A diverse cohort of academics from Stellenbosch University (SU) took center stage at the Teaching-Learning-Assessment (TLA) Celebration, held at STIAS on March 5th, 2024.
Addressing the attendees, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching, Prof. Deresh Ramjugernath, extended his congratulations to SU's TLA "champions" and lauded their unwavering dedication to TLA. Prof. Ramjugernath underscored the significance of excellence in TLA for SU to realise its ambition of becoming Africa's premier research-intensive university. He emphasised that exemplary TLA practices are not only fundamental for academic achievement but also lay a solid groundwork for impactful research endeavors.
Furthermore, Prof. Ramjugernath highlighted SU's consistently high overall undergraduate academic success rates, positioning SU graduates as highly sought-after professionals in the global job market. He reiterated SU's commitment to sustaining this reputation by prioritising student success through continued support and enhancement of TLA experiences.
The TLA Celebration aimed to honour the invaluable contributions of academics who demonstrate leadership in TLA within their respective faculties and throughout the institution, thus advancing the scholarly discourse on TLA at SU. Recognising and rewarding academic excellence in TLA is envisioned to cultivate better pedagogical practices, ultimately fostering responsible critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and creativity among students.
Additionally, the TLA Celebration provided an opportunity to commend the professional development achievements of staff members who participated in various TLA-related opportunities offered by the Division for Learning and Teaching Enhancement, including:
· SU Teaching Awards winners 2023
· SU Teaching Fellows 2023/2024
· SU TAU (Teaching Advancement at University) Fellows 2023
· Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – SoTL Conference 2023 prize winners
· Fund for Innovation and Research in Learning and Teaching - Finlo grant recipients 2023
· Scholarship of Educational Leadership – SoEL short course participants 2023
· Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – SoTL short course participants 2023
· Assessment short course participants 2023
· PREDAC short course participants 2023
· Blended Learning short course participants of 2023
· AI in TLA short course participants
The event proved to be an inspiring occasion, marked by genuine moments of pride and celebration.
