4.1 Summarise what the university considers to be the key issues in enhancing the learning environment.
As mentioned in Phase 1, the institutional strategic objectives that relate to this focus area include Strategic Objective Two: Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Strategic Objective Four: An Enriching Student-Friendly Learning and Living Experience. The specific issues of Strategic Objective One related to this focus area include:
• Intellectually rigorous curricula that respond to the challenges of the 21st century
o Constant and dynamic use of learning and teaching with technology
o Use of e-books and open source material
o Lecturer engagement with technology
o Library collections in e-format
• Outstanding achievements across our diverse student body
o A diverse set of academic development and support strategies at all levels
Strategic Objective Two includes a number of objectives related to the learning environment and include:
• Excellent teaching and learning facilities
o Well-equipped teaching and learning spaces of adequate size to serve a variety of purposes
o Excellent and accessible library resources and facilities on all campuses
o Student access to technology
With respect to the cyber environment this section indicates how the University of Johannesburg developed and implemented strategies to support learning, using mobile devices both inside and outside the lecture room, closely linked to our institutional teaching and learning policy. Unlimited access to e-resources, well-resourced classrooms to support large classes, modern laboratories, other contemporary learning spaces and a dynamic library are of primary importance to this residential university.
Enhancing the cyber learning environment
Teaching and learning at UJ should transform a primary concern with the transmission of knowledge (learning about) to a primary concern with the practices of a knowledge domain (learning to be). Therefore, in its teaching and learning activities and in the design of its modules and programmes, UJ has concentrated on teaching and learning spaces, ICT infrastructure and access, technology-enabled tools and resources, library facilities.
4.2 During Phase 1 of the QEP, what changes at institutional level (a) have been made, (b) are in progress, or (c) are in the planning stages that relate to enhancing the learning environment.
In an attempt to assist academic staff in their implementation of the five above-mentioned issues/needs, the Centre for Professional Academic Staff Development (PASD) have re-developed a Teaching Evaluation system which was designed and put into an online format by the Centre of Academic Technologies. This was placed onto uLink, UJ’s portal and is currently being piloted. This project will be evaluated as the pilot proceeds and PASD will supply feedback. Our intention is to provide teaching evaluations for every module every semester, as this will provide continuous feedback to lecturers and will generate much cross-faculty information for research and intervention.
4.3 Provide one or more (but not more than 5) exemplars to illustrate specific aspects of the change(s) that are successful. Provide evidence for claims of success. Where an activity is in the planning stages, indicate what evidence will be collected.
Example 1: Access to e-resources
In an effort to streamline and simplify access to information to an even greater extent than before, UJ piloted an e-textbook project in 2015. All first year students in the Faculties of Education and Law were provided with access to all their textbooks. This is facilitated by means of the Gradnet platform, which is intended to make the access and download process simple and fast. There have been difficulties experienced by some students in accessing support for the use of Gradnet, and this will be rectified for 2016. For 2016, there will be an expanded rollout of the textbook project. All first and second year students in the Faculties of Law and Education will receive e-textbooks. In addition, a number of departments in the remaining 7 faculties will participate in the project.
Example 2: Learning with technology
The roll-out of tablets to first year students was inaugurated in 2014, continued in 2015, and will continue in future years. UJ has been able to provide tablets, free of charge, to approximately 3000 students annually, selecting NSFAS students and NSFAS-qualifying students. All other first-year students are required to purchase a tablet or a laptop. The 2015 Student Survey indicates that 94% of first-year students use tablets three or more days a week, 80% of students are using tablets to access Blackboard, and 77% are using the internet for their studies. A total of 83,1% of students make use of UJ’s free wifi (5 gigabytes per month). A total of 5 761 first-year students were tested for Computer Literacy in 2015. Only 10% of these failed the test and were offered assistance.
UJ’s approach to enhancing teaching and learning by using technology for teaching and learning has becomes an integral part of the students’ learning process
Example 3: Teaching and learning spaces - Simulation laboratory for the Faculty of Health Sciences
Philips has collaborated with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and has launched a state-of-the-art medical training simulation laboratory. This laboratory contributes to the hands-on training of emergency medical students at UJ by providing accurate simulations in imitated medical emergency settings. The Simulation Lab is equipped with medical equipment and diagnostic devices intended to facilitate the exposure of emergency care students and academic staff to current medical technologies and adequately prepare them to function optimally in their work environment.
The Simulation Lab is divided into four wards: an ambulance simulation room, an emergency department representing casualty simulation, a general ward and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). University departments of Emergency Medical Care, Biomedical Technology, Nursing Sciences and Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences (MIRS) will benefit from the training at the new Simulation Lab.
The partnership between Philips and UJ will run over a three-year period and will support research opportunities related to new technologies in the emergency care environment. The South African Department of Higher Education and Training has also played a key role in the project by awarding a clinical training grant to assist UJ in improving the clinical competencies of health professional graduates, and getting the Simulation Lab up and running. (news@eHealthNews.co.za)
Example 4: Teaching and learning spaces
BYOD [bring your own device] lab on APB was established for students. The set-up is of such a nature that it can accommodate 85 students and is kitted with wi-fi and individual power points each with additional 2pin sockets to cater for mobile devices. More venues that cater for students with their own devices are planned, to accommodate the growing percentage of students with laptops or tablets.
Example 5: Flipped classroom
The Faculty of Art Design and Architecture (FADA) together with the Core Group, who supply Apple products and who was involved in the distribution of iPads to students, are piloting a ‘Flipped classroom’ project using iPads and related technology (iTunes U, Apple TV, etc.). The module, Contextual Studies, taught to most students in FADA across the different departments and a priority module in terms of its persistently low throughput and success rates, has been chosen as a starting point for the creative use of iPads.
The biggest stumbling block was access to iPads, but the DVC: Finance authorised the procurement of 30 iPads to be used by students in a trial. Implementing the project also entailed a substantial upgrading of the technical facilities available in the venues in which this module is taught, including the installation of Apple TV, dual projection facilities, etc.
The project was supposed to get underway at the start of the second semester, but because of delays in procuring the iPads and the upgrading of the technical facilities, it only commenced now, at the start of the fourth quarter. The idea is to use this technology with a control group in order to measure the impact that the flipped classroom model has on the students’ performance.
4.4 Provide one or more (but not more than 5) exemplars of changes that have not been successful and suggest reasons.
Example 1: Provision of ICT skill development
As mentioned in Phase 1 of the QEP, in an effort to support ICT literacy skills, including the optimal use of tablets for teaching and learning, a number of interventions were developed. During the First Year Seminar (orientation), first-year students complete an ICT literacy instrument that is used to guide students to ICT literacy and ‘use of tablet’ workshops that are presented every day during the first term. These workshops are also available to all members of the UJ community.
Mention is made of ‘clickers’ in lecture rooms in the QEP report. UJ’s community does not use ‘clickers’, but rather makes use of mobile technology in the lecture room whereby students download apps onto their mobile devices which then are used for the same purpose as ‘clickers’. Lecturers and students may then even use these apps to take surveys or even partake in assessments while the lecture is in progress.
4.5 If possible, identify one or more promising practices related to this focus area. Describe the practice and provide evidence for success. Suggest what the key features might be.
Example 1: UJ has taken a decision to become paperless with regard to learning guides and supplementary learning material. As a result, from 2016, all module co-ordinators will be required to place their learning guides and supplementary material on Blackboard. Students will access their guides using a module code or a description. This will not only allow 24 hour access to Study Guides for current registered students but will also allow the opportunity for prospective registered students to gain insight to future studies: all students will have access to all Study Guides, which supports open access principles.
Example 2: The redesign of the information architecture took place and the new-look portal, uLink, is being uitlised successfully by staff and students alike. Students have access to a variety of tools and information that enables their student life at UJ such as their timetable, financial statements, year calendar, bandwidth usage, library facilities, assessment timetables, bus schedules, etc. Students can book skills workshops online such as PERLS, our English language development program, Computer and Tablet Training Skills and Microsoft self-regulated Word, Excel and PowerPoint training. Staff members also have access to a wide variety of facilities using uLink ranging from research software tools, to Blackboard, the library and many others. Staff are using uLink as a management tool for workshop bookings, consultation bookings and recording of attendance registers in the lecture halls.
uLink, UJ’s single sign-on portal will be developed even further to merge the interface design on all devices (laptops, tablets and smartphones) used at UJ. This is in the planning and design phase and should be fully developed by the end of 2016.
Example 3: CAT and ICS (Information and Communication Systems) have embarked on a partnership to promote and enhance technology in the lecture venues. If any new technology is made available by ICS which could be used beneficially in teaching and learning, CAT will inform the academic community and assist with the implementation of such. ICS will support the technical aspects of these technologies.
4.6 Identify the main challenges the university still faces in relation to this focus area.
Wi-Fi access is available throughout the UJ campuses, but in some smaller venues, signal is not strong. The biggest issue is that as more bandwidth is required, as a result of our collective efforts to increase online teaching and learning, bandwidth bottlenecks can occur. This is particularly true in a few of the large lecture venues when there is a high degree of internet traffic. UJ has, at the beginning of 2015 embarked on a project to ascertain the strength of the wi-fi and bandwidth in lecture venues while classes – especially large classes – are in progress. This is a project that should result in the implementation and design of a new network that will be executed over a period of three years. In the interim the wi-fi configuration in many of the lecture venues has been prioritised, which has resulted in an improved connectivity for students. The wi-fi infrastructure is extremely stable at UJ.
Despite the large investments in upgrading campuses and development of new lecture venues, there is a need for additional tutorial venues, and to the development of alternative and flexible learning spaces that allow students to work collaboratively on complex projects. New study spaces have been developed in the library, and other smaller areas are being developed as study spaces (the ‘Nooks and Crannies’ project), but the whole domain of sufficient tutorial and self-study spaces to meet the needs of a digital generation is still under development.
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