In their four-year journey of studying to become a teacher, pre-service teachers engage in a range of assessment processes and tasks across their modules of study to determine their progress in meeting module or programme outcomes. School-based practicum forms an integral part of that process with the intended purpose of developing pre-service teachers' understanding of assessment as learning and assessment for learning. To what extent are self-reflection practices encouraged so that pre-service teachers are able to develop their self-criticality? It will be argued that “although self-reflection is inward-focused, it is a habit practiced and developed interpersonally within meaningful relationships guided by intentional questions and a quest toward purposeful ends" (Costa & Garmston, 2016; Wetzel et al., 2017). With a focus on the school-based practicum, the presenter will share the impact of a reflective, and guided development conversation tool piloted with pre-service teachers and their school-based mentors. In doing so, emphasis will be placed on the role which this tool has and can play in the adaptive expertise (Hunskaar & Gudmundsdottir, 2023) of both pre-service teachers and their mentor teachers. Furthermore, the dialogue will be centered on the role and impact of guided development conversations as sustainable assessment to help pre-service teachers in their life-learning journeys of becoming a teacher. 

isiXhosa:
Kuhambo lwabo lweminyaka emine lokufundela ukuba ngutitshala, ootitshala abangekasebenzi bazibandakanya nothotho lweenkqubo zovavanyo nemisebenzi kwiimodyuli zezifundo zabo jikelele ukuze kumiselwe inkqubela phambili yabo ekufezekiseni iziphumo zemodyuli okanye zenkqubo. Umsebenzi osekelwe esikolweni uyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yaloo nkqubo ngenjongo yokuphuhlisa ukuqonda kootitshala abangekasebenzi uvavanyo njengokufunda novavanyo olulungiselelwe ukufunda. Funda kaba​​nzi a​pha...​​​

Have you ever delivered a fantastic learning experience, and still your students gape at you blankly? You are not alone. It happens to the best of lecturers. How can one make sense of why students are not making sense? In this Auxin, Dr Hanelie Adendorff will discuss legitimation code theory (LCT) as an analytical framework which gives academics entry into the discourse of scholarly teaching, learning and assessment.​​​

“My students have finally grasped the concept!" What exactly has happened in the minds of your students? The first part of this talk will explore different cognitive models of “understanding" and how these align with different approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. In particular, I will examine the notions of “concept" and “context", “answer making" and “sensemaking", as well as the notion of “embodiment". The second part of the talk will consider the cognitive science of affective issues such as fear and uncertainty and how these might manifest in a classroom environment. For example, when asking a question of a single student in a large class, one might threaten their sense of status amongst their peers, leading to a fear response and depleted cognitive capacity to attend to the question. Given these two broad cognitive frameworks of “understanding" and “emotion", I hope to facilitate a discussion regarding how these models might relate to colleagues' experiences of best teaching practices.​​

As AI continues to transform our world, higher education (HE) faces the challenge of redefining its purpose and equipping students with the skills necessary for an AI-enabled future. In this second AI² x Auxin session, we explore the possibilities of incorporating AI into our learning practices.

Drawing on the perspectives of scholars such as Aoun (2017) and McKenna (2023), we consider which essential literacies and skills students need to acquire to be “robot-proof” and in service to society. With Dai, Lui & Lim’s (2023) description of ChatGPT as an ‘enabler’ in the HE environment, we propose it as a tool that can facilitate students’ self regulated learning and enhance the learning process. We follow an open yet cautious approach to the incorporation of AI in our learning context, emphasising the need to critically engage with and evaluate AI-enabled tools.

Dr Albert Strever from the Department of AgriEconomics will demonstrate how he utilises ChatGPT for learning in his undergraduate modules. The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session, please come prepared with your questions.​

We have witnessed significant advancements in AI tools over the past few weeks, including notable innovations from industry staples such as Google and Microsoft, with new AI functions soon to be incorporated into the Google Suite and Microsoft workspace. These new developments will have a profound impact on how we work, learn and live, raising important questions about the implications for HE teaching, learning, and assessment. 

In this session, we will delve deeper into the impact of AI on education. Our discussion will include:

• A brief exploration of the history of AI and its current state of development
• An examination of AI technologies that are currently in use, and how they have transformed the way we live, work, and interact with one another
• A specific focus on ChatGPT, including a demonstration of its current capabilities and how we can leverage it in the SU TLA context.​
  

isiXhosa:
Iminyaka emininzi ngoku, idatha yokuqhuba kwabafundi epapashwa ngabeCHE ngohlobo lothotho lweVitalStats lohlalutyo lwamaqela ibonakalise iphatheni efanayo engaguquguqukiyo: ngokungakhathaliseki kwizifundo abazifundayo, izidanga ababhalisele ukuzifundela neyunivesithi ababhalise kuyo, abemi boMzantsi Afrika abantsundu baqhuba ngendlela engaphantsi kwaleyo yoontangandini babo abamhlophe kwiiyunivesithi zethu. ​Funda kaba​nzi apha...​​​

isiXhosa:
Imiba engxamisekileyo enje ngotshintsho kwimozulu, ilahleko yeentlobo ngeentlobo yezinto eziphilayo kunye nokuthotywa komhlaba ngokufanelekileyo nangokuyimfuneko ukuze kuhlahlwe indlela yekharityhulam kuLondolozo lweNdalo, ivuzwe ngewonga lokuba sisifundo “esiyintlekele". Ngempazamo, abafundi basoloko bejongene rhoqo neendaba ezimbi malunga nemeko yendawo esingqongileyo. Ngaphezu koko, iinyani malunga neengxaki  azenzi nto ekukhuthazeni ithemba lokuba izidanga ezi bazifundelayo, ziya kwenza umahluko oncomekayo kwimingeni yehlabathi kwi-Anthropecene. ​Funda kaba​nzi apha...​​​