Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development

Dr Najwa Norodien-Fataar

norodien-fataarn@cput.ac.za

Fundani units work collaboratively with one another as well as in partnership with colleagues in faculties and other strategic units.

The Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) is a strategic unit which serves CPUT as a site that initiates and facilitates higher education development in alignment with relevant international and national imperatives.

This is accomplished through a number of inter-related strategic initiatives. These involve the various Fundani units working collaboratively with one another as well as in partnership with colleagues in faculties and other strategic units. This developmental institutional networking is informed and strengthened through engagement with relevant national and international organizations and institutions.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2020

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Fundani consists of 13 academic staff members. Despite its relatively small size, the centre produced two international journal publications in 2020 and several national journal publications. Fundani plays a significant role in the CPUT Research Focus Area of Human & Social Dynamics. The centre’s academics regularly review articles for international and national journals, as well as supervise several CPUT staff members engaged in master’s and doctoral studies that focus on higher education. They are often chosen as external examiners for master’s and doctoral theses and as keynote speakers at conferences and universities. Academic staff are also asked to participate in ASSAF review of journals.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FUND FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING (RIFTAL)

Fundani staff provide a supportive space for research into teaching and learning across the faculties. Each year, approximately R770 000 is disbursed to CPUT faculty members by Fundani to conduct classroom-based research under the DVC: Teaching & Learning’s RIFTAL project. In 2020, projects submitted and approved for funding addressed decolonisation and educational transformation in the curriculum.

RESEARCH IN TEACHING AND LEARNING CONFERENCE (RITAL) VIRTUAL ONLINE CONFERENCE

CPUT academic staff presented their research findings at Fundani’s first online virtual RITAL Conference via Microsoft Teams. The conference’s theme was ‘Institutional adaptations during the Covid-19 pandemic: Exploring staff experiences with remote teaching and learning’. Academics across the disciplines discussed institutional, curriculum and pedagogical adaptations during the pandemic. The acting HOD of Curriculum Development Unit, Mr Siyabulela Sabata, delivered the

keynote address titled ‘Saving the academic year and re-signing Higher Education (HE) Racial Contract (RC): Towards Ubuntu as philo-praxis for epistemic justice in South Africa’. He argued that the Covid-19 pandemic, devastating as it is, also presents universities with opportunities to re-imagine pedagogic practices and, more importantly, to deliberate on alternative education imaginaries.

The conference was held over two days, providing academics with online engagement and discussions on remote teaching and learning methods used during the Covid-19 pandemic. The following topics were discussed and debated at the conference: • Threshold concepts in a first-year radiation physics curriculum • Mathematics diagnostics tool for CPUT • Teaching with Telegram • A reflection of feedback to students during emergency remote teaching (ERT) • Developing socially just pedagogies within Architectural Technology and

Interior Design • Assessment practices in the Biomedical extended curriculum programme (ECP) • Laboratory enhanced learning in undergraduate food science and technology • Covid-19 and learner-centred teaching • Student perceptions of online assessments during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic lockdown in the Paradigms journal

Feedback from participants at the conference indicated that some of them enjoyed the conference’s intimate nature despite it being online. For example, one stated that “It could be the best RITAL conference I’ve been to (not sure if it is because it was virtual – it felt intimate). There was nothing that wasn’t valuable”. Another participant commented that “It was fantastic to hear what my fellow researchers at CPUT are doing – my colleagues are completely and totally inspiring. Makes me want to keep on doing research.”

A highlight of the conference was the re-launch of the new cover for Fundani’s inhouse Paradigms journal. Prof Chris Winberg provided a review of Paradigms 21, and Dr Desiree Scholtz presented a paper on developing postgraduate diplomas in the Faculty of Business & Management Sciences.

PARADIGMS 21 JOURNAL

Paradigms is an internal CPUT journal that focuses on learning and teaching issues in higher education. It is particularly interested in higher education research. All RIFTAL recipients are required to publish articles in Paradigms. The journal has a strong publishing history and interdisciplinary interests at CPUT. It is an openaccess journal that is published annually. It is managed and co-ordinated by Ms Puleng Sefalane-Nkohla of Fundani CHED. The aim of Paradigms is to stimulate research amongst CPUT staff. It was established shortly after CPUT began offering BTech degrees. It was felt that the journal would stimulate research at CPUT. The journal is both in print and online. It is published nationally and internationally via the CPUT Open Journal System. The journal is managed at Fundani, and it is published online by CPUT Libraries. All issues of paradigms can be accessed from this link http://online.cput.ac.za/ index.php/paradigms/issue/archive

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

The Covid-19 restrictions prevented many Fundani academics from attending international conferences. However, Dr Nosisana Mkonto was fortunate to attend an international conference on 21-24 February 2020, where she presented a paper titled ‘Understanding the role played by family in first-year students’ transition’ at the 39th Annual Conference on the First Year Experience, Washington DC. Many Fundani academics also attended the national Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (HELTASA) virtual conference, with the theme ‘Creating Enabling Learning Spaces for All’.

FUNDING

SOURCE AMOUNT

Publication 2018 Chapter in Book Contribution Publication 2018 Conference Contribution

32 574 5 538 Publication 2018 Faculty Contribution 223 977 Publication 2018 Journal Article Contribution 244 629 Research & Innovation Fund for Teaching & Learning (RIFTAL) 128 500 University Research Fund (UCDG) 104 602 TOTAL 739 819

RESEARCH OUTPUT

2020 PUBLICATIONS (SUBMITTED TO THE DHET IN MAY 2021)

Book chapters (submitted) Journal articles (audited)

TOTAL UNITS

1.00 0.50

2.67