Humanities

Faculty of Humanities embraces teaching with technology

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Humanities (FHUM) recently hosted a Teaching with Technology Showcase on the Potchefstroom Campus.

More than 40 academics representing the six schools in the faculty attended this face-to-face event, allowing lecturers the opportunity to demonstrate how they actively use technology in their modules and to learn from one another.

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NWU graduate: age is just a number

Annemarie van Heerden's story is inspiring and demonstrates that age should never hold you back from achieving your academic goals. She made history by becoming the oldest graduate to walk across the stage at the new Tsebonokeng Hall at the North-West University's (NWU’s) Vandebijlpark Campus during a recent graduation ceremony.

At the age of 66, Annemarie received an honours degree in psychology, an amazing accomplishment considering she took a 42-year break after obtaining her honours degree in music from Stellenbosch University in 1980.

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History subject group hosts a seminar on Umkhonto we Sizwe

The subject group History at the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted Prof Thula Simpson, associate professor of history at the University of Pretoria, as part of the group’s seminar series.

Prof Simpson is also a British scholar who holds a PhD from Birkbeck, University of London, and is the author of the acclaimed book, Umkhonto we Sizwe: The ANC's Armed Struggle.

During the seminar Prof Simpson presented a paper titled “Umkhonto we Sizwe and its Historians: Action, Reaction and Counteraction, c. 1963 to the Present”.

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Recognition of Sign Language a progress step for inclusivity

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Moses Phooko has lauded the National Assembly’s approval of South African Sign Language as the 12th official language on 2 May 2023.

The South African Constitution previously provided for 11 official languages, which include Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu.

The adoption of this amendment brings the number of official languages in South Africa to 12, once the President signs the Bill into law.

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MASARA focuses on music and the conservation of indigenous music

Aristotle said that music has the power to form the character and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young. This quote is befitting of the Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications (MASARA) research niche area at the North-West University (NWU).

MASARA is part of the NWU’s School of Music and Conservatory, and their focus is music and music well-being. The research niche area also focuses on the conservation and use of indigenous music and was established in November 2008.

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The ins and outs of developing online multimedia learning platforms

Offering an enhanced learning experience using multimedia online learning platforms is the key to encouraging participation among Generation Z students – people born between 1997 and the early 2010s.

This is one of the findings of a North-West University (NWU) research team after they investigated both the ins and the outs of the development of student pages on learning management systems (LMSs).

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