The ADA's ultimate goal is to support knowledge production in Africa by increasing the quantity and quality of master's and doctoral graduates in South Africa and beyond. To this end, the ADA runs training courses which are aimed at both expanding and adding depth to the knowledge pool and skillset of masters, doctoral and post-doctoral academics.
2024 Summer School Blended Learning Coordinators & Classroom Assistantships are now open to registered Master's students, PhD students, and Postdoctoral Fellows at Stellenbosch University
The ADA's Summer School takes place from 29 January - 16 February 2024, and we are delighted to announce that we are able to provide the opportunity for Stellenbosch University Master's students, PhD students, and Postdoctoral fellows to work as Blended Learning Coordinators (BLCs) or Classroom Assistants (CAs) once again. Applications close 10 December 2023 at 23:59 hours (SAST).
The primary function of the BLC is to: provide technical and pedagogical support to the presenters, delegates and programme support team to fully access and utilise the SUNOnline and Teams platforms in order to achieve the objectives of the course. The BLC will need to have their own, reliable computer/laptop, and a stable internet connection of 4Mbs or higher (preferred).
The CAs attend the course full time to assist with the presenter’s activities. The CA also assists the delegates supporting group work as well as monitoring and supporting both synchronous and asynchronous sessions (e.g., the execution of exercises/group work and navigating on SUNOnline).
Typical responsibilities would include the following:
- Participate in the orientation session held before the course starts to meet delegates and the programme team where required.
- Moderating (appropriately and as guided by presenter) the discussions, Q&A and interactive sessions without interrupting the flow of the presentations (e.g., with group work, attend to questions and comments from delegates).
- Assist delegates to access SUNOnline materials.
- Prepare for class by being at the venue 30 minutes before class starts and check if all is working (e.g., projectors, microphones and any other equipment that is used daily/during the course).
- Welcome delegates and highlight the day’s activities before the presenter formally starts the class.
- Liaise with the ADA Team.
- After the School: Provide feedback on experiences and be available for a debrief session.
The cost of your course is included in the position, along with your certification.
In order to be eligible for the programme, you must be about to enrol or already enrolled for your Master's or PhD at
Stellenbosch University. Alternatively, you qualify for this position if you are currently a post-doctoral fellow registered at Stellenbosch University. One BLA & CA position is available per workshop.
Your motivation for the programme:
In addition to requiring your details, we ask you to motivate why you would be a good candidate to receive an assistantship - we would like to know how attending the workshop will impact on your studies and research, your development in teaching and learning (if you are a lecturer) or increasing capacity in your department in general, and specifically why you are selecting the course.
We reserve the right not to appoint a BLC or CA for a course, and also to recruit a BLC or CA from previous presentations of the course should they want to cement their skills in the field. Female candidates will be given a bonus point during the scoring process.
Application Requirements:
Your application will not be considered as complete if you do not submit all the required documentation in full. In this case, you will be unable to submit the form if all documents are not uploaded (application link at the bottom of the page).
- Complete the application form
- A 200-word motivation on why you would benefit from the opportunity to attend the course in general and specifically how the workshops selected would assist and add to the successful completion of your degree and/or increase capacity in your department.
- Curriculum Vitae (Resume).
- Email address of your supervisor or head of department. If available, a written letter of support can also be emailed directly to the ADA at adainfo@sun.ac.za.
