Curriculum and Course Development

I have worked towards the development and progressive improvement of all of the courses that I have taught. This process is facilitated through the scholarship of teaching and learning, so that I have plans for each course and goals that should be met, and at the end of the module, I am able to evaluate what parts of the module were effective and which were not. This allows me to improve the aspects of the module that need the most improvement towards the end of the semester. It is important that the course material be relevant to the students and not generalized to global affairs that are not applicable in the South African context. By using South African and Southern African examples of geological phenomena, I am able to decolonize the learning material and better prepare students for entering the working environment in this country. 

As one example, I have modified the Economic and Exploration Geology modules to focus exclusively on South African mines. Rather than the examples that are favoured in European and American textbooks, I have focused on major South African deposits, such as the Bushveld Complex and the Witwatersrand Supergroup, which are two of the largest deposits of their type in the world. By revising the curriculum in this way, material becomes less abstract and more accessable for students. 

In all of my courses, I work towards preparation of students towards their further development as academics and professionals, and I work to align my courses with the departmental and UWC graduate attributes.