Chapters in Books (Centre for Teaching and Learning)

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Counting and countering the opportunity cost of professional learning: a ‘care-full’ approach
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2016) Herman, Nicolene
Introduction: Professional learning of lecturers for their teaching is a field in which Eli Bitzer did important work, specifically during the earlier years of his career in higher education. The hard work to establish the discipline of higher education studies and the related fields of teaching in higher education and professional learning for teaching is described by Eli himself in an autobiographical chapter dedicated to his mentor, Professor Kalie Strydom of the University of the Free State (Bitzer 2009). The focus of this contribution is on the opportunity cost involved in professional learning for teaching and the creation of ‘care-full’ (Milligan and Wiles 2010) environments to counter these costs. In writing this chapter, I mainly draw from my PhD, for which Professor Bitzer was the main supervisor.
Factors influencing the learning process in first-year chemistry
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Adendorff, Hanelie; Lutz, Marietjie
Introduction: [First-year chemistry students] think that by being in class the information is magically absorbed and stored in their brains. This sentiment, as expressed by a first-year chemistry student at Stellenbosch University, might not come as a surprise to most academics. Convincing students to actively engage with the process of learning is not an easy task and often defeats our best efforts and purest intentions. Teaching and learning experts suggest that we can change this by changing our assessment strategies (Gibbs, 1999; Gibbs & Simpson, 2004).
Higher education as a field of study and research
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Bitzer, Eli; Wilkinson, Annette
In this chapter we address four issues concerning HE as a field of study and research. We start off by discussing the typical characteristics of a field of study as opposed to a discipline, then we trace a number of moments in the development of HE studies and research internationally and locally. Next we try to suggest a way to ‘map’ the field in South Africa against the background of international mappings and finally we suggest a number of issues to consider for possible future research to extend and promote HE as a field of study and research – particularly in South Africa.
An imagined discussion about tackling doctoral supervision
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2016) Trafford, Vernon
A discussion about tackling doctoral supervision.
Institutional governance in SA higher education: For the common good or political power-play
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Fourie, Magda
This chapter explores the role of institutional governance against the background of the nature of the university as an organisation, and the changing context in which universities currently operate. Three ‘conventional’ models of institutional governance are discussed, and more recent developments in this regard are investigated. She concludes with some guiding principles for effective institutional governance in a contested and changing university context.
Introduction: Perspectives on the first-year experience
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Van Schalkwyk, Susan; Leibowitz, Brenda; Van der Merwe, Antoinette
The international focus on the first-year experience (FYE) represents a strong and well-established movement in higher education. A focus on what happens in the first year at university, and how this influences student success, has become a fixture on the higher education landscape. In 2009, the annual International Conference on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition was held for the 29th time. Through the years, its main sponsoring partner, the National Resource Center at the University of South Carolina, has been instrumental in establishing the movement world-wide.
Tutoring is fun: a study investigating tutor motivation
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Burgoyne, Megan; Jansen, Ada; Smit, Carina
Introduction: In the global higher education context, diminishing resources, growing student numbers, larger class sizes and a pressure on academic staff time, are cited as some of the reasons for the increase in use of tutors in undergraduate education (Park, 2002). The reality of reduced resources often requires departments to fulfil the dual requirement of improving the quality of teaching, while ‘doing more with less’ (Topping, 1996:321). In response to this challenge, tutorial programmes have, in many instances, become a vital part of the academic support structure of undergraduate modules (Barrington, 1999). The tutors who work on these tutorial programmes are usually young graduate students who are enthusiastic, yet have no formal teaching experience (Brailsford, Bartlett-Trafford, Bates & Mead, 2008). Contract university tutors have been characterised as ‘departmental donkeys’ (Park & Ramos, 2002), are often seen to be over-worked and undervalued and often bear the brunt of the undergraduate teaching load (Brailsford et al., 2008). While the range of educational advantages for students participating in tutorial programmes is well researched, the benefits of tutoring, as experienced by the tutors themselves, should not be underestimated. Peer tutoring requires tutors to, for example, re-acquaint themselves with knowledge of their discipline they have already acquired, which may have a positive impact on their own studies (Topping, 1996). Peer tutoring, often promoted by the mantra ‘teach once, learn twice’, is characterised by ‘specific role-taking as tutor or tutee, with high focus on curriculum content and usually also on clear procedures for interaction, in which participants receive generic and/or specific training’ (Topping, 2005:632).
What makes a good first-year lecturer
(AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Leibowitz, Brenda; Van Schalkwyk, Susan; Van der Merwe, Antoinette; Herman, Nicoline; Young, Gert
Introduction: The first year is an important stepping-stone in the career of the undergraduate student. Lecturers of first-year students play an important role in guiding students into this new phase of their lives. Much research has focused on the challenges facing new students, especially struggling, or non-traditional students. However, to our knowledge, little has been written about the attributes of the lecturers who actively promote student learning during this phase. The contribution of lecturers of first-year students has tended to be downplayed, especially at ‘research-led’ universities. Our work in Stellenbosch University’s First-year Academy (FYA), an initiative to promote the holistic learning experience of all first-year students at the University, gave us an opportunity to explore this issue. The exploration was based on a sub-activity of the FYA, which aimed to encourage the academic achievement of first-year students and to acknowledge the work of lecturers of first-year students. The activity involved inviting the 30 top-performing students across the University to a dinner hosted by the University’s Rector. These students each nominated the lecturer who, in their view, made the most significant contribution to their academic success. The students were required to write a letter to the lecturer, explaining why he or she had had an impact on the student’s academic performance. The lecturer, in turn, was required to write a letter of support and encouragement back to the student. These letters were then exchanged during the dinner. This initiative was extremely successful and well received, particularly among the academic community. The conversations that emerged during and after the event served as a catalyst for the study.

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