Navigating the Post-Disruption Landscape

We have just come through two era-defining disruptions in rapid succession: the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent Generative AI revolution. These events have both altered our instructional tools and fundamentally challenged the traditional structures of teaching, learning, and institutional viability. In collaboration with the University of Pretoria's FODES conference, the Elearning Update 2026 allows us to  re-evaluate institutional progress and move beyond the reactive "emergency" mindset of the past few years. The conference will take the form of short Petcha-Kutcha presentations, 30 minute presentations, 45 minute workshops and two longer master classes by Prof Johannes Cronje:

• How (not) to develop an AI policy

• Theory-Informed Assessment of Learning and Teaching in an AI-rich context

Core Philosophy: Taking the "E" out of E-Learning

Taking 'E' out of E-Learning," signals an essential shift in institutional philosophy. We can no longer treat "electronic" learning as a separate, siloed entity. Our goal is to reintegrate technology into the fundamental fabric of quality pedagogy, making it an invisible yet essential component of the educational experience.

A key strategic proposal within this philosophy, advocated by Dr. Karen Walstra, is the institutional mandate to reallocate 20% of the annual professional development budget toward 'Educator as Skill Curator' training. This highlights our shift toward preparing faculty for a future-proof curriculum. These philosophies are manifested in our diverse speaker lineup, representing leading institutions such as the University of Nairobi, University of Pretoria, UNESWA, and the University of the Free State.

Three themes are woven through the conference: Governance, policy and institutional resilience, Reimagining assessment and authentic learning,

Theme 1: Governance, Policy, and Institutional Resilience

Institutional stability in the AI era requires a departure from reactive, punitive measures toward proactive, human-centered accountability. Current frameworks often suffer from a lack of "rhythm," failing to keep pace with the weekly evolution of Large Language Models.

• Mr. Barrack Ogada (University of Nairobi): Investigates the crisis of epistemic authority using Foucauldian ideas of power and knowledge. He evaluates how institutional hierarchies are challenged by AI and explores whose knowledge counts in an automated age.

• Dr. Liesl Scheepers (IIE Emeris): Addresses the human cost of disruption, specifically the relationship between facilitator resilience and the risk of burnout. She proposes a model to bolster staff well-being and agency.

Theme 2: Reimagining Assessment and Authentic Learning

As traditional assessment methods—particularly those based on recall—become inadequate, "Authentic Assessment" serves as the primary defense against academic integrity breaches. By mirroring real-world professional practice, we move from policing output to scaffolding the learning process.

• Dr. Karen Walstra (Karen Walstra Consulting): Proposes a mandate for "AI-Assisted Human-Centric Assessment." Students are required to use AI but must document the process from prompt to output, focusing their final submission on synthesis and personal insight.

• Prof. Karen Ferreira-Meyers (University of Eswatini - UNESWA): Advocates for a transition from "Exams to Experiences," using real-world professional simulations relevant to the Eswatini context to emphasize critical thinking over reproduction.

• Ms. Jolandi Bezuidenhout & Ms. Anli Grobler (IIE Vega School): As Strategic Brand Communication specialists, they distinguish between "Authentically Artificial" tasks (leveraging AI for higher-order thinking) and "Artificially Authentic" tasks (vulnerable tasks that AI can effortlessly solve).

• Ms. Tanya Scherman (University of the Free State): Explains how utilizing AI-driven suites like Panopto can transition video from a passive content repository to an active knowledge system through automated transcription and interactive in-video quizzing.

Ultimately, we are shifting toward a model where the educator acts as a "skill curator," prioritizing the student’s active participation and self-regulation over simple information delivery.

Theme 3: Skill Acquisition and Digital Innovation in Practice

In the rush to digitalize, several fundamental skills have been overlooked. These "overlooked skills" were previously the domain of highly specialized Instructional Designers, but the post-disruption landscape now demands that all faculty master these competencies to ensure curriculum integrity.

• Dr. Michelle Wolfswinkel (Vega School): Details the four overlooked skill sets for lecturers: structural integrity, weaving, gating, and intentional study material design. Mastering these allows for learning that is coherent and intentionally staggered.

• Mr. Nathier Rhoda (Learning Curve): Explores re-envisioning anatomy education through virtual dissection. He highlights the delicate balance between digital accessibility and the human-led skill of spatial awareness and anatomical reasoning.

• Dr. Peet van Aardt (University of the Free State): Argues for a return to "Academic Reading" basics. In the Writing Centre context, students must master reading to effectively critique and understand the text produced by their AI assistants.

• Ms. Ciska Snyman & Ms. Gail Barry (University of Pretoria): Provide real-world lessons from an AI Community of Practice, demonstrating how the Learning Management System (LMS) can support lecturers as they move from "panic to practice."

6. Engagement Formats and Delegate Participation

To facilitate deep professional exchange and practical skill-building, the conference uses diverse presentation formats:

• PechaKucha: Rapid-fire visual presentations (20 slides, 20 seconds each) designed for high-impact ideas, such as Dr. Walstra’s session on defining seven core AI-resistant skills.

• Full Papers: In-depth 20-minute explorations followed by structured 10-minute discussions to address complex research, such as Mr. Ogada’s study on epistemic power.

• Interactive Workshops: 45-minute hands-on sessions. For example, Dr. Walstra will facilitate a workshop where delegates bring laptops to collaboratively rewrite traditional assignment prompts into future-proof, authentic assessments.

Registration and Logistics

We invite all higher education professionals to join this vital community of practice in Pretoria. To fortify our model, we will also explore Dr. Walstra’s "Flex-Model" proposal—mandating asynchronous AI-assisted delivery alongside synchronous sessions dedicated to "messy" human-only skills.

• Event Dates: 2-3 June 2026

• Location: Pretoria

• Registration: Click here to REGISTER

Contact Information: For any inquiries, please contact: Johannes Cronje Email: johannes.cronje@gmail.com Phone: +27 82 558 5311

(Produced with assitance from NotebookLM)

Links to our previous symposia

• • Artificial Intelligence and Authenticity in Assessment (23-24 May 2023)

  • Artificial intelligence for research (29-30 March 2023)

  • Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence (8-9 Feb 2023)

Other links of interest

• • Johannes Cronje's presentation on Learning 3.0 - Enter the Rhizome

  • Here is our  Instructional design resource page

  •  Click here for Johannes Cronje's Presentation at the Social Media in Higher Education Conference

• • Alisson Morris "The minds behind the Moocs"

• Add yourself to the South African Elearning Register