Scholarly Activities

6.0 Introduction

Like many other professions, academics work in an ever-changing, hence they need to continuously improve their practice. Universities, as part of continuous quality improvement, avail a range of opportunities to faculty members such as professional development courses and workshops, scholarship of teaching and learning workshops or conferences, research support and community engagement. Despite the importance of these scholarly activities, they are optional to faculty members in many universities, which means academics can choose to do or not do them. However, in research-led institutions research is an integral element of the performance management system, thus faculty members are somehow compelled to partake in research activities. In part of my portfolio, I outline my various scholarly activities which has and continue to impact on my teaching practice.

6.1 Professional Development

According to Larrivee (2000), academics who are not reflective are likely to stay trapped in their unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and expectations. Schön (1983) offers a dual way to reflect, that is, reflect-in-action and reflect-on-action. However, it is worth noting that to reflect, you need a 'mirror' and professional development (PD) courses and workshops save that purpose. I took all teaching and learning courses and workshop opportunities that were offered by the university (MUT), including the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education. Now, when I reflect on my heydays as a teacher (in HE), I can attest that because of these PD interventions, the teacher I am today (my teaching approach, methods and strategies) have been a developmental journey and still is. It was easy for me to reflect-in-action and reflect-on-action (Schön, 1983) based on the knowledge gained from the PD opportunities. Hereunder is the evidence of the PD courses and workshops that have been so critical in my development as a marketing expert and a teacher;

• Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education from Rhodes University.

• Introduction to Teaching Online, Oxford University

• Certificate in Digital Marketing from the University of Cape Town.

• Other Professional Development Certificates in various aspects of teaching and learning. For example, Instructional Design and Teaching with Technology (Strategic Implementation of ICT Integration in Education) both from the University of the Witwatersrand; Curriculum Development in Higher Education, Higher Education Assessment and Moderation Development, Materials Development, Teaching for Learning and Evaluation of Teaching, all from Rhodes University.

These professional development courses with the exception of that on Digital Marketing solidified my pedagogical stance. Digital marketing certification is one of the efforts to bolster and update my disciplinary knowledge. It is critical to developing learning instructions (curriculum) that will help students assimilate easily into the digital economy. I also pride myself in being a 21st Century teacher who integrates relevant technology into teaching and learning activities. Instead of doing this in my little corner, I voluntarily share my practice with other interested colleagues by running some training workshops on how to integrate various technological tools to enhance student learning experiences.

6.2 Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Over the years, I have been very active in the scholarship of teaching and learning. I have attended various conferences and MUT SoTL events either as a presenter or panel member. All these escapades have been critical reflection tools and a source of motivation to continuously improve my craft. Hereunder are some of the conferences/workshops I attended as a presenter and panel member.

6.2.1 Conference Presentation

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2019, Mangosuthu University of Technology. Arguing for an embedded academic literacy model: A pilot project.

1st Teaching with Technology (TwT) Summit. Teaching and Learning Development Centre, Mangosuthu University of Technology, 30 - 31 August 2018 at Coastlands Umhlanga, Durban.

4th Annual Innovation in Learning and Teaching Conference 2017: Re-examining Teaching and Learning in the Context of Universities of Technology, Central University of Technology, Free State, South AfricaIntegration of Technology in Higher Education. "Use of Google Docs (for assessment and collaborative learning) and Edpuzzle”.

5th Teaching and Learning Colloquium: Re-imagining the 21st Century Curriculum and Learning Environments: The quest for Student Success, Mangosuthu University of Technology held on 5 - 6 April 2017 at Elangeni Hotel Durban, South Africa. Rethinking Graduate Attributes in the 21st Century.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2016, Mangosuthu University of Technology. Reflections on the Integration of Emerging & Ubiquitous Technologies in TLAs.

6.2.2 Workshop Facilitation/Panel Member

(Panel member - 2nd Teaching with Technology (TwT) Summit. Teaching and Learning Development Centre, Mangosuthu University of Technology, 05 - 06 September 2019 at Coastlands Umhlanga, Durban.

(Workshop facilitator) - HELTASA Conference 2017, the Durban University of Technology held on the 21st of November at Coastlands Hotel, Umhlanga, Durban.Integration of Technology in Higher Education. "Use of Google Docs (for assessment and collaborative learning) and Edpuzzle."

6.3 Internal and External Scholarly Engagements

My teaching practice shines both within and outside MUT. As an internal vote of confidence in my practice, in 2019, I was invited by the Department of Biomedical Sciences to present to them Constructive Alignment, Assessment and application of Bloom's Taxonomy. In the same year, I was also invited by the Teaching and Learning Development Centre to facilitate on Evaluation of Teaching at the induction of new academic staff members. bee but extends externally. As mentioned earlier, I am an Online Content Creator at Student Hub, an External Examiner for Milpark education, External Moderator for DUT, and External Moderator for WSU and I also do research supervision for the Zimbabwe Open University. I was also appointed as an External Panel Member to review UNISA's BCom (Hons) Degree in Business Management.