Universiteit Stellenbosch
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Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe maak top aanlyndosente van 2020 bekend
Outeur: Daniel Bugan
Gepubliseer: 06/11/2020

Die Fakulteit Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe het op Donderdag, 5 November 2020, tydens 'n virtuele prysuitdelingsfunksie sy top aanlyn-dosente van 2020 vereer.

Die Noodafstandsonderrig- aanlyndosentkompetisie van 2020 het afgewyk van die jaarlikse topdosentkompetisie wat voorheen deur Die Burger geborg is. Dit het die Fakulteit die geleentheid gebied om erkenning te verleen aan dosente wat in aanlynonderrig presteer het te midde van die COVID-19-pandemie.

In haar openingsrede het prof Ronel du Preez, vise-dekaan (leer en onderrig), die Fakulteit se akademiese personeel bedank vir hul pogings om die 2020 akademiese jaar op koers te hou.

“Ons het almal probeer om sin te maak van hierdie COVID-19-tyd," het sy gesê. “Dit was nie 'n maklike jaar nie. Ons het geworstel met dinge soos assesserings en die herontwerp van die kurrikulum om ons noodonderrig op 'n vlak te bring waar dit tot die sukses van ons studente kon bydra. Hierdie geleentheid  vanaand is dus om julle te bedank en om die bydrae wat julle gelewer het, te vier."

​Die stemproses

In 'n aanlynpeiling van 20 tot 28 Oktober 2020 het studente vir die beste voor- of nagraadse dosent by wie hulle noodonderrig in die Fakulteit ontvang het, gestem.

Vyf nagraadse en ses voorgraadse dosente is as departementele wenners aangewys. Die wenners in die nagraadse kategorie is:

  • Prof Edwin Theron (Ondernemingsbestuur)
  • Mnr Marius Meyer (Bedryfsielkunde)
  • Mev Gretha Steenkamp (Skool vir Rekeningkunde)
  • Prof Babette Rabie (Skool vir Publieke Leierskap)
  • Dr Lize Barclay (Universiteit van of Stellenbosch Besigheidskool)

Die wenners in die voorgraadse kategorie is:

  • Prof Pierre Erasmus (Ondernemingsbestuur)
  • Dr Debra Shepherd (Ekonomie)
  • Mev Lisa Bailey (Bedrysielkunde)
  • Mnr Heinri Freiboth (Logistiek)
  • Mev Mareli Rossouw (Skool vir Rekeningkunde)
  • Mnr Stephen Burgess (Statistiek en Aktuariële Wetenskap)

'n Spesiale prys is toegeken aan me Magda Barnard, die Fakulteit se programvernuwingskoördineerder, as erkenning vir die groot bydrae wat sy gelewer het tot die sukses van aanlynonderrig in die Fakulteit.

“Sy was altyd bereid om dosente te help en te ondersteun. Baie van ons sou nie die kon klaarkom sonder haar volgehoue ondersteuning nie," het prof Du Preez gesê.

Tydens die regstreekse virtuele uitsending het al die wenners - buiten mnr Heinri Freiboth, wat nie die geleentheid kon bywoon nie - om die beurt hul ervarings en wenke gedeel oor hoe om 'n toonaangewende aanlynonderwyser te word. (Van hul opmerkings is hier onder in hul eie woorde.)

  • Illustrasie deur Magda Barnard


Prof Pierre Erasmus (Ondernemingsbestuur): “The shock of moving from face-to-face to online teaching was quite severe. But this whole situation made me realise that we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for our students. Without their positive attitudes it would not have been possible for me to survive this semester."

Dr Debra Shepherd (Ekonomie):  "At the time I didn't quite appreciated online learning for all the advantages it presented me with. I was too stressed out. But now that I look back I feel I can definitely move to hybrid teaching. My class attendance has never been better. But I definitely missed the contact I had with students before lockdown. There is something quite special about getting to know your students. I look forward to getting back to the classroom."

Mev Lisa Bailey (Bedryfsielkunde): “It was a stressful few months, but I needed to remind myself that my students were just as stressed. What kept me going was to be more positive, and I thought if I showed that positivity and enthusiasm then my students would feel it too. A shout out to my colleagues for their amazing support – whenever I felt overwhelmed there was always something I could phone to have a laugh or chat with."

Mev Mareli Rossouw (Skool vir Rekeningkunde): “This is a major team effort. I'm definitely not tech-savvy at all. The faculty gave us the guidelines in which to function, without the rules we don't have a say. Thank you also to my students for reading all my emails and my colleagues who helped me." 

Mnr Stephan Burgess (Statistiek en Aktuariële Wetenskap):  “A shout out to Master's student Gerrit Dreyer who presented part of the course with me and made a number of suggestions. One of the things we tried to do was make things a bit more personal so that we could get to know our students. We also acknowledged the stress students were under and tried to assure them that they will get through it."

Prof Edwin Theron (Ondernemingsbestuur): “Like everyone else I was thrown into the deep end and I realised that I had to swim. In my case swimming meant pushing a few buttons and clicking on a few things.  And I guess it worked! If you are passionate about what you are doing, it is going to reflect in your teaching, whether it is online or offline."

Mnr Marius Meyer (Bedryfsielkunde):  “I believe that while technology in the online learning environment is important, the human touch is more important. My online students did 4% better than the face-to-face students I had last year even though I made the assignments more difficult."

Mev Gretha Steenkamp (Skool vir Rekeningkunde): “Many times students just want to be reassured that everything will be okay, they crave support and encouragement.  There definitely have been things that I've learnt through online teaching that I want to change going forward and incorporate in a hybrid model."

Prof Babette Rabie (Skool vir Publieke Leierskap): “The most important online change I had to make was to restructure material so that students can follow it. I had to really think through it carefully – what information, what kind of questions will they have, how do you present it in a very simple manner. Redesigning all four modules paid off in the end."

Dr Lize Barclay (USB): “As a gamer I am so used to living in the digital realm so I make sure that our students have the same experience.  We make sure that our remote learning classes become places where we can learn from each other and have fun, because that gives you the ability to handle difficult things."