New Teaching Resources Will Enhance Blended Learning

BY: .

The Teaching and Learning Unit within the College of Law and Management Studies has taken a proactive step to support academic excellence in blended learning by providing essential teaching resources to Schools. These include teaching portfolio textbooks and a cutting-edge visualiser projector.

The visualiser projector, which is similar to the traditional overhead projector but with advanced features, serves as a document camera that is connected to a computer. This innovative tool enables tutors to effectively capture and record their lessons.

Professor Msizi Mkhize, College Dean of Teaching and Learning, personally distributed the resources, emphasising their significance in enhancing the teaching process.

Mkhize said, ‘The teaching portfolio textbooks will serve as a practical guide to help academics improve their performance. They will be a valuable resource for educators as they prepare their own teaching portfolios, enabling them to showcase their expertise and pedagogical methods. The visualiser projector has various functions. Tutors will be able to record lessons or tutorials inside and outside the classroom and subsequently upload them onto the Learning Management System.’

The teaching resources will also benefit students. Access to recorded videos will enable them to review them at their convenience, thereby reducing the need for extensive note-taking during class. This will allow students to focus more on engaging with the lesson or tutorial and to seek clarification by asking questions when they encounter difficulties.

Mkhize highlighted the importance of reinforcing key points during teaching. Educators are encouraged to reflect on their teaching philosophy, consider the learning context, understand their students’ needs, and utilise their knowledge effectively.

‘By watching their own recorded videos, teachers can continuously improve and grow in their instructional practices. With these valuable tools at their disposal, academics and students can thrive in an enriched teaching and learning environment.’

Words: Samukelisiwe Cele

Photograph: Supplied