The University of Venda (Univen) hosted the 2018 Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECP) Colloquium on 22 and 23 August 2018. The ECP Colloquium took place at Khoroni Hotel under the theme ‘Re-claiming Education’. The annual Colloquium aims at creating discourse amongst academics about challenges that arise in EPC and their solutions.
Delegates pose for a group photo
The 2018 Colloquium engaged with ways in which education can be reclaimed for the betterment of ECP. The colloquium was ushered by two keynote speakers. The two keynote speakers were Dr Honjiswa Conana who is a Teaching and learning Specialist in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of the Western Cape and Mr Nkosinathi Emmanuel Madondo who is a most valuable academic in the Science Extended Curriculum Programme that aims to broaden access to Higher Education for students.
Prof Jan Crafford, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, gave the welcome address on the first day of the colloquium. Alluding to this year’s theme of reclaiming education, Prof Crafford emphasized the need to reclaim education. He mentioned Univen’s passion for education and bridging the gaps that currently exists within the educational system in universities.
He further spoke about the issue of language as a means for students to access curriculum and understand it. Though it is miniscule, Prof Crafford stated that language can be a barrier for students to learn effectively. He also mentioned the advantages of learning through the use of ICT, something that Univen is currently embarking on though it is not widely used yet. Prof Crafford further elaborated this by highlighting the learning space that Univen currently has and said that through these newly introduced technologies, issues of overcrowded lecture halls can be a thing of the past
As the first keynote speaker, Dr Honjiswa Conana of the University of the Western Cape who is the Teaching and Learning Specialist in the Natural Sciences faculty said that she helps to support teaching and learning initiatives in the faculty.
Her presentation was titled ‘Enabling access to the ECP undergraduate physics: Implication for curriculum and pedagogy’. This title highlighted the extent to which this curriculum and its associated pedagogy make a difference to how students tackle physics tasks in ECP programmes. She further expressed that this curriculum questions the relationship between mathematics and physics concepts held in second year mainstream courses thus, concluding that the aim is to develop a full understanding of the important change from introductory first year to second year.
Dr Mamotena Mpeta, the Univen HOD of Professional Studies in the School of Education
Giving the welcome address on day two of the ECP Colloquium was Dr Mamotena Mpeta, the Univen HOD of Professional Studies in the School of Education. She shared her sentiments on how impressed she was with the presentations thus far. She also shared her outcry on the current state of the fees must fall movement and felt the colloquium will help re-claim the position of education in the wake of the movement but also maintain the quality of education in South Africa. Dr Mpeta felt that the colloquium is timely and very relevant.
The keynote address of day two was delivered by Mr. Nkosinathi Emmanuel Madondo of Rhodes University. His presentation was titled ‘Ways of knowing and becoming literate in disciplines: A case for Extended Curriculum Programmes at South African Uiversities’.
His presentation suggested that critical scholarship and research that reinforce university teaching and learning are compulsory to help contest common sense in teaching and learning approaches which are assumed to neutral and not embedded in the disciplines. He further highlighted how the approaches are a shortcoming to students based on the fundamentals of teaching and learning in universities. Mr Madondo also touched the issue of learning structured that benefit the privileged minority.
Mr Francois Marais from the University of Free State
Mr Francois Marais from the University of Free State gave announcements on the Foundation Special Interest Group under HELTASA. He highlighted that Universities at some point fail to coordinate the selection and admission of ECP students. Mr Marais further argued that the selection and admission of ECP students in some Universities are not well structures and this can cause chaos during registrations and can bring terrible results for the institution at a later stage.
Prof Emanuel Oseifuah
The colloquium was officially closed by Prof Emanuel Oseifuah on behalf of the Dean of the School of Management Sciences.
108 delegates from fifteen (15) South African universities including Univen participated in the 2018 Extended Curriculum Programmes Colloquium with thirty (30) presentations. The Universities that participated were University of Fort Hare, University of the Free State, University of Kwazulu-Natal, North West University, University of Pretoria, Rhodes University, University of Stellenbosch, Wits University, Walter Sisulu University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Central University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Tshwane University of Technology and Univen as the hosts.
Delegates and organisers from participating universities listening to speakers during the official opening of the colloquium
Local Organising Committee members of the 2018 Extended Curriculum Programmes Colloquium
Colloquium ushers posing for a group photo
Issued by:
Department of Communications & Marketing
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525
Date: 24 August 2018
