Celebrating Teaching & Learning @ SU in 2020
Teaching and learning at Stellenbosch University (SU) during 2020 was celebrated virtually on 3 December. The annual SU Teaching Excellence Awards ceremony was expanded beyond the Teaching Excellence Awards to include the awarding of the SU Teaching Fellowships, the national TAU Fellowships, and the SoTL Conference prize-winners. This year the 2019 SoEL short course participants as well as the PREDAC 2020 participants were also included.
Opening the proceedings, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wim de Villiers, described both the challenges and the opportunities that emergency remote teaching, learning and assessment held during 2020. He expressed his appreciation of all SU lecturers, but especially congratulated the “teaching champions" who would be receiving awards, prizes or certificates during the event.
In his official address, Prof. Arnold Schoonwinkel, outgoing Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, outlined the prominent position of excellence in teaching and learning at SU. Describing the opportunities available to lecturers to enhance their professional learning, such as the annual SoTL conference, the FINLO/FIRLT grants and the Scholarship of Educational Leadership (SoEL) course, Prof. Schoonwinkel emphasised the presence of a teaching trajectory at the University. This trajectory could culminate in an academic becoming a leaderly teaching scholar, taking their knowledge and experience of teaching and learning beyond SU to contribute to the national and international scholarship of teaching and learning.
Presenting the awards and certificates, Prof. Schoonwinkel stressed the importance of celebrating lecturers' “outstanding achievements" despite the exceptional challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He congratulated three new national TAU (Teaching Advancement at University) Fellows at SU: Prof. Faadiel Essop (Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science), Prof. Ashraf Kagee (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and Dr Marianne McKay (Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Faculty of AgriSciences). These three academics will attend the TAU Fellowship Programme from 2021 to 2022.
Prof. Schoonwinkel also announced four new SU Teaching Fellows: Dr Taryn Bernard (Extended Degree Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Prof. Debby Blaine (Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering), Ms Gretha Steenkamp (School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences), and Prof. Susan van Schalkwyk (Director: Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences). These Fellows, who are excellent teachers and scholars of teaching and learning, will have the opportunity to spend a consistent period of time, with various forms of support, to focus on a research project in teaching and learning in their field of interest.
SU Teaching Excellence Awards for 2020 were received by eight lecturers. Dr Margaret Blackie (Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Faculty of Science) received an award in the category 'Distinguished Teacher'. In the 'Developing Teacher' category the following seven lecturers were awarded:
· Dr Alexander Andrason (Department of Ancient Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences),
· Dr Marenet Jordaan (Department of Journalism, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences),
· Dr Tobi Louw (Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering),
· Mr Juan Ontong (School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences),
· Dr Ilse Rootman-le Grange (Faculty of Science),
· Dr Martin Venter (Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering), and
· Dr Shantelle Weber (Department of Practical Theology and Missiology, Faculty of Theology).
The following papers, presented at the SoTL Conference 2020, judged the best in various categories, were also announced:
· Research track: “Strategies to teach graduate attributes – a scoping review" – by the late Dr Alwyn Louw and Dr Tiana Schultz
· Innovation track: “Class recordings in a post-graduate financial accounting course: Student perceptions" – by Ms Gretha Steenkamp and Mr Alwyn Visser
· Reflection Track: “Unintended benefits of an e-block toward clinical competence in physiotherapy" – by Ms AMS Schmutz, Dr Alison Lupton-Smith and Dr Marianne Unger.
· Delegates' Choice: “Institutional obstacles to authentic transformation at Stellenbosch University" – by Dr Anita Jonker
· Best PREDAC Poster (as voted by the conference delegates): “Twenty-first-century learning: Keeping up with Gen Z" by Dr Marlon le Roux & Dr Ethel Phiri
Nine leaderly teaching scholars in the SoEL (Scholarship of Educational Leadership) short course 2019 were awarded certificates. Prof. Mary-Ann Plaatjies van Huffel will receive her certificate posthumously.
Lastly, 62 academics who completed the PREDAC short course in 2020 were awarded certificates and encouraged to continue with their teaching journeys, aiming at receiving a teaching
excellence award in future.
More information about the TAU Fellowships, the SU Teaching Fellowships and the SU Teaching Excellence Awards is available from Dr Karin Cattell-Holden, kcattell@sun.ac.za. Information about the SoTL conference and the PREDAC short course is available from Dr Anthea Jacobs, jacobsa@sun.ac.za, and Charmaine van der Merwe (cvandermerwe@sun.ac.za), respectively. Further details of the SoEL short course can be requested from Dr Nicoline Herman (nherman@sun.ac.za) or Dr JP Bosman (jpbosman@sun.ac.za).
Photographs:
Top row from left to right: Prof Alexander Andrason, Dr Marenet Jordaan, Dr Tobi Louw, Mr Juan Ontong, Dr Ilse Rootman-le Grange
Middle row from left to right: Dr Martin Venter, Dr Shantelle Weber, Dr Margaret Blackie, Prof. Faadiel Essop, Prof. Ashraf Kagee
Bottom row from left to right: Dr Marianne McKay, Prof. Susan van Schalkwyk, Prof. Debby Blaine, Dr Taryn Bernard, Ms Gretha Steenkamp
