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The primary role of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is the professional learning of academics at Stellenbosch University (SU), with regard to their teaching role. To read more about our vision and mission, click here. Should you require information about services for students: click here.
For a direct link to our Student Feedback page: click here.
For more information about FIRLT / FINLO: click here.
Important information regarding 2020 FIRLT applications can be found here: 
FINLO COVID-19 Communique 28 April 2020.pdf
SU Teaching Fellow 2020
Dr Margaret Blackie, Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, has been appointed as SU Teaching Fellow from 2020
Dr Blackie is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science. She has been at SU since January 2010. She holds a PhD in synthetic chemistry from the University of Cape Town.
Dr Blackie's research interests include medicinal chemistry, higher education and Ignatian spirituality. She has published academic papers in all three disciplines. She teaches courses and has supervised postgraduate students in both chemistry and theology.
Her interest in education stems from doing a postdoctoral fellowship under Prof Jenni Case at the Centre for Research in Engineering Education at the University of Cape Town in 2009. She is currently working on a major international collaboration following chemistry and chemical engineering students through their degrees in South Africa, the UK and the USA.
Dr Blackie will hold a teaching fellowship from 2020 to 2022. The primary aim of her research project is to give academic staff in STEM disciplines access to the analytical resources available in the suite of tools that comprises Legitimation Code Theory (LCT).
The SU teaching fellowships provide excellent teachers and scholars of teaching and learning with the opportunity to spend more consistent periods of time, with various forms of support, to focus on aspects of curriculum renewal, the exploration of teaching and learning, and the dissemination of good teaching and learning practice in departments and faculties.
Academics who have completed teaching fellowships at SU are:
- Dr Elize Archer (Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
- Prof. Elmarie Costandius (Department of Visual Arts, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)
- Dr Berna Gerber (Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
- Prof. Ian Nell (Department of Practical Theology and Missiology, Faculty of Theology)
- Prof. Dana Niehaus (Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
- Prof. Nicola Plastow (Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
- Prof. Geo Quinot (Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law)
- Dr Helena Wessels, deceased.
The following academics currently hold a teaching fellowship:
- Dr Marianne McKay (Department of Viticulture & Oenology, Faculty of AgriSciences)
- Prof. Ingrid Rewitzky (Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Science)
- Dr Michael Schmeisser (Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of AgriSciences)
- Dr Marianne Unger (Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
More information about the Teaching Fellowships is available from Dr Karin Cattell-Holden, kcattell@sun.ac.za or X 3074.
SU SOTL Conference 2019
The annual SOTL conference was enjoyed by participants for the wide variety of research presented on teaching and learning, and for the good networking and collaboration opportunities it offered. In the photo are (from left to right): Dr Ilse Rootman-Le Grange of the Centre for Learning Technologies, Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel (Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching at Stellenbosch University) and Dr Marnel Mouton of the Department of Botany and Zoology.
Rootman-Le Grange and Mouton won a trip to an international teaching and learning conference with their best paper, titled: "Craig Who? Developing Students’ Scientific Discourse through Collaborative
Pedagogy".
Their study entailed designing and implementing a project, using collaborative pedagogy to make aspects
of Biology discourse explicit to students. They analysed excerpts of writing, relating to the
project topic, from randomly selected students’ summative assessments. Results showed profound
variation in the proficiency and discourse of the students with regard to scientific vocabulary and
language functions. It further showed that some students need more time and space to develop this
critical skill. They concluded that science curricula need to provide opportunities for students to
develop scientific skills such as argumentation and writing, and that students may be able to
successfully engage with the complex written forms of disciplinary knowledge and then demonstrate
their mastery of the subject matter using proficient scientific discourse.
Click here to read more about the abstracts and programme at SOTL 2019.
The keynote speaker, Dr Joy Mighty, said at the SOTL 2019 conference that good teachers should promote a climate of caring and trust and should provide encouragement, clear expectations and reasonable goals to help learners succeed.
“Effective teaching seeks to change society in substantive ways. Teaching is central to the academic mission of any university. We have a responsibility to create learning environments where students can thrive, to motivate them to be the best that they could be and enable them to transform and extend knowledge in ways that deepen their understanding, develop their ability to think critically and ultimately facilitate their full and effective participation in society," said Mighty.
Click here for more SOTL news.
Click here for more on CTL research.
Predac 2019
The photos show Predac participants busy with collaborative learning at the contact days on 22 May and 9 September 2019.
Click here to read more about the 2019 Predac experience.
Click here for enquiries about Predac, the SU short course for the Professional Educational Development of the Academic.
SU Teaching Excellence Awards 2019
The institutional selection panel for the Stellenbosch University (SU) Teaching Excellence Awards 2019 and the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) would like to congratulate the following lecturers on receiving an award in the categories Distinguished Teacher and Developing Teacher:
Distinguished Teacher
- Dr Taryn Bernard (Extended Degree Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)
- Prof. Dennis Francis (Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)
- Dr Marnel Mouton (Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science)
2. Developing Teacher
- Prof. Gareth Arnott (Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Faculty of Science)
- Dr Karin Baatjes (Departments of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
- Dr Karel Kruger (Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
- Dr Sharon Malan (Extended Degree Programme, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)
- Ms. Carla Morris (School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)
- Dr Robbie Pott (Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
- Lt. Col. André Pretorius (Department of Computer Information Systems, Faculty of Military Science)
- Mr Stephan van der Merwe (Law Clinic, Faculty of Law)
- Mr Alwyn Visser (School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)
Click here to read more about the SU Teaching Excellence Awards.
Auxin 2019
Auxin presentations provide conversational and scholarly spaces for SU academics. In the photo are CTL advisor, Jean Farmer, and Auxin presenter Anita Kleinsmidt. Click here to read more about Auxin.
Community Outreach
CTL supports Nora Tyres Creche.
Overview of some of the CTL events in 2018
PREDAC: 6o participants from the 9 faculties participating in PREDAC (4 annual phases) attended a 4-day retreat at the Goudini Conference Centre from 17 – 20 July 2018. During phase 2 of the programme, participants enjoyed a breakaway event. Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel reiterated that the University values its academics, their teaching role and their professional learning. Interaction and relationship-building across faculties was particularly valued. Prof Gilly Salmon's Carpe Diem framework formed the basis for the US Design for Learning Teaching and Assessment (DeLTA) process. A participant remarked: “The PREDAC phase 2 made one realize the essence of teaching. This was from a whole new perspective and it helped me question my teaching style, content and preparation."
Teaching and Learning Seminar: a number of Teaching and Learning Seminars are hosted annually, sharing innovative teaching and learning enhancement projects and practices. On 6 September 2018, Dr Hanelie Adendorff, from the Centre for Teaching and Learning, presented a seminar entitled “Decolonising the Science Curriculum: can Legitimation Code Theory show a way forward?''. Dr Adendorff challenged the audience with topical questions: “How do you even begin to decolonise science?" “How do you manage risk by making indigenous knowledge dance to the rhythm of science?" The presentation focussed on ways in which Legitimation Code Theory has enabled different gazes in the Sciences. Approximately 35 US staff attended the seminar.
SoEL Course: A 12-credit short course on the Scholarship of Educational Leadership (SoEL) is presented annually with focus on leadership in and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in a dialogical framework. The course contains 4 themes: Contextualising; Researching; Curriculum; and Pedagogical Leadership. This course plays a key role in building a critical mass of T&L mentors at US. In 2018, 11 participants enrolled for the course with contact sessions on 2 February, 6 April, 11 June and 14 September.
Auxin: Auxins (from Greek auxano, “to grow"), takes place annually on a monthly basis. Centre for Teaching and Learning Advisors invite teaching and learning champions across faculties to share best practices. The purpose is the creation of theory-research based professional learning opportunities for academics towards becoming scholarly teachers. In 2018, 6 sessions were hosted with approximately 140 participants. On 25 September, Dr Anita Jonker (2nd from left) presented the topic: “Interdisciplinary curriculum design: A case study from a module on gender, culture and religious diversity as part of the EDP support subject introduction to the humanities".
First Year Achievement Awards: Award winners in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences with Prof A Schoonwinkel (5th from left) and Prof R du Preez (4th from right). These award are made annually so to acknowledge ''good teaching and learning''. The 11th annual First-year achievement award dinner honoured 32 top academic achievers of 2018 and their 26 nominated lecturers. On the 11th of April 2018. Professor Ronelle Carolissen, Vice-Dean (Learning and Teaching) in the Education Faculty, delivered an encouraging address during which students and their lecturers exchanged letters of recognition and encouragement.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Winners of the Best Research Paper: M Barnard, S Adams, and R du Preez on the topic “Gamification For the Win!... or not? Evaluating Student Perceptions". The 11th annual SoTL conference took place from 29 – 31 October 2018 with the theme Academic Leadership. This event aims to address all aspects of teaching and learning at SU in an open, supportive and intellectually stimulating atmosphere. It provides a platform where academics share and celebrate teaching and learning practices and research. Participation has grown exponentially since its inception in 2007 with 84 presentations and 250 registered participants this year. The keynote speakers, Dr Kathleen M Quinlan (Director: Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Kent) and Professor Magda Fourie-Malherbe (Centre for Higher and Adult Education, Stellenbosch University), challenged the audience with thought-provoking presentations. Other winners included E Faadiel (Best Practice-based Paper) and P Southey (Delegates Choice Award).
