The universities in the Western Cape mutually benefit from best practices and advances in the crucial and dynamic teaching and learning space in higher education, so that they remain responsive and current in order to attract and engage the best minds.

This is according to Prof Muhammad Nakhooda from the Department of Biotechnology, who recently attended the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Conference, at the University of Stellenbosch. As a recent Fellow of the Teaching Advancement at University (TAU), Nakhooda presented his research based on the development of a multilingual pedagogy for Biotechnology.

Nakhooda says his research is a novel approach for the Sciences, which seeks to widen access to the science curriculum for English second language students. It seeks to address the systemic challenge of language in higher education, by harnessing the linguistic resources already prevalent in the students’ minds. In this manner, challenges are viewed as opportunities, student capital is recognised, and students are given agency to become involved in and guide their learning journey.

“It was a deeply enriching experience to have been part of the TAU Fellowship journey. It afforded me the opportunity to reflect on my teaching philosophy, develop personally and professionally as well as implement a wealth of shared ideas in my classroom. It was this experience and knowledge that I brought to the SoTL Conference”

He adds that the TAU project, is an initiative of the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology, which forms part of Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (HELTASA). It brings together academics from all universities in South Africa, who are recognised for their distinction in teaching and learning.

“It was a privilege to interact with and learn from excellent teachers… And we hope to do the same at CPUT's Research in Teaching and Learning Conference on the 5^th of December this year.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Teaching and Learning enjoyed centre stage recently when the university, for the first time, honoured recipients of in-house as well as external teaching awards at one event.

Normally only the winners of the Institutional Teaching and Learning Excellence Awards would be lauded in this way, but this year the honour was extended to faculty awardees, Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) fellows and the CPUT winner of a 2017 National Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award. The awardees were given the opportunity to give a short presentation on their teaching philosophy and practice, after which they took questions from the audience.

This year’s institutional winners are Drs Muhammad Nakhooda (Applied Sciences) and Mark Marais (Health and Wellness Sciences). Siddique Motala from the Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying received the national teaching award from Council of Higher Education (CHE) and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (Heltasa). Nakhooda together with Drs Hanlie Dippenaar (Education) and Xena Cupido (Fundani CHED) are TAU fellows, while Dr Ayesha Toyer was recognised by the Faculty of Informatics and Design for her teaching skill.

According to Prof Anthony Staak, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, good teachers are often not given the recognition they deserve. “There is a lot more we can do, but it’s heartening to see that the Department of Higher Education and Training are supporting teaching endeavours through, amongst others, staff development. Occasions like these, where teaching excellence is celebrated, also make a contribution,” says Staak, who together with Fundani CHED hosted the event.

Assoc Prof James Garraway from Fundani CHED expressed the hope that an event like this would hosted again next year and that it would eventually become a fixture on the university’s events calendar.

Written by Abigail Calata

A willingness to tackle difficult topics and include creative influences in his lectures have earned a CPUT lecturer a top teaching award.

Siddique Motala, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, was recently announced as a National Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award winner for 2017 and will formally receive the award at a gala ceremony in November.

The award is made on behalf of the Council of Higher Education (CHE) and the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (Heltasa) and recognises the unique contributions winners make to their classrooms.

Motala was also awarded the CPUT Faculty of Engineering’s Teaching and Learning Award in 2016 and credits his achievements to an interest in exploring more than just quantitative teaching methods.

“In Engineering there can be a split between the hard sciences and the soft, which is the part that would be more interested in aspects like ethics. This could translate into a situation where ethical considerations are simply a box to tick. Ultimately to me a surveyor doing their job ethically is doing their job properly,” he says.

In an effort to encourage his students to explore more creative solutions Motala doesn’t shy away from discussions about race, religion, class and even the Fees Must Fall debate. Additionally creative avenues like history, art and a deliberate focus on Africa makes his students relate to one another in completely innovative ways.

“It is unfortunate that our local students will often be able to point out New York or London but not Benin or other African countries, this has presented an opportunity for foreign African students to take the lead in class,” he says.

Motala, along with two other winners, Drs Mark Marais and Muhammed Nakhooda, will also be recognised at an Institutional Teaching and Learning Awards ceremony event next week.

Written by Lauren Kansley
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.