Professor Johannes Cronjé, Dean of Informatics and Design at CPUT was recently named the top ICT educator in Africa.

The announcement was made at the 10th Annual African ICT Achievers Awards, which was held in Johannesburg on 28 November 2008. The awards recognise companies and individuals who have had a significant impact on the ICT industry in Africa.

Prof Cronjé’s passion for ICT in education along with his ground-breaking work in this field ensured that he clinched this prestigious award.

His interest in this field developed more than 15 years ago, when he was lecturing at the then Technikon Pretoria.

“I just believed that there must be better ways of getting high quality learning to take place than putting a talking head in front of a class,” he said.

This determination to impact on teaching and learning saw Prof Cronjé become a pioneer in ICT in education, with many of his innovations becoming standard practice in classrooms across the globe. In 1997 he ran one of the first Internet-based classrooms in the world and was also a pioneer of “peer teaching” in the field of ICT, where learners would sit two to a computer and assist one another.

“I further developed methods of teaching students outside regular contact time by using social software sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtude and Del.icio.us,” he said.

Prof Cronjé has also developed a popular website, Research Methods Online where students can access resources for their postgraduate studies. During the past few years he has also used his skills and knowledge to impact on the broader community.

“I regularly meet on a one-on-one basis with schools and provinces who invite me,” he said.

He was awarded a C rating by the NRF, has conducted extensive research in ICT, published extensively and presented papers at hundreds of national and international conferences.

He has also acted as a consultant in the area of using computers to reach out to various African countries.

Prof Cronjé said he is honoured by the award and “believes that it is an affirmation of the work” that his students have completed under his leadership. To date 150 of his students have been awarded master’s degrees, 35 have been awarded doctorates, while four have gone on to become professors.

Prof Cronjé plans to continue his work in ICT in education.

“My plans are to continue investigating, specifically the use of mobile devices and web 2.0 applications – that is cellular phones and Facebook – in education,” he said.

By Candes Keating. Marketing and Communication Department

Photograph: Prof Johannes Cronjé, Dean of Informatics and Design, displays his African ICT Achiever award.

Written by CPUT News
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For the first time in CPUT’s history, the institution hosted 235 primary school learners for an educational campus tour in early August. Staff members of eight departments namely - Marketing; Jewellery, Fashion, Industrial and Graphic Design; Somatology; Environmental Health and Management; Food Technology; Civil Engineering; Horticulture and Analytical Chemistry - on both the Cape Town and Bellville campuses, welcomed Grade 6 and 7 learners from the Sun Valley Primary School, Fish Hoek into their lecture rooms and laboratories.

During the visit, learners were exposed to the different teaching environments of the various departments and were given an overview of each course. Student Recruitment Officer in the Marketing and Communication Department, Thandokazi Mtshekisa, said this new initiative serves as a great starting point for CPUT to target younger learners and possibly influence their choice of a tertiary institution and career path. 

“This is the first time that CPUT hosted a primary school for a campus visit and it is definitely the start of many more. I believe that it will motivate them to make an educated and more informed decision when they eventually start thinking of career options. We also wish to instill the value of higher education at an early age.”

Food and Technology lecturer at the Bellville campus, Anthony Obilana, was one of many staff members who welcomed this new initiative.

“I was very impressed with the learners’ enthusiasm. They seemed really keen to learn more about the course and also interacted very well with the staff. I think it is important that children get this kind of exposure from a young age.”

The Grade 6 learners have enjoyed a practical in the Food Technology lab on the Bellville campus.

Dean of the Informatics and Design Faculty, Professor Johannes Cronje said campus tours, such as these, serve as a great way to market the Faculty and the Institution.

“The learners showed much interest in the courses. They were very inquisitive and asked a lot of questions. As a faculty, we encourage learners to come and visit to see what we have to offer and how our students work within our environments,” he said.

The school’s Grade 6 and 7 Head, Allison Nuttall, who accompanied the learners on the tour said: “The girls especially enjoyed visiting the Civil Engineering, Horticulture and Food Technology departments, which helped them realise they have other career options.”

One learner, who particularly enjoyed the tour, was Grade Seven learner, Jaimie Kruyer. She said although she is still undecided about her future career path, the visit to CPUT helped her to realise more options.

“It was a really good educational experience. I learnt a lot about all the different courses, especially within the Technology sector, which I never knew one could study for. It was a lot of fun,” she enthused.

By: Sonia Koopman

Written by CPUT News
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Creating innovative learning spaces using emerging technologies was the theme that carried through at CPUT’S recent Teaching and Learning with Technology Day.

Held on the Bellville Campus, the event was organised by the Educational Technology Unit, Fundani, and the Centre for e-Learning and proved to be a great success.

Understanding the changing technological times that educators are currently faced with, many of the speakers noted the options available to lecturers and also discussed the responsibility that comes with using these new and innovative options.

Lectures and workshops highlighted various factors in using rising technologies. Examples of these include Facebook, YouTube as well as the option of making podcasts available on Blackboard. The options are endless and exciting and are set to transform classrooms and engage students in a way that was not comprehendible a few years ago. 

According to Fundani: “More and more lecturers internationally, nationally, and CPUT are using emerging technologies that are gaining momentum in Higher Education and are not yet fully understood and fully researched, to create exciting learning spaces for their students.”

Keynote speaker, Dean of Informatics and Design, Professor Johannes Cronjè, noted that educators need to look at innovative ways of teaching, making a special mention of Apps that are easily available on most devices and how it can assist the student and lecturer and essentially change the classroom.

The event served as an exciting space and platform to share, showcase, train and engage the various options available and those being used at CPUT and left those who attended excited and inspired.

By: Nurahn Ryklief

Written by CPUT News
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