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Blended learning at a University of Technology

Presenter

Faiq Waghid is a former Advisor in the Centre for Learning Technologies at Stellenbosch University since 1 July 2014. His primary activities involve the following: blended learning consultant, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) coordination and telematics technical advisor. He was previously employed by the Western Cape Education Department for the past 6.6 years (2008-2014). He was a Life Sciences educator for the senior grades and holds the following qualifications from Stellenbosch University: BSc (Biological and Life Sciences), PGCE, BEd Honours (Educational Leadership and Management), MEd (Curriculum, Science and Technology Education) and PhD (Curriculum Studies in Science and Technology Education).

Abstract

Traditional pedagogies are proving to be inadequate to address the needs of a cosmopolitan society. Commonly referred to as chalk-and-talk pedagogies, these pedagogies appear to hinder the establishment of democratised spaces, where qualities which include deliberation and critical reflection can be enacted. The inability of higher education institutions to affirm themselves as spaces that can foster the creation of these democratised spaces has led to protest at South African higher education institutions, calling for the decolonisation of curricula. It can be presumptuous to assume that students are but mere vessels, requiring the esteem knowledge compiled by dominant and exclusive ideologies. In an attempt to move away from chalk-and-talk pedagogies, many higher education institutions are exploring or implementing the use of blended learning.  In a recent publication by Stefan Hrastinski (2019), it was concluded that higher education institutions have different concepts of blended learning. Some of these concepts centre around blended learning as a mode of delivery, whereas others consider blended learning to incorporate a blend of instructional methods, pedagogical approaches and technologies. 

This presentation concentrates on the concept of blended learning at Cape Peninsula University Technology’s (CPUT), providing an overview of the staff developing activities informing the adoption of blended learning. Drawing on the ideas of Diana Laurillard’s book titled ‘Teaching as a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology’, I show how CPUT’s conception of blended learning may promote the aforementioned qualities of deliberation and critical reflection.