who received her training in the UK at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, said incorporating a crime scene evaluation component into the curriculum was a global trend at universities that were offering forensic science programmes.

Department of Genetics and SAPS collaborate
It is important to add this component to the student’s curriculum. In this way the university is equipping students not only with theoretical knowledge but practical knowledge on the importance of following proper protocol when collecting evidence at crime scenes and analysing it in the laboratory to reduce the risk of it becoming inadmissible in a court of law.

The Genetics Department has a good working relationship with the Forensic Science Laboratory and Free State Crime Scene Management of the Division Forensic Services of the SAPS. The mock crime scene was set up and assessed in collaboration with the Crime Scene Management Division of the SAPS. Although the SAPS provides specialist advanced training to its staff members, the university hopes to improve employability for students through such programmes.

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