1.1 Message from Prof Balkaran – DVC Learning and Teaching (L&T) 1 1.2 Student success and beyond
2.1 Faculty Voices Learning and Teaching
3.1 Learning and Teaching: academic support, innovation and creative futures 84
4.1 Institution learning and teaching Imperatives
Prof Rishidaw Balkaran DVC Learning
As we reflect on the academic year 2023, the annual Learning and Teaching Report allows us to showcase and celebrate the exciting projects undertaken. This past year, our academic community has faced and surmounted numerous challenges, emerging stronger and more resilient. The remarkable achievements and successes across our faculties and centres underscore a collective commitment to excellence and innovation that propels us forward into an exciting future towards achieving CPUT’s Vision 2030.Our strategic focus on enhancing the quality and impact of our academic programmes has yielded significant progress. Implementing the new Quality Assurance Framework, as evidenced by the positive outcomes of the Institutional Audit conducted by the Council on Higher Education, reaffirms our steadfast dedication to maintaining the highest standards of education and scholarship.
The faculties each made remarkable strides in advancing educational excellence through implemented projects. The Faculty of Applied Sciences excelled in integrating cutting-edge research and technology into its curriculum, greatly enhancing student engagement and employability. The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences continued to distinguish itself with innovative business solutions and leadership programmes that prepare students for the challenges of the global market. Engineering and the Built Environment pushed the boundaries of practical and sustainable design, significantly contributing to local and international engineering projects. The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences made notable advancements in health education and public health initiatives, reflecting a deep commitment to community service and healthcare improvement. In the Faculty of Informatics and Design, students and staff alike thrived in an environment that encouraged creative solutions and technological advancements, leading to impressive showcases and collaborations. Lastly, the Faculty of Education focused on pedagogical excellence, enriching its teacher training programmes to foster a new generation of educators equipped for the complexities of modern educational needs. Together, these achievements not only highlight the diverse strengths of each faculty but also reinforce CPUT’s role as a leader in higher education, dedicated to the growth and success of its students and the broader community.
The academic year was marked by pivotal developments in our curriculum, notably through the integration of Graduate Attributes across various faculties. This initiative has prepared our students not only to excel in their chosen fields but to do so with integrity, resilience, and a forward-thinking mindset. The Change Laboratory workshops have been instrumental in fostering an academic environment that is both reflective and adaptive to the needs of our society and the evolving job market.The STEM sector’s commendable efforts in providing bespoke academic support and enrichment activities have notably enhanced our students’ engagement and success rates. The numerous awards and recognitions received during the National Science Week are a testament to the vibrant and innovative spirit characterising our approach to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
In 2023, the Centre for Innovative Educational Technology (CIET) at Cape Peninsula University of Technology continued to catalyse transformation in teaching and learning practices. CIET played a pivotal role in enhancing the digital pedagogical skills of faculty through a series of targeted workshops and seminars that explored innovative teaching tools and methods. We significantly enhanced engagement with industry and the community through robust Work-integrated Learning (WiL) and Community Engagement initiatives. WiL programmes were meticulously crafted to align academic learning with industry requirements, providing students with invaluable real-world experience and improving their job readiness upon graduation. The University also deepened its community ties, launching several outreach projects that addressed local needs and fostered sustainable partnerships. These initiatives enriched the educational experience and reinforced CPUT’s commitment to social responsibility and community development.
Our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility has been significantly strengthened through the activities of the Disability Unit. The unit’s advocacy and support services have ensured that all students, regardless of their physical challenges, are provided with the opportunities to succeed and excel. Moreover, the Department of Student Counselling and the First-Year Experience programme have provided crucial support systems that promote our student body’s mental health and well-being, ensuring that every student can thrive both academically and personally.
As we look ahead to 2024, let us build on these successes with renewed vigour and creativity. Our journey towards realising CPUT’s Vision 2030 continues, guided by our strategic imperatives that focus on smart learning and teaching. Together, we are setting new benchmarks for excellence in higher education, driven by a mission to develop graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also ethical, empathetic, and ready to contribute meaningfully to our society.
I commend all our staff and students for your hard work, dedication, and passion. Your achievements reflect not only individual effort but a collective success that elevates our University on the national and international stages.
Let us move forward with the confidence that the year 2024 will bring even greater achievements and innovations. Together, we will continue to transform challenges into opportunities, fostering an academic environment that is inclusive, supportive, and conducive to the holistic development of all who pass through our doors.
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Balkaran, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Learning and Teaching Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Umyalezo wengxelo yonyaka wama-2022 yokuFunda nokuFundisa evela kwi-DVC
Bogxa bam kunye nabaFundi ababekekileyo
Njengoko siqwalasela kwakhona kunyaka wama-2023, iNgxelo yonyaka yokuFunda nokuFundisa isinika ithuba lokuba sibonise kwaye sibhiyozele iiprojekhthi ezichulumancisayo ezenziweyo. Kulo nyaka udlulileyo, uluntu lwethu lwezemfundo alunjongenanga kuphela nemiceli-mingeni emininzi kodwa liyoyisile, ngokuvela kwakhona lomelele nangaphezulu. Inzuzo ebalaseleyo kunye neempumelelo kuzo zonke iifakhalthi zethu namaziko igxinisisa ukuzibophelela ngokumanyeneyo ekugqweseni nasekwenzeni izinto ezintsha ezisiqhubela phambili kwikamva elichulumancisayo lokufezekiseni uMbono wama-2030 we-CPUT.
Iqhinga lethu esijolise kulo ukuphucula umgangatho kunye nefuthe leenkqubo zethu zemfundo livelise inkqubela ebalulekileyo. Ukuphunyezwa kweSakhelo soQinisekiso loMgangatho, njengoko kungqinwa ziziphumo ezincumisayo zophicotho- zincwadi zeziko olwezenziwe liBhunga leMfundo ePhakamileyo, ziqinisekisa kwakhona ukuzinikezela kwethu ekugcineni imigangatho ephezulu yemfundo kunye nolwazi kwezemfundo.
IFakhalthi nganye ibonise imitsi ebalaseleyo ekuqhubeleni phambili ukugqwesha kwezemfundo ngeeprojekhthi eziphunyeziweyo. IFakhalthi ye-Aplaydi Sayensi igqwesile ekudibaniseni uphando olusemagqabini kunye nethekhnoloji kwikharityhulam yalo, ngokwenza njalo, yandisa kakhulu ukuzibandakanya kwabafundi kunye nokuqesheka. IFakhalthi yoShishino neNzululwazi yoLawulo iyaqhubeka ngokuzahlula ngezisombululo zoshishino kunye neenkqubo zobunkokheli ezilungiselela abafundi imicelimingeni yeemarike zehlabathi. UbuNjineli kunye neNdawo yoKwakha ityhale imida yoyilo olusebenzayo noluzinzileyo, olunegalelo elibalaseleyo kwiiprojekhthi zobunjineli zasekhaya nezamazwe ngamazwe. IFakhalthi yeNzululwazi yezeMpilo kunye neMpilontle yenze inkqubela -phambili ebalulekileyo kwimfundo yezempilo kunye namalinge kwezempilo yoluntu, abonakalisa ukuzinikela kwinkonzo yoluntu nokuphucula ukhathalelo lwempilo. KwiFakhalthi yeNzululwazi yolwazi kunye noYilo, abafundi kunye nabasebenzi ngokufanayo babe nempumelelo kwindawo ekhuthaza izisombululo zoyilo kunye nenkqubela phambili
kwithekhnoloji, ekhokelela kwimiboniso enomtsalane kunye nentsebenziswano. Okokugqibela, iFakhalthi yezeMfundo igxile ekugqweseni kwinzululwazi yokufundisa, ukuphucula iinkqubo zokuqeqesha ootitshala, ukukhuthaza isizukulwana esitsha sootitshala esixhotyiselwe ukuntsonkotha kweemfuno zemfundo yanamhlanje. Ngaxeshanye, ezi mpumelelo aziqaqambisi kuphela amandla ohlukeneyo efakhalthi nganye kodwa ngokunjalo zomeleza indima ye-CPUT njengenkokheli kwimfundo ephakamileyo, ukuzinikezela ekukhuleni kunye nempumelelo yabafundi noluntu ngokubanzi. Unyaka wokufunda uphawulwe luphuhliso olubalulekileyo kwikharityhulam yethu, ingakumbi ukudityaniswa kweeMpawu zeSidanga kwiifakhathi ezahlukeneyo. Eli nyathelo lilungiselele abafundi bethu ingekuko kuphela ukugqwesa kwimimandla yabo abayikhethileyo, kodwa bakwenze oko ngemfezeko, ukomelela, kunye nengqondo yokucinga kwangaphambili. Ucweyo loGuqulo lweLabhoratri lube luncedo ekukhuthazeni imeko yokufunda ngokucingisisa kunye nokulungiselela iimfuno zoluntu lwethu ngokunjalo nophuhliso lwemarike zemisebenzi. Iinzame ezincomekayo zecandelo le-STEM zokubonelela ngenkxaso yemfundo engumqondiso kunye nemisebenzi yophuculo ikhulise ngokubalulekileyo ukuzibandakanya kwabafundi kunye namazinga empumelelo. Isininzi samabhaso kunye nokuwongwa okwenziweyo ngexesha leveki yeNzululwazi kaZwelonke, bubungqina bomoya odlamkileyo nowokusungula izinto ezintsha ophawula indlela yethu kwinzululwazi, ithekhnoloji, injineli, kunye nemfundo yemathematiki.
Ngowama- 2023, iZiko leThekhnoloji yoFundisa eNtsha (CIET) kwiYunivesithi i-Cape Peninsula University of Technology liqhubeka ngokuba yinkuthazo yeenguqu kwindlela zokufundisa nokufunda. I-CIET idlale indima ebalulekileyo ekukhuliseni izakhono ezidijithal zenzululwazi yokufundisa kwifakhalthi ngothotho lwendibano zocweyo olujoliswe kuzo kunye neesemina eziphonononge iindlela nezixhobo ezintsha zokufundisa. Sandise kakhulu unxibelelwano noshishino kunye noluntu ngokufunda ngamandla ukuFunda okuDibene nokuSebenza (WiL) kunye naMalinge okuSebenzisana noLuntu. Iinkqubo ze-WiL ziyilwe ngocoselelo ukuze zingqamanise ezemfundo kunye neemfuno zoshishino, zibonelele abafundi ngamava okwenyani ehlabathi ngokunjalo nokuphucula ukulungela kwabo umsebenzi emva kokuthweswa isidanga. Ngokunjalo iyunivesithi yenze nzulu amaqhina obudlelwane noluntu ,isungula iqela leeprojekhthi zokufikelela ebantwini ezijongene neemfuno zasekhaya ngokunjalo zikhuthaze ubuhlakani. La manyathelo awaphuculi amava ezemfundo kuphela kodwa kananjalo omeleza ukuzibophelela kwe-CPUT kuxanduva lwentlalo kunye nophuhliso loluntu.
Ukuzibophelela kwethu kubandakanyo kunye nokufumaneka komelezwe kakhulu ngemisebenzi yeYunithi yabaKhubazekileyo. Iinkonzo zeyunithi zokuthethelela nokuxhasa ziqinisekise ukuba bonke abafundi, nokuba yeyiphina imingeni abanayo ngokwasemzimbeni, babonelelwa ngamathuba okuphumelela nokugqwesa. Ngaphezulu, iSebe lokuCetyiswa kwaBafundi kunye nenkqubo yaMava oNyaka wokuQala, libonelele ngeenkqubo zenkxaso ebalulekileyo ezikhuthaza impilo yengqondo kunye nempilontle yabafundi bethu, liqinisekisa ukuba umfundi ngamnye unakho ukuphumelela ngokwasezifundweni kunye nobuqu.
Njengoko sijonge phambili kunyaka wama-2024, masakhe ngaphezulu kwezi mpumelelo ngamandla ahlaziyiweyo kunye nokuyila. Uhambo lwethu olusingise ekufezekiseni uMbono wama-2030 we-CPUT luqhubeka, lukhokelwa zimfuno zethu zobuchule ezigxile ekufundeni nasekufundiseni ngobuchule. Sisonke, siqalisa imigangatho emitsha yokugqwesa kwimfundo ephakamileyo, iqutywa yimishini yokuphuhlisa abanezidanga abangenalwazi kuphela, kodwa ngokunjalo beziphethe ngendlela efanelekileyo, benovelwano, kwaye bekulungele ukuba negalelo elibonakalayo kuluntu lwethu.
Ndincoma bonke abasebenzi kunye nabafundi ngokusebenza nzima, ukuzinikela kunye nokuvutha kothando lwenu. Asiyombonakaliso nje yemigudu yomntu omnye, kodwa yimpumelelo ebonakalayo ephakamisa iyunivesithi kumaqonga kazwelonke nakwihlabathi jikelele.
Masibheke phambili ngokuzithemba kuba unyaka wama-2024 uza kusiphathela iimpumelelo ezinkulu kunye nezinto ezintsha. Sisonke, siya kuqhuba siguqula imiceli-mngeni ibe ngamathuba, sikhuthaza indawo yokufunda ebandakanyayo exhasayo nenceda uphuhliso olupheleleyo kubo bonke abadlulayo kwiminyango yethu.
Owenu oZithobileyo,
Njing. Balkaran ISekela – leSekela Ngqonyela ukuFunda nokuFundisaCape Peninsula University of Technology
Adjunk-visekanselier se boodskap vir die Leer en Onderrig Verslag 2022
Terwyl ons nadink oor die voorafgaande akademiese jaar, bied die jaarlikse Leer- en Onderrigverslag ons die geleentheid om die opwindende projekte wat in 2023 aangepak is, uit te lig en ook te vier. In 2023 het ons akademiese gemeenskap talle uitdagings in die gesig gestaar, maar ook oorkom. As gevolg hiervan het die akademiese gemeenskap sterker en met meer veerkrag na vore getree. Ons fakulteite en sentrums se merkwaardige prestasies en suksesse bevestig ‘n kollektiewe verbintenis tot uitnemendheid en innovasie. Hierdie gesamentlike uitgangspunt is die energie wat ons voortdryf na ‘n opwindende toekoms met CPUT se Visie 2030 as die rigtingwyser.
Ons strategie was om te fokus op die verbetering van akademiese programme se kwaliteit en impak, en hierdie strategie het noemenswaardige vordering bewerkstellig. Die positiewe uitkomste van die Institusionele Oudit wat deur die Raad van Hoër Onderwys op die implementering van die nuwe Raamwerk vir Gehalteversekering (Quality Assurance Framework) uitgevoer is, bevestig weereens ons onwrikbare toewyding tot die handhawing van die hoogste standaarde in onderrig en leer. Die verskillende fakulteite het elk unieke projekte geïmplementeer met die doel om leer en onderrig te bevorder en het noemenswaardige sukses hiermee gehad: Die Fakulteit Toegepaste Wetenskappe het uitgeblink deur nuwe navorsing en tegnologie met die kurrikulum te integreer wat studentebetrokkenheid asook studente se beroepsvooruitsigte aansienlik verbeter het. Soos voorheen het die Fakulteit Besigheidsen Bestuurswetenskappe op innoverende besigheidsoplossings en leierskapsprogramme gefokus wat studente kon voorberei vir die uitdagings van die internasionale mark. ‘n Aansienlike bydrae is gemaak tot plaaslike en internasionale ingenieursprojekte toe die Fakulteit Ingenieurswese en Bouwese die grense van praktiese en volhoubare ontwerp verskuif het. Die Fakulteit Gesondheids- en Welsynswetenskappe het noemenswaardige vordering gemaak in gesondheidsopvoeding en openbare gesondheidsinisiatiewe wat hierdie department se diep verbintenis tot die verbetering van gemeenskapsdiens en gesondheidsorg weerspieël. In die Fakulteit Informatika en Ontwerp het studente sowel as personeel gefloreer binne ‘n atmosfeer wat kreatiewe oplossings en tegnologiese voortuitgang aangemoedig het. Die resultaat van hierdie samewerking was indrukwekkende produkte. Laastens het die Fakulteit Opvoedkunde op pedagogiese uitnemendheid gefokus en sodoende die opleiding van ‘n nuwe generasie opvoeders bevorder wat toegerus is om die kompleksiteite van die hedendaagse onderwyskonteks aan te pak. Saam beklemtoon hierdie prestasies nie net die uiteenlopende sterkpunte van elke fakulteit nie, maar versterk ook CPUT se rol as ‘n leier in Hoër Onderwys wat ook toegewyd is tot die vooruitgang en sukses van studente en die breër gemeenskap.
Die akademiese jaar is gekenmerk deur deurslaggewende ontwikkeling in ons kurrikulum, wat teweeggebring is deurdat verskeie fakulteite die Kenmerke van die Gegradueerde (Graduate Attributes) geïntegreer het. Hierdie inisiatief het ons studente voorberei om nie net uit te blink in hul gekose velde nie, maar om dit met integriteit, veerkragtigheid en ‘n pro-aktiewe ingesteldheid te doen. Die werkswinkels van die Verandering-Laboratorium (Change Laboratory) was instrumenteel in die bevordering van ‘n akademiese omgewing wat nie net op waarneming, begrip en refleksie fokus nie, maar ook aanpasbaar is ten opsigte van ons samelewing se behoeftes en die ontwikkelende arbeidsmark.
Die STEM-sektor se prysenswaardige pogings om individu-gerigte akademiese ondersteuning en verrykingsaktiwiteite te verskaf, het bygedra tot ons studente se verhoogde betrokkenheid en gepaardgaande sukses. Die talle toekennings en erkennings wat tydens die Nasionale Wetenskapweek ontvang is, is ‘n bewys van die innoverende en pro-aktiewe ingesteldheid wat ons studente se benadering tot Wetenskap, Tegnologie, Ingenieurswese en Wiskunde kenmerk.
Die Sentrum vir Innoverende Onderwys-tegnologie (Centre for Innovative Educational Technology - CIET) was in 2023 steeds die katalisator vir die transformasie van leer en onderrig. CIET het ‘n bepalende rol gespeel om die digitale pedagogiese vaardighede van fakulteite te bevorder deur middel van ‘n reeks werkwinkels en seminare wat op innoverende hulpmiddels en metodes binne die Leer- en Onderrig-konteks gefokus het. Ons het interaksie met industrieë en gemeenskappe op noemenswaardige wyse verbeter deur middel van Werk Geïntegreerde Leer (Work-integrated Learning - WiL) en Gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid-inisiatiewe.
Programme vir Werk Geïntegreerde Leer is noukeurig saamgestel om akademiese leer met industrie-vereistes te vereenselwig wat ‘n waardevolle konneksie met die werklike beroepslewe bewerkstellig en studente sodoende help om meer beroepsgereed te wees wanneer hulle gradueer. Die Universiteit het ook bande met die gemeenskap versterk en verskeie projekte geloods wat plaaslike behoeftes aangespreek en bande versterk het.
CPUT se verbintenis tot inklusiwiteit en toeganklikheid is aansienlik versterk deur die aktiwiteite van die Eenheid vir Gestremdheid. Die Eenheid se voorspraak- en ondersteuningsdienste het verseker dat alle studente, ongeag hul fisiese uitdagings, die geleenthede ontvang het om met hul studies vorentoe te beweeg en sukses te behaal. Hiermee saam het die Departement van Studente Voorligting en die Eerstejaars-ervaringsprogram noodsaaklike ondersteunings-inisiatiewe verskaf wat die geestesgesondheid en welstand van ons studentekorps bevorder en verseker het. Sodoende het elke student die geleentheid gehad om beide akademies en persoonlik te floreer.
Ek loof al ons personeel en studente vir julle harde werk, toewyding en passie. Prestasies is nie bloot ‘n weerspieëling van individuele pogings nie, maar is kollektiewe sukses wat ons universiteit op nasionale en internasionale platvorms laat uitstaan.
Kom ons beweeg voort met die selfvertroue dat 2024 selfs groter prestasies en innovasies teweë sal bring. Saam sal ons weer uitdagings in geleenthede verander, ‘n akademiese omgewing skep wat inklusief en ondersteunend is, maar ook bydraend is tot die holistiese ontwikkeling van almal wat oor CPUT se drumpel tree.
Die uwe,
Professor Balkaran, Adjunk-visekanselier van Leer en Onderrig, Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie (CPUT)
Throughput rates reflect the efficiency of teaching and learning measured per cohort of students admitted to the University in a specific year. The statistics below reflect the throughput rate in 2018, 2019, and 2020 at CPUT. The numbers reflect the students who complete their qualifications in minimum time, indicated as ‘Graduates in Minimum time.” However, not all students manage to complete within the prescribed period; some take an extra year (‘Graduates in Min + 1”’) or an additional two years (“’Graduates in Min + 2’).
During these years, CPUT started phasing in the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQSF) qualifications on the 10-level National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The newly introduced qualifications are included in the tables below, leading to a shift in student registration. 2019 was the last year for registration for pre-HEQSF qualifications. The throughput rates for these legacy qualifications are not included in this report.
The year 2020 was the first COVID year, a time when education (world wide) moved to online learning and teaching, requiring adjustments from both students and lecturers. The result of this adjustment can be seen in the throughput rate in 2020, dropping 8% compared to the previous academic year.
a) All qualifications: the overall throughput rates for all students in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 cohorts are as follows:
b) Diploma (360 credits) is a three-year full-time programme. The student numbers are increasing because these Diplomas are HEQSF-aligned qualifications replacing the National Diploma. The cohort for 2020:
c) Advanced Diploma (120 credits) is a one-year programme if completed on a full-time basis. This is an HEQSF-aligned qualification at NQF 7
d) Bachelor’s degree (480 credits at NQF 7) is a full-time programme over four years:
e) Bachelor Honours degree, consisting of 120 credits, is a one-year programme if done full-time:
f) National Diploma: the National Diploma was a three-year qualification if completed full-time in minimum time. As explained, 2019 was the last year that CPUT could register students for this qualification. From 2020 onwards, students on the ND articulated to the Diploma in their specific field.
g) Baccaluareus Technologiae degree: the BTech was a one-year programme if done full-time. Last year of registration was 2019
h) Postgraduate studies - Master’s and Doctoral qualifications aligned to the HEQSF have been offered in recent years at CPUT.
Master’s degrees:
Doctoral
Introduction
The Faculty of Applied Sciences embraces innovation and responsiveness as cornerstones across its operations. Working towards its mission of embracing the ‘ethos of Ubuntu, and, through Smart teaching, learning, research and community engagement, producing enterprising graduates that contribute to society, leading to technological advancement and improved quality of life’, the Faculty has remained steadfast in realising these ideals in the academic year 2023. As this report shows, despite the usual challenges and some disruptions to academic momentum, the Faculty has made strides in advancing pedagogical excellence, fostering student success, and fortifying our connections with industry and community stakeholders.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) turned mainstream at the end of 2022 with the release of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Bing Chat and Google Bard. This has had significant implications for the learning, teaching and assessment strategies across the Faculty, the Institution, and the global higher education landscape in general. In the spirit of remaining agile, the Faculty recognised the imperative to equip staff and students with the skills and knowledge that are essential to remain future-fit. Through leveraging AI in intentional and meaningful ways, the Faculty has begun empowering staff and students to engage with cutting edge tools and methodologies, nurturing a cohort of forward-thinking individuals.
As a university of technology, work integrated learning (WIL) is integral to our educational philosophy, and built into most of our undergraduate qualifications. This remains a cornerstone in preparing students for the dynamic demands of the current and future world of work. Our commitment to fostering work readiness is unwavering, as we immerse students in real-world contexts and problem- and project-based learning, by bridging the gap between theory and practice. Departments in the Faculty have cultivated experiential learning opportunities, imparting in our graduates the necessary skills, the confidence, and the resilience required to be professional contributors to society. Industry partnerships were strengthened and communities were engaged through several projects.
Equally essential to the Faculty’s vision, and aligned with CPUT’s Vision 2030, is the ethos of continuous academic and professional development of Faculty staff. Aside from the several professional learning opportunities made available at the Institutional level, the Faculty held seminars and workshops on a variety of relevant topics, such as AI integration and development of the teaching portfolio. The annual Learning and Teaching Colloquium served to further entrench the scholarly and research-based approach to learning and teaching that the Faculty espouses.
The Department of Mathematics and Physics, with the theme ‘The digital frontier, transforming learning and teaching for the future’ contributed towards achieving CPUT’s transformation goals by resurrecting the Mathematical Sciences Assembly at an event held on 23 March 2023. The Assembly aimed to create a sense of belonging among staff and students, as part of a wider community of mathematicians from academia and industry, and for students to get a sense of the opportunities – both in industry and academia – once they graduate. Industry partners from Shoprite and Pepkor, who host students in their final WIL year, were in attendance. They addressed and inspired students about the relevance of mathematics qualifications from CPUT to industry. The programme also included presentations of the academic achievement award
With a view to widening access for students, several Departments introduced part-time offerings of their Advanced Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma qualifications. These part-time offerings allow students to study while holding full time jobs. Interestingly, the request for the Faculty to design part-time offerings was student-led. The Faculty thus remains committed to responding to student needs and supporting student success in any way it can.
Furthermore, the Faculty continues to develop new and innovative qualifications to meet industry and societal demands, ensuring that they are well-designed and cognisant of the intended student profile. All qualifications meet the required quality standards and are fully accredited by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). During 2023, two new qualifications, the PGDip in Mathematical Sciences and the Master of Biotechnology, were taken through the accreditation structures, and we hope to offer them in the very near future. These are critical qualifications for articulation and serve to address key skills shortages in South Africa, as per the National Development Plan.
Strengthening Industry partnerships for work-ready graduates
The Mathematics and Physics Department welcomed industry giants Pepkor and MTN as new WIL partners. Nineteen students from the Diploma in Mathematical Sciences were selected to participate in the Pepkor Graduate Programme, funded by the Wholesale and Retail SETA. These students were divided into subgroups within Pepkor: four students at Flash, six students at PEP, five students at The Building Company, and four at Ackerman’s.
Due to the project-based learning in the Mathematical Science Project 3, students were tasked with working on a variety of reality-based topics at Pepkor, including Supply Chain Management, Increasing Profits through Electricity Sales, Performance Insights through Data Analysis, Forecasting and Analysing Product Sales, the Impact of Load Shedding on Businesses, and the Application of Machine Learning to Predict Sale Prices.
At MTN, five Advanced Diploma students were chosen to participate in the Women in Science (Next Gen STEM Programme) from July to November, conducted entirely online. In this Next Generation STEM programme, students covered topics such as The Chemistry of Wellness, Business Technology Fundamentals, Introduction to Cloud Computing, and Business Analytics, including Understanding Data Science, Communicating Data Effectively, and Data Visualisations using MS Excel.
Additionally, as part of the Mathematical Science Projects 4, the students collaborated with MTN with the objective of building a Youth Lookalike Model using machine learning to enhance youth representation at MTN. This project involved utilising the Python and R programming languages for data cleaning, exploratory data analysis, developing machine learning models, and deploying the model on the new dataset.
In the Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, students are, through the WIL subject, placed in a variety of industries, ranging from businesses, non profit organisations, government agencies, and community organisations. Upon completion of this student internship period, staff from the academic department, who continuously mentor the students, visit all the students and companies to solidify the partnership and ensure that learning outcomes have been met.
In the Marine Science Department, as part of WIL training, the students attended a fiveday camp (11 – 15 September) at Bokbaai, facilitated by Nature Connect with support from the City of Cape Town, CapeNature and SANParks. Students participated in various activities, including field survey techniques (vegetation, frog, mammal, bird, drone surveys), animal handling and care (a veterinarian offered demonstrations), compliance (hands-on investigation, inspection, permits and patrol training) and environmental education (a school beach cleanup engagement).
The Faculty has made substantial use of the Presidential Youth Stimulus Programme (PYES) to support student employment and skills development in very meaningful ways. The Department of Environmental and Occupational studies, for example was able to recruit graduates to be part of a six month internship. The Upcycling Paper Shredding Project was one project which aimed to address the growing concern of paper waste, while promoting sustainable practices and environmental responsibility on the District Six Campus. The PYES interns assisted with paper upcycling and management of the process, packaging and storing, thus reducing the environmental impact of discarded paper, and contributing to a circular green economy whilst generating an income.
Project-based learning is a regular feature that all Departments implement as part of the learning and teaching strategy of the Faculty. There have been several examples of these over the year. As part of their coursework in the subject Sectors of the Bioeconomy, for example, students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Biotechnology were challenged with the creation of a bio-based product for display at a public exhibition under the theme ‘Growing our Bioeconomy.’ The task encouraged creativity and required careful consideration of how to present their unique biobased product, along with the ability to explain scientific processes to peers who are unfamiliar with biotechnology. The assignment also mandated the integration of key biotechnology concepts, such as the circular economy, sustainability, renewable resources, and reuse-repair-recycle. The project had to be submitted in three stages: ideation (project idea), prototype, and final submission (PowerPoint Presentation). The students managed to generate innovative ideas and projects, in spite of disruptions. These included creating kombucha from rooibos and orange peel waste, producing biogas from household food waste, and cultivating oyster mushrooms using spent coffee grounds. The learning outcome for this project was that it encouraged students to embrace experimentation, think innovatively, creatively, and in an entrepreneurial manner, while engaging in careful planning and design of their projects.
At the beginning of every year, the second year Oenology students make their own wine on a small scale. After the wines are stabilised, filtered and bottled, students are also responsible for designing their own wine labels that meet legislation requirements, and presenting a marketing campaign for their brand.
Both undergraduate and postgraduate students undertake experiential learning and project management in agricultural practices, using the AgriHub on the Wellington Campus. Students are involved in soil preparation, seed planting and production of various crops, in a practice that cuts across disciplines. All management practices, such as irrigation and fertiliser application, pest control, weeding and disease monitoring, are diligently applied.
Students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Agriculture were additionally involved in post-harvest analysis, applied to plant and soil samples (based on the respective research topics) in the laboratory, data processing and statistical analysis, all of which prepare them for further research, or to be effective and knowledgeable contributors to the agricultural sector.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Nhlapo, visits and officially hands over land for agricultural research
An area of land adjacent to the Wellington Campus was recently purchased by CPUT, and on 22 June 2023, the VC visited Wellington Campus to officially transfer the management and responsibility of this plot to the Faculty of Applied Sciences. This area is about 0.5 ha in size, presenting several opportunities to enhance learning, teaching and research for the Faculty in general, and for the Department of Agricultural Sciences in particular.
The land will be apportioned to use the space efficiently for multiple objectives, not only to support the academic project, but also for food production towards community food security. The cultivation of this field will also support various subjects offered in our two Diploma programmes, such as Soil Science, Crop Protection, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Extension; and also Postharvest Management of Agricultural Produce in the Postgraduate Diploma. The new site will also enable the Department to accommodate more WIL placements on campus, thereby addressing an urgent need that has developed over recent years.
Chemistry students display their entrepreneurial spirit
As universities play a vital role in facilitating entrepreneurship through education, CPUT is well-placed to develop such attributes through innovative WIL projects. In the Diploma in Analytical Chemistry, Entrepreneurial Skills is a subject that students must take in their third and final year. Product development forms a large part of the learning outcomes of this subject.
After undertaking training in commercialisation, intellectual property (IP) and business basics workshops, students must then conduct market research and develop products of their own, such as skincare products and candles, which must then be package, labelled, marketed and sold.
Students in the Nature Conservation Programme take the course Animal Studies 1B, where they are required to attend a birding field practical. The practical in 2023 took place at Zeekoevlei Wastewater Treatment Plant inside the False Bay Nature Reserve. Here, the Head of Department, Dr David Walker, shared his ornithological expertise, while Abdul Rakiep, a CPUT WIL student, gave a brief presentation on the reserve and his role at the reserve. The same cohort of students attended the Iziko museum to complete their mammal practical. Here students studied South African specimens.
First year students in the Marine Sciences Programme attended an overnight field trip that took place from 2 to 3 March 2023, which was hailed a great success. The students were accommodated at the Rotary Camp in Glencairn, and participated in various activities, including a rowing activity at Zandvlei Estuary, a walk along Muizenberg Beach, a talk on sharks and shark spotting by Shark Spotters, a tour of the South African Naval Museum, and a swim at Seaforth Beach. In the evening, the students had a games and entertainment night, led by Dr David Walker. Students enjoyed the field trip and some highlights recorded on the survey were that they made friends and enjoyed bonding with their classmates.
Staying with the Marine Sciences Programme, SEAmester is a floating classroom hosted by Department of Science and Innovation on the SA Agulhas II Research Vessel and runs concurrently with data collection along the Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA). Five Advanced Diploma students, one Postgraduate Diploma student and the lecturer, Dr PuckreePadua, participated in the SEAmester programme in 2023, while two CPUT postgraduate students were invited as scientists to be part of the ASCA research team.
Both undergraduate and postgraduate students undertake experiential learning and project management in agricultural practices, using the AgriHub on the Wellington Campus. Students are involved in soil preparation, seed planting and production of various crops, in a practice that cuts across disciplines. All management practices, such as irrigation and fertiliser application, pest control, weeding and disease monitoring, are diligently applied.
Students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Agriculture were additionally involved in post-harvest analysis, applied to plant and soil samples (based on the respective research topics) in the laboratory, data processing and statistical analysis, all of which prepare them for further research, or to be effective and knowledgeable contributors to the agricultural sector.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Nhlapo, visits and officially hands over land for agricultural research
An area of land adjacent to the Wellington Campus was recently purchased by CPUT, and on 22 June 2023, the VC visited Wellington Campus to officially transfer the management and responsibility of this plot to the Faculty of Applied Sciences. This area is about 0.5 ha in size, presenting several opportunities to enhance learning, teaching and research for the Faculty in general, and for the Department of Agricultural Sciences in particular.
The land will be apportioned to use the space efficiently for multiple objectives, not only to support the academic project, but also for food production towards community food security. The cultivation of this field will also support various subjects offered in our two Diploma programmes, such as Soil Science, Crop Protection, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Extension; and also Postharvest Management of Agricultural Produce in the Postgraduate Diploma. The new site will also enable the Department to accommodate more WIL placements on campus, thereby addressing an urgent need that has developed over recent years.
Students could choose between the Oceans in a Changing Climate or Tools of the Trade stream. Both streams are quite intensive, with students attending lectures in the morning and evening, and then attending to deck work and various practical activities throughout the day. Students were randomly assigned to groups of four and worked closely with a lecturer on a research project. On the second last day of the 10-day research cruise, groups were then required to present their research to their peers and lecturers. To assist in providing a more holistic approach to the experience, students were also encouraged to participate in an art stream which involved mosaicing, photography, marine archaeology and journaling. The artwork was presented on the last day of the cruise in an art exhibition.
CPUT students were involved in all activities, including research project presentations and the art exhibition. Erich Thomas was the class representative for the Tools of the Trade and received praise for his enthusiasm and commitment from academics from other institutions. Our students represented our institution with pride.
Students of the Postgraduate Diploma in Biotechnology were awarded full scholarships by the Department of Science and Innovation to attend the BIO Africa Convention held in Durban, between 1 and 6 September 2023. This annual event serves as a vibrant platform for exchanging groundbreaking ideas and exploring opportunities within the biotechnology industry. This included various sectors of the bioeconomy: health, energy, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
The convention offered students the chance to attend talks, engage in exhibitions, and undertake specific assignments as part of the Sectors of the Bioeconomy subject. One such assignment tasked students with interviewing a scientist present at the convention and creating a podcast infused with their unique creative touch. Completing this assignment not only compelled them to interact with their peer scientists, but also instilled in them newfound confidence to engage with like-minded individuals.
To assess the significance of their attendance at the convention, the students were required to prepare a comprehensive report. This report not only outlined the financial aspects, including a breakdown of costs to underscore the monetary value and the support provided by the DSI, but also offered an honest reflection on their experiences and insights gained during the events.
Here are some comments from two students:
In terms of introspection and take-home messages, I fell in love with science again at this convention. Along my scientific journey, I’ve been met with a lot of roadblocks and challenges, and these have made me doubt my choice to pursue a scientific career. The convention has not only shown me that I’m in the right place, but it has also shown me that the possibilities are endless. The only thing that can limit me is my own mind. My eyes have been opened to a new way of thinking, a boundless way of thinking that I hope to bring with me along with my new ideas to the next BIOAfrica convention. This convention has been highly beneficial in my development, and I will always cherish the memories made. This convention has fast-tracked my career, it has made me hungrier and more relentless in my pursuit of my scientific career. My main takeaway from the convention is the importance of innovation and commercialisation. Science should not remain confined to the laboratory; instead, it should be harnessed to develop products and services that benefit the community. The convention was a tremendous asset to my career, providing valuable insights and motivation to pursue innovative solutions to African problems.
In one of our first such inter-departmental service learning projects, students from the Consumer Sciences Programme, from the Department of Food Science and Technology and from the Department of Horticultural Sciences, collaborated on an initiative to empower women in the Weskusmandjie rural communities.
A hydroponic system that was designed and used to teach a nutrition class on the District Six Campus was decommissioned and donated to Weskusmandjie, to start a pilot project which aims to grow parsley and tomatoes, and, through technology and skills transfer, to train the community on the use and upkeep of the hydroponic system.
The involvement of the CPUT with Weskusmandjie in a service learning context has now been extended to a community-based participatory project with the goal of educating, improving practices, and bringing about social change. The research project between CPUT and the University of South Africa received Science Shop grant funding from the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement, under the leadership of Prof Maretha Opperman of the Functional Foods Research Unit, housed under the Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences.
Students really value such opportunities for civic engagement. Here are some thoughts from participating students:
Students in the Chemistry Department undertook skills transfer by partnering with several high schools in the Western Cape. Undergraduate students offered schools support by way of imparting basic chemistry laboratory skills, aligned with the syllabus and curriculum of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), to learners in grades 11 and 12.
One example was the visit to the Chemistry Department by Oracle Academy High School in Ottery, Cape Town. Excited learners were welcomed by Dr Saban of the Department of Chemistry, and given the opportunity to conduct lab experiments. These sessions were highly interactive and greatly appreciated by the participating high schools.
Such outreach initiatives serve to encourage the uptake of STEM qualifications among potential students, especially those who were previously marginalised. For example, the Chemistry Department hosted learners from the Oscar Mpetha High School in Nyanga, in an event that was organised by Dr Ncediwe Ndube-Tsolekile, postgraduate student Madillo Mareka from Durham Paint, and sponsored by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Learners were engaged in discussions on career opportunities in the STEM fields, were given a tour of university spaces and laboratories, and a session on managing the expectations of higher education. It was unanimously agreed that these events were extremely beneficial for building an engaged Faculty that is in touch with community needs.
In the Marine Science Department, Dr Puckree-Padua ran the tutoring programme between South Peninsula High School and the Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences. In 2023, 26 third year Marine Sciences students, as part of Ecology 3, participated in this service learning project. The project involved our third year students tutoring high-school learners who had selected Marine Sciences as a 7th subject. Tutoring sessions were hosted by South Peninsula High School once a month during term time. The success of the programme and the need of the school allowed for the project to continue in semester 2. In semester 2, however, WIL students were allowed to participate in the project voluntarily, as part of their community engagement portfolio. Seven WIL students participated in the project. Tutoring sessions included revision of difficult concepts, critical thinking activities, and assistance with scientific investigations. This project will continue in 2024.
Dr Puckree-Padua, together with Dr C Sparks from the Centre for Sustainable Oceans, established the Marine Science Education and Outreach project. This project aims to assist in promoting and supporting marine sciences education at a basic education level. It will further assist in creating awareness and supporting the acquisition of knowledge about marine ecosystems, conservation, and sustainability among our youth who would not ordinarily have exposure to this. The project hopes to foster community engagement by involving local schools and communities in marine science activities, strengthening communities, and supporting ocean conservation efforts. Furthermore, the project intends to expose students to the various career opportunities within marine space, improving prospects for students, and contributing to a generation of environmentally conscious individuals. Through collaboration with CPUT, both learners and teachers will be further exposed to experts in the marine field, enriching the learning and teaching experience. Overall, the community will benefit from this project through educational enrichment, environmental awareness, career development, and the promotion of sustainable practices among learners, schools, and their communities.
In October 2023, Grade 11 learners and two teachers from South Peninsula High School, together with two CPUT students and Dr Puckree-Padua, attended survival training at the Granger Bay Survival Centre. The survival training consisted of two sessions, the first being theory, and the second a practical wet drill. The theory session covered topics which included emergency procedures for onboard emergency events, life-saving appliances on board (e.g., survival craft and communication equipment), and abandonment by various survival craft such as launch life rafts and enclosed lifeboats. During the practical wet drill, students had to don immersion suits and life jackets and jump correctly into the pool. Once in the water they practised different huddle positions, entered and exited the lifeboat, and were lifted with a helicopter lifting strop. After climbing up a net, they safely jumped off from a 3 m high board. After the practical wet drill, students enjoyed a lunch provided by the survival centre in their cafeteria. The instructors were amazing, they made the students feel comfortable, and even managed to encourage a frightened student to continue with the practical. From informal feedback, students thoroughly enjoyed the training session. They thanked Prof Kioko for funding this opportunity and the survival centre for the enjoyable and knowledgeable session.
The Science Idols Competition was launched by the Department of Chemistry in 2005, and has been a regular feature since. It was introduced as a response to advancing partnerships with industry, and has since become a platform where final year students in the Diploma in Analytical Chemistry present their research projects and entrepreneurial products. The event was organised by Dr Meredith Kujawa and Mrs Jaynarayan in November 2023, and is routinely attended by staff, students and industry partners, who evaluate the projects that are presented.
Winners of the Science Idols are decided against diverse criteria, such as technical ability, communication skills, quality of product pitch, need and impact of product to the marketplace, and quality of academic and professional presentation skills.
The Department expresses gratitude to the 2023 sponsors, Executive Director Billy James and Operations Manager Ghoewylah Darries of NuWater Systems (Pty) Ltd for sponsoring the R10 000 prize money.
Winners of the Chemistry Science Idols were: Research projects
• First prize: Anele Sinto
• Second prize: Sibulele Malanti
• Third prize: Mandisa Madondo
• Entrepreneurial projects
• First prize: Josias Masangu
• Second prize: Dan Ilunga
Students in the Consumer Sciences Programme were given the opportunity to participate in an Internationalisation project, through an MoU with the German FH Munster University of Applied Sciences. In 2023, two German students joined the Department from February to June. The students registered for the subject Food Production and Service Operations 2, participating in the theory and practical component of the subject (i.e., large-scale food production).
This has always been a rich and engaging interaction for students, who greatly benefit from the cultural exchange, and goes a long way towards holistic learning in the Applied Sciences.
Selected student reflections on the experience:
Oyena Dlwengu (CPUT, 2nd Year student): It was really awesome working with Litha. At first, I thought she was just here to study and return to Germany, but she became like a schoolmate! It was amazing working with Litha as she offered unique perspectives and ideas to assist with group practicals. Despite the social differences and language barrier, Litha worked well with us and demonstrated a positive and enthusiastic approach toward the subject. It was a pleasure working with her.
Alistor Rossouw (CPUT, 2nd Year student): For me, it was enjoyable to work with Freya in a group. I learned some fascinating facts about Germany . She is an imaginative person and always has solutions for challenges in a practical laboratory. Freya is one of those people who has a diligent mindset and will always work towards her goal.
Litha & Freya (German exchange students): We totally enjoyed our stay in Cape Town! The cultural immersion, educational opportunities, and warm hospitality of the South African people made it a truly memorable experience. We also had the chance to collaborate with students of the Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences, gaining valuable insights and different perspectives. The academic staff were knowledgeable and passionate about their subject.
Market Days: teaching for an entrepreneurial mindset
The practical component of the subject Food Service and Operations 2 simulates large-scale food production in industry. Students go through a process of recipe testing and standardisation, converting household scale recipes to large scale volumes, and planning (time management) the execution of a production day. Students have the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills, performing the diverse functions of production supervision, marketing, sales, quality control, managing finances, and supervising health and safety of food production facilities. Furthermore, Market Days, which are a part of the subject, have grown in popularity, allowing students across the campus to purchase quality meals for under R30. Third prize: Mandisa Madondo
Entrepreneurial projects
First prize: Josias Masangu
Second prize: Dan Ilunga
Two Faculty members are Fellows of the national Teaching Advancement at Universities (TAU) Project, which seeks to build capacity among higher education institutions in South Africa to implement meaningful change and transformation through social justice objectives. The Faculty’s Language Coordinator, Dr Ignatius Ticha, is the most recent TAU Fellow, and has been advancing this social justice and transformation agenda through the development of multilingual glossaries for the science disciplines. This project draws on student agency in the development of the linguistic registers, recognising the intellectual capital that students bring to the classroom. Student volunteers participated in the establishment of the multilingual glossary, covering critical concepts in the domains of language, literacy, and communication skills. The seven languages covered in the multilingual glossary were English, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, TshiVenda, isiZulu and Sesotho. The project holds great potential to expand linguistic inclusivity beyond the regional languages, and this is significant as CPUT is experiencing a shift in language repertoires, where an increasing number of our students are from other regions of the country and, therefore, speakers of languages that predominate in other regions. As co-creators of this knowledge, students gain a sense of ownership and increase the value and relevance of the developed multilingual glossary as a learning and teaching resource.
Working collaboratively with the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) Centre for Academic Literacy, the Faculty of Applied Sciences at CPUT had secured a grant from the South African Digital Resources Centre (SADiLaR) to explore best practices and develop a framework for subtitling and dubbing of English-medium digital media for learning and teaching purposes.
Three members from the Faculty of Applied Sciences are involved in this project, led by Dr Ignatius Ticha. Two important project events were held at CPUT. On 14 August 2023, the SADiLaR project collaborators from the Faculty of Applied Sciences CPUT (Drs M. Nakhooda, D. Jegels and I. Ticha) and the Unit for Academic Literacy at UP (Dr H. Kruger-Roux) met with students from the Department of Agriculture on the Wellington Campus to collect analytics data on the use and effectiveness of subtitled instructional videos. The data collected related to the preferred language of the subtitles and the value that the dubbing and subtitling added as a pedagogical intervention to support curriculum content acquisition.
On 21 August 2023 an eye tracking exercise was conducted, which supplemented the data collected previously. As students watched the selected instructional video, eye-tracking equipment was used to track eye movement, indicating where students’ focus was concentrated throughout the video. This was followed by a short quiz to determine the impact of subtitling on comprehension of video content. An observation of students participating in the project and their reflections revealed how deeply engaged they remained during the exercise, improving their learning experiences in different ways that would be explored in a research article currently being prepared.
A Faculty event to commemorate Heritage Day was held on 21 September 2023, hosted by Dr Ignatius Ticha. Besides a Xitshonga praise poem presented by Maluleke Xivono, a Biotechnology student, various academic departments showcased the rich elements of our heritage ingrained in these academic disciplines. These included a food presentation by M.G. Kilele, Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition; a food presentation by A. Mfombi, Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition; a food presentation by N. Diko, Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition; a presentation titled Exploring our Rich Plant Heritage by Terence Mabela, Horticultural Sciences Department; a presentation on creating a heritage of linguistic inclusivity in the Faculty of Applied Sciences by Dr Ticha and student panellists; and a food presentation on Achu soup with its medicinal and health-promoting properties, by M.M. Ngongang, Biotechnology.
The Faculty celebration was given great significance by the collaborative involvement of different disciplines, creating space for engagement on the different elements of heritage ingrained in these disciplines. Indigenous knowledge systems featured prominently as a theme in most of the presentations, and it is hoped that this theme would be explored further in future commemorations of this special day. The event was also streamed live to include staff and students who were unable to attend in person.
As part of ongoing academic and professional development, the Learning and Teaching Unit holds regular seminars and workshops on emerging and novel pedagogies, with the intention of continuing to support students and staff to remain engaged in new and effective ways.
With the widespread availability of generative AI, the higher education landscape has shifted in fundamental ways, and the Faculty has kept abreast with this by initiating conversations around AI in the classroom. These sessions, as presented below, were highly engaging and thought-provoking. It served to build capacity and develop capabilities around AI usage as a pedagogy to enhance the learning and teaching experience.
Some of the year’s seminars are highlighted below:
Some notable examples of AI implementation in learning and teaching have come from the Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, where Dr PuckreePadua received funding to investigate the incorporation of Labster simulations into Marine Biology 1 in the hopes that it would improve student engagement with the subject content. The preliminary findings of this study were presented at the 11th Annual Research in Teaching and Learning Conference in November 2023.
Dr Puckree-Padua also shared her method of incorporating ChatGPT into learning and teaching at the Faculty’s Learning and Teaching Colloquium 2023 hosted at SARETEC. Here students critically evaluated a research essay developed by ChatGPT and were asked to provide their reflections on the process and their thoughts on the ethical use of ChatGPT.
In the Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, lecturers have been experimenting with the use of AI tools such as Grammarly, Quillbot and ChatGPT to assist students in improving their academic literacy and professional writing skills. There are numerous such examples in the Faculty, as our lecturers continue to explore and experiment with AI platforms that are suitable to their contexts, and are most enabling to their students.
As part of continuous professional and academic development of Faculty staff, and to nurture the scholarship of learning and teaching, a workshop with the theme ‘Developing the Teaching Portfolio’ is a regular feature on the annual training calendar. The workshop has been extremely valuable in raising the quality of teaching portfolios in the Faculty, with the result that we are able to recognize excellent teaching practice.
In 2023, Dr Courtney Puckree-Padua from the Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences was recognised for Teaching Excellence when she was awarded the Faculty’s Teaching Excellence Award. She has created very rich learning spaces for her students, and has implemented novel pedagogies and technologies to support diverse learning needs.
At the Departmental level, recognition was handed to Dr Boredi Chidi (Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences), Dr Koebraa Peters (Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences) and Dr Megan Lukas-Sithole (Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies).
Learning and Teaching Colloquium 2023
The poster below details the theme and speaker of the Faculty’s Annual Learning and Teaching Colloquium. We were graced with a keynote address by CPUT’s own Director of the Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development, Dr Xena Cupido. The event was held in person at the SARETEC Centre on the Bellville Campus. The Faculty’s efforts in cultivating the scholarship of learning and teaching bore fruit, as the quality of presentations detailing highly innovative pedagogies within the disciplines of the sciences were highly commendable. The Faculty staff have truly taken on the task of advancing student engagement and responding to changing student learning needs. It was very encouraging to see, and indicates highly innovative pedagogies to come in the coming years.
The Faculty’s Learning and Teaching Report for the academic year 2023 underscores its commitment to excellence, innovation, community engagement, industry partnerships and societal impact. Through the strategic integration of generative AI, work integrated learning, and responsive pedagogies, we strive to instill in our students the skills, knowledge, resilience and graduate attributes needed to thrive in an ever-evolving world.
The Faculty’s investment in academic development for lecturers has enriched the learning and teaching experience, garnering very encouraging and insightful feedback from our primary clients – our students. We will continue to draw on such insights and experiences to innovate and drive transformation, to realise our vision of being the Faculty of choice and the leading Faculty of Applied Sciences in Africa and beyond.
Prof Rishidaw Balkaran
DVC Learning and Teaching
‘The Faculty is commended on the work done to support staff and students throughout the academic year 2023’
(Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Rishidaw Balkaran, 2023).
These words succinctly and accurately encapsulate the spirit of the Faculty and celebrate our staff and students as we continue to explore pathways to transform learning and teaching. The Faculty appreciates and acknowledges our staff’s dedication and commitment to enabling student access and the student-centred approach in our response to students’ needs and prevailing trends in the sector. The achievements and successes shared are aligned with CPUT’s Vision 2030 and manifestation of the Faculty’s Operational Plan 2021-2023.
The annual graduation ceremonies are a fitting display of our students’ achievements and staff dedication. A total of 2 739 students graduated in 2023 with 2 643 students walking across the stage during the autumn graduation, whilst 96 students graduated at the summer ceremony. The Faculty congratulates our 82 Master’s and Doctoral students who proudly and deservedly received their qualifications at the two ceremonies. Gaudeamus Igitur.
The Faculty acknowledges our seasoned and exceptional staff dedicated to providing our students with engaging, responsive and relevant learning engagements. To this end, the FBMS has various platforms such as our Teaching Excellence Awards, and Annual Faculty Awards to appreciate and celebrate our staff.
The Faculty hosted its Annual Achievers Awards to recognise and celebrate staff excellence in research, learning and teaching, and administration. The Faculty also acknowledges our top Master’s and Doctoral students. The different award categories awarded are:
Research Department/ Unit of the Year – Department of Tourism and Events Management
Researcher of the Year – Prof Rodney Duffett (Marketing Department)
Supervisor of the Year – Prof Rodney Duffett (Marketing Department)
Emerging Researcher of the Year – Dr Christiaan Hattingh-Niekerk (Tourism and Events Management)
Doctoral Student of the Year/Master’s Student of the Year
Top Doctoral student - Maritsa Grewe (Human Resources Management)
Top Master’s student - Rentia Van Heerden.
Commendation for Master’s awards – Ilanza Perold
Administration:
Administration Assistant of the Year – Lungisa Antonie
Secretary of the Year – Mrs Nicole Arendse.
We appreciate their excellence and congratulate all our deserving staff and students.
The Teaching Excellence Awards recognise and reward academics for teaching excellence. Prof Rodney Duffett, an NRF C2-rated researcher, is an experienced academic and researcher and has refined and perfected his craft over an extensive period as a teacher and researcher.
Prof Duffett’s philosophy embraces the following premise:
I am extremely passionate, dedicated, and enthusiastic about the subject areas that I teach, as well as seeing my postgraduate students excel in their research projects. I aim to get my students passionate about their studies, especially for my subjects and research, but if all I do is teach them how to succeed in life, then I have accomplished a great deal. I truly feel blessed to have received three awards on the night and to be privileged to work for a Faculty (and University) that provides its staff with so many opportunities to receive recognition for their work. I believe that with total commitment and hard work, it is possible to achieve anything, provided you do it as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23–24), so my faith plays a fundamental part in who I am and is the major driving force behind my success.
The Faculty’s Smart venue was officially opened on 23 October 2023 by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Nhlapo. It was the culmination of visionary Faculty leadership, dedication, and determination. This flagship multi-purpose Smart venue with state-of-the-art Smart technology would advance a more interactive and technologically advanced learning and teaching environment. This space would be used for webinars, colloquia with regional, national, and international guests and partners, as well as student collaborative online international learning projects enhancing our digital footprint and keeping abreast with developing global trends.
Collaborative online international learning (COIL) is an exciting and innovative learning virtual mobility opportunity designed for meaningful online international engagement between students from differing geographical and socio-cultural contexts, without physically travelling. The Faculty strives to have at least one COIL project per department as these virtual international opportunities link our students to geographically distant locations and different cultural backgrounds. They are exposed to discipline-specific exchanges aimed at developing digital and intercultural skills and developing knowledge and skills to manage and act in an increasingly complex and globalised environment.
The Marketing Department, in collaboration with Hochschule Anhalt in Germany, offered a COIL project. The COIL was co-facilitated by Dr Pieter Steenkamp and Prof Dr Daniel Michelis, of Anhalt, using the innovative ‘Learning Aches’ methodology by Kaospilot . Student groups were expected to organise joint activities that started with the ‘one day in your life’ activity to get to know each other via short video clips of their daily activities. This was followed by creating mirror spaces to bring the two countries together by creating two identical spaces with the same visuals, etc., to have a shared identity. Within these spaces, the curriculum was co-delivered. The project ended with an online event where students had an online party.
The facilitators remarked:
The project was like a virtual student exchange where students not only got to know each other but also worked together in intercultural teams using digital online tools on two different continents.
View a short video on YouTube of the COIL project or find it here CPUT-HS Anhalt COIL 2023 1.mp4.
Co-creating with external partners
One of the key strategic objectives of Vision 2030 is to develop collaborative projects with industry and communities to ensure that we create learning environments that will provide excellent and relevant content and learning experience for students.
The Marketing Department in collaboration with Black Wolf Youth Agency (BWYA), an Education Solutions Hub designed the Brand Marketing Challenge (BMC). To ensure that professional attributes were embedded, the department and BWYA co-created and conceptualised the project. The BMC required students, academics, and industry professionals to work together integrating graduate attributes into authentic projects underpinned by the values of co-thinking, co-learning, and co-creating/co-designing. Working collaboratively, applying critical thinking and research techniques, and drawing on their technical abilities such as data analysis, social media marketing, and content creation, students developed new marketing campaigns for identified brands. Industry mentored and guided students during the process. The project journey guided students through the project lifecycle, fostering a deeper understanding of the digital marketing landscape. Students co-created workshops and were participants in industry-led seminars that fostered collaborative learning and direct interaction with marketing professionals. The Black Wolf Youth Agency Certificate of Completion, an industry-recognised certification is an acknowledgement of competence in real-world marketing projects.
One student observed:
I believe that creating a full campaign strategy with the help of industry experts before students go into the workforce was more enjoyable than I first thought. I feel more prepared to create and take part in campaign creations and apply the work I learnt during my years as a marketing student.
Community engagement projects
The Faculty is continually shaping the community engagement project agenda to advance social, cultural, and economic development and the transformation of the wider society. Through this, robust connections were established with civil society, industry, and government partners over the years. These relationships have been cultivated to facilitate collaborative community engagement through service learning, civic engagement, and community outreach projects, which is a core academic pillar. Nine projects were held in the Faculty during 2023 that illustrate students’ involvement in the community and reaching out to fulfil community needs.
Faculty of Business and Management Sciences
Community engagement projects
Department of Management and Project Management
Department of Management and Project Management
Department of Human Resource Management
Department of Sport Management
Department of Business Information and Administration
Waste recycling project: Creating an income from waste
Energy project: how to reduce loadshedding in South Africa
Students collected waste and designed projects to help communities secure income
Students collected data and formulated energy solutions that would help their communities.
Community capacity building
Recreation project for Association for People with Disabilities in Athlone members
Leading through event management
Students were required to select a communitybased organisation and conduct 60 hours of SL with at least one HRM activity
Students planned a recreation event and presented it to clients of the Association for People with Disabilities.
First-year students were responsible for event management, encompassing the planning, organisation, leadership, and oversight of fundraising events. They undertook this role on behalf of two registered NGOs, which were selected by students from Wellington and District Six campuses. These events included a public awareness element, and students were tasked with effectively marketing the fundraising events.
Marketing
The Brand Marketing Challenge
The BMC allowed students to investigate and respond to an authentic industry challenge that a business might currently be facing and provides strategies to take advantage of potential opportunities businesses might be missing.
Department of Public Governance and Administration
Tippy Tap Construction
Department of Public Governance and Administration
Operations
Management
Children’s Rights
Various community engagement projects by student groups
Students supporting UNICEF and World Vision in their global initiative of bringing clean and safe hand washing stations within reach of communities in need of improving and conserving access to water and soap.
Students informed primary school learners about the basic children’s rights.
Student groups identified a dire need and applied project management skills to address needs in communities, for example organising soccer equipment, providing soccer outfits to underprivileged soccer club with the help of sponsorship; school uniforms were made for primary school learners in conjunction with the Clothing Design department; faulty plugs were replaced on school premises that created a hazard; school learners were supported to complete their applications for admission to university.
The service learning projects are seamlessly incorporated into the curriculum and meticulously designed to meet curriculum objectives. These projects provide students with firsthand experience and understanding of genuine societal issues prevalent within the community.
They offer an opportunity for students to share their knowledge, give back to communities, learn through lived experiences, contribute to making a positive impact, and alleviate the weight of societal challenges.
As such, students from the Operations Management and Management and Project Management departments collected data and produced projects for the social upliftment of communities. The latter also implemented a plastic recycling project.Faculty of Business and Management Sciences
Expensive energy creating alternative energy measures to loadshedding in South Africa. The waste solutions project aimed at reducing and reusing waste to sustain the environment.
Creative income through plastic recycling produces recycling waste options and economically viable solutions for future generations.
Fostering their entrepreneurial skills and social responsibility, students gain a deeper understanding of community needs and explore their potential as changemakers and innovators while contributing positively to society. Students understand the needs of their communities and address those needs in an appropriate, responsive manner that supports the strategic aims of the institution.
Sharing is caring for Public Administration and Governance students whilst teaching primary school learners about their children’s rights.
Seeing is believing as Sport and Leisure Studies students planned and demonstrated a recreation event for the Association for People with Disabilities.
As a conduit for making positive changes in the lives of communities and their own, students through community engagement endeavours supported communities with options for employment, advocating basic human rights, developing competencies, education and training requirements, and capacity building.
The Faculty hosted a Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning seminar where service learning and work integrated learning projects were showcased. Various departments presented on the community engagement successes and how these projects impacted on the life of people.
Staff and students participated in various community engagement projects which were culturally enriching, and offered students opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills and simultaneously acquire new skills and attributes.
The 2nd year students in the Sport Management department engaged in a six-week project to assist the Cape Town Association for Persons with Disability (APD) in designing a recreation programme. Students used their initiative to secure sponsorships for food, equipment and all other resources to effectively implement the programme. Adding value to the curriculum and their learning, these students were evaluated using an evaluation rubric designed by the University of Western Cape’s 4th year Sport and Recreation students. These pictures show the engagement with APD and the value they added.
In October 2023 students, from the Digital Marketing Minor at Rotterdam Business School collaborated with CPUT students on developing digital marketing strategies for local organisations. This project was a new exploration to work with local students from CPUT to build digital marketing strategies for local NGOs and sports organisations that promote sports culture and youth empowerment in Cape Town. The students collaborated on digital marketing projects involving four South African organisations and NGOs conducting digital analysis and supporting organisations in enhancing their digital presence to improve the visibility of their projects among partners and potential sponsors. The students had an amazing ten day collaboration with CPUT students and the organisations. Despite distances, diversity and cultural differences, these projects represent an incredible international, intercultural and inclusive learning experience. A few snapshots illustrate these beneficial learning experiences.
Students engaged with international students, opening borders and presenting new insights. A HAN University of Applied Sciences student collaborated with 2nd-year students to identify intercultural recreation programmes for his planned project at the Theewaterskloof/HAN programme in Grabouw and Genadendal.
The Faculty hosted a range of events and webinars to showcase staff activities and innovations as well as inviting experts into our learning and teaching spaces.
• Language Webinars: The Faculty Language Committee facilitated various webinars such as Language as Heritage, focusing on Afrikaaps as a legacy language; teaching strategies for multi- and translingualism; and Language in Sport.
The Annual Best Practice Faculty Webinar was held on Tuesday, 31 October 2023 under the theme ‘Paradigm shifts, opportunities lost and new frontiers’. One student observed:
I believe that creating a full campaign strategy with the help of industry experts before students go into the workforce was more enjoyable than I first thought. I feel more prepared to create and take part in campaign creations and apply the work I learnt during my years as a marketing student.
This annual event offers an opportunity for staff to showcase innovation and share best practices and research as the Faculty strives to advance teaching, learning and assessment. Our staff’s ingeniously and effectively shifting of paradigms, creating opportunities, and forging new frontiers to pursue the academic project in a fluid environment was on full display. Our keynote speaker, Prof Sue Pather, delivered a thought-provoking and stimulating keynote address and captivated the audience with her conceptualisation of our theme deftly underpinned by the Sankofa theory. She challenged us to unlearn and relearn and eloquently expressed the importance of looking back and drawing on our past to improve the future, and emphasised the importance of design in partnership with our students to enhance transformation of the curriculum. The staff rose to the occasion, and the topics presented aligned with the theme and resonated with the audience, as evidenced in the staff feedback.
The Faculty is cognisant and embraces that our diversity and pedagogies must be geared for inclusivity. The FBMS hosted a series of workshops titled ‘Where Teaching, Learning and Assessment meet Universal Design for Learning’. The staff benefitted significantly from the three workshops, which exploring ‘Being an inclusive lecturer’; ‘Exploring UDL to adapt the curriculum to meet all students’ needs’; and ‘Technology that supports UDL and student diversity’. The workshops were well received and successfully created an awareness of and an insight into the centrality of Universal Design for Learning. The techniques and strategies shared were extremely helpful and the comprehensive workshop resources will strengthen our continued efforts to design and deliver our curricula for inclusive learning and teaching. These workshops were followed by a learning, teaching and assessment conversation on Universal Design for Learning: The Student Voice, where insights were gained from our students to better reach and teach all students regardless of their level of abilities or disabilities. Disability and Inclusivity champions as well as students shared experiences, insights and expectations.
Finally, the Faculty commends the staff and students for their outstanding work, dedication, and commitment to excellence without whom nothing is possible. As we forge ahead devising innovative and responsive pathways to take the Faculty forward, we lean into the strengths of our staff and students as we strive to be a leading Smart provider of innovative business education in Africa and beyond, with graduates shaping a better world for society.
— Faculty of Business and Management Sciences Vision
Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the Faculty of Education has remained dedicated to fostering an environment of innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity. As we reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past year, it becomes evident that our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning continues to drive our efforts forward.
Throughout 2023, our Faculty embarked on various initiatives aimed at enriching the educational experience of both students and staff. From collaborative projects to professional development opportunities, we have strived to create a vibrant learning community that embraces diversity and empowers individuals to reach their full potential.
In this report, we will explore the successes, challenges, and future directions of the Faculty of Education, highlighting key achievements, ongoing efforts, and strategies for improvement. By examining the impactful projects, mentorship programmes, language initiatives, and professional development activities undertaken within our community, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of our collective journey towards educational excellence.
This comprehensive report endeavours to encapsulate the efforts and achievements of the Faculty of Education in 2023, providing a testament to our collective pursuit of educational excellence and societal impact.
Professor Zayd Waghid was appointed as Interim SARChI Chair: Teacher Education, and Acting Director of the Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society. In 2023, following two funded phases by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), the Centre for International Teacher Education evolved into a transdisciplinary research institute known as the Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society (GITES). Central to GITES’s mission are issues pertaining to teachers and teacher education, with a research agenda that targets (1) Quality teachers for equitable and quality education for all in South Africa; (2) teacher experiences of continuing professional development; (3) the future of progressive education and social policy in South Africa, paying special attention to critical issues of inequality and social citizenship; and (4) education Interventions – Quality and Equitable Education for All. Professor Zayd Waghid officially undertook the role of Acting Director of GITES in August 2023. His tenure as Interim leader and Director was extended by the NRF for an additional six months, from January to June 2024.
The following link is based on Prof Waghid being awarded the US Fulbright Visiting Scholarship:
https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/article/4706/education-academic-selectedfor-fulbright-visiting-scholarship
2 Cohort 1
In 2023, Professor Zayd Waghid completed the Future Professors Programme (FPP) Phase 2 Cohort 1. The FPP, managed by the University of Johannesburg, culminated in a series of significant academic accomplishments. Notably, he engaged in an international research visit to the University of Oslo in November 2023, where he presented on the injustices in higher education from the perspective of the Global South and furthered discussions on educational innovation aimed at addressing social injustices. During his tenure, Professor Waghid forged collaborative partnerships, sharing critical findings from his research at the intersection of critical global citizenship education and educational technology. He co-edited a special issue of the South African Journal of Higher Education in 2023/24, underlining his commitment to advancing the discourse in teacher education and social justice. Professor Waghid’s journey through the programme involved leadership laboratories, writing retreats focused on research and academic skills, and participating in thematic areas of professional development. The conclusion of this enriching phase was marked by the presentation of a certificate of completion, a leadership certificate, and a memento, celebrating his achievements and his unwavering dedication to educational excellence and leadership.
Additionally, it is with immense pride that we commend the following colleagues for their remarkable achievements as the recipients of the Annual Teaching Excellence Awards in the respective categories, as follows: Professor Pieter Boer (Institutional), Dr Carike Kriel (Faculty) and Dr Samantha Kriger (Departmental). We comment these colleagues for exemplifying excellence in teaching, embodying ethical teaching practices and fostering creativity and innovation in education.
Their contributions are undoubtedly enhancing the quality of education within our Faculty and their commitment to excellence, professionalism, and dedication to the success of their students are qualities that inspire us all to strive for greatness.
As an NRF-rated researcher, Professor Boer integrated Adapted Physical Activity for the Disabled, particularly focusing on the intellectually disabled, into his teaching practices and ascribes his success in learning and teaching to the fact that his teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in practical application, community engagement, and innovative pedagogical approaches. These efforts reflect his ongoing commitment to nurturing well-rounded, socially conscious graduates who are equipped to make meaningful contributions to society.
physical boardgame; cross-country events;
The FYE activities implemented throughout the year played a pivotal role in supporting first-year students during their transition to university life. Despite challenges such as the taxi strike during teaching practice, the dedication of mentors and retention officers ensured that students received the guidance and support needed to navigate through academic and personal challenges. The informal meetings, teaching practice preparations, and mental health check-ins exemplified our commitment to holistic student development and well-being.
Mowbray campus
• Efficient appointment of mentors and retention officers (ROs) before orientation, aiding throughout the year.
• Successful orientation week, including collaborative events like The Amazing Race.
• Noteworthy Flashmob organised in the campus library by a small group of ROs and mentors.
• FYE success attributed to both formal and informal approaches, with senior students assisting first-year peers.
o Informally, students engage via WhatsApp groups for academic and social support.
o Formal weekly sessions cover various topics like self-defence, social media literacy, and academic skills.
• During protests, the FYE structure provided vital support to overwhelmed first-year students.
o Mentors and ROs had a virtual session with students on what to expect during teaching practice and how to behave and interact with their mentor teachers.
o They assisted first-years to set up their Teaching Practice portfolio.
o Mentors referred students to the relevant offices to enquire about their allowances, as some students still needed to receive their NSFAS allowances.
o Some students were referred to Student Support Services to balance their social issues and studies.
• Mentors and retention officers (ROs) were appointed timeously prior to orientation. They assisted with the orientation programme and throughout the year with the formal programme.
• A successful orientation programme was held 13 – 17 February 2023
o During the orientation programme all events ran smoothly.
o The Amazing Race is a highlight where the three faculties on the Wellington campus were involved and students across faculties worked together in groups for the day.
• A Flashmob organised by a small group of ROs and mentors was held in the campus library.
• The success of FYE lies in the approach which is both formal and informal where senior students (ROs and mentors) assist first year students.
Informal: Senior students are on WhatsApp groups with first-year students, who have the opportunity and space to ask questions regarding academic, social and support aspects of university life. Mentors are trained to assist students, and to refer them to the relevant support services.
The Wellington FYE has its own TikTok page and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fye.wellington?igsh=MWM4eW93bTU0dXU5eg==
Formal: we have weekly contact sessions with first year students where we run a formal programme, exposing the students to various presenters and topics including the following:
• SAPD Wellington on self-defense
• Paarl Police presentation regarding safety
• Emma Sadleir: What university students need to know about social media
• Use of Blackboard
• Personal mastery (Mr. Odumeleng Ramatlo)
• Sexuality (Dr Milandre Vlok)
• Mental health and wellness (Campus Counsellor: Ms. Janine van Sitters-Mintoor)
• Gender-based violence (GBV)
• Preparation for practice teaching
• Feedback of practice teaching
• Time management
• Preparing for final assessments and tests
• Disability Unit
• Heritage Day celebrations
• Presentation by alumni – ‘What does a successful student look like?’
During student protests many first-year students were overwhelmed and anxious. The mentors and the FYE structure were very helpful during the time of uncertainty in supporting and encouraging first-year students.
Community engagement projects and work integrated learning
Service learning project
A collaborative service learning initiative involving B Ed Honours Research Methods in Education students was launched by Dr Dorothy Esau and Prof Candice Livingston. This project, in conjunction with the Western Cape Education Department, connects teachers from rural and urban schools across various education districts in the Western Cape with our students, who completed a Leadership Development Programme focusing on mentorship, stress mitigation, resilience promotion, and enhancing teacher professionalism and holistic well-being. Ms Van Sitters-Mintoor from Student Support Services conducted a workshop on Mental health and emotional intelligence. The programme will continue in 2024.
Tutoring projects
The 3rd year Senior Phase Further Education and Training (SP/FET) English and mathematics students have initiated tutoring projects at the Hawequa Correctional Facility in Wellington under the leadership of Ms Cloete and Mr Adams. Dr Qiana Gray, a visiting English Language Fellow, leads students in tutoring reading skills at a local children’s home in Wellington. All 3rd year Intermediate Phase and Foundation Phase students are assisting at St. Albans Primary in a reading programme to enhance comprehension, under the guidance of Dr Kriel and Mrs Anker, while Dr Liebenberg oversees a successful mathematics tutoring project at Wagenmakervallei Primary.
Civic engagement project
The SP/FET Department, under the leadership of Dr Dorothy Esau on Wellington Campus launched an inter-Faculty Civic Engagement Project (Women in Education) in collaboration with Health and Wellness, Business and Management Sciences students, and teachers from the Western Cape Education Department’s Metro South Education District. The longitudinal project is aimed at fostering professional development, empowerment, and holistic well-being among women in the education sector and will continue for the next three years. Critical issues such as teaching professionalism, gender discrimination, gender-based violence (GBV) awareness, and women’s health were addressed at a weekend retreat for female educators and students.
More can be seen about the event here: https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/article/4780/women-in-education-celebrated
Driven by colleagues in the GET/IP Department on Mowbray campus, the Visual Arts Integration Project stands as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in our Faculty. Ms Xamlashe and her colleague Ms Biyela used visual arts to develop isiXhosa folktale Big Books. Students were provided with a creative platform to enhance their language and artistic skills. This project not only addressed the shortage of material in African languages but also fostered a deeper appreciation for cultural heritage and storytelling among students.
Prof Pieter Boer heads up a service learning projects where students help train individuals with Down syndrome at Sunfield Homes (an Intellectually Disabled Care Centre in Wellington) throughout the year (in swimming, games, aerobic activities, fitness, coordination, balance, flexibility). The students have to present a lesson in turn, and the other students are there for support.
The Faculty’s language initiatives underscored our commitment to linguistic diversity and inclusion. From hosting AI writing workshops to celebrating International Sign Language Day, these initiatives provided students and Faculty members with opportunities to engage with language heritage and promote multilingualism within the academic community. The launch of the PenInPapier student newspaper and the literacy project UbuLingaLore further highlighted our dedication to nurturing language proficiency and cultural understanding among students.
The Faculty of Education hosted an AI seminar on 14 July 2023. This was a collaboration between the Learning and Teaching Coordinator, Dr Dorothy Esau, and the Language committee. Prof Johannes Cronje agreed to be the keynote speaker. The purpose of this seminar was to share examples of best practice in the use of AI in the university classroom. Stellenbosch University and the African Digital University Network invited Prof Livingston to present a seminar based on the AI seminar that was held by the Faculty. This seminar took place on Tuesday the 12th of September 2023.
As a Faculty, we celebrated Heritage Day with a series of seminars aimed at highlighting language heritage. Two seminars were presented, and the first speaker was Prof Dion Nkomo who addressed the Faculty on ‘Towards practice-driven higher education language policies’. Prof Nkomo is Professor of African Languages at the School of Languages and Literatures at Rhodes University where he also occupies the NRF SARChI Chair for Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education. He is an NRF-rated scholar with academic interests in language planning and policy, multilingualism, language teaching, lexicography, translation, terminology and higher education studies. He is a member of various national and international academic, professional bodies and research projects working on language and educational matters, and one of the editors of Lexikos, the journal of the African Association for Lexicography (AFRILEX).
Our second speaker was Professor Quentin Williams who addressed the issue of ‘Osse Taal: towards the development of Kaaps bilingual learning materials’. Prof Williams is Director of the Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research and an Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics in the Linguistics Department at UWC. He was also the Ghent Visiting Professor (Leerstoel Houer) at the Centre for Afrikaans and the study of South Africa at Ghent University, Belgium, in 2020/2021. He has published journal articles, book chapters and op-ed pieces on the performance and practice of multilingualism, race, hip-hop, language activism, Afrikaaps, and linguistic citizenship in South Africa.
He is co-editor of the journal Multilingual Margins: a Journal of Multilingualism from the Periphery, and his most recent book is Neva Again: Hip Hop Art, Activism and Education in post-apartheid South Africa (HSRC Press, 2019, with Adam Haupt, H Samy Alim and Emile YX). He is also the author of Making Sense of People and Place in Linguistic Landscapes (Bloomsbury, 2018, with Amiena Peck and Christopher Stroud) and Remix Multilingualism (Bloomsbury Press, 2017).
2023 saw the launch of the student newspaper PenInPapier. Three editions have already been published and this student newspaper aims to highlight all three languages used in our Faculty, giving students an opportunity to showcase their writing abilities and draw attention to mother tongue writings.
Member of the Faculty Language committee, Marthie de Waal launched an awareness campaign to celebrate International Sign Language Day. She has worked with the Disability Unit and the newly appointed South African Sign Language interpreter, Kevin Petersen to create an introductory video and two promotional posters, which were disseminated to staff and students in the Faculty. The purpose of the video was to introduce the Faculty to the basics of sign language.
A copy of the video made by the Disability Unit can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MPc35b9ng3g9GOBNMHYJDO-3ntBQdmjM/view?usp=sharing
The Faculty Language Committee launched a literacy project on 8 September 2023. A competition was held in collaboration with the Faculty library and all undergraduate students were invited to submit a name for this project. 2nd year Intermediate Phase (IP) student, Tando Malusi, won the competition and named the literacy project for 2024 UbuLingaLore.
According to Tando,
The word ‘UbuLinguaLore’ means that an individual should acquire information, traditions, legends, and cultural characteristics associated with language or languages. It includes the history, evolution, and distinctive features of a specific language or collection of languages. UbuLinguaLore can comprise folklore, myths, proverbs, idioms, and other cultural expressions that are strongly based in language. It is a method of understanding and appreciating a community’s or society’s rich language heritage. The term ‘UbuLinguaLore’ is derived from the Latin word ‘lingua,’ which means ‘language,’ and the English word ‘lore,’ which refers to traditional knowledge or wisdom, while ‘Ubu’ is a Xhosa word meaning to be.
More can be seen here:
https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/ article/4800/education-Faculty-announces-winnerof-international-literacy-day-naming-competition
Professor Candice Livingston became a Teaching Advancements at Universities (TAU) fellow in July 2023 and was part of the TAU 4 group. The TAU Fellowships Programme seeks to build a cadre of teaching fellows in a wide range of disciplines over a 19-month programme, involving block week contact sessions, individual projects in own teaching and learning settings, group projects and reflective reports. Participants are drawn from all South African universities.
The aims of the programme are:
• to contribute towards the enhancement of teaching and learning in higher education in South Africa by supporting the development of a cadre of academics across institutions and disciplines as scholars, leaders and mentors in their fields;
• to enhance the status and stature of teaching and popularise the understanding of teaching excellence in varied institutional and disciplinary settings;
• to enable TAU participants to develop their capabilities to engage in and insert themselves as change agents, individually and collectively, in building a socially just education.
Curriculum Forum: staff development
• Among the staff development initiatives, the CO Forum, under the stewardship of Dr Rolene Liebenberg, held a session on blended learning. The session was facilitated and presented by Faculty staff: Chris Duma, Dr Lizelle Pretorius and Henry Oliver.
• A workshop on ‘Preparing a portfolio of evidence for participation in the Teaching Excellence Awards’ was presented by Prof Candice Livingston in September.
integrated learning and teaching practice
• Dr Zena Scholtz (WIL Coordinator) is co-presenting at an international conference in Nepal on WIL in Vocational and Technical Teaching.
• The EDTP Seta sponsored 50 students in the Faculty for their teaching practice.
• The Intermediate Phase Teaching Practice Coordinator Mr Clive Brown had a successful first-year internal teaching practice peer moderation experience on Mowbray Campus, which saw close to 223 first-year Intermediate Phase student teachers grading each other’s teaching practice files. The process was extensive and required the full and focused attention of all student teaches to become familiar with the mandatory requirements linked to building and maintaining a professional teaching practice file, which is expected to accompany each respective student into the world of work.
Wellington campus is hosting an English Language Fellow, Dr Qiana Gray, who has been working with the Faculty since Feb 2023. Her contract has been extended for 2024. The programme is run by the Regional Language Office of the US Embassy through the English Language Fellow (EL Fellow) Programme, highly qualified U.S. educators in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) participate in 10-month-long fellowships at academic institutions throughout the world. The EL Fellow Programme fosters mutual understanding, promotes English language learning and enhances English teaching capacity abroad. Through projects sponsored by U.S. embassies, EL Fellows share their professional expertise, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures. To date, thousands of EL Fellows have conducted projects in more than 80 countries. Examples of past EL Fellow projects include: classroom teaching, teacher training, in-service and pre-service training, curriculum development, workshop and seminar design, programme evaluation, needs assessment, testing, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP).
Brenda Flanagan
Prof Brenda Flanagan is a full professor in the Dept of English at Davidson college in North Carolina, USA. Prof Flanagan has served as a Cultural Ambassador for the US State Department since 2003. She visited the Faculty of Education, CPUT, from 22 August 2023 to 9 September 2023 as a Fullbright English specialist. The focus of this visit to CPUT was to discuss the teaching of literature in the English courses which are part of the B Ed undergraduate programmes in the Faculty of Education. This was an opportunity to share ideas and to benchmark the curriculum internationally. During her visit she presented several classes to undergraduate students on the Wellington and Mowbray campuses on relevant literature, addressing the agenda of political awareness and decolonisation. She accompanied colleagues in the Department of English to service learning projects where Education students were tutoring at a correctional facility and at a children’s home, and she gave valuable advice and insights. Prof Flanagan presented a special session to lecturers in the Faculty of Education, during which she addressed the theoretical grounding of the teaching of literature, going beyond merely a readerresponse theoretical framework, to include the essence of literary analysis. She was the keynote speaker at the Literacy Day hosted by Mrs Joanne Arendse, Wellington campus librarian and her team, at a local school in Wellington. During the last few days of her stay in South Africa, she joined CPUT colleagues and M Ed students at the LITASA conference in Port Elizabeth where she shared her ideas and joined colleagues across South Africa in discussions on literacy. Students and staff alike were in awe of Prof Flanagan’s energy and insight into the South African context and inherent challenges, especially regarding the teaching of English, which is often described as the language of the coloniser. Her impact will be felt for a long time to come by everyone who had the privilege of meeting her.
Way forward and new approaches
Looking ahead, the Faculty is poised to build upon the successes of 2023 and embrace new approaches to teaching and learning. To address challenges such as accommodation issues, resource shortages, and student support services, we will continue to prioritise collaboration, innovation, and student-centred approaches. By expanding language initiatives, providing ongoing professional development opportunities, and fostering a culture of inclusivity, we aim to create a dynamic learning environment that empowers students and Faculty members alike.
In conclusion, we acknowledge the collective efforts and dedication of students, Faculty members, and staff in advancing the mission and vision of the Faculty of Education. Despite the challenges encountered, the resilience, creativity, and commitment demonstrated by our community have been instrumental in driving positive change and transformation within the educational landscape. As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence, innovation, and inclusivity, guided by the belief that education has the power to shape minds, transform lives, and build a brighter future for generations to come.
The Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment (FEBE) has the following vision and mission statements in line with the Faculty Strategic plan 2030
To be a leading Faculty in engineering and the built environment that advances knowledge through science, technology, and innovation for the benefit of society.
To be a self-sustaining Faculty that is responsive and relevant; environmentally conscious; renowned for its innovation in teaching and learning, research, and technological development; and produced graduates that contribute to society.
The Faculty is one of six, and the second largest at CPUT, and approximately 8200 students registered in 2023. The Faculty consists of eight departments operating over three campuses (Bellville, District Six and Granger Bay) and has approximately 200 academic and research staff supported by 100 technical and administrative support staff.
The Faculty offers over 50 HEQSF aligned qualifications which include diplomas, advanced diplomas, degrees, honours degrees, postgraduate diplomas, master’s and doctoral degrees. It covers a broad range of Engineering, Built Environment, and related disciplines, which are summarised below:
• Department of Chemical Engineering (DChE):
Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor in Engineering Technology, Bachelor in Engineering Technology (Honours), Master’s and Doctorate qualifications in Chemical Engineering
• Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics (DCEG):
Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor in Engineering Technology, Bachelor in Engineering Technology (Honours), Master’s and Doctorate qualifications in Civil Engineering Diploma and Bachelor in Geomatics and Geomatic Information Systems (GIS)
• Department of Clothing and Textile Technology (DCTT):
Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma qualifications in Clothing and Textile Technology
• Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying (DCMQS): Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma qualifications in Construction Management, and Quantity Surveying
• Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering (DEECE): Diploma (DET), Bachelor in Engineering Technology, Bachelor in Engineering Technology (Honours), Master’s and Doctorate qualifications in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (DISE): Diploma, Advanced Diploma qualifications in Industrial Engineering Advanced Diploma in Quality Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s in Engineering Management
• Departments of Maritime Studies (DMS):
Bachelors in Nautical Science and Bachelors in Marine Engineering
• Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics (DMME)
Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s, and Doctorate qualifications in Mechanical Engineering
Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Mechatronic Engineering
Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in Renewable Energy.
The majority of the above listed qualifications are professional qualifications that are accredited by various statutory professional bodies. These include the
• Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) (20 qualifications)
• South African Geomatics Council (SAGC) (4 qualifications)
• South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) (2 qualifications)
• South African Council for Quantity Surveying Professions (SACQSP) (2 qualifications)
• South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) (3 qualifications)
The table below presents data on the graduation rates from various departments within the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment from 2018 to 2022, including partial data for 2023 up to the date provided.
Constr
Industrial
The Dean of the Faculty
‘Prof Suresh Ramsuroop was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment in December 2023, after serving as Acting Dean since September 2022 and as Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning from April 2021
Prof Ramsuroop holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and has over 33 years of industrial and academic experience. In his previous role as Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning, Prof Ramsuroop continued to engage and promote academic excellence and uphold high professional standards to underpin the research and teaching in the field of engineering. Over the past 30 years he held several management positions in academia and has taught a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervised several postgraduate students.
He has been actively involved in various national and international professional activities that directly contributed to chemical engineering education and the profession. He currently serves on several working committees at the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) including the generation of the new suite of engineering qualification standards for SA, the accreditation of national and international engineering programmes, and is currently the chairperson of the task team for the national implementation of the new legislation on Identification of Engineering Work (IDoEW).
Prof Ramsuroop is a registered professional engineering technologist with ECSA and is a registered Chartered Engineer with Engineering Council of UK. His current research interests include computational chemical thermodynamics, process synthesis and design, and engineering education.
Prof Bingwen Yan
The Assistant Dean of the Faculty
The Assistant Dean of the Faculty: Prof Bingwen Yan
He previously held the position of Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Prof Yan holds a Doctor of Technology: Mechanical Engineering. Over the past 15 years, he has been actively involved in learning and teaching, as well as curriculum development activities, with a research focus spanning industrial engineering, engineering management, and operations management.
Since 2010, Prof Yan has consistently been a valuable contributor to the academic community. To date, he has taught more than 20 courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has supervised 8 doctoral students and approximately 30 master’s students. His publication record includes numerous manuscripts featured in ISI and DHET accredited journals, along with several conference proceedings. He has served as a member of organising committees and a reviewer for a number of accredited journals and international conferences. Moreover, he has also served as a reviewer for National Research Foundation (NRF) projects and evaluated numerous research projects for NRF grants applications. Prof Yan is registered as a member of the International Council on Systems Engineering. He has also been actively involved in various community projects and industrial initiatives.
The eight departments in the Faculty are supported a committed and enthusiastic team of Faculty coordinators. These are a Learning and Teaching Coordinator, a Language Development Coordinator, an Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) Coordinator, an IT Coordinator, a WIL Coordinator and a Student Engagement Coordinator. In addition to the coordinators, the Faculty is aided by departmental Teaching and Learning Representatives, the, as well as representatives from Fundani Centre for Higher Education and Development, and the library.
Prof Bingwen Yan is the Acting Assistant Dean of Learning and Teaching within the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at CPUT
The Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment has successfully accredited 34 new programmes with the CHE and registered them with SAQA between 2015 and 2024. These programmes, aligned with the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF), were developed to replace Category C non-aligned HEQSF qualifications. All new HEQSF-aligned programmes underwent external review by the DHET for PQM clearance, accreditation by CHE, and subsequent registration with SAQA.
Currently, one qualification (Master of Clothing and Textile Technology) is awaiting accreditation from the CHE and registration with SAQA. Additionally, the application for the PG Dip in Mechanical Engineering (Mechatronics) has been withdrawn by the Faculty. It is worth noting that three qualifications are awaiting an SAQA registration letter, although they are listed on the SAQA website
Learning and teaching highlights
Over the course of 2023, FEBE hosted a variety of initiatives designed to transform our curriculum (aligned with Vision 2030) and enhance the learning experiences for students and Faculty members alike. Through joint efforts in projects and the pursuit of professional growth, our goal has been to foster an inclusive academic environment that not only values diversity but also empowers every individual to achieve their utmost potential.
This section of the report presents some of the highlights in FEBE in 2023, casting a spotlight on significant accomplishments, as well as the Faculty’s pursuits, and approaches aimed at continuous enhancement. By showcasing some of our professional development engagements, and transformation projects, our intention is to present a glimpse of our ongoing quest for academic distinction, reflecting our commitment to scholastic excellence and influence on society.
In 2023 we initiated a series of curriculum innovations and dedicated our efforts to revamp and enrich our academic programmes to include skills pertinent to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), digital literacy, and inventive teaching methods. These projects are pivotal, including the creation of forward-thinking programmes and the integration of digital tools into our curricula. Moreover, we have simultaneously been focused on elevating the quality of both teaching and learning. Professional development workshops for Faculty members have been central to this aim, concentrating on digital pedagogy and embedding CPUT’s graduate attributes within teaching practices
In recognition of promoting academic excellence in learning, teaching and assessments, several staff in the Faculty were recipients of the Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA). These awards are intended to recognise, promote, and reward teaching excellence; enhance the professionalism of university teachers; share excellent practice with the Faculty and institution; and provide opportunities for further professional development; and improve student engagement and success.
The seven recipients for 2023 were:
Institutional TEA: Dr Ali-Mustafa Ali-Almaktoof: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
Faculty TEA:
Dr Mohammed Pourbehi: Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics
Dr Senthil Krishnamurthy: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
Departmental TEA:
• Dr Basirat Bello: Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics
• Dr Mkhululi Mnguni: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
• Dr Ali Rugbani: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
• Ms Naasirah Mohamed: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
xPlore 2023 Competition
• The xPlore Technology Award is an international technology competition hosted by the German company Phoenix Contact. It is held every 3 years and covers a host of technology categories aligned to the overall theme for the year, with the theme for 2023 being Sustainability.
• The project commenced in 2022, when the team, comprising four engineering students from Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management identified a potential project within the Education category.
• The project addresses issues related to energy consumption, environmental sustainability, and electricity supply reliability, and revolves around the concept of demand-side management (DSM), which focuses on educating and sensitising individuals, especially school learners, about energy use and its environmental consequences.
• A unique element of this system is the harnessing of energy through play and the introduction of a competition among schools to promote energy savings. By measuring and comparing their current energy consumption with the previous month’s data, schools are motivated to compete against themselves, making it a fair contest irrespective of school size.
Once the project was accepted, we had to provide constant feedback relating to progress, following which, 100 teams were provided with equipment worth approximately R70 000 to use in the realisation of their projects.
Based on the overall progress, project innovation and state of solution (assessed via submitted videos and documentation), 25 teams were invited to attend the finals in Germany, held from 16 – 21 October 2023.
Judging of all the 25 projects was done via a 5 minute plenary presentation and a detailed walk-through demonstration for two separate judging panels.
The team provided an excellent demonstration of the quality of CPUT students and were awarded third position in the education category. As we were the only finalists representing the African continent, the team felt particularly proud of their achievement.
The hosts covered all flights, lodging and local transport for the duration of the competition. We were fortunate that the DEECE covered the expenses for visas, travel insurance, incidental expenses and other items used for the development of the project. In addition to the competition, all teams were taken on tours of local technology factories/exhibitions/museums on the day before leaving for home.
In conclusion, the team experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event that secured friendships and contacts from across the world. They intend building on the project to enable their local service learning objectives to be realised in the future. Further background information on xPlore can be found here: https://www.phoenixcontact.com/ext/en/xplore.html
Staff development activities ECSA registration workshops
The new gazetted legislation, the Identification of Engineering of Work (IDoEW), gazetted on 26 March 2021 will have profound impact on FEBE and CPUT. A key component of the IDoEW is that any person who performs any identified engineering work in a particular engineering discipline must, in addition to any other requirement contemplated in the Engineering Profession Act must be suitably qualified; be registered by ECSA in the appropriate category applicable to the level of service performed; and possess the necessary core competency in the competency areas referred to in this item to perform such core service as a professional engineer, professional engineering technologist, professional certificated engineer, professional engineering technician or a specified category practitioner.
Furthermore, sub-section 17(1) of the IDoEW states, ‘Any person who oversees the planning, design and delivery of education and training programmes accredited by ECSA and assessment of students at the engineering exit level at a higher education institution that is established, deemed to be established or declared as a public or private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No 101 of 1997) or at a public college as defined in the Further Education and Training Colleges Act, 2006 (Act No. 16 of 2006), is deemed to be a person who performs identified work contemplated in item 2 of this Notice.’ Notably, the legislation does include a transitional provision that expects full compliance by 2025.
aim, concentrating on digital pedagogy and embedding CPUT’s graduate attributes within teaching practices
The implication of the legislation is twofold:
1. Programmes that have unregistered persons leading and or lecturing at the exit level subjects will be deemed of having a Deficiency in the ECSA accreditation Criterion 4: Resources and sustainability and capacity for improvement.
2. Employment of unregistered persons to conduct the listed identified work will be in contravention of the legislation.
Currently, the Faculty has a very low number of professionally registered staff and hence will be in contravention of the legislation. The Faculty addressed the critical need for professional registration among its staff with two targeted training sessions, both facilitated by Professor Trevor Haas. The first session, held over two days from 3 – 4 July 2023, focused on engineers aspiring to obtain ECSA registration as professional engineers. It drew participants from five engineering departments, with 17 individuals engaging in an intensive workshop designed to impart essential knowledge for the preparation and submission of their ECSA portfolios. Feedback from the attendees was unanimously positive, emphasising the workshop’s effectiveness in equipping them with the skills to navigate the ECSA registration process confidently.
On 13 July 2023, the Faculty hosted a hybrid workshop on harnessing learner analytics to enhance student performance and success. Facilitated by Mr Sonwabo Jongile (from CIET) and Dr Vusi Mshayisa (from the Department of Food Science and Technology in the Faculty of Applied Science), the face-to-face aspect of the workshop took place in Room 1.05, in the IT Centre. Mr. Jongile presented an overview and demonstration of the updated learner management system, showcasing it as an impressive transformative educational tool. Dr Mshayisa complemented this with a practical demonstration of an array of best practices. In particular, Dr Mshayisa, explored the item analysis tool and the strategic utilisation of the retention centre with participants, providing them with a deeper understanding of how to utilise learner analytics to bolster student progression. There were 24 face-to-face participants and 60 online participants, of whom 18 face-to-face participants and 19 online participants were from FEBE. Due to low interest in the Faculty, an invitation was extended to other faculties.
There were 24 face-to-face participants and 60 online participants, of whom 18 face-to-face participants and 19 online participants were from FEBE. Due to low interest in the Faculty, an invitation was extended to other faculties.
A face-to-face workshop was hosted by FEBE on 20 July 2023 with 21 participants in the Chemical Engineering Building. It was facilitated by visiting Professor Matheus de Andrade from University College London. The presentation was entitled ‘A journey into curricular and pedagogic reform in engineering mathematics.’ Prof de Andrade presented a session on designing and delivering engineering mathematics teaching to large-scale, multidisciplinary cohorts. He specialises in problem-based learning of mathematics in engineering projects, active flipped learning for student-centred education, and mathematics teaching for sustainability. He touched on critical issues such as the hidden curriculum and the value of case studies for practical training on application.
On 22 November 2023, in collaboration with the Directorate of International Education and Partnerships of Durban University of Technology, and CPUT SIPS, the Faculty hosted a workshop on collaborative online international learning (COIL). It was facilitated by Dr Lavern Samuels and Ms Divinia Jithoo. COIL projects prepare students for a globalised workforce, fosters diverse perspectives, and helps universities meet their goals of providing a well-rounded education in an interconnected world. DUT has significant experience HAS and enjoyed success in COIL, and will tailor a workshop to empower staff members to design and implement COIL projects. This is aligned with CPUT’s Vision 2030 (Focus Area 2: Smart Teaching and Learning and Smart Learning Environments; Focus Area 4: Smart Human Capital and Talent; and Focus Area 5: Smart Internationalisation). The Senate Hall was the venue for this face-to-face workshop which was attended by 48 staff members. Some feedback from an attendee: ‘Thank you that it was face-to-face so that spontaneous conversations could happen that could lead to more opportunities.’
On 23 November 2023, our Faculty hosted a interactive workshop titled ‘Entrepreneurship and the curriculum,’ led by Dr Rajiv Basaiawmoit, Head of Sci-Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Aarhus University, Denmark. This online workshop, attended by 74 Faculty members, served as a bridge between traditional academic approaches and the dynamic realms of startups and business creation.
During the workshop, Dr Basaiawmoit shared his insights on curriculum development, focusing on best practices for integrating entrepreneurship principles into academic syllabi. He emphasised innovative pedagogical techniques to teach entrepreneurial thinking and problem-solving, along with engagement strategies that inspire and motivate students through entrepreneurial case studies and projects.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the workshop, highlighting their interest in the concepts of effectuation entrepreneurship and the Double Diamond Innovation Model. These frameworks are instrumental in developing entrepreneurship courses that are both engaging and effective. Moreover, the discussions on strategies to keep students engaged using gamification and gaming theory were particularly enlightening, offering innovative methods to incorporate new technologies into the learning and teaching space.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees expressing a keen interest in attending more such workshops. They voiced a desire to learn how to design their own game strategies for educational programmes, and suggested a future face-to-face workshop that would include hands-on sessions for software exploration and project development aimed at implementation in teaching.
This workshop not only enhanced our understanding of integrating entrepreneurship into education but also sparked a community-wide interest in exploring innovative teaching methodologies for the benefit of our students.
In a series of Faculty engagements known as the Recurriculation Roadshow, three pivotal workshops were conducted in the Faculty from March to April. These sessions were instrumental in our endeavour to recalibrate our curriculum in line with CPUT’s Vision 2030 and, where relevant, the updated ECSA Qualification Standards of 2020. This curriculum review serves a dual purpose: it not only ensures our academic offerings remain cutting edge but also facilitates the incorporation of emerging technologies across all programmes and qualifications.
The roadshow commenced when DISE and DCTT had a joint session which was held on 2 March. Subsequent to this, a workshop was organised on 9 March for the DCMQS, DChE, DMME, DEECE, as well as DCEG. A workshop at DMS concluded the series on the 6 April 2023.
Throughout these workshops, the Dean not only addressed all Faculty members but also engaged in substantive discussions on crucial curricular matters, including assessment methodologies. These dialogues were key in ensuring that our assessment strategies are as forward-looking as our curricular content, thereby maintaining the integrity and excellence of our academic offerings. As evidence of our progress, qualifications within DCTT, DCMQS, and DISE have already been updated, showcasing our commitment to staying at the forefront of educational innovation and excellence
As part of FEBE’s tailored First-Year Engagement project, the Faculty held a co-creation workshop on the 21 September 2023. The workshop entitled ‘Developing “Finding your Voice”’ was facilitated by the Hasso-Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika (the D-School) in the CPUT Bellville Library Conference Room venue. The objective of this workshop was to harness the expertise and perspectives of diverse attendees (class representatives, first-year coordinators, members of the SRC and engineering educators, guided by facilitators from the D-School) to create a transformative module that would empower first-year students within FEBE. This planned module will be part of an envisaged compulsory first-year subject (a medium-term Faculty goal) called Engineering for Social Change, which the Faculty is currently designing.
During the workshop, five mixed teams (each team composed of a combination of at least one engineering educator and a combination of first-year students, SRC members and support staff) focused on high level exploration of the first year FEBE student experience, unpacking the emotions, stories, personal pains and gains that drove the students’ learning journeys. The workshop was mindset led, using design thinking tools to encourage empathy and creativity and to design a solution or learning experience that empowers first-year FEBE students to take control of their personal journey in a world where student are seeking more agency and personal expression.
In a transformation themed event for the women of the FEBE, Alison Botha, a figure of resilience and empowerment in South Africa, delivered a profound presentation. The session, held at the culmination of Women’s Month, not only commemorated the theme ‘Embracing empowerment: your response shapes your story’ but also brought to life the principles of survival and personal agency that Botha personifies.
The gathering was welcomed by Prof Veruscha Fester, Assistant Dean: Research, Technology, Innovation & Partnerships, who recognised the efforts of Dr Bronwyn Swartz and her team in orchestrating this significant event. It began with a stirring address from Dr Hilda Vember, a retired CPUT Nursing Department academic, whose talk, ‘Women of worth,’ set a tone of introspection and recognition of inner strength.
Botha’s visit was the cornerstone of the event, where she shared the gripping details of the attack she endured in 1994 and her subsequent journey of recovery and empowerment. Her story, told with candour and vulnerability, was not just a recounting of past events but a message of hope and the enduring human spirit. Botha illustrated through her life’s example that even in the depths of despair, the choice of response holds immense power.
Her narrative extends beyond her personal triumph; it is encapsulated in the book I have life: Alison’s journey and the documentary Alison, both of which were shared with the attendees, offering a tangible reminder of the strength that comes from adversity. Through her ‘ABC’ – attitude, belief, and choice – Botha imparted a lesson on the control we hold over our responses to life’s challenges. She left the audience with a charge to take ownership of their feelings and actions, thus reclaiming the power within themselves. Alison Botha’s presence at the Faculty not only enriched the participants with her inspirational story but also catalysed a renewed understanding of empowerment, reinforcing the idea that every individual’s response indeed shapes their own story. The event ended with a musical item by DEECE staff member Amy Leo.
Click here to watch a video clip taken of the event: https://youtube.com/shorts/282dHQ6mu9I?feature=share
In an effort to promote critical dialogue on learning and teaching and curriculum design and delivery within CPUT and the broader community, FEBE recently held a Research Unit of Engineering and the Built Environment Education (RUEBEE) Symposium at Bellville Campus. The Education Research Unit RUEBEE is dedicated to advancing critical dialogue on curriculum design and delivery, both within CPUT and the wider community, with the ultimate goal of enhancing our students’ educational experiences. The establishment of the RUEBEE research unit signifies our Faculty’s commitment to elevating the quality of engineering education, fostering collaboration, and continuously advancing curricula to prepare graduates who are not only academically proficient but also equipped to make a meaningful impact in society.
The head of RUEBEE, Dr Bronwyn Swartz, said this would ultimately enhance the educational experiences of students. To achieve this aim, the members of RUEBEE conduct scholarly research of contextual and discipline-specific factors that contribute to student success, employability, curriculum inclusiveness, the pedagogy of teaching, learning and assessment in the related disciplines, and professionalism. ‘Through our research we will build principles, methodologies, and educational practices upon which to continuously build innovative and transformative curricula that produce graduates that contribute to society,’ Swartz remarked.
Initially the symposium was meant for FEBE, although it was opened to anyone interested in engineering education. The Faculty of Applied Science and the Library graced the event. Swartz, who is also the Learning and Teaching Coordinator for FEBE, said: ‘The idea of the symposium was to raise awareness of the different types of education research that is happening in Faculty. And to encourage new members to join and stimulate the formation of new Engineering Education projects.’ The seminar was a success because of well-prepared, insightful, and impactful presentations and was attended by 36 people, mostly lecturers from FEBE departments.
numerous presentations included:
• Mohammed Pourbehi’s presentation: Integration of Mola structural kits with digital twin technology to enhance student engagement in problem-based learning and collaborative work. Case study: BET(Hons) in Civil Engineering.
• Tiyamike Ngonda and Virginia Ngonda: Determinants of the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of engineering students from a South African university of technology.
• Lucrecia Valentine and Bronwyn Swartz: Assessing the potential of chatbots as tools in engineering education: A South African case study.
• Cheryl Belford: A Case for authentic assessment in developing student proficiency in the age of generative artificial intelligence.
• Ashaadia Kamalie: The role of non-technical graduate attributes in addressing water sector leadership in Western Cape, South Africa.
• Zainunisha Mohamed: The importance of formalised academic advising (AA) as a support tool for students in Year 1.
• Felicity Harris: Being an engineer: career aspirations and expectations of first-generation engineering students.
• Sweta Patnaik and Bronwyn Swartz: Meeting the demands of industry: a study on identifying and teaching emerging technologies in engineering education.
‘The organisers of the RUEBEE believe that the symposium created an opportunity for engineering educators to collaborate and discuss new research projects as well as influence curriculum development,’ said Swartz, who was also the symposium chair. Other attendees described the symposium as informative and inspiring. ‘We are happy though that our inaugural symposium was well supported and attendees found it valuable,’ said the chair. She added that it was a robust academic exchange, with engineering educators collaboratively engaging in discussions. ‘We were encouraged because of high participation rates with the attendees and their positive feedback. We (the organisers) believe the symposium will have an impact in terms of the initiation of new research partnerships, improvements to curriculum and pedagogy. We also trust that the symposium enhanced our visibility and reputation in the Faculty - and also the institution. ‘We want to attract resources for ongoing research and with increased visibility we hope that this will help us do so. Ultimately, we believe the RUEBEE symposium strengthened engineering educators research community, and contributed to elevating the quality engineering education (which is a component of FEBE’s strategic goals).’
Find the link to RUEBEE: https://www.cput.ac.za/academic/faculties/engineering/research/research-unit-ofengineering-the-built-environment-education-ruebee
The importance of language diversity is recognised in the Faculty. As part of its commitment to meeting the variety of linguistic requirements of students, measures have been implemented to create a multilingual environment that fosters inclusive learning experiences.
To facilitate comprehension and promote equal access to educational materials, the Faculty has been actively developing multilingual glossaries. These glossaries aim to bridge the language gap by providing translations of key technical terms and concepts into the three languages of the Western Cape. Regular updates and revisions ensure that the glossaries remain relevant and comprehensive, accommodating the changing needs of students.
Students are encouraged to express themselves in their home languages, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment. This approach acknowledges the diverse linguistic backgrounds of students and ensures that language does not pose a barrier to effective communication and learning.
The programme introduces students to various aspects of campus life, emphasising identity, interpersonal skills, study skills, time management, sustainable development, and ethics. Language development is viewed holistically, recognising language as encompassing all aspects of our being and actions. By integrating language development into this comprehensive framework, the programme seeks to empower students and cultivate a strong foundation for academic success and personal growth within the engineering field.
Incorporating information literacy modules offered by the library into the first-year curriculum aims to promote language development and enhance students’ ability to navigate and evaluate information sources effectively. These modules have been made compulsory for all first-year students and are aligned with the Communication Skills courses in Engineering. Additionally, the library offers refresher courses in the second year, and a specialised course is provided for final year students. These initiatives foster critical thinking, research skills, and effective communication, equipping students with the necessary tools for academic success and professional growth.
Language plays a crucial role in the diverse nature of the student and staff context. FEBE embraces diversity and inclusivity, recognising the importance of language as essential in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all. This is why we added an International Day to our calendar.
The 2nd Annual International Day (2023) was an overwhelming success, reflecting our institution’s commitment to fostering a globalised and inclusive environment. The event showcased our international community’s incredible talents, perspectives, and traditions and served as a reminder of the power of diversity in education and beyond.
We look forward to continuing our efforts to promote internationalisation and celebrate the diverse tapestry of cultures that enrich our institution.
The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment has made significant progress in 2023 towards achieving its vision and mission. We have successfully transformed our curriculum to align with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and CPUT’s Vision 2030. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in the numerous initiatives undertaken this year, including staff development workshops, the xPlore 2023 competition achievement, and the establishment of the Research Unit of Engineering and the Built Environment Education.
These advancements position FEBE at the forefront of engineering education, not only equipping students with the technical skills they need to succeed, but also fostering critical thinking, innovation, and social responsibility. We are confident that our graduates will have a profound impact on society and contribute meaningfully to building a sustainable future.
We look forward to continued growth and development in the coming year, with a focus on further strengthening our industry partnerships, expanding our research endeavours, and providing an exceptional learning experience for all our students.
The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences confirms our commitment to promoting excellence in learning and teaching; research and innovation; as well as expansion of our community and service learning projects.
The FHWS strives to promote cutting edge technology in Smart university teaching and learning by using high-technology equipment during training, while adhering to high-quality assurance practices, and providing excellent and relevant content inside and outside CPUT’s lecture venues.
In virtual environment for radiation therapy training, the Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences (MITS) radiation therapy skills laboratory and our practical skill laboratory is where we apply theoretical treatment planning concepts through tutorials.
This report highlights the performance in learning and teaching for FHWS in 2023 against CPUT’s Vision 2030 and Faculty strategic plans in teaching and learning quality and student experience, and to align with the University’s strategic objectives. For 2023, the learning and teaching office set targets for completing the academic year successfully, and all targets were met by the end of 2023.
Prioritising learning teaching and assessment in the academic project
The Faculty has identified some challenges related to learning teaching and assessment (LTA) that need to be addressed after reflecting on the 2022 academic year (AY). The focus of AY2023 was on ensuring secure online assessments while applying the fundamental rules and procedures of the LTA policy. To achieve this, the Faculty adopted a hybrid/blended learning approach. For online assessments, students wrote their final assessments in the IT Centre or on campus. Lecturers invigilated the process to provide added support to any student who faced challenges. This approach has enabled us to adopt the graduate attributes of CPUT, indicated in figure 2 below.
Automation and the components of the 4IR as well as future industrial revolutions will keep changing the world of work, including the work of higher education, practitioners, scholars and lecturers. There is evidence that a significant portion of jobs, including jobs in the higher education sector, will be redundant in the next ten years and that at least two billion jobs could disappear by 2030. CPUT develops graduates with the attributes that will make them career ready and future fit.
In 2023, FHWS held a successful first-year orientation programme. Despite facing budget cuts, the Dean has allocated a certain amount of money to each department for orientation activities. Fundani, an active participant, assisted the Faculty in making student appointments through the University Capacity Development Grant to ensure that students are appointed as quickly as possible as mentors, tutors and ROs, and can begin employment in their respective roles. The Faculty provided all relevant information regarding student appointments, and FYE videos in preparation for the FYE programme.
First-year Health and Wellness Sciences students were warmly welcomed to the Faculty in March 2023, during a fun-filled morning at the CPUT Sports Fields in Bellville. The students were introduced to the seven departments in the Faculty and were encouraged to reach out to the student assistants as well as to the peer mentors in the Faculty. The morning concluded with an exciting scavenger hunt before students were treated to lunch.
The Faculty prioritised its communication with students, using various platforms such as email, WhatsApp, Blackboard, Newsflash, Padlet, etc. The Student Quality Desk was also established to highlight students’ voices where concerns raised by students are brought to the Faculty Quality Forum. Student representatives are invited to Faculty Board meetings, and are also represented at advisory committees and appeals committees of the Faculty. Furthermore, student representatives’ views are presented through the LTA representatives who are members of the Faculty LTA Committee.
Some achievements in learning & teaching
Teaching Excellence Awards, January 2023
The Faculty hosted its annual Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards on 27 January 2023, to recognise awards made in 2022, and celebrated extraordinary staff members.
At the event, held at the Cape Town Hotel School, Acting Assistant Dean, Lloyd Christopher, said there were many staff members ‘that go beyond what is expected of them’ and excel despite challenges. ‘I think today is really a celebration of the work we have achieved in the last year,’ he said.
The winners per category were as follows:
Departmental Teaching Excellence Award: Rizqa Siebritz-Williams (Biomedical Sciences)
Departmental Teaching Excellence Award: Judy Sheahan (Emergency Medical Sciences)
Recognition of exceptional contribution to the Faculty Administration: Siyabonga Mntanywa
Two awards for excellent service of over 30 years upon retirement: Dental administrators Maureen Anthony and Stephanie Isaacs.
Recognition of outstanding service and contribution in the fields of mathematics, physical science and chemistry in the Faculty: Michael Smith (Ophthalmic Sciences)
Research Award: Dr Kathleen Naidoo (Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences)
Faculty awardee for Teaching Excellence in 2021, Nkosikho Sogwagwa, also received his trophy at the event.
Several staff members were also recognised for completed service learning projects for 2021/2022. They are:
Llizane McDonald (Emergency Medical Sciences)
Roxanne Maritz (Emergency Medical Sciences)
Gerhardus Koch (Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences)
Heather Hendrickse (Biomedical Sciences)
Nomfundo Mkhombe (Ophthalmic Sciences)
Moeneeba Jacobs (Wellness Sciences)
Assoc Prof Kareemah Najaar (Emergency Medical Sciences) was awarded the Faculty Prestigious Achiever’s Award for convening the Life Science tutoring project across the Faculty.
Two postdoctoral fellows at the SA Medical Research Council/CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit and a recent PhD graduate have been awarded the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Extramural Postdoctoral Programme fellowship.
They are Drs Cecil Weale, Don Matshazi and Dipuo Motshwari.
The application was open to candidates interested in pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at any one of the 28 SAMRC extramural units, based at various universities in South Africa. The trio has been awarded the fellowship for two years while being based at the SAMRC/CPUT Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit under the supervision of directors, Prof Tandi Matsha and Prof Glenda Davison. Motshwari, whose PhD in Biomedical Sciences was conferred during the Autumn Graduation of 2023, said she was born and raised in a small rural town in Limpopo, called Soekmekaar. She said her PhD journey was not a smooth ride.
‘During my first year of study, I lost my mother and, like everyone in the world, between 2020 and 2022, was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in the complete change of my PhD project. However, despite these challenges, I still managed to persevere, publishing four manuscripts and a book chapter in peer-reviewed journals, as well as presenting at both local and international conferences.’ Motshwari also served as a retention officer (RO) in the Faculty for two years where she helped many first-year students battling challenges such as stress, anxiety, and other socio-economic as well as academic challenges.
Their unwavering dedication to developing research capacity through training and support of early career researchers can only bode well for the research community in South Africa and the communities they serve.
Students from the Department of Dental Sciences visited an early childhood development centre to encourage and promote good oral hygiene techniques among the learners. Dental Assisting lecturers Ms. Eleanor Andrews and Ms. Nyembo Maskini said five students from the department participated in the outreach to SpeelSpeel Slim.
‘We had the children watch videos, which showed them how to brush and why they should brush their teeth and also how many times a day. We also brought our own models, where our students showed the children how to floss. Thereafter, we had the children play games indicating the difference between healthy teeth and unhealthy teeth. Lastly, we gave the children healthy oral hygiene colouring booklets to colour in at home,’ said Maskini, ‘We are so proud of our students who took the time to outreach and promote oral health at Speel-Speel.’
Meanwhile August marked the start of Work Integrated Learning for the Dental Assisting students, with 97 students having been placed. The Dental Sciences Department expressed its gratitude to the University of the Western Cape’s Faculty of Dentistry for their partnership.
2. FHWS projects (community engagement and service learning)
Service learning and community engagement initiatives in the Faculty reflect a comprehensive approach to stakeholder engagement, aligning with the University’s strategic goals of promoting health and well-being, advancing educational equity, fostering inclusivity and diversity, and addressing societal needs through collaborative partnerships. The strategic foci of most of these projects range from fostering sustainable partnerships and holistic community development, to enhancing stakeholder well-being through accessible health care services. In alignment with V2030, of Smart engagement with quintuple helix partners, and particularly the environment, the Campus Cats project addresses community issues related to animal welfare, promoting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.
The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences aims to develop the research capacity of a future generation of researchers/scholars and innovators, placing CPUT at the forefront of innovation in its broadest sense. To achieve this, stimulating continued growth in research will support the development of new knowledge and expand opportunities for staff and students. This is key to realising our goals of becoming a leading university of technology by creating a Smart learning environment within Health and Wellness Sciences. A rich variety of research is conducted within the Faculty, in response to the disciplinary and societal contexts of the Western Cape, South Africa, the African continent, and the world at large. Research topics includes topics relating to health and well-being, and to the higher education environment.
Research highlights to note in 2023
• One new NRF Y2 rating;
• Six C-rated researchers;
• The Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit is a recognised Research Centre/SAMRC extramural unit;
• The CPUT-FHWS-Research Ethics Committee has been re-registered with the National Health Research Ethics Council after being audited in 2022; and
• Prof Penelope Engel-Hills has been appointed Chair of the National Health Research Ethics Council for a five-year term.
Establishing relevant partners internally, nationally, and internationally is important for the Faculty, and this is evident in most of the departments.
The Faculty graduated five master’s and two doctoral students between the Autumn and Summer graduations of 2023. It uploaded more than 100 research outputs for 2023 onto the Converis system to submit to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for review. This is a significant improvement, and we will continue to grow our research profile.
The Faculty of Informatics and Design (FID) is committed to realising its mission and vision, as outlined below:
Prof Tembisa Ngqondi Dean of the Faculty
Faculty Vision
Prof Bennet Alexander Assistant Dean
FID endeavours to establish itself as an inclusive academic institution, leveraging appropriate technologies within a collaborative, supportive, and transformative environment. It seeks to be responsive and adaptable to the diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts at local, national, continental, and global levels.
Faculty Mission
FID embraces the essence of unity (ubunye) by offering diverse and innovative teaching and learning, engaging in research, and fostering community involvement. Its goal is to facilitate excellence in academic performance, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning among both students and staff.
Introduction
Throughout the academic year 2023, the Faculty concentrated its efforts on upholding its vision and mission through various academic endeavours:
1. Inclusive environment: FID prioritised inclusivity across all facets, ensuring that the curriculum, extracurricular activities, and support systems catered to the needs of a diverse student and staff body. This involved implementing diversity training, establishing support networks, and providing resources for underrepresented groups.
2. Harnessing technologies: the Faculty integrated cutting edge technologies into its educational, research, and administrative frameworks. This included investments in advanced equipment, training initiatives on emerging technologies, and initiatives to enhance digital literacy among students and staff.
3. Collaborative and supportive culture: FID fostered a culture of collaboration and support among students, staff, and external stakeholders. Initiatives included promoting interdisciplinary research, developing mentorship programmes, and creating spaces for open dialogue and constructive feedback.
4. Transformative academic environment: to meet the evolving needs of various contexts, FID continuously adapted and innovated its academic offerings. This involved regular reviews and updates to the curriculum, forging partnerships with industry and community organisations, and facilitating experiential learning opportunities.
5. Spirit of oneness (ubunye): the Faculty embraced values of unity, solidarity, and community engagement. Activities included organising community service projects, advocating for social justice causes, and celebrating diverse cultural traditions.
6. Excellence in academic performance and entrepreneurship: FID provided platforms for students and staff to excel academically and develop entrepreneurial skills. This encompassed offering scholarships and grants, hosting business incubators, and cultivating a culture of creativity and risk-taking.
7. Lifelong learning: FID promoted a culture of lifelong learning among its constituents, encouraging continuous professional development and personal growth. Efforts included providing flexible learning opportunities, establishing alumni networks for knowledge exchange, and supporting career transitions and further education.
By implementing these initiatives, FID remains steadfast in its pursuit of realising its vision as an inclusive Faculty that harnesses appropriate technologies within a collaborative, supportive, and transformative academic environment. Furthermore, it stays committed to fulfilling its mission by promoting diversity, innovation, excellence, and lifelong learning among its stakeholders. This report comprises departmental learning and teaching reports, encapsulating the academic endeavours within the Faculty of Informatics and Design.
The Faculty consists of five distinct departments:
• Applied Design
• Architectural Technology and Interior Design
• Information Technology
• Media and Communication
• Urban and Regional Planning
Each department’s report provides valuable insights into the learning and teaching initiatives undertaken, highlighting achievements, challenges, and future directions within their respective fields of expertise.
The Department of Applied Design
Overview
This department offers four programmes: Fashion, Jewellery Design and Manufacture, Product and Industrial Design, and Visual Communication Design. The department supports diversity and access through its extensive Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP), ensuring that first-year students can navigate the challenges of higher education in design disciplines.
Introduction
Reflecting on the 2023 academic year, despite interruptions caused by protests and strikes, both staff and students demonstrated remarkable agility and flexibility in navigating the challenges.
A departmental workshop was convened at the end of 2023 to discuss graduate attributes, assessment practices, and staff wellness, recognising their pivotal role in the academic delivery of all our programmes towards achieving Vision 2030. The CPUT graduate attributes are essential in preparing students for the future world of work. The purpose of the workshop on Graduate Attributes in Applied Design was to deepen the academic staff’s understanding of these attributes as described in CPUT’s Vision 2030. The presentation highlighted alternate curriculum practices that rely on authentic learning, supporting the holistic development of students. As a practical activity, programme groups developed persona maps for specific entry-level jobs related to their courses, initiating discussions on possible divergence and convergence within design curricula. This dialogue will be continued with further requests for persona development with advisory boards in 2024.
The second topic addressed the alignment of learning activities, project briefs, and rubrics with the CPUT graduate attributes, emphasising the need for adaptability in our teaching methods as our context evolves. The third topic focused on staff and student well-being in the digitally mediated workplace. Despite the inundation of online communication platforms, the department took a moment to consider the effects on mental well-being and discussed strategies to mitigate them. Plans are in place to allocate more space for such activities in 2024, prioritising the welfare of our academic community.
The Fashion programme has undertaken several learning and teaching initiatives in the digital space, showcasing a commitment to innovation and industry relevance: Building a Better Future Through Entrepreneurial Creative Technological Design Project: spearheaded by Prof Tembisa Ngqondi, this initiative aimed to cultivate entrepreneurial spirit among fourth year students. Mentored by their lecturers, students showcased market-ready items alongside their year-end collections at an event. Industry leader Brian Mtongana provided valuable insights, enriching the experience for students.
Fashion Revolution Project: led by Walter Buccholz, this project demonstrated a commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion practices. The entire fashion student cohort collaborated to design and construct unique garments from recycled fabrics. A vibrant fashion show, assessed by industry partners, highlighted the holistic learning experience, emphasising peer-to-peer learning, teamwork, and effective communication.
Digital moderation: the programme piloted digital moderation for exit-level practical courses, yielding both benefits and challenges. While cost-saving advantages were observed in terms of transport and accommodation, challenges included compiling comprehensive student folders for external moderators and the difficulty in conveying the tactile nature of fashion through digital means. Despite these challenges, in-person engagement with external moderators remains invaluable.
These initiatives underscore the Fashion programme’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurial skills, ethical practices, and industry relevance in the digital age. New approaches and the path forward: as previously noted, the Fashion Revolution initiative will become an integral part of the curriculum for the upcoming year. This project will undergo expansion to span three weeks, with invaluable assistance from industry partners in its conceptualisation and execution. Engaging all fashion staff, the project will provide guidance to students across all four years, tailored to the appropriate level of their study. We are thrilled about this advancement as it not only harmonizes with CPUT’s WIL imperatives, but also promises to deliver a rich learning experience for both students and lecturers alike. Furthermore, it will strengthen our bonds with industry partners, fostering mutually beneficial relationships.
In 2023, second and third year students actively participated in the Platafrica competition, showcasing their talents and skills in the field of jewellery design. The design process involved collaboration with industry professionals, with mentorship from Osmond Davies, who provided invaluable guidance in platinum manufacture within our studio premises. The outcome was remarkable, with eight finalists from our programme securing places in the top ten of the student categories. Recognising their achievements, all students and their partners were flown to Gauteng to attend the awards ceremony. Notably, Thembani Gobinqi, a third year student, secured third place, while Thapelo Masingi, a second year student, claimed second place. The pinnacle of success was reached when Jana Basson, a third year student, clinched the first place position.
This project not only celebrates the talent and dedication of our students, but also provides them with invaluable exposure to the opportunities awaiting them as designers in the dynamic field of jewellery design. The path forward and innovative strategies: formalising collaboration with the industry, notably through the Platafrica competition, will be integrated into the curriculum as a component of WIL.
In the 2023 academic year, third year students of the Product Design programme engaged in impactful projects, including the My Machine project and Open Design Afrika collaboration with Jan Van Riebeek Primary School. As part of the My Machine project, our students partnered with grade three students from Jan Van Riebeek Primary School, introducing them to the principles of design thinking. The primary school students were tasked with imagining their dream machines, and our students undertook the challenge of transforming these concepts into tangible working prototypes.
This collaborative initiative not only fostered creativity and innovation among the younger generation but also provided our students with a hands-on learning experience that bridged theoretical knowledge with practical application in real-world contexts. Through such projects, our Product Design students continue to make meaningful contributions to the field, while also inspiring the next generation of designers.
Enhancing community engagement through the My Machine project: in this globally funded initiative, third year students collaborated with primary school pupils to conceptualize their ‘dream machines.’ Guiding the workshops for brainstorming, overseeing project finances, and ultimately constructing these innovative creations, the students ignited excitement among the young learners. The culmination of their efforts was the enthusiastic presentation of the finished machines at the school, marking a significant step forward in community involvement and innovation.
Our team has identified several software programmes for introduction or increased emphasis in our curriculum. These include Figma, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. To ensure proficiency, necessary training has been secured for staff. Beginning with a UI/UX component in our third year programme, students are currently being introduced to Adobe XD, with plans for Figma integration underway.
Furthermore, our commitment to excellence extends to our active participation in annual competitions such as the MCC, Gold Pack, and Still Water. To enhance our work-integrated learning, we are formalising competitions, industry collaborations, and immersive industry visits as integral components of our curriculum.
Staff and students have dedicated themselves to maintaining the vitality and relevance of our curriculum. However, we continue to face challenges concerning equipment and infrastructure. With the rising costs of equipment, transitioning to cloud computing for specialised design software presents a viable solution. This approach would enable us to utilise entry-level equipment, procured through NSFS allowances, while accessing necessary software via cloud computing, akin to our utilisation of Microsoft 365. Prioritising staff training and acquiring up-to-date digital equipment, including digital scanners, printers, and VR equipment, remains imperative as we strive towards realising Vision 2030.
Our department is committed to staying at the forefront of education, embracing The Digital Frontier to transform learning and teaching for the future. We recognize the evolving landscape of education and the increasing importance of digital technologies in shaping the way we teach and learn. By leveraging innovative digital tools and platforms, we aim to enhance the educational experience for our students in both Architectural Technology and Interior Design programmes. As we look back and ahead, we are not only focusing on our current offerings but also exploring opportunities for further academic advancement. Currently, we are in the development and submission phase of Professional Master’s programmes for both disciplines, which include modules relating to Artificial Intelligence(AI), which will provide advanced and specialised education to meet the evolving needs of the professions.
Our commitment to professionalism is reflected in the accreditation of our programmes by reputable bodies such as the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) and the African Institute of the Interior Design Professions (IID). This ensures that our graduates are well prepared to meet industry standards and contribute meaningfully to their respective fields. Notably, in 2023 we received unconditional accreditation from SACAP, for the first time in more than 10 years. By embracing the theme of ‘The Digital Frontier,’ which is expanded on later in this document, we aim to not only adapt to the changing educational landscape but also to pioneer innovative approaches that will prepare our students for successful careers in the dynamic fields of Architectural Technology and Interior Design. We are dedicated to fostering a learning environment that aligns with the digital age, equipping our students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the ever-evolving professional landscape.
Successes and highlight in the Department of Architectural Technology and Interior Design
ECP highlights include students in both programmes participated in a two-day workshop at the District Six Homecoming Centre, Museum, and Site – learning about the impact of colonialism and apartheid on the spatial planning of the City of Cape Town and how that still impacts the city and its inhabitants today.
Students also got to experience the City of Cape Town by walking from the campus down towards the Cape Town Railway Station along the Fanwalk, an urban renewal project set up during the 2010 World Cup, towards the Prestwich Memorial site and museum. Prestwich Memorial is situated in the former District One, once the colonial edge of Cape Town, and the location of some of the old colonial graveyards which included a mass grave which archaeologists believe to be the grave of unknown slaves and Cape Town inhabitants. The museum houses the bones found in the mass grave as well as a display of the history of the area.
ECP students spent a day at the building centre, engaging in presentations on materials and construction relevant to their project. During the visit, they had the chance to interact with suppliers, explore the showroom, and gain insights into the latest industry-used products.
First Year in both programmes, which is founded on providing the basis for both architecture and interior design, had an exceptional year with commendations at both the Cape Institute for Architecture and the ‘Now Now’ student competition which focused on designs for the new pavilions associated with Formula E.
Second Year architecture continued with a hybrid approach that incorporated both remote and face-to-face teaching and learning methodologies. Face-to-face learning and teaching formed the primary teaching methodology, while online learning and teaching was used in emergencies. Throughout the year, students engaged with a design project that explored the City of Cape Town’s concerns with the upsurge in homelessness, and entered the 2023 Caesarstone Student Designer Competition.
Additionally, second year Architectural Technology students participated in the exhibition Crossover: Walking in the City. The exhibition showcased work from first and second year architecture programmes from three architectural learning sites at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the University of Cape Town and the School of Exploratory Architecture. The exhibition focused on walking in the inner city of Cape Town and highlighted several concerns such as homelessness, safety and security, social housing, and the activation of public spaces.
Third Year continued to be delivered in person through lectures, online forums, Blackboard tests, and online synchronous crits. All coursework in Third Year Architectural Technology is project-based and horizontally integrated. Term 1 focused on the Development of an Urban Agriculture Precinct in District Six, on the site of the previous CPUT Horticulture Department. This project was aligned with the City of Cape Town objectives of catalytic urban development in the area. In contrast to Term 1, located in an urban environment, Term 2 focused on developing an Interpretation Centre in a natural environment, the Tankwa Karoo National Park. It focused primarily on environmental sustainability and ecology. Third Year concluded their academic year at the end of July, after which students either entered the architectural workplace for their WIL component, or worked on the in-house SIM Office (for the students who could not find work placements), for the second semester. Our 2023 Sim Office projects included two national competitions (PG Bison and Caesarstone) and selected WIL projects. Furthermore, to align with the digital age, third year has started to incorporate artificial intelligence into the curriculum. During the year informative lectures were held with Bayo Archithera, who introduced out students to the world of AI in architecture.
The Advanced Diploma in Architectural Technology team continued with the implementation of a blended learning curriculum based on eight full-time and four part-time block weeks of intensive online/on-campus interaction followed by weekly engagements in the form of online group crits and lunch-time sessions, supported by weekly asynchronous feedback on progress work. Guest lectures were arranged as part of the blended learning block weeks, with an impressive line-up of local and international guest lecturers, including a lecture on heritage and vernacular architecture by Martin Kruger, a prominent local architect and urban designer.
In the first semester, students took part in a parallel design studio in collaboration with Hasselt University (Belgium). Our students mapped sites in District Six and then exchanged their work with Hasselt University students, before commencing with sketch design proposals for several sites in Brussels. This work was exhibited in Brussels after the conclusion of the project.
During the second semester a project was conducted in collaboration with the City of Cape Town’s Urban Sustainability Unit, focused on their Urban Sustainability Campus at Potsdam, near Dunoon. The project entailed the design of a food research centre and urban agriculture enterprise to support residents of the surrounding areas to develop food security strategies. To round off the year, a project was undertaken in Kylemore, outside of Stellenbosch, that focused on the design of a community centre that supports local artisans and craftsmen, as well as the tourism industry. This project formed part of an NRF-funded research partnership between Stellenbosch University and Hasselt University, focusing on the development of rural hamlets in the Cape and Flanders.
The Advanced Diploma also arranged an online guest lecture by IID Director Juliet Kavishe, which was delivered to the CPUT Advanced Diploma students and the Interior Design students at the University of Derby, UK. Advanced Diploma students applied to a national interior design student representative group that received mentorship from Nthabi Taukobong, the managing director of Ditau Interiors.
In addition to the above, there were also some additional prizes awarded to the Advanced Diploma in Interior Design students, under the mentorship of senior lecturer, Colleen Cocotos in our department:
Project description:
Accor Design Awards – International Mecure Safari Edition Brief
Project description:
International
Part of the work submitted to the BLT Design Awards (Inge Botha)
Honourable Mention: Category - Fitness/Health/Wellness
Student: Inge Botha
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
BLT Built Design Awards – International
Good Hope Primary Care Clinic
Part of the work submitted to the BLT Design Awards (Krystle Williams)
Honourable Mention: Category - Fitness/Health/Wellness
Student – Krystle Williams
During the first semester, second year interior design students did a two-week project proposing upgrades for the Faculty of Informatics & Design Faculty Office. This was followed by the annual KSA Student Design Project (in collaboration with the IID). In addition, students collaborated with six exchange students and one staff member from the University of Derby, UK, to complete a two-week live project upgrading facilities at Water’s Edge youth accommodation centre in Simon’s Town. The project was partly funded by the Turning Scheme.
In our educational practices, technology integration, including artificial intelligence, plays a crucial role in enhancing teaching and learning standards. This integration fosters collaboration, communication, and resource sharing among staff, cultivating a dynamic learning environment for students. Our success is linked to the strategic use of technology, artificial intelligence, industry engagement, competition participation, and partnerships at local and international levels. These elements have been instrumental in achieving success under the leadership of our senior peers and head of department. Our commitment to sound pedagogy and innovative teaching methods came at the Faculty Awards event in December 2023. The Department secured four awards: Academic Leadership, Learning and Teaching; Research and Community Engagement, Best Department, and Best Run Department. Particularly noteworthy is the consecutive win of the Best Department award in 2023, reflecting sustained efforts to enhance learning outcomes and push the boundaries of educational innovation through technology. Moving forward, our focus remains on fostering an environment that caters to the diverse needs of our students. Whether through dynamic teaching methods, cutting edge technology, or collaborative partnerships, our commitment is resolute in ensuring that every student receives the highest quality education. We are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of educational innovation and, most importantly, enriching the learning journey of each student under our care.
Introduction
The Department of Media and Communication is the home of Film Production, Photography, Journalism, and Public Relations and Communication in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Each programme offers a diploma and advanced diploma. We offer a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Leadership and Innovation and two master’s degrees: A Master of Public Relations and Communication Management and a Master of Media and Communication. We are a practice-based department where most of our learning and teaching happens with real life partners in academia, industry and in the community. The theory of communication and the many physical forms it takes sits at the core of all our engagements while ‘Media’ is our medium.
In 2023 students were given academic support through mentors, tutors, teaching assistants and retention officers. In addition to the core academic activities, students had opportunities to participate and engage with many extracurricular projects in partnership with international universities, industry organisations and community groups.
The Public Relations Programme hosted many industry engagements, professional talks and workshops. Cape Town-based public relations consultancies hosted students to discuss how trends and new developments are impacting the profession.
The Film and Photography Programme have an ongoing international collaboration with the Porto Polytechnic in Portugal where staff and students worked together on a number of projects in 2023. Our Journalism programme hosted many workshops and training programmes such as the Fact Checking workshop organised by AfricaCheck.org and the Media and Gender Workshop organised by SABC journalist Crystal Orderson.
Our photographic student exhibition launched on 2 December 2023 at the Cape Town Central Library Exhibition Hall and was up until end of February 2024.
The way forward
Going forward we are planning industry engagements to strengthen the WIL employer base, gain input into curriculum and formalise partnership projects. The Public Relations and Communication programme is about to launch the Dual HE project in 2024 that sees a live collaboration with industry at all levels of the diploma programme. This is a pioneer DHET funded project.
The IT Department has three main programmes at diploma and advanced diploma level which are Applications Development, Communication Networks, and Multimedia applications. There is also a postgraduate diploma which offers more specialisations including business informatics, data science, and artificial intelligence. We also offer Master of ICT and introduced the Master of IT. Lastly, we offer the Doctor of ICT as well as the PhD in Informatics. The department is also offering a higher certificate in collaboration with NorthLink, College of Cape Town, as well as False Bay in Khayelitsha and Fishhoek TVETS. The department had a review of the undergraduate courses offered in 2023.
The department received three different categories of awards in Huawei competitions. One of those is the department having received the Excellent ICT Academy Award. Waldon Hendricks received a Huawei ICT Academy Instructor Award for 2023. Finally, two IT department students participated in the Huawei ICT competition and won awards.
The department has partnered with six academic or industry partners (shown below) that offer cutting edge technologies.
Mr Waldon Hendricks represented the institution as an instructor panel speaker at the Huawei ICT global competition in China, which was followed by the Huawei Global Teacher Summit.
The department of IT had a day event on Unfurling Post School Education and Training (UPSET) for academic development support. The UPSET project was established through a memorandum of agreement between CPUT and Durban University of Technology in May 2023, and has garnered attention as a pioneering initiative in the South African post-school education and training sector (PSET). The UPSET project is managed by Dr Najwa Fataar from FUNDANI. The IT Department offers Higher Certificates together with TVETs supported through this project and initiative to prepare students for assessment. The department of IT hosted students from four TVET colleges (NorthLink, False Bay in Khayelitsha and Fishhoek, and College of Cape Town. These students were trained and prepared for the final assessment by subject coordinators from CPUT. The event included academic advising from Fundani and Student Counselling, and the participants were shown how to use Blackboard effectively. In addition, a FID Faculty administrator was also part of the event to inform TVET students about processes to follow when applying for courses at CPUT.
As part of its community engagement, the department supports STEM education. The IT department taught robotics and an introduction to Python to 40 grade 8 students from four different high schools (Atlantis Senior Secondary School, Atlantis School of Skills, Robinvale High School, and Saxonsea High School) in Atlantis.
The IT department hosted the IT Exchange Project coordinator who fosters research collaboration and student exchange on mutually agreed projects with the Efrei engineering college in France. The Efrei visitor works on the current active projects that are based on short-term visits for the purpose of curriculum consultation, lectures to students and staff, and to support professional development by providing short learning modules and sharing international experience. The IT department within the Faculty of Informatics and Design has been hosting students from France through this IT exchange collaboration. In the picture are the IT departmental staff was with Delphine Delarue who was hosted for three days.
The department of IT received Faculty Awards based on different categories.
The department participated on Mandela Day where staff members volunteered to donate 67 minutes of their time to clear discarded furniture and clean litter from all corners of campus.
Two staff members attended the Efrei International Partners Day in March to market the IT department to their students for exchange and study abroad.
The department is planning to strengthen collaboration on the research component and also build strong relationships with industry partners that will start mentoring students from the second year levels. This will enrich the educational experiences, prepare students for success in the dynamic IT landscape, and cultivate practical skills through real life and simulated projects. We also commit to exposing our students to cutting edge technologies. The department is also focusing on improving student support on different levels. Finally, the department will do a review of the curriculum offered on the advanced diploma and postgraduate diploma.
This section explores the intersection of learning, teaching, and the digital frontier. We herein present a glimpse into our commitment to transformative education, showcased through initiatives that embody our theme: ‘The Digital Frontier, Transforming Learning and Teaching for the Future.’ We highlight key projects and collaborations that define our department’s ethos. From the impactful Grab-a-Seat Project, where students and staff revitalised the District Six Campus, to the Sustainable Smart Learning initiative addressing sustainability challenges in Dunoon, Cape Town, our work reflects a dedication to hands-on learning with real-world impact.
Collaborating with institutions like the University of the Western Cape, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, we have delved into innovative research such as Anti-Gentrification Planning in Post-Industrial Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa. These collaborations have not only advanced our understanding but also enriched our teaching methodologies.
Student support remains at the core of our mission. Through dedicated mentorship programmes and partnerships with universities like the University of Western Cape and the University of Botswana, we nurture the next generation of urban planners.
The department worked with language and transformation to organise the first activities of the Grab-a-Seat Project to regenerate District Six Campus, on Mandela Day 2023. Approximately sixteen students and eighteen staff volunteers braved the rain to donate 67 minutes of their time on 18 July to clear discarded furniture and clean litter from all corners of campus. We managed to fill a skip and to collect several broken and misplaced items. The day was full of excitement and camaraderie, ending with warm refreshments. We hope to see many more participants join us in the project’s future stages.
Sustainable Smart learning: building collaborative interdisciplinary learning spaces with the community of Dunoon, Cape Town
In partnership with the University of the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning has been involved in a three year interdisciplinary project. The student project sees interdisciplinary student groups co-create digital innovations with the community of the informal township of Potsdam/Dunoon to solve complex sustainability challenges such as water and food insecurity, the informal economy and unemployment, lack of public services and environmental challenges. The project follows a design thinking methodology over five months. This project was displayed, with posters and live student presentations, at the City of Cape Town’s annual week long exhibition. This project has been nominated for an international teaching innovation award under the title ‘Unlocking Innovation: Building collaborative interdisciplinary learning spaces through Education for Sustainable Development’, which was presented in September 2023 in Portugal.
To support the Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning students, the department established a support group comprising two mentors, one student assistant, one lab assistant, one tutor and one teaching assistant. The group met fortnightly to discuss student challenges and possible interventions. They also submitted minutes of their meetings to the department. The support group presented this approach at the 2023 FYE symposium.
The department hosted Urban and Regional Planning staff (Dr Minyoi and Mr Tema) and students from the University of Botswana on 22 September 2023. Dr Minyoi delivered a lecture on spatial planning and informality in Botswana relative to Cape Town. CPUT students then presented on a sustainable Smart project, supervised by Dr Verster, particularly discussing possible digital innovation interventions in Du Noon. The staff and students from both universities engaged in the two presentations delivered, followed by a tour of the District Six Campus. The two departments are exploring possible research and learning and teaching collaborations.
Research collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Researchers in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) collaborators received $ 31 620 seed funding for an ongoing three-year project entitled ‘Anti-Gentrification Planning in Post-Industrial Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa’. The CPUT Team visited MIT in October 2023 to commence the project. The visit included a presentation to the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and tours to similar case studies in Lowell and Salem in the US.
Key takeaways from the visit included high levels of student engagement and participation in discussions; learning and teaching techniques, which include self-study and lesson preparation; diverse opportunities granted to students to travel for research; student learning environment, including dedicated spaces; and the importance of campus planning in enhancing learning and teaching experiences.
Our department’s dedication to transformative education through the lens of ‘The Digital Frontier, Transforming Learning and Teaching for the Future’ is evident in the impactful projects and collaborations we have highlighted in this report. Our collaborations with institutions such as the University of the Western Cape, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Botswana have not only advanced our perspective but also enhanced our teaching approaches.
The establishment of a student support group for the Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning students further underscores our commitment to nurturing the next generation of urban planners. Moving forward, we look to build upon these successes and continue forging new paths in education, research, and community engagement. Our department remains steadfast in our pursuit of excellence, innovation, and positive change in the field of urban and regional planning.
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In conclusion, the Departments of Applied Design, Architectural Technology and Interior Design, Media and Communication, IT, and Urban and Regional Planning of the Faculty of Informatics and Design are deeply committed to embracing the digital frontier to transform learning and teaching for the future. Despite facing challenges such as interruptions and protests, each department has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in navigating through these obstacles.
The Applied Design department’s focus on graduate attributes, assessment practices, and staff wellness underscores its dedication to holistic student development and academic excellence. Similarly, the Architectural Technology and Interior Design department’s pursuit of professional master’s programmes and accreditation reflects its commitment to preparing graduates for successful careers in dynamic fields.
The Media and Communication department’s practice-based approach and collaboration with industry partners ensure students receive hands-on experience and relevant skills for the evolving media landscape. The IT department’s diverse programmes and collaborations offer students opportunities to specialize in emerging fields like data science and artificial intelligence. Finally, the Urban and Regional Planning department’s initiatives, including collaborative projects and mentorship programmes, highlight its dedication to transformative education and real-world impact.
Together, these departments exemplify CPUT’s vision of pioneering innovative approaches to education, aligning with the digital age, and equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their respective fields. Through continued collaboration, adaptation, and focus on student well-being, they are poised to shape the future of education and professional practice.
The Faculty of Informatics and Design (FID) is committed to realising its mission and vision, as outlined below:
Dr Xena Cupido Director of Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development
Many of the projects pursued the development of academic programmes that prepare students for a future characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). These programmes aim not only to impart academic knowledge but also to foster graduates who are technologically adept, critical thinkers, resilient, ethical, and compassionate, espousing the graduate attributes. The success of these efforts was not by chance but a result of a carefully structured strategy outlined in Focus Area 2. This strategy involved developing a student-centric approach through adaptive learning programmes and employing collaborative technologies and digital pedagogies.
The goal was to ensure CPUT’s offerings remained relevant and reflective of the rapid developments in various niche areas, thus enhancing the employability of its graduates and ensuring their success in the labour market. By the close of 2023, Fundani had advanced several key areas: developing future-ready curricula, fostering collaborative engagements, and enhancing student engagement through co-curricular programmes.
The focus on and the celebration of linguistic and cultural diversity was realised through events like the Language Indaba. Looking towards 2024 we can only build on the achievements of 2023, ready to continue its transformative journey in alignment with CPUT’s Vision 2030. This section highlights the achievements of the units in Fundani.
The Annual DHET site visit took place at in November 2023. The focus of these site visits was to discuss the development of the 2024-2026 University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) plans. The first draft of the of the 2024-2026 UCDP plans were presented. The new cycle (2024-2026) plan was submitted to DHET for approval.
Currently, CPUT is awaiting formal communication from DHET on the outcome of the submission. Fundani CHED continues to manage and support the following externally funded programmes:
At Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development, the academic year 2023 marked significant strides in the development of learning and teaching. The year’s achievements focused on the realisation of CPUT Vision 2030, rooted in Smart learning and teaching.
• The University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) is a DHET earmark grant initiative within CPUT. The purpose is to develop the capacity of students and staff, through progressive academic programmes and curricula developments. This effort is dedicated to reshaping learning, teaching, research, and leadership to elevate quality, achieve higher success rates, and ensure social justice throughout the institution.
• The University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) is a critical part of the state’s funding strategy, designed to bolster ongoing capacity enhancement at universities. It supports the realisation of specific goals within its targeted areas, such as curriculum improvement and academic advancement.
• The New Emerging Scholars Programme (NESP) is designed to aid exceptional postgraduate students, with an academic average above 65%, in pursuing two-year Master’s degrees, either domestically or abroad. The programme includes an internship component aimed at supporting graduates in taking their initial steps towards an academic career through scholarships and internships.
• The New Generation Academic Programme (GAP) seeks to recruit outstanding scholars under 40 years of age, with an academic average of 70% or more, for development into future academics. This initiative is part of a collaborative effort with other universities to foster transformation, success, equity, and equality within the academic community. CPUT is in the 9th phase of the nGap Programme
• The CPUT-UFS Collaborative Grant facilitates collaboration between the University of the Free State and CPUT to enhance the capacity for institutional academic advising, highlighting a commitment to improving student support and academic achievement.
• The University-led Projects Sub-Programme, Unfurling Post School Education and Training (UPSET) engages in nationwide projects to mitigat the transition challenges faced by TVET college students entering university education. Supported by a national collaboration fund, this programme encourages universities to partake in initiatives that support national priorities.
• Foundation Programme – Extended Programmes offered across five faculties at CPUT an alternate access path into university.
• Language Implementation Project, recently received funding for Language Implementation at CPUT
• CPUT leads the following collaborative projects:
o Designing for Social Justice Project
o Dual Project
Collectively, these initiatives are central to CPUT’s strategic efforts to transform and develop the university, ensuring a nurturing and equitable academic ecosystem.
Introduction
This report details the operational endeavours of the Student Learning Unit at CPUT throughout 2023. Situated within Fundani CHED, this unit is crucial in furnishing academic support to ensure students’ persistence, progress, and success. The Student Learning Unit concentrates on five primary areas: tutor development, led by two lecturers; academic literacy development, managed by four lecturers and two learning facilitators; and STEM support, overseen by one lecturer and learning facilitators.
The Student Learning Unit operates through its two primary branches in Cape Town and Bellville, with additional outreach to satellite campuses, forming an integral part of student academic support and development. With a team of skilled and seasoned staff, the unit offers writing assistance and STEM support to students facing challenges in STEM courses. Various assistance modes aid students, including consultations, workshops, group and one-on-one sessions, team teaching, tutorials, and co-teaching. Notably, in 2023, the Writing Centre expanded its team by hiring two STEM learning facilitators and one academic literacy learning facilitator through the Abe Bailey Trust.
One academic literacy learning facilitator was employed and paid for by the Abe Bailey Trust. The learning facilitator worked with a team of experienced academic literacy lecturers. The learning facilitator focused mainly on assignment reviews. Academic literacy workshops and consultations provided students at all levels with writing support. Below are the statistics for academic literacy assignments reviewed and workshops facilitated in faculties.
Assignments literacy assignment reviews
Academic Literacy and learning facilitators assist students with the writing of assignments. Students submit assignments 24 hours in advance to give time for the lecturer to go through the assignment and book an appointment with the lecturer to get feedback on the assignment.
Applied Sciences
Agriculture
Biotechnology & Consumer Sciences
Chemistry
Food Science & Technology
Conservation and Marine Sciences
Mathematics & Physics
Total student reached
Business & Management
Entrepreneurship & Business Management
Human Resource Management
Internal Auditing & Financial Information Systems
Management & Project Management
Operations Management
Public Administration & Governance
Tourism and Events Management
Total
Total
& Wellness Sciences Informatics & Design Total
Academic Literacy Workshops 2023
Academic literacy lecturers and learning facilitators facilitated workshops and reached 1 941 students.
Applied Sciences
Scientific Academic Poster
Scientific Report Writing
Food Project 1 Marking
Scientific Report Writing
Time Management
Writing Workshop
Project Writing
Report Writing
Cover Letter Design
Questionnaire Techniques
Essay - Report Writing
Reflective Essay
Academic writing & literature review x 2
Literature review & referencing
WCONLINE Booking System Essay Writing, Referencing (4 sessions)
Review (2 sessions)
&
Teaching Assistants
The Student Learning Unit offers teaching assistant (TA) training to senior students and Advanced Diploma, BTech, Master’s, and Doctoral students. The TAs assist lecturers by providing general academic support to lecturers in faculties. In 2023, the Student Learning Unit trained 112 Teaching Assistants in faculties.
Faculties identify students from the second-year level with excellent academic results who are then trained as peer tutors. The Student Learning Unit offers training on generic tutorial skills over two days, and the faculties/lecturers provide course/subject-specific training after the generic training. The training empowers students to give tutorials to first year and undergraduate students. Tutors facilitate tutorial sessions to assist the students with the content of their courses that they find challenging. During the 2nd term, face-to-face tutor training workshops were facilitated. Tutors deal not only with academic support, but psychosocial support as well; as a result, the tutor development team facilitated additional workshops to equip tutors and TAs with skills to handle psychosocial issues. The additional workshops include inviting other support services and external bodies dealing with gender-based violence issues. In 2024 the tutors and ROs must develop a portfolio and receive certificates. In 2023, 223 tutors were trained in different faculties.
Teaching Assistants
The Student Learning Unit offers teaching assistant (TA) training to senior students and Advanced Diploma, BTech, Master’s, and Doctoral students. The TAs assist lecturers by providing general academic support to lecturers in faculties. In 2023, the Student Learning Unit trained 112 Teaching Assistants in faculties.
2023 First Year Experience learning and teaching report
To aid first year students in this transitional phase, the First year Experience (FYE) provides support through mentors, educational materials developed for the CPUT101 programme, and retention officers. Research highlights the importance of a successful transition, emphasizing the need for academic support, social interactions, and peer support. The mentorship programme and student support initiatives are guided by an ethical framework prioritising inclusivity and care.
CPUT’s FYE is a student-centred intervention explicitly designed for first year students, starting from their enrolment and running throughout their year of study. It is delivered through FYE orientation, seminars, the CPUT101 programme, and the FYE mentoring and retention officer (RO) programme.
The FYE is aligned with the university’s Vision 2030, SMART CPUT, and ONENESS.
The FYE aims to enhance student success and reduce attrition and dropout rates. By facilitating a seamless transition from high school to university, the FYE assists students in cultivating the essential skills for effective learning. The initiative aspires to support students to fully immerse themselves in their academic disciplines and programmes, providing both psychosocial and academic support to foster a commitment to academic excellence.
CPUT’s FYE is a student-centred intervention explicitly designed for first year students, starting from their enrolment and running throughout their year of study. It is delivered through FYE orientation, seminars, the CPUT101 programme, and the FYE mentoring and retention officer (RO) programme.
The FYE is aligned with the university’s Vision 2030, SMART CPUT, and ONENESS. The FYE aims to enhance student success and reduce attrition and dropout rates. By facilitating a seamless transition from high school to university, the FYE assists students in cultivating the essential skills for effective learning. The initiative aspires to support students to fully immerse themselves in their academic disciplines and programmes, providing both psychosocial and academic support to foster a commitment to academic excellence.
In 2023, the FYE adopted a hybrid approach, delivering its activities to first year students in faculties through a combination of online and face-to-face methods. FYE seminars and workshops were conducted in both formats, accommodating the preferences of the respective faculties.
First year students were provided access to FYE videos covering various topics, available on YouTube and the CPUT website. These same topics were also addressed in the CPUT101 programme on Blackboard, ensuring that students could engage with the content through multiple platforms.
In 2023, 237 mentors and 40 retention officers were trained to assist first year students in transitioning to the university. The table below depicts the number of mentors and ROs trained per faculty:
Summary of FYE facilitated workshops
63 workshops were facilitated to 7 232 first year students. The table below shows the faculties, the number of workshops facilitated, and the number of students reached.
The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences has an active FYE committee that meets quarterly to discuss FYE issues and general student support. All departments in the FBMS have a schedule of CPUT101 modules to be completed for the year. Genderbased violence (GBV) is a mandatory module facilitated by external facilitators who are equipped to facilitate these sessions. Feedback on CPUT101 progress is provided at each faculty FYE meeting. The faculty works collaboratively on projects such as GBV and the Emma Sadleir Social Media module, a programme that educates participants on the risks of social media.
Departments selected CPUT101 modules that could be facilitated at the opportune time, i.e., when the module is most useful for high-impact learning. The FYE workshops facilitated to the faculty included time management, note-taking, Smart study skills, freedom and responsibility, personal budgeting, assessment preparation and exam preparation, and reached 4 812 first year students.
The Faculty of Applied Sciences has an active FYE committee that meets quarterly to discuss issues affecting first year students. The departments in the Faculty of Applied Sciences have been using the support offered through ROs, tutors and TAs. The effects of such support have already been seen, with fewer subjects remaining at risk over successive academic years. FYE workshops on time management, diversity management and goal setting were facilitated to 162 Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences first year students.
The comprehensive FYE programme offers various support services and resources for first year students with a holistic approach to student development.
A weekly formal programme supports students according to their needs with sessions such as Blackboard use, gender-based violence, academic writing, tips on practice teaching, personal safety in and around campus, social media and what students need to know, Student Counselling services, etc. FYE workshops/seminars on exam preparation and time management were facilitated for the faculty, reaching 580 first year students in the intermediate, foundation, and SPFET phases.
In 2023, FYE facilitated workshops for the faculty, including time management, goal setting, personal budgeting, note-taking and Smart study skills, reaching 240 first year students. The faculty mentors and ROs met with first year students to voice their challenges. They presented the students with goodie bags received from the Marketing and Communications Directorate.
The FEBE FYE team presented a paper at the 8th Annual South African National Resource Centre First Year Experience Conference in East London on 17-19 May 2023. The team also devloped a reflective paper for a journal, which was under review at the time of writing.
In October, the faculty identified an FYE Coordinator to spearhead FYE activities. The FYE workshops/seminars on time management skills were facilitated to Design ECP and mainstream students, reaching 295 first year students.
Several topics on time management, goal setting, personal budgeting, note-taking and Smart study skills were facilitated to the faculty and reached 1 143 first year students.
On Saturdays, Mr Zwelibanzi Ngculu (FYE) and Mr Nkosikho Sogwagwa (Faculty) assist grade 12 students at Oscar Mpetha High School in Nyanga and Eisleben High School in Philippi with applications to CPUT and completing NSFAS forms. Mr Ngculu also facilitated workshops on time management and goal setting.
The coordinator monitored mentors’ and ROs’ activities in providing online support to first year students, identified opportunities and challenges faced by first year students, made faculties and Support Services aware of them, and effectively addressed them.
• The responsibilities of the Retention Officers and Mentor Coordinator included:
• To coordinate the activities of mentors and ROs.
• To communicate with mentors and ROs via WhatsApp
• To respond timeously to ROs and mentors’ queries in the WhatsApp group
• To liaise with lecturers and students about the training of ROs and mentors.
• To compile mentor and RO reports
• To refer students to the relevant student services
• To allocate mentees to mentors.
Issues from the RO and mentor reports
As a result of the alteration in the NSFAS funding framework, which excluded students with credits below 60 from receiving monthly allowances, mentors were confronted with the challenge of addressing the needs of hungry students.
On 13 October, an FYE Symposium was held in which mentors and ROs shared their experiences, challenges, and best practices in supporting first year students.
The FYE Symposium was featured on the CPUT webpage here: https://www.cput. ac.za/newsroom/news/article/4836/mentors-and-retention-officers-unearth-fyeexperiences.
Dr Andre Van Zyl and Mr Siyabulela Sabata were guest speakers at the symposium.
The Academic Advising programme is being piloted in the Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering Department of the FEBE to enhance the existing student support systems and programmes within CPUT. This programme aims to add value to the student experience and academic journey. The programme was initiated on 20 October and continued till December 2023. The programme received a phenomenal response from students. On the first day, seventeen students showed interest in the programme. Most had genuine concerns and challenges they wished to be assisted with, while some were merely curious about the programme.
Students could use the email address AcademicAdvisory@cput.ac.za to access the programme or contact the Academic Advisor, Mr Xolani Vanda
The flyer below is the final version created to share general information with the rest of the university students, although it was originally tailored towards FEBE students as part of a pilot programme.
helping students access university resources and path their way to academic success.
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the decisions you need to take at CPUT? Or, do you just need some insight when making decisions relating to your studies?
Then contact an Academic Advisor today:
Academic Advising is a service provided by Fundani CHED for CPUT students. This service is meant to ensure that you have accurate information at all times so that you can make effective decisions or choices during your academic journey. In short, Academic Advising aims to help students achieve their academic goals and see students to graduation in the shortest time possible.
Sometimes the student may need someone to talk to about their academic choices and clear any uncertainties. Then talk to an Academic Advisor for assistance and more information.
Contact an academic advisor if you need more information on these issues:
• Registration and deregistration of subjects or courses
• Assessment policies and regulations
• Credit transfers
• Study circumstances and environment
• Financial circumstances and funding
• Career mapping
• Grievances and disciplinary processes
Academic Advisors work together with you to find solutions and help you navigate the university from enrolment to graduation.
For assistance and information:
AcademicAdvisory@cput.ac.za or (021) 469 1010
• The ROs and Mentors shared their practices with students from UCT and UWC at the Siyaphumelela, Western Cape Regional Network Workshop, hosted at the University of Cape Town.
• FYE hosted Prof Vurain Tabvuma from Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University, Canada, who facilitated a workshop on ‘Igniting a Spark: Supporting Transition and Learning with a Bespoke First Year Experience resource (SMUSpark)’ on 17 August 2023.
• The University of Fort Hare Faculty of Commerce invited Dr Mkonto to the ECP Indaba to present on ECP at CPUT in East London from 17-18 October 2023.
• Part of the Siyaphumelela regional network.
• Part of Siyaphumelela FYE workstream. Presented a webinar on Mapping First year Experience Initiatives/ Programmes and Good Practices: Towards Developing a National Framework.
The Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) made significant strides at CPUT over the past year. Our efforts have been geared towards enhancing the quality of learning and teaching through online forums, workshops, conferences and writing retreats in line with CPUT’s Vision 2030 to ensure that our curricula remain industry-relevant and forward-thinking.
The Curriculum Officers (COs) actively participated in the quarterly CO Forum meetings to discuss curriculum development and improvement. A series of webinars were conducted with broader educational sector representatives to discuss:
• Work- Integrated Learning: Challenges and Opportunities
• The University Curriculum Knowledge Question Amid Techno-rational Times
• Rethinking and Revitalising our Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education Institutions
• Opening access to our university: TVET college articulation to Universities of Technology
These sessions were pivotal in broadening our perspectives and strengthening industry and sector relations.
In our commitment to fostering an enriching academic environment and enhancing the pedagogical skills of our faculties the CDU organised a series of workshops aimed at deepening the understanding of curriculum development and integrating digital technologies in teaching and learning processes. The workshops, led by Dr Najwa Norodien-Fataar, were part of our ongoing professional development initiatives.
The first workshop, ‘Curriculum concepts, contexts, pedagogy, and digital technology,’ occurred on Thursday, 7 September 2023. This session was dedicated to exploring the multifaceted nature of curriculum design and the recurriculation process within the CPUT framework. The workshop was aimed at reinvigorating discussions on the symbiotic relationship between digital technology and pedagogical strategies in the context of modern education. It delved into how technology-enhanced teaching and learning can be harmonised with reflective pedagogical practices to create an engaging and effective learning environment.
The focus was on empowering lecturers to take an active role in shaping, planning, and implementing the curriculum.
By the conclusion of this workshop, participants were expected to gain:
• A nuanced understanding of the curriculum as a dynamic concept and insight into the recurriculation processes at CPUT.
• The ability to craft and implement contextually relevant intended learning outcomes.
• Enhanced skills conducive to strengthening the pillars of teaching, learning, and assessment practices.
Key takeaways for participants included:
• An informed perspective on pedagogy and its application within the curriculum, highlighting the significance of pedagogical approaches in shaping educational experiences.
• Insights into integrating digital technologies in teaching and learning, fostering an environment that encourages innovation and adaptability.
Workshops on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) were held from 4–5 September 2023. These sessions, led by Ms Frederika De Graaff, were instrumental in equipping COs with the latest strategies and methodologies in curriculum design and RPL processes. Attendees of these workshops were awarded certificates, recognising their commitment to professional development.
The aim was to enhance the understanding and application of RPL principles within our academic community. These sessions were meticulously designed to provide comprehensive insights into the RPL process, focusing on its legislative framework and theoretical foundations in South Africa.
The workshops aimed to demystify the complex landscape of RPL, offering participants an analysis of its underlying theories and practical implementation in the South African context. Various case studies were examined, and the sessions illuminated the diverse applications of RPL, fostering a nuanced understanding among attendees.
Participants emerged from the workshops with a robust grasp of RPL, equipped to:
• Articulate the concept of RPL and delineate the legislative acts that support its practice in South Africa.
• Analyse and discuss at least two foundational theories that underpin the RPL framework, enhancing their theoretical comprehension and application skills.
Investigate and explore a minimum of three RPL case studies, gaining insights into the practical challenges and solutions within the RPL domain.
The RPL workshops held in September 2023 represent a significant stride towards empowering our academic community with the knowledge and skills to navigate and implement RPL processes effectively. By fostering a deeper understanding of RPL’s theoretical underpinnings and practical applications, CPUT is committed to advancing the recognition of prior learning as a vital component of our educational ethos, ultimately enhancing our students’ and faculty’s academic and professional journeys.
These workshops reflect CPUT’s dedication to academic excellence and our commitment to providing faculty with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the evolving educational landscape. The insights and skills from these sessions are expected to significantly enhance teaching and learning at CPUT, aligning with our strategic goals of quality education and academic innovation. Feedback from lecturers who participated revealed that they were very satisfied with the knowledge and information gained from the workshops, that the workshops met their expectations and that they would recommend the workshops to colleagues at CPUT.
CPUT RITAL Conference: COs attended the CPUT Research and Innovation in Teaching and Learning (RITAL) Conference. This annual gathering is a vibrant platform for showcasing cutting-edge educational methodologies and innovations. Our COs, driven by a commitment to excellence in pedagogy, seized the opportunity to immerse themselves in the dynamic exchange of ideas and pioneering strategies that the conference presented.
Moreover, in alignment with our ongoing mission to foster professional development and collaborative excellence, COs were actively encouraged to engage with the broader educational community by joining the Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA). Participation in HELTASA’s annual conference was particularly emphasised, offering our team members an invaluable forum for networking with likeminded professionals and exploring the best practices and insights from various regional institutions. This initiative underscores our dedication to advancing our expertise and contributing to the collective enhancement of learning and teaching within the Southern African educational landscape.
COs have been instrumental in inviting industry partners to workshops and events, strengthening the relevance of CPUT’s programme content and education/training to the demands of the industries. This initiative has been vital in ensuring that our curricula remain responsive to the evolving needs of the workforce.
In conclusion, the past year has been marked by significant curriculum development and capacity-building workshops and events at Fundani CHED. Through a collaborative and proactive approach, we have made substantial progress in enhancing the quality and relevance of our curricula, ensuring that our graduates are well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future workplace. We look forward to building on these successes in the coming year.
Introduction
This brief report on recognition of prior learning (RPL) deals with the administrative progress and the use of Microsoft Forms, and academic matters such as the development of RPL plans and their implementation. The RPL Unit received 385 applications; a total of 124 were approved for access or exemptions for various options via RPL.
From 2023 (applications for AY 2024) the RPL Unit started to use Microsoft Forms for RPL applications and did not accept emailed applications. A form was set up for each qualification available for RPL. The URL of each form was uploaded onto the CPUT website on the RPL pages. This resulted in a dual system for RPL applications, because the RPL applicant submit the initial application via MS Forms, applying online via the Wizard or SOS system at a later stage during the RPL process.
The information provided by the RPL Applicants, in the screening questionnaire and additional information as requested by various academic departments, is transferred to a Microsoft SharePoint site. The Site becomes the repository of RPL documentation for the specific application cycle. Selection for the RPL application process, additional evidence and the assessment and moderation reports are loaded onto this site.
Included in the list of screening questions, the RPL department decided to include a general questionnaire. This resulted in RPL applicants applying for qualifications which were not on the list of qualifications available for RPL. This led to a few applications in Faculty of Applied Sciences and in Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment for qualifications not receiving applications normally.
The RPL process was refined into a workflow, after discussion with the Internal Auditing Department at CPUT, and adopted as the standard operating procedure for RPL.
RPL Applications for the academic year 2024.
RPL is an academic and epistemological process, enhancing inclusivity and social justice. Academic staff dealing with RPL, referred to as RPL facilitators, learn the process through training and by processing RPL applications. It is a fairly complicated process which requires training and experience.
The training programme on RPL was offered in conjunction with Curriculum Development, run as a series of workshops over weeks’ time. Between 8 – 12 academic departments attended the RPL sessions over the two days allocated for RPL. Part of the training is the development of an RPL plan.
In developing an RPL plan the academic department prepares itself for any RPL application they might receive. The majority of RPL applications are for access into first year, requiring an assessment against the entry criteria. This requires knowledge in subjects such as Mathematics and Life Science.
• RPL Knowledge Enhancement workshops were run in the FBMS and FHWS. These workshops prepared the RPL Applications for the RPL the tests. At the same time, they introduced the students to higher education. About 35 students attended the numeracy workshops in FBMS and 21 in FHWS.
• In 2022-2023 a numeracy manual was developed to support the RPL Applicants to prepare themselves for the numeracy tests. The author of the manual, Dr Yishak Lailulo, ran the workshops for both faculties.
• n the FHWS, workshops were also offered in Life Science to enhance the applicants’ knowledge of the subject, and 21 attended
In 2022 a benchmark exercise on RPL was held with University of For Hare (UFH). The RPL lecturer was requested to run workshops on the implementation of RPL with all six faculties at UFH in May 2023 in East London.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Programme offers an array of support and development opportunities tailored for the academic community. It focuses on fostering a research-based approach to learning and teaching, providing a platform for academic staff to refine their educational methodologies and enhance student learning outcomes. One of the critical facets of the SoTL Programme is the provision of writing support, including specialised retreats such as the SoTL Writing Retreat. These retreats are designed to aid academic staff in their scholarly pursuits, offering a conducive environment for writing and reflection. It allows for the undisturbed focus needed to complete significant projects like portfolio development. The Teaching Development Programme (TDP) extends this support through the professional development of new academic staff, including a dedicated TDP Writing Retreat for Portfolio Development. This initiative underscores the commitment to nurturing the academic capabilities of new staff, ensuring that they are well-equipped to meet the challenges of modern academia. A landmark event in the SoTL calendar was the launch of the Academic Leadership Programme scheduled for 12 October 2023. The programme commenced with a keynote address from Prof Cloete, CEO of Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC). This launch served to inaugurate a strategic initiative aimed at cultivating leadership skills within the academic framework, promising to be a cornerstone for future academic leaders.
The institutional Language Unit is tasked with the responsibility to drive the implementation of the university’s language policy. The Unit does this through the Language Working Group, a committee comprising Faculty Language Coordinators across the six faculties of CPUT. The university, like many others throughout the country, has been working towards the development of historically marginalized languages as part of its effort to promote multilingualism. This has been the case since the promulgation of DHET’s Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions for the first time in 2002. Following the first Vice -Chancellor’s Colloquium on this Policy Framework, Universities South Africa (USAF) mandated the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLAR), a strategic national Research Infrastructure under the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap
(SARIR), to conduct a comprehensive language resources audit across all public universities. The broad objectives of this audit were the following:
a) Define the range of resources that are required for the implementation of the DHET language policy framework.
b) Identify resources that are available at institutions to enable the implementation of the DHET language policy framework.
c) Identify milestones in the successful implementation of institutional language policies.
At CPUT, the languages resources audit was conducted on 3 March 2023. Although the total number of members of the university community targeted was not reached, the event was a success, overall. SADILAR itself was happy with the turnout for the event and expressed sincere gratitude to the institution for its cooperation and success of the event.
As part of the ongoing effort to promote multilingualism and scholarly engagement on the ways to develop historically disadvantaged indigenous African languages, the Language Unit annually holds a language Indaba to which external speakers of high esteem are invited. The theme for the one held in September 2023 was “Celebrating 200 years of isiXhosa orthography: Taking stock of (isiXhosa) language development in the digital age at CPUT”. Ms Somikazi Deyi, an isiXhosa academic from the University of Cape Town was invited to give a talk in line with this theme. In the main, Ms Deyi’s talk was an affirmation of the already developed status of isiXhosa, one that nullifies any argument that the language still needs to be developed in order for it to be used fully for teaching and learning. Consistent with the nature of the previously held language Indabas, the outcome of this talk was a lengthy engagement of the audience with the ideas that Ms Deyi shared. In addition to Ms Deyi’s keynote, Dr Ignatius Ticha, the Faculty Language Coordinator in the Applied Sciences Faculty at showcased the language policy implementation efforts by and accomplishments of the faculty. It was clear from the audience’s reaction to Dr Ticha’s presentation that a lot had been achieved in terms of raising awareness about the real status of language development at CPUT.
Prof Eunice Ivala Associate Professor
Learning Management Uptake
As shown in figure 1 below, there were 6849 active courses on the Learning Management System, 86979 student users and 2599 instructor users.
Staff Training Table 1: Training offered
Workshop/Webinar Name Venue Type of Workshop/Webinar
FAS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Basic Online FAS Faculty Training
FAS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Intermediate Online FAS Faculty Training
FAS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Advance Online FAS Faculty Training
FBMS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Basic Online FBMS Faculty Training
FBMS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Intermediate Online FBMS Faculty Training
FBMS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Advance Online FBMS Faculty Training
FEBE: Blackboard Learn Ultra Basic Online FEBE Faculty Training
FEBE: Blackboard Learn Ultra Intermediate Online FEBE Faculty Training
FEBE: Blackboard Learn Ultra Advance Online FEBE Faculty Training
FHWS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Basic Online FHWS Faculty Training
FHWS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Intermediate Online FHWS Faculty Training
FHWS: Blackboard Learn Ultra Advance Online FHWS Faculty Training
Table 1 above shows that the Faculties of Applied Sciences, Business management Sciences, Engineering and the Built Environment and Health and Wellness Sciences were trained on Blackboard Learn Ultra Basics, Intermediate and Advanced. A total of 462 lecturers were trained. Recording of the training were provided to staff and placed in a portal on blackboard where staff who did not attend can access the recordings. Staff from the above faculties who have second semester courses were provided their courses on Ultra courses to start building their courses on Ultra in preparation for going live on Ultra courses in the second semester. The migration of second semester courses to Ultra courses is affected by student protests and will be effected according to the adjusted academic calendar.
Archiving of 2019, 2020 and 2021 courses is completed. These courses will be provided to staff on request for audits e.t.c. and archived immediately after the audits or reviews are finished. Blackboard is busy providing collaborate recordings on S3 for CIET to start archiving-Class is aware of the delay in archiving and will still give the university time to archive. An extended Deans and Directors meeting, which included Faculty manager, Faculty teaching and learning coordinators, Faculty IT coordinators and CTS staff was held to discuss issues of coming up with a good space solution for the university. Several ideas were raised, like faculties having their repositories for Videos, CTS to provide cloud space for videos and a policy on archiving to be developed. The invited understood the need for coming up with a solution for storage in the university. CIET and CTS will work on the space issue.
Mr Shoni Khangala
Director:
Centre for Professional and Personal Development (CPPD)
As we review our contributions to the 2023 Learning and Teaching Report, the CPPD eagerly anticipates embracing emerging trends and technologies that will shape the future of learning and teaching. We look forward to aligning our short course offerings with the evolving landscape, ensuring they remain relevant and effective in addressing our stakeholders’ dynamic professional and personal development needs. Below are CPPD’s achievements and activities during the 2023 academic year.
Following several direct engagements with other higher education institutions (HEIs) the previous year, during 2023, CPPD conducted desktop benchmarking exercises with its counterparts around specialist short course offerings, including cybersecurity, cybersecurity investigations and data analytics. The HEIs included VUT, DUT, TUT, Stellenbosch, UJ and UCT. This exercise will strengthen CPPD in its focus on introducing offerings that align with the vision of One Smart CPUT. A benchmarking exercise was also conducted with the National School of Government with much interest in CPUT’s short course offerings. Concerning collaborations, productive discussions were held with German-based CBS International Business School; progress was made in establishing cooperation in short courses, including signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Through the CPPD Director, who is the Combined Assurance Champion for the DVC: Learning and Teaching portfolio, CPPD continued to work with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) to enhance its focus on managing its risk register, thus ensuring that risks embedded in the short course environment continue to be mitigated. The best practice learnt from ERM has been filtering throughout the Short Course Offering Entities (SCOEs), all of which participated in the standing item (Risk Register) during meetings of the CPPD management body in 2023. In 2023, CPPD started engagements with the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARATEC) to help align SARATEC’s Quality Council for Trade and Occupations programmes with the Short Course Policy and enhance their offerings’ credibility and recognition.
During 2023, the Centre for Professional and Personal Development (CPPD) continued to steer efforts to contribute to skills needs through focused and relevant short course offerings. The year was characterised by several meetings between CPPD and internal stakeholders, guiding them through the nuts and bolts of getting involved in short course offerings. Some of these meetings successfully introduced new offerings, whilst some promised to propose short courses in 2024.
CPPD continued to work with faculties and SCOEs to support the development of new offerings. Meetings held with those with low involvement in short courses are expected to bear fruit in 2024. The new offerings introduced in 2023 were first aid training, American Heart Association short courses (Department of Emergency Medical Services), and the Leadership Programme: Internationalisation in Higher Education (Strategic Initiatives Partnerships). Other offerings from the Faculty of Health and Wellness include light-based therapies, intense pulsed light and low-level light therapy; light-based therapies: laser hair removal and intense pulsed light: skin rejuvenation; and assessment with sonography for HIV-associated tuberculosis. The introduction of these offerings underscores CPPD’s quest to strategically address the growing demand for cutting-edge skills in the fields of health and wellness. These courses cater to the evolving needs of professionals and foster personal growth and expertise, aligning with our commitment to providing impactful and relevant learning experiences.
On the leadership development front, 2023 witnessed the expansion of the ETDP SETAfunded Leadership Coaching and Development Programme, an initiative between CPPD and the Learning and Development Department. In 2023, 30 staff members completed the programme. By the end of 2023, the SETA had already made new funding commitments for 2024. The Leadership Coaching and Development Program underscores the dedication of CPPD and the Learning and Development Department to empower staff with essential skills for personal and professional growth.
CPPD continues strengthening collaborations with Quality Management and Development (QMD) to enhance quality assurance and management of short course offerings. In this regard, the initiative to develop the Quality Management Practice Standards for CPPD and the short course environment began in 2023.
CPPD is committed to exploring collaborations and partnerships to expand offerings. These efforts will be grounded by continued reviewing and refining policies and procedures to ensure alignment with institutional objectives and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, CPPD will collaborate with faculties, departments, and other stakeholders to review and, where necessary, revive discontinued offerings and explore emerging areas of interest. Collectively, these endeavours will enhance the relevance and responsiveness of the CPPD’s short course offerings, enhancing the student experience as the cornerstone of all our endeavours.
Highlights and successes
Prof Lalini Reddy
Director: WIL
The Centre for Community Engagement and Service Learning is committed to promoting Smart learning and teaching for our students in preparing them for the future world of work.
To achieve our goals, we promote engagements with our quintuple helix partners both nationally and internationally, as well as providing Smart student experiences through WIL and service learning. The Centre offers staff capacity-building workshops promoting opportunities for research in WIL and community engagement. Service learning and civic engagement projects focus on STEM and 17 SDGs through engagements with local and international partnerships with community organisations, universities, and government partners.
Most of our programmes at UG level have WIL, which provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop relational capability, develop various new technological skills and knowledge, and work within the ethical standards of the workplace. They also learn the importance of resilience in the workplace and society. Lecturers do appear to require assistance with graduate attributes.
Several STEM projects were carried out with school career fairs, NSC tutorials, and symposia during 2023. A co-curricular Student Leadership Academy was offered to more than 70 students in 2023 which was funded by the UCDG programme. The outcome of this programme was largely to develop graduate attributes through the 17 SDGs. There is a THENSA project on developing an entrepreneurship education short course to empower academics in the integration of entrepreneurial thinking into our curriculum as we prepare our students for employability. Prof L. Reddy, Dr X. Cupido, and Prof M. Twum-Darko have made significant contributions as members of the curriculum team with the Finnish and Irish colleagues in this HERESA-Obreal project. The Centre sponsored paralegal student Mr Bongumusa Ngema to participate in the Rwanda Innovation Challenge in December 2023.
Building industrial linkages to ensure CPUT’s programme content and education/training are relevant
Faculties engage with industry and an upward trend in partnerships has occurred in 2023, after the lockdown period. In 2023 we saw an increased placement of WIL students in industry for all our six faculties. This indicates an improvement in our industry partnerships after the pandemic lockdown period.
WIL coordinators participated in Future World of Work Workshops, especially for curricula development. Prof Reddy presented the following paper at the WACE: ‘Reddy, L. (2023) Preparing future-proof curricula to boost the economy and contribute to social cohesion: a Western Cape, South African perspective. WACE Conference Proceedings, Canada.
We engage with SAGEA for student recruitment fairs and recruitment opportunities for students. Ms Bronwyn Abrahams attended the SAGEA Conference in Johannesburg in November 2023. Over 800 WIL students and graduates benefited from SETA Learnerships, and the university partnered with 159 companies to provide these workplace-based learning opportunities.
In addition, students have access to the LinkedIn Learning Platform and can take the work preparedness-related modules. Licences have been purchased by CIET as part of the UCDG programme. CPUT plans to renew the licence for this valuable resource for students and staff in June with UCDG funding. The modules covered range from basic work preparedness topics such as preparing for interviews to emotional intelligence, the future world of work, and professional conduct in the workplace. All academic programmes have functioning advisory committees which have met once or twice in 2023. This has fostered knowledge exchange through industry partnerships where curriculum trends are discussed as well as WIL placement opportunities and staff exchange.
In addition to CPUT Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policy and Guidelines (2022), CPUT has contributed to the THENSA WIL Policy brief in 2023 which sought national input from universities and TVET colleges on WIL.
The decentralised model of the Centre and its activities was shared by Prof Reddy at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, NWU WIL SL Colloquium on 17 October 2023. The talk was entitled, ‘CPUT structures for integrating WIL and Service Learning’. Ms J. Scheepers also presented at the colloquium on CPUTs approach to service learning.
An institutional research workshop on 17 August 2023, Profs L. Reddy and J. Garraway facilitated discussion on ‘Activity Theory in WIL Research’ with WIL Coordinators and other interested academics. Prof Reddy participated in the THENSA HERESA-Obreal Project on WIL, entrepreneurship and CBL with Finnish and Irish universities together with other CPUT colleagues.
The Service Learning Unit supported the six faculties to implement 15 service learning projects during 2023 which led to the attainment and fulfillment of CPUT’s graduate attributes. Service learning (SL) is a course-based, credit-bearing experience in which students participate in an organised service activity that meets identified community needs and reflects on the service activity in such a way as to get a further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility (Bringle & Hatcher, 1995). A natural alignment exists between the achievement of graduate attributes and SL. Staff are encouraged to be mindful of the incorporation of these attributes when designing their SL programmes.
The role of the SL Unit is to coordinate SL projects and assist academics from all faculties and campuses to integrate community service into mainstream academic programmes and research. Another role of the SL Unit is to nurture and develop mutually beneficial partnerships between communities, higher education institutions, and the service sector. The unit also provides academics with the resources, materials, and guidance in the planning, implementation, assessment, and evaluation of SL projects.
There were many service learning projects in the FHWS. Some highlights includes Biomedical Sciences 2nd year Immunohematology students promoting the South African Bone Marrow Registry (MoU signed), digital stories from Cytology 2 students on cervical cancer stories (departmental YouTube channel), and first year ECP students empowered Ikamva Youth to apply for NSFAS funding. Emergency Medical Sciences students offered first aid training to the Mossel Bay sporting community and STEM tutoring to Wynberg, Lavender Hill and Langa High School students. Wellness students promoted holistic health to the community. Some of these SL projects have given rise to research opportunities and new MOUs with community organisations.
The link below is an example of a service learning project:
https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/article/4780/women-in-education-celebrated
As part of the STEAM project with 50 learners from Atlantis high schools, a student and staff reflection and certificate workshop was held in partnership with the Advancement Department on 28 November 2023. A Good Practice Guide and self-evaluation Instruments for managing the quality of service learning has been approved as a base document for the Service Learning Unit to manage the quality of service learning. All documents will be placed on SharePoint for easy access to staff.
The Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying staff and students completed the construction of a library at Balvenie Primary School as part of a service learning project. This is an ongoing multi-disciplinary service learning project which will include departments from the Faculty of Informatics and Design in 2024 to design and build the furniture and develop educational materials for the library. The FBMS first year students did a project on recycling under the supervision of Mr Tafadzwa Shara. The focus of the project was on plastic recycling in our communities to sustain the environment for future generations.
Second year students participated in the service learning project. Their project management lecturer, Mr Tshibangu, introduced his students to working in teams to generate an alternative solution for energy crisis in SA. These solutions were demonstrated at the FBMS WIL and SL event where students demonstrated how their solution works.
An alumni, Mr Vusumuzi Mokoena, an entrepreneur specialising on rooibos tea (Mavusana Rooibos Tea), took on five students for their WIL period.
In the Faculty of Education, Dr Siphokazi Vimbelo, lecturer for an Advanced Diploma TVET research module, led a service learning project on business awareness.
The TVET pre-service teachers collaborated with SEDA to orchestrate a public business information campaign in the Langa community. The choice of location was strategic to optimize community engagement. By delivering crucial business information, the initiative instilled hope among small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Langa. The primary objective was to raise awareness within the Langa community about SEDA’s services and the avenues available for accessing financial support.
The concept of civic engagement at CPUT encompasses voluntary and co-curricular community-based activities that operate independently of the learning outcomes of academic programmes. As these activities are not integrated into the mainstream curriculum, students are not awarded marks for their participation. This makes these activities different from service learning.
The main role of the Civic Engagement Unit is to provide a holistic institutional picture of non-curricular community-based activities carried out by both staff and students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The unit also provides support for the initiation of co-curricular activities by students through facilitating partnerships with NGOs, departments, the private sector, and communities.
The Civic Engagement Unit offered students a Student Leadership Academy in 2023 which focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Seventy-six students attended a week-long community engagement capacity building camp.
Students were required to conduct research and implement 18 student-led community engagement projects linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students were drawn from various faculties. To be inclusive and transformative, the academy included students from diverse disciplines, and cultures and included SRC leadership and alumni. The academy was funded by DHET’s University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG). As part of their project presentations, students were required to express how their community engagement experiences actualised the CPUT graduate attributes.
The Student Leadership Academy is Civic Engagement’s flagship project. Approximately 100 students and academy alumni from across all faculties engage in interdisciplinary project teams to implement a community project in communities.
The students are provided with training to develop competencies for community projects. Facilitators in the student leadership academy include academic staff, support units, and student academy alumni.
The leadership academy is linked to Vision 2030 Focus Area 2: Smart teaching and learning, and Smart learning environments;
• 3: Enable Smart RTIP that is relevant, equitable, and excellent in its trans-disciplinary knowledge production;
• 6: Smart engagement and strong links with quintuple helix partners; and
• 7: Smart student engagement and sustainable learning.
The programme promotes the integration of teaching and learning, research and community engagement, and is aimed at developing the whole student in a trans-disciplinary context.
The main purpose of the Student Leadership Academy is to develop a student capacitybuilding programme to further the leadership skills of students, specifically in preparation for civic engagement projects that are linked to the university graduate attributes.
This academy further seeks to promote a positive youth development approach which focuses on (as stated by the United Nations in 2016 ‘making young individuals stronger and more resourceful, as reflected in their behaviour and mindset’. The programme includes institutional engagement, national engagement on best practices, development of a student leaders’ programme, community engagement projects, and a student youth conference across disciplines and projects. At its foundation is the United Nations World Youth Report (2016) and the philosophy of Ubuntu as a global concept.
The academy builds on the notion of servant leadership and citizenship which is critical for developing a healthy society. There are five key characteristics linked to positive youth development which are: Competence, Confidence, Character, Connection, and Caring (United Nations, 2016).
In the report by Dolan and Brennan (2016) civic engagement is not a neutral concept as it encompasses a variety of forms and perspectives surrounding relationships between the individual, the community, and broader society. It furthermore involves the following:
The Ubuntu philosophy is the conceptual framework that underpins this programme and appears in the institutional strategic Vision 2030 which promotes Smart engagement through its various focus areas and projects. The academy culminated in a student conference where projects were presented, and achievements were celebrated (see link below). The academy will be implemented in 2024 with many more students. More detail can be found in the link below.
https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/article/4833/service-learning-and-civic-engagements-units-host-international-student-conference
CPUT has a long history of managing the 2nd Chance Matric Rewrite project since 2015. The 2nd Chance project aims to provide learners with an opportunity to improve their results in selected STEM subjects and to prepare learners to meet the requirements for study at a higher education institution. In addition, the project strives to provide experiential learning opportunities for CPUT students in their subject fields and other areas of professional and personal development. Tuition is offered in Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences. The project creates experiential learning opportunities for students across the university and is considered one of the projects of the VC’s Prestigious STEM initiative. CPUT is granted an annual concession by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Umalusi, Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, to be registered as an examination centre for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination. The CE Unit registers approximately 240 learners annually with the DBE to rewrite the NSC at Belvue Primary School in Belhar with the support of the Western Cape Education Department.
CPUT’s National Science Week (NSW) is led by the Civic Engagement Unit and is held annually at the beginning of August. The programme involves a week-long celebration of STEM with school learners, educators, lecturers, students, researchers, etc. The project is also recognised as one of the VC’s Prestigious STEM projects and was awarded a grant by the NRF/SAASTA in 2023. The following year’s NSW will expand to incorporate more university students and staff and will build on existing partnerships and explore new collaborations and partnerships in government and the community. More can be seen on the following web pages:
https://www.cput.ac.za/newsroom/news/article/4770/cput-celebrates-national-science-week
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0HinEmuxnNrDr2A6iVtsj3zf1BNt3Ut3NKYAqkC6NpTsUNztAMoei7NTf1bM9ke4Ml&id=100064303254895&mibextid=Nif5oz
Internationalisation and community engagement
International partnerships include collaboration with international universities and networks to promote the implementation of SLCE at CPUT. These programmes are implemented virtually and using various online platforms. The units provide access to international and intercultural contexts for students and staff, such as:
• Ubuntu Global Network, a global ubuntu network: further collaboration to be explored in 2024;
• HAN university, Netherlands: HAN and CPUT students engage in community projects;
• University of Szczecin, Poland: service learning partnership in development;
• Namibian University of Technology (NUST): the MOU is being updated and a proposal is in progress;
• University of Flensburg, Germany: the MOU is in place and a proposal is in progress.
The Centre has hosted several entrepreneurship workshops for staff and students as this proves to be a valuable vehicle for the development of graduate attributes and growing graduate employability. Collaborative workshops and capacity building initiatives in promoting the future world of work are planned for 2024 in collaboration with CPUT structures and external partners.
Prof Chiwari
Director: CPUT Libraries
CPUT Libraries plays a vital role in supporting the academic programmes through its key focus areas, including the provision of information resources, training and workshops, information resources and collaborative and individual learning spaces. The report highlights the progress in support of the library’s objectives related to the support of learning and teaching at the institution.
The library provided access to various information resources including print books, e-books and relevant databases, despite ongoing budgetary and financial constraints which made it difficult to meet existing contractual commitments as well as add new resources for existing and new programmes. The current usage statistics on databases, e-books, and e-journals clearly show that library electronic resources, which are available 24/7 and can be accessed on and off campus, are extensively used with 487 305 database downloads; 136 184 downloads of e-books; 675 575 interactions/views/downloads of specialised resources; and more than 39 378 downloads of open access material by users.
The provision of relevant study material for each subject is not only crucial for student success but also for compliance with accreditation and professional bodies. To realise these objectives, the library has embarked on a project working with faculties and departments to provide all courses with the necessary recommended reading resources. Students, academic staff and reviewers can access materials that are prescribed or recommended for a specific course or module, and the library can draw reports on courses making use of specific titles, or courses sharing titles, as well as draw consolidated reading lists per course or department. The ongoing effectiveness of the system will also depend on the reading lists being received from the departments annually. The platform currently has 39% of total modules populated with reading lists.
Library spaces continue to be well utilised and are conducive to studying, collaborative group work and access to technology, with the library having stayed open till midnight during the final examination period to accommodate students. A total of 661 514 visits to libraries were recorded, with 63 243 users having made use of the computer rooms, and 30 585 users having used the Learning Commons.
The Library Thinker Space on the D6 campus is an area that can be utilised by academics and students for intellectual exploration and creative expression, encouraging a culture of learning and curiosity, leveraging the latest technology to enhance the content quality and viewer experience, including high-definition video equipment, advanced audio recording tools, and editing software. The design and ambience of the facility facilitates the creation of interview, discussion and educational content videos, interactive recorded sessions and storytelling.
The library provides students with information literacy training. This is the ability to find, evaluate, use, and communicate information effectively and ethically in their academic writing. This training is provided in collaboration with the academic departments where the information literacy programme is embedded into the course. 39 015 attendees attended 980 training sessions during the year.
The online Information Literacy resources are continuously being developed and improved. A blended learning information literacy programme has been designed for undergraduate students, addressing typical challenges students face when writing assignments, providing a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to assist them through the process.
In addition, the library is working on a project promoting the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in digital humanities. This includes an online course, webinars, workshops, and a platform for sharing best practices. The aim is to support developing and localising OER content tailored to South Africa. This project was developed with sponsorship from the ESCALATOR Programme.
The transformative concepts of storytelling and design thinking have also been used to develop video-based content for applications in teaching and learning, as well as in research. Some of the how-to videos produced include ‘How do you conduct a literature review using AI’, ‘How do you use the CPUT scientific literature databases’ and ‘How to order books in the library using the library system’.
The library has played a crucial role in supporting the academic programme and enhancing learning experiences for students through its various resources and services during the year. The provision of information resources for course materials, and improvements to the information literacy programme are highlights in the library’s mission to deliver efficient and sustainable services to the CPUT community, and in transforming learning and teaching for the future.
Dr. Tasmeera Singh
Director:
RTI Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships (RTI-SIP)
The global mandate for the internationalisation of higher education responds on various levels to the constructs of virtual contact and virtual learning, international networks and partnerships, digital credentials and microcredentials, diversity and inclusion, global research collaboration, language and cultural competence, sustainable and responsible internationalisation, data-driven decisionmaking, and virtual reality and international reality.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) have embraced the National Policy Framework for Internationalisation as a guiding framework. HEIs must build on the understanding of notions such as comprehensive internationalisation to expand the context and debunk the universality of Euro-American knowledge systems for the specific South African context. HEIs must continue locating their modus operandi within the relevant historical and geopolitical spaces. While the decoloniality projects are mind fields for innovative transformations, the areas that need more focus are:
1. Establishing symmetrical and strategic research partnerships and collaborations across the globe.
2. Inclusive internationalisation to embrace indigenous knowledge systems and African and South Asian diasporas.
3. Equity-sensitive access.
4. Capacity development of staff students and the transformation and decolonisation of the curriculum.
The report below provides an overview of the Research Uptake and International Relations portfolios to support the academic project across faculties and research areas. The need to establish and sustain transdisciplinary research projects underpin the objectives of the Research Incoko and related seminars. These projects support the National Framework for HE Internationalisation by promoting capacity-building projects. The International Relations Portfolio established and entrenched global partnerships with a greater focus on African partnerships to enhance staff and student mobility. Concerted efforts were made to engage in SADC diplomatic relations, which will also be the objective for 2024. The data shared for the partnerships, staff, and student mobility are increasing in momentum to promote further strategic collaborations – the implementation of an Internationalisation Policy in 2023 implies additional bedrock issues of good governance and compliance. The footprint of CPUT has extended across the globe through the participation of SIP in multiple forums, such as THENSA, AIEA, EAIE, NAFSA, and IEASA, and consortia that include SASUF, CHEC and Mellon-funded decolonial initiatives.
The Research Uptake Portfolio provides support to the RTI-SIP Directorate that primarily upholds, maintains, and supports the RTIP strategy and CPUT’S Vision 2030. This includes coordinating relevant activities and national partnerships. Various research initiatives and capacity development workshops were hosted to support the research focus area leaders, research chairs, and researchers.
The Research Incoko is a platform for quarterly research engagements on a variety of research-related topics to develop CPUT’s research capacity from within and allow research-related issues to be addressed using a trans-disciplinary approach. This year, the Research Incoko was held on 14 March, 7 September and 7 November.
The SIP office is part of the team that implements the University Capacity Development Grant Focus Area 5 for growing CPUT’s Rising Stars in Research and Innovation. This is aligned with Activity 4: Develop and facilitate activities and appropriate systems to promote and support research uptake. Five workshops were held under themes: ‘Dissemination of findings’; ‘Science communication’; ‘Social influence and societal impact’; ‘Indicator development to measure knowledge/research uptake impact’; and ‘Stakeholder engagement between researchers and users’. The workshop participants were CPUT senior researchers, researchers, and emerging researchers.
The Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships hosted the first Research Uptake: Doctoral Graduates Seminar with the theme ‘Potential societal impact of research’ in November. The purpose was to provide a platform for doctoral graduates to present their research studies at a high level and impact on society. Presenters further highlighted the alignment of their research to the CPUT Research Focus Areas and Sustainable Development Goals. A small booklet for posterity to celebrate graduates’ singular accomplishments was compiled.
CPUT became a member of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) South Africa. The SDSN promotes integrated approaches to implement Sustainable Development Goals through education, research, policy analysis, and global cooperation. CPUT’s initiatives that address SDGs were featured in SDSN SA Newsletter Issue 2, published in June 2023.
The portfolio of International Relations is responsible for providing support to the RTIP-SIP Directorate in respect of the comprehensive internationalisation initiatives of CPUT, through developing strategic initiatives in the international domain for research, learning and teaching and community engagement partnerships in line with the government framework on internationalisation. Internationalisation is a common thread that runs throughout CPUT’s activities. To remain relevant in the ever-changing world of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the institution has incorporated a comprehensive theme of Smart internationalisation. CPUT’s approach to Smart Partnerships is strongly embedded within research focus areas and learning and teaching.
Partnership (local and international) agreements concluded in 2023
The partnership strategy, alongside the guiding principles, provides a context for the data shared on national and international partnerships in the portfolios of International Relations and Research Uptake to strengthen CPUT’s global reputation and profile. The guiding principles of the partnership strategy are relevance (i.e., finding partnerships that are aligned to V2030 and the Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa (2019), contributing to learning and teaching: joint teaching, joint qualifications, research: research development, research projects, technical support, joint supervision; capacity development of staff, student training, funding opportunities: pooling and sharing resources).
Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Key Action 1:
CPUT is an active participant in the European Union (EU) funded programmes with countries in the Europe. Participating in EU-funded programmes enables staff and students at CPUT to increase their global footprint and broaden their horizons. CPUT welcomes incoming staff and students from global partners to increase the diversity of the institution and enhance intercultural competence amongst staff and students.
Developing linkages within a quintuple helix environment is key for CPUT strategic partnerships. This is navigated through building synergies, creating and sustaining opportunities for staff and students at CPUT to work in collaboration with stakeholders in SADC: industry, government, other universities and UoTs, research institutions and civil society.
In alignment with the Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Higher Education (2019: 30-35), HEI’s are needed to give annual reports on internationalisation targets. The assumption is that HEIs have internationalisation strategies in place. The proposal to include these targets are agreed upon in the annual planning and performance appraisals of Deans and Vice Deans and HODs for each faculty. To enhance the Internationalisation @ Home paradigm of comprehensive internationalisation the SIP Office actively sought out international study abroad partnerships. Study abroad students are direct fee paying (dollar fees) students who enrol for a semester for non-degree purposes and take courses for credit towards their degree back home. SIP provided a supporting and oversight role in using partnership agreements to include student and staff mobility.
International Student Roadmap 2022- 2030
The Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Directorate collaborates with Student Affairs, the Application and Registration Centre, and other internal and external stakeholders to implement the International Student Roadmap 2022- 2030. Events and educational webinars took place: Orientation, International Women’s Day, Refugee Day, Human Trafficking Awareness, Promoting Diversity, and Inclusivity. Association of International Students Executives and the Central Student Representatives Council were actively involved in the planning, marketing, and hosting of activities. Commemoration of Africa Day, Heritage Day, and International Day will be priorities in the future to enrich international students’ experience at CPUT.
Internationalisation of the curriculum
Collaborative Online International Learning Committee:
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a pedagogy and a way of building collaboration among academics and students around the world. The design, development, and implementation of a COIL project is an example of the Internationalisation of the Curriculum (IoC) and Internationalisation at Home (IaH) in action. COIL embodies applied and/or authentic learning in groups of students. COIL projects are designed and developed through collaboration between academic (professors/faculty) partners in two (or more) different educational institutions, and geophysical locations around the world (ACU, 2021). The first COIL Committee meeting was held in September 2022, and the Terms of Reference for the Working Group was adopted. The intention and guiding principles of COIL at CPUT is to broaden access to students who would otherwise not have the opportunity of a semester abroad to interact in a global classroom. The promulgation of COIL initiatives at CPUT is aligned with the core principles of comprehensive internationalisation (IoC, IaH) and technology enabled internationalisation through 4IR initiatives.
Faculty of Business and Management Sciences
Faculty of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Health and Wellness
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Informatics and Design
The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences has seven COIL projects led by the following departments: Sports Management, Marketing, Applied Legal Studies, and Department of Financial Accounting and Auditing.
The Faculty of Applied Sciences has made considerable progress in engaging with the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in the Republic of Argentina to plan a COIL project.
FEBE reported that two COIL projects are to be initiated with universities in Germany and the United Kingdom.
There is one potential COIL project. There is one potential COIL project.
There is one potential COIL project.
Name Network
SASUF South Africa-Sweden University Forum.
AIEA Association of International Education Administrator.
EAIE European Association of International Education.
NAFSA Association of International Educators.
SANORD South African Nordic Centre.
APAIE Asia Pacific Association International Education.
IEASA International Education Association of South Africa.
ANIE African Network for the Internationalisation of Education.
DAAD German Academic Exchange.
Professor Judy Peter
Professor Judy Peter with colleagues from South Africa and the USA.
Professor Judy Peter and Dr Singh
Teaching and research opportunity at George Enescu University, Romania.
AIEA (Association of International Education Administrators) Board Meetings and Conference, Washington, USA
Faculty of Business and Management Sciences International Hybrid Forum
The trip is part of the Erasmus Agreement with George Enescu University with CPUT.
Conference attendance of 800 from 48 countries. The conference comprised five days of meetings, panels, plenaries, and exhibition halls.
Keynote address at the FBMS International Hybrid Week held at the Granger Bay Campus.
The two-day event was attended by local CPUT staff and international partners.
SIP team
Professor Judy Peter
Professor Lalini Reddy, Professor Penelope Engel-Hills, Prof Bongani Ncube and Prof James Carraway.
Stellenbosch International Academic Networks (SIAN)
SASUF 2030 Work Integrated Learning Workshop, Satellite event
The SIAN event was hosted by Stellenbosch University to celebrate 30 years of their international office.
The SASUF 2030 Work Integrated Learning Workshop was hosted by Professor Lalini Reddy and colleagues from Sweden at the Granger Bay Campus.
SASUF 2030 information sessions.
The Research and Innovation Week was attended by over 500 participants from Sweden and South Africa. The event kicked off with the hosting of satellite events across the country on the 27 and 28 March 2023.
Prof Dr Kay Pfaffenberger, Centre of Business and Technology in Africa, Uni-versity of Applied Science, Flensburg, Germany.
Prof Judy Peter, Dr Tasmeera Singh & Dr Nelisiwe Maleka
Exploring International Partnerships for Community Engagement
Mangosutho University of Technology International Leadership Programme
Dr Tasmeera Singh
HERS-SA Emerging Leadership programme
The SIP Directorate was invited by the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning to attend the half-day workshop.
The SIP Directorate was hosted by the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) to introduce their staff to the core principles of internationalisation, managing an international office, COIL projects, and to meet with relevant staff engaged in internationalisation
Dr Singh was invited to speak at the HERS-SA Emerging Leadership programme, which was held at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Cape Town.
Prof Judy Peter & Dr Tasmeera Singh
Ubuntu Postgraduate Forum
Prof Judy Peter, Dr Tasmeera Singh & Dr Nelisiwe Maleka
Prof Judy Peter, Dr Tasmeera Singh, Dr Nelisiwe Maleka and Mr Dingaan Booi
UNESCO Chairs Launch, Stellenbosch University
IEASA (International Education Association of South Africa) Conference and Workshop, Durban
The SIP Directorate attended and presented at the Ubuntu Postgraduate Forum on the initiatives of the SIP Directorate.
The SIP Directorate attended the Stellenbosch University UNESCO Chairs Launch on Intercultural Competences.
The SIP Directorate hosted a workshop entitled DHET Policy Framework for Internationalisation at the IEASA Conference held in Durban.
The SIP Di-rectorate also participated in the Global Leadership Summit, which was born on 22 August 2023. The staff of SIP chaired sessions at the conference as well.
Prof Judy Peter
Negotiating the Fabric of the African University Conference, UWC
Prof Judy Peter
Prof Judy Peter
Ms Kea Letlhaku and Mr Evgenii Galochkin.
UFS Colloquium Conference
Title ‘Gender-Smart Academia – Traction to Transformation’.
International Scholarships information session.
Professor Peter was invited by Professor Langa (UWC) to participate in the round table on Diversity at the conference ‘Negotiating the Fabric of the African University’ hosted at UWC.
Professor Peter was Invited to participate online in the colloquium hosted by the University of Free State’s Office for International Affairs, which explored the ‘Power dynamics of international knowledge generation’.
Professor Judy Peter attended the SANORD Conference at University, Hamar, Norway.
The SIP Directorate hosted the International Scholarships information session presented by DHET and Vice Consul of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation.
Mr Dingan Booi
SANORD Heritage Day Celebration, UWC
The SANORD Office at the University of Western Cape hosted a Heritage Day Celebration in which Mr Booi moderated the panel discussion on heritage.
Ms Fazela Haniff
Prof Peter and Mr Thembinkosi Mtonjeni
Prof Peter and Dr Singh
Dr Singh
Prof Peter
‘Ethical Internationalisation – Is this possible?’
Mellon Decoloniality Project, UCT – ‘Integrating decolonial feminisms in the decolonising higher education rhetoric’.
Virtual Erasmus+ regional cluster meeting seminar in Africa
Dutch Knowledge Mission meeting, UWC
DHET and the Kingdom of Netherlands Roundtable discussion
The SIP Directorate hosted the Internationalisation Forum.
Professor Peter and Mr Mtonjeni as CPUT’s representatives on the Mellon Project jointly presented a paper at the Mellon Seminar.
Professor Peter and Dr Singh attended the virtual Erasmus+ regional cluster meeting seminar in Africa.
Dr Singh attended the Dutch Knowledge Mission meeting hosted by the University of Western Cape.
Professor Peter represented CPUT at the Roundtable discussion: ‘Diversification of education and the future of work’, an intersection of industry and academia to close the skills gap hosted by DHET and the Kingdom of Netherlands in Pretoria.
Dr James Jowi
Dr Laverne Samuels and Ms Divinia Jithoo
‘Making Internationalisation Work for African Universities: Reframing New Ways for Strategic Responses and Resilience’
COIL Workshop (SIP/FEBE), CPUT
Dr Upasana Singh, UKZN
Dr Errol Francke and Prof Svensson, Malmo University.
Responsiveness of academics to innovative artificial intelligence
Workshop: Critical and HumanCentred Perspectives on Data, AI & programming.
The SIP Directorate hosted the second Internationalisation Forum.
The SIP Directorate in conjunction with the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, hosted the first COIL Workshop conducted by DUT.
The SIP Directorate hosted the final Internationalisation Forum.
South African Swedish University Forum (SASUF) workshop.
In-person delegation visits
1 February 2023 Visit by a delegation from Reunion Island, France
1 February 2023 Visit by Mr Berto Bosscha, Education & Science Attaché, Embassy of The Netherlands, Pretoria.
14 February 2023 Visit by Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Belgium.
22 February 2023 Visit by the Vice Chancellor and his team from the University of Luanda, Angola.
24 February 2023 Visit by the Lithuanian Delegation, Lithuania.
30 March 2023 Visit by the delegation from Academie De Bordeaux, France.
13 April 2023 Visit by Mr Evgeni Galochkin, Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Cape Town.
18-20 April 2023 A delegation from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Hungary visited CPUT for a week-long staff exchange visit.
26 June 2023 Visit by Ms Johanna Aigner Hochschule München / University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
28 September 2023 Visit by Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU), China.
14 - 15 September 2023 Visit by the Department of Science and Innovation and National Research Foundation delegations to CPUT.
6 November 2023 Visit by Strasbourg University, France.
30 November 2023 Visit by the City of Cape Town delegation.
7 December 2023 Visit by SPI, a technology transfer company in Portugal.
7 December 2023 Visit by Professor Mathias Wengelin from Lund University in Sweden.
Internationalising CPUT through the portfolios of International Relations and Research Uptake for 2024 will continue to align with the vision to be the leading UoT on the continent of Africa. To expand the African footprint beyond the SADC region is critical to decolonising the internationalisation agenda in the Global South by more intentional alignment with ANIE, African Union, and diplomatic relations.
SIP will actively entrench historical partnerships and bilateral agreements in BRICS countries, Western Europe, for example, the European Union, Germany, DAAD (Deutscher Akade), and France, to extend strategic cooperation in staff and student mobility, research collaboration, capacity building projects, COIL, and joint degree programmes to internationalise the curriculum and create intercultural competencies.
The intention is to revive the vibrant international culture at CPUT through short-learning programmes (Summer/Winter School), increasing the international student enrolment, multicultural ecosystem, and digitising reporting and administration systems.
Introduction
In 2021-2022, CPUT participated in one of the paramount activities in the higher education sector which was the institutional audit (IA) conducted by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The CHE is an independent statutory body established by the Higher Education Act of 1997, tasked with advising the Minister of Higher Education and Training as well as establishing and managing external quality assurance for higher education through its permanent committee, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). All public universities and private higher education institutions are required to undergo an institutional audit.
The overarching purpose of an institutional audit was to evaluate the coherence and effectiveness of the institution’s internal quality assurance system in enabling student success and improving its core academic functions, and for the review panel report to provide baseline information for the institutional track record that will form the basis for the implementation of the new Quality Assurance Framework, and therefore the main unit of analysis was the institution itself. QMD submitted the Institutional Audit Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) and Portfolio of Evidence to the CHE on 3 July 2022 and subsequently embarked on the next phase of the project, which involved preparation for the site visit which took place on 10-14 October 2022. The second phase included the management of evidence as per CHE Panel requests, finalising the structure of interview sessions, developing the site visit schedule and list of interviewees, preparation of VC’s presentation, briefing session for interviews, management of the interviewee and panel sessions during the site visit, and conducting debriefing sessions after each interview session. The CHE IA site visit successfully took place on 10-14 October 2022 with the first two and half days virtual and the last two days on-site. The panel members were generally impressed with the comprehensiveness of CPUT’s ISER and some of the facilities.
In 2023, CPUT received the Draft Institutional Audit Report and a letter dated 15 September 2023. The letter detailed the period within which CPUT was expected to respond to factual inaccuracies and/or make a representation of the draft institutional audit report. Following extensive internal consultation, CPUT was able to provide a list of factual corrections and the draft report denoting statements made in the draft institutional audit report which might require further consideration by the CHE. CPUT acknowledged the opportunity to respond to factual inaccuracies and sought clarity on some of the statements and recommendations made by the CHE panel. CPUT awaits the final institutional audit report.
Graduate attributes: a change laboratory approach
Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED), under the leadership of the Curriculum Development Unit, embarked on an innovative journey to deeply weave the institution’s graduate attributes (GAs) into the fabric of our academic programmes. Recognising the need for our graduates to emerge as not only knowledgeable in their chosen fields but also as resilient, technologically astute, ethically grounded and skilled professionals ready to tackle the challenges of the modern workplace, a series of workshops were initiated, marking a pivotal step toward academic excellence and relevance in higher education. Central to this initiative was the adoption of the ‘change laboratory approach’, a methodological framework lauded for its transformative potential in curriculum development and research. This approach, distinguished by its rigorous examination and creative resolution of educational challenges, provided a structured yet flexible platform for exploring the integration of GAs into CPUT’s diverse academic disciplines.
The project, led by Professor James Garraway and supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF), bore the title: ‘Using change laboratories to assist staff in investigating and overcoming difficulties with integrating graduate attributes into teaching, learning, and curriculum practices.’ The change laboratory model, rooted in activity theory as formulated by Yrjo Engeström, facilitates formative interventions within social groups, promoting adaptive and proactive responses to the evolving demands of professional life.
The initial workshops, held on 6 and 8 of September 2023, set the stage for a series of engaging and collaborative sessions that brought together CPUT’s academic community. Through a structured sequence of seven workshops, informed by activity theory, Fundani’s Curriculum Development Unit and faculty members from the Faculty of Informatics and Design and the Faculty of Business Management Sciences explored the essence of the GAs, engaging in reflective and forward-thinking discussions aimed at reimagining the curricular landscape.
This collaborative endeavour was not just about embedding a set of attributes into the curriculum; it was an exercise in academic innovation and visioning. Faculty members were equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to integrate GAs in a discipline-specific manner that aligned with the broader educational objectives of CPUT. This alignment was pivotal, ensuring that the academic offerings remained relevant and responsive to the needs of both students and the ever-changing professional environment they are preparing to enter.
The workshops illuminated the vital role of CPUT’s graduate attributes, highlighting a spectrum of competencies and values integral to student development. The discussions underscored the necessity of customising these attributes to the unique requirements of each discipline while maintaining a cohesive and holistic integration across the curriculum.
In conclusion, the past year’s efforts have laid a robust foundation for a curriculum that imparts technical knowledge and fosters critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and a commitment to lifelong learning among our students. As we move forward, the insights gained and the progress made through these workshops will continue to guide our curriculum development efforts, ensuring that CPUT remains at the forefront of delivering comprehensive education that equips graduates for professional success and societal contribution.
Due to our country’s socio-cultural realities, most of our students require extra academic support because they are unprepared and do not meet the minimum requirements of STE related courses at CPUT. They need academic support beyond the conventional classroom setup, and many STEM lecturers do not have the time and necessary resources to support and identify students at risk of failing. These factors result in the lowering retention and success rates.
The Fundani STEM Sector’s key mandate is to provide academic support and intervention programs to addresses the academic challenges of STEM students. This involves utilizing customised diagnostic tools, intervention strategies, boot camps, open educational resources (OERs), online student support, consultation sessions, and tutorial groups tailored to the specific needs of students in the different faculties of CPUT. Besides the academic support, the STEM Sector also established the CPUT STEM Club which is managed by students. The STEM Club organises STEM talk sessions, excursions, STEM competitions and Olympiads, and the CPUT National Science Week Expo competition.
STEM 2023 activities included:
• One-on-one and group consultations – students make appointments on https://cput.mywconline.com
• Online student support – we used a writing device to explain mathematics and physics exercises.
• STEM Study buddy sessions at residences which assist with examination preparations.
• STEM Club workshops – material development and competitions.
• STEM boot camp for at-risk students during the September recess which 75 students attended
• National Science Week, in which we conducted the CPUT STEM Expo Competition
• CPUT won 2nd place in an international STEM Hackathon – we developed an educational game, which can be accessed through this link: https://awareness-game.pages.dev/
• We participated in the VC’s STEM School project in collaboration with the Community Engagement and Works-integrated Learning department.
STEM Study buddy sessions at residences which assist with examination preparations.
STEM boot camp for at-risk students during the 2023 September recess which 75 students attended
National Science Week in 2023 was a vibrant event, engaging students and academics in science and technology. The activities kicked off with a Science Roadshow with STEM Club students, joined by the Science, Learning, and Community Engagement (SL&CE) team. A planned visit to Central Karoo high schools to inspire the next generation of scientists took place. The highlight of the week was the CPUT Fundani National Science Week (NSW) Expo Competition on Thursday 3 August A staggering 99 entries from various departments were submitted by enthusiastic students eager to showcase their research and projects. The competition was fierce, with a panel of judges from prominent educational institutions such as CPUT, UWC, UCT, US, WCED, Cape Town Science Centre, Northlink, and the College of Cape Town. After two intense elimination sessions, only 30 candidates made it to the final round to present their projects.
The VC’s STEM Symposium took place on Friday 4 August. Despite the taxi unrests at the time, 39 dedicated students managed to attend. The symposium concluded with VC Prof Chris Nhlapho awarding prizes to the deserving winners of the first CPUT Fundani NSW Expo Competition. The top accolade went to Ntokozo Mashaba for the Car Wind Turbine project, closely followed by Rector Mathebula and Welcome Mkhabela for their joint Futuristic Energy: Magnetic Dome Generator project, and Dominic Preuss for his Lithium-ion Battery Inverter System. National Science Week was not just a display of scientific curiosity and excellence, but also a reflection of the determination and passion that drives the academic community at CPUT. It proved to be an important platform for fostering innovation, exchanging ideas, and inspiring a culture of discovery and intellectual pursuit among students and faculty alike.
Dr Faiq Waghid HOD:
The development of Enhancing learning and teaching at CPUT through artificial intelligence: a guide represents an innovative effort to integrate generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology into the learning environment at CPUT. This guide was carefully crafted, considering the unique context of CPUT, and draws from the collective insights of a diverse team of contributors. It serves as an initial document for addressing the ethical, practical, and pedagogical implications of AI in education. The guide highlights the need for ongoing discussion about AI’s potential to enhance and disrupt established teaching and research practices in higher education.
It offers practical suggestions, underscores the importance of academic integrity, and presents a forward-looking view on adopting technological advancements responsibly. This positions CPUT as a leader in educational innovation and prepares its community to navigate an academic landscape augmented by AI.
An initial workshop titled ‘Enhancing learning and teaching at CPUT through Artificial Intelligence” marked the first in a series aimed at incorporating AI into CPUT’s educational environment. The reaction to the first workshop was overwhelmingly positive, establishing a solid foundation for subsequent sessions. Lecturers from the Business and Management Sciences faculty expressed enthusiasm, with several noting that the workshop exceeded their expectations in content relevance and objectives. Attendees praised the session for its clarity and pace.
They appreciated the workshop’s success in engaging participants and providing practical, relevant examples of AI applications in education. This positive feedback underscores the potential impact of AI on learning and teaching at CPUT and sets a promising trajectory for future workshops. The guide’s influence is poised to grow significantly with the acquisition of funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF). This financial support is crucial for organising a series of workshops across various CPUT departments to promote the widespread adoption and incorporation of the guide’s methodologies.
Faculty members will gain essential knowledge and resources to integrate AI technology into their curricula, fostering an innovative learning atmosphere and equipping students for the challenges of a digital future.
The development and initial implementation of the guide, combined with the positive response from the first workshop and the NRF funding for future sessions, signal a pivotal moment for CPUT. These initiatives represent a significant step forward in embedding AI into education, promising to enhance the learning experience. The enthusiastic reception and financial backing have laid a strong foundation for continuous innovation, ensuring that CPUT remains at the forefront of educational advancement. This journey reflects a commitment to using technology to improve learning outcomes, prepare students for the digital age, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability.
Figure below: screenshots from the AI Guide
Introduction
The Department of Student Counselling follows a holistic wellness model which focuses on eight dimensions of wellness, thereby promoting holistic student well-being. The dimensions of wellness are intellectual, occupational, environmental, spiritual, financial, emotional, social-cultural, and physical. Student Counselling provides a range of comprehensive services to CPUT students and the CPUT community, to support and promote healthy student development, adjustment, mental health, and wellness in both academic and personal domains. This is achieved through development, prevention, and treatment modalities, which include psycho-education, skills development, and psychological interventions. Like 2022, a blended approach to service provision was used whereby counselling, support groups, workshops and training were offered in person and online.
Student engagement and participation
The department aspires to be dynamic, approachable, and innovative in its student engagement initiatives. We had multiple engagements with the student community and sought to develop and empower students to succeed academically and personally. We aspire to remain relevant, to be involved, and to model empathy and respect in all student engagements.In 2023, CPUT received the Draft Institutional Audit Report and a letter dated 15 September 2023. The letter detailed the period within which CPUT was expected to respond to factual inaccuracies and/ or make a representation of the draft institutional audit report. Following extensive internal consultation, CPUT was able to provide a list of factual corrections and the draft report denoting statements made in the draft institutional audit report which might require further consideration by the CHE. CPUT acknowledged the opportunity to respond to factual inaccuracies and sought clarity on some of the statements and recommendations made by the CHE panel. CPUT awaits the final institutional audit report.
The Department had well over 12 449 engagements with students during 2023.
Residence peer helper programme
One initiative of particular importance was the residence peer helper programme. The objective of the programme is to train senior residence students to be sources of peer support to assist other students who are struggling to navigate the challenges of campus life and their academic experience in general. The programme aims to be proactive in its approach, making resources available to students who are in need through the presence of trained peers, and facilitating active referrals to Student Counselling when students require additional support. The programme aims to empower peer helpers themselves with skills, knowledge, and training to develop essential self-leadership and governance skills, contributing to their holistic development.
The peer helper programme continues to expand and seeks to extend its student reach. 57 peer helpers were trained in 2023, from 18 different residences. Peer helpers attended various training and team-building initiatives and represented the department during various awareness activities. They participated in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Bone Marrow Drive, EmpowHer conference, Amajita’s Men’s Conference, the First Year Welcome event, and #BeEngaged campaign. Peer helpers are valuable student success partners who volunteer to be active sources of support, whilst promoting wellness in their respective living and learning spaces.
The activities of 2023 created an opportunity for engagement and collaboration on various mental health, development, and self-leadership topics. Opportunities to engage with students in the classroom and residence proved effective in reaching larger groups of students.
Activities strongly focused on peer leadership and engagement, to mobilise students on a grassroots level. Engagements offered opportunities for students to share experiences and thereby promoted student healthy identity formation and meaning-making.
Dr Amanda Ismail HOD: Disability Unit
This report presents the mission, goals and values of the Disability Unit (DU) as well as underpinning theories, frameworks, models and philosophies, current projects, available services, equipment, and highlights.
The Disability Unit is a department within the Division of Student Affairs. The mission of the DU is to empower and support students with disabilities to reach their full potential in an inclusive academic environment. The DU also contributes to a Division of Student Affairs (DSA) that is central and pivotal to holistic student development, student-centeredness, and well-being, in alignment with the University’s goals and priorities.
The values of the DU are as follows:
• We undertake to deal with others in a spirit of Ubuntu.
• All our interactions are governed by a spirit of mutual respect.
• We support and even advocate for the principle of equity.
• We promote innovation in all aspects of our work, specifically relevant to our laboratories and resource centres.
• We uphold the principle of accountability for our actions.
• We prize excellence.
• We strive for efficiency in all our operations.
• We place a high premium on honesty and discipline.
• We commit to timelines and high quality of service.
Underpinning theories, frameworks, models and philosophies of the disability unit
The following pedagogies guides the work of the Disability Unit.
• Resiliency theory: a framework for understanding how people adapt to and overcome challenges.
• Strength-based theory: a philosophy and a practice that emphasises people’s selfdetermination, resilience, and strengths in the face of adversity.
• The social model of disability: the understanding that disability is something that is created by society.
• Systems theory: individuals function as parts of interconnected systems that influence each other.
• Psychosocial development theory: human development is shaped by
• biological, psychological, and social factors across the lifespan.
Current projects
• Direct support to students with disabilities (i.e., scribing and South African Sign Language interpreting).
• Diversity and inclusivity champion peer support programme.
• First year and final year experience programme.
• Advocacy services.
• Operation of a laboratory and a resource centre.
• Outreach and marketing to schools for learners with disabilities.
• Disability awareness and sensitisation programs.
• Support to other units/departments within DSA and CPUT.
All of the above-mentioned projects relate to the various key performance areas of the DU, which centre around inclusivity, equity, accessibility, human rights, and social justice.
Assistive technologies on offer at the Disability Unit
Hardware on offer
• Scanners to enable students to scan their work and save it in document or audio format.
• A Braille embosser to convert documents into Braille.
Specialised software programmes and their use
Jaws for Windows: a computer screen reader programme for Microsoft Windows that allows users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display.
Zoom Text: a software programme for students that magnifies the desktop to the required level, to be able to navigate on-screen. It also has a screen reading speech facility for easier navigation.
Wynn: a remarkable tool for students that offers spelling aids, homophone checkers, screen reading, scanning and study aids.
Open Book: this is a resource to scan texts (e.g., books and text handouts) that can be converted into Braille. The software also has screen reading facilities. Scanned text can be converted into Word documents or audio format.
Dragon: This resource converts the spoken word into written format.
The DU facilitates applications and recommendations for reasonable accommodation and exam concessions for students with disabilities and manage a Resource Centre and laboratories with short-term loan devices, specialised devices, and software. This space is also used as a separate venue for students who need to use resources, assistive devices and software during assessments and exams.
The DU has a Real Time Language capturer for students who require this service as well as a South African Sign Language Interpreter.
In addition, the DU provides disability awareness and sensitisation training to all CPUT faculties and departments and engages in advocacy services and initiatives where necessary.
During the 2023 academic year, the DU had many highlights, as indicated below.
DU stall at the VC’s welcoming events across campuses
The DU participated in the VC’s welcoming events and assisted tremendously in early identification of students with disabilities.
Diversity/inclusivity champion programme
During 2023, the DU in collaboration with the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity ad Social Change launched the Diversity/ Inclusivity Champion programme. It is a peer support programme that is based on a student-to-student relationship. This programme proved to be very effective.
Outreach visits to schools with learners with disabilities
The Disability Unit in collaboration with CPUT’s Marketing and Communication (MCD) department visited the following schools:
• Jan Kriel School, 21 July 2023
• Athlone School for the Blind, 28 July 2023
• Vista Nova School, 1 September 2023
Staff provided information around all the courses offered at CPUT as well as support services. They also assisted students with their queries regarding application. The purpose of these visits was to improve inclusivity and to market CPUT as an institution of choice for students with disabilities.
Disability awareness and sensitisation events
One of the key programs of the DU is to engage in Disability Awareness and sensitisation events.
Highlights regarding disability awareness and sensitisation events included:
• Presentation on ‘Barriers in the workplace’ at the City of Cape Town on 30 July.
• Disability Unit Women’s Day Event (Topic: ‘Levelling the playing field by breaking barriers’), 16 August.
• Presentation on Universal Design for Learning at the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, 28 September.
• Transformation Webinar with the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change and the CPUT Queer Unicorns, 16 October.
On 20 September 2023, the CPUT DU conducted benchmarking with the Universal Accessibility and Disability service at the Nelson Mandela University. Areas that were benchmarked were exam concessions, scribes, academic support, assistive devices, and advocacy. Information gained through this exercise will assist the DU to enhance its services and resources.
The 2023 academic year was a very productive one for the DU. Digital transformation as well as other transformational initiatives certainly enhanced inclusivity and accessibility.
