Advancements in technology have revolutionised teaching by creating more dynamic, interactive and personalized learning experiences.
This has made lessons more engaging and accessible, allowing for real-time feedback and collaboration. Furthermore, technology has facilitated the development of online learning platforms and virtual classrooms, enabling education to transcend geographical barriers.
Education is no exception in an era where technology is reshaping every facet of our lives. The recent Teach-In-Touch Showcase at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Humanities (FHUM) was a testament to this. It offered a vibrant platform for lecturers to display how they integrate technology into their teaching and learning environments.
This event aimed to empower lecturers with knowledge of unfamiliar technologies that their colleagues are successfully using. The mission was clear: to drive innovation within the faculty by sharing knowledge, inspiring creativity, and promoting effective uses of technology. The Teach-In-Touch Showcase enabled colleagues to discuss best practices and explore new, innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
Following the showcase, the Teach-In-Touch* FHUM hackathon brought together teams to find tech-driven solutions to boost student engagement using existing educational technology apps.
This social event had a unique twist to the traditional hackathon concept. Participants were randomly divided into teams and tasked with identifying a problem related to student engagement.
They brainstormed and designed innovative solutions for over three hours, which they then presented to the group and a panel of judges. The winning team, Humanify, proposed using the app Scavify to create an online treasure hunt for first-year students, addressing many challenges of the orientation programme.
The victorious team members were Mimi Masango, Katlego Kenneth Molelekwa, Koketso Rabanye, Anneke Butler and Nonhlanhla Mazibuko.
Participants found the collaborative effort highly beneficial for experimenting with different technologies and rethinking how to incorporate tech into teaching.
“Attendees and participants shared positive feedback, appreciating the opportunity to discuss and learn about technology implementations freely,” says Dr Kristien Andrianatos, a senior lecturer in the faculty.
“They valued the chance to work alongside colleagues from various disciplines, sharing knowledge and strategies to tackle common teaching and learning challenges like poor student engagement.”
The office of the deputy dean for teaching and learning, Prof Mpho Chaka, together with the teaching with technology task team, organised these events. Mimi Masango and Dr Andrianatos were responsible for the Showcase, while Prof Janelize Morelli and Prof Mariska Nel conceptualised and hosted the Hackathon.
Going forward, participants can now apply their new knowledge and strategies to improve student engagement and overcome common teaching challenges.
*Teach-In-Touch is a community of practice around innovative teaching and learning with technology and it boasts about 60 members across the FHUM. They host monthly online sessions featuring new ed-tech solutions and have a supportive network of colleagues from CTL. For those interested in joining this vibrant community, please contact Dr Kristien Andrianatos.
The attendees were in high spirits at The Teach-In-Touch Showcase
Team Humanify consisting of: Mimi Masango, Katlego Kenneth Molelekwa, Koketso Rabanye,Nonhlanhla Mazibuko and Anneke Butler(absent)
