Adopting a transformative curriculum approach to teaching in a global higher education context: perspectives from a South African Institution

A teaching and learning conversation with:

Dr. Rita Kizito Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

When: Tuesday 23rd February 12:30-13:30 GMT (60 minutes)

About this conversation:

One of the main purposes of TLC programme is to bring colleagues together to share and discuss interesting and challenging experiences and to learn from one another.  We therefore delighted that our next TLC will be lead by Dr. Rita Kizito directly from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa.

Rita has provided the following overview of what promises to be a fascinating insight into challenges facing staff and students alike in South African universities.

“Since 1994, South African Universities have been grappling with issues of transformation at strategic and operational levels. This is primarily because the social, political and economic inequalities still persist at all levels of society, including higher education, even after 20 years of democracy. Despite engagements at different levels including the setting of policies, committees and plans to address transformation, there is still no real broad consensus around what curriculum transformation really means and what is at the nexus of the curriculum transformation agenda. The South African literature in this area signals two main approaches to curriculum reform. The first one is a representivity approach with a focus on which group (racial, gender, class) is succeeding and likely to succeed in higher education. The second approach is ideological and considers distribution of economic and political power within the higher education system. Both these approaches have a direct influence on what is taught and how it is taught. This webinar is an invitation to a discussion around the conceptualisation of a project which is exploring academic and student perceptions of curriculum and teaching transformation at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University , South Africa. Both representivity and ideology need to be confronted if meaningful transformation is to occur. At the heart of the discussion is a need to develop curricula responsive and relevant to the conditions in which both staff and students find themselves. The primary challenge is in how to adopt a transformative but integrated, coherent approach to teaching in higher education while responding to local and global demands.”

We hope that you can join us,
The TLC team

Suggested Links:

Badat, S. (2010). The challenges of transformation in higher education and training institutions in South Africa. Development Bank of Southern Africa. Available at :
http://www.dhet.gov.za/summit/Docs/2010Docs/The%20Challenges%20of%20Transform
ation%20in%20Higher%20Eduaction%20and%20Training%20Institutions%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf

Soudien, C. (2010). Transformation in higher education: A briefing paper. DBSA. Available at:
http://www.dhet.gov.za/summit/Docs/2010Docs/Transformation%20in%20higher%20education-%20A%20briefing%20paper%20by%20Crain%20Soudien.pdf

The Transformation of  South African Higher Education. 2nd National Higher Education Summit, 15-17 October 2015. Available at:
http://www.dhet.gov.za/summit/Docs/2015Docs/Annex%208_TOC_Transformation%20of%20SA%20HE.pdf

Joining the conversation:

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