“Game-on” for the Instructional and Learning Design Expo

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UKZN’s Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO) hosted an Instructional and Learning Design Expo, which was rolled out on all of its five campuses.

The expo, covered numerous aspects, such as Advanced Blended Learning Techniques; Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Learning; Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education; Educational Data Analytics; and the Future of Educational Technology. The sustained theme of gamification was played-out as College staff members travelled to each themed station to engage with instructional designers on curriculum design, blended learning models and practices, educational technology, and instructional design before walking away with a reward.

In his welcome address, Mr Mukondeleli Mulaudzi, Instructional Designer in the College of Law and Management Studies, highlighted the services instructional designers offer, such as training academic staff on the use of technology and pedagogy; designing learning materials, activities and modules; facilitating the institutional synergy of digital transformation interventions; and supporting ongoing improvements and reviews from students.

In line with UKZN’s Strategic Plan, he noted how the unit adheres to Goal 1 of Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Goal 2 of Excellent Student Experience. Mulaudzi also focused on the Digital Curriculum Transformation Approaches, which aim to be ‘more integrated, allowing instructional designers to get involved in “gate keeper” modules - with a high enrolment and or high failure rate - creating interventions that will help us improve their performance.

‘With that, the idea is to bring together the different teaching and learning stakeholders involved in the delivery and design of the learning experience and engaging with them to create an inception workshop,’ he said.

Mulaudzi said the workshop would be followed by five design sprints throughout the year, each focusing on a different theme and actively getting academics involved in redesigning their modules as well as capacity building. The sprints would be followed by a symposium where academics share best practices around instructional design and curriculum transformation.

The future of educational technology, as explored by Mr Mthunzi Maphumulo, Instructional Designer in the College of Agriculture, Engineering, and Science, included reviewing AI as an innovative technology that can be advanced and used ethically to create generative environments where students can actively engage with it. Maphumulo said that Microsoft Teams and Zoom was never meant for education, imploring the introduction of gamification and the use of AR and VR technologies in enhancing teaching and learning. ‘We are trying to avoid a top-down approach by allowing the expo to inspire the use of technology in the University,’ he said.

Instructional Designer in the College of Health Sciences, Ms Ishana Gangaram, reviewed advanced blended learning techniques as something that is here to stay. Evaluating micro-learning that could be delivered as quizzes or infographics, she said it was important to create a system that provided scenarios as well as feedback for students. Gangaram shared methods of collaborative learning, giving examples such as discussions between teams, writing and team games, reciprocal teaching, geographical presentations and problem solving. She also reviewed social media as a leveraging tool for education.

Mr Zwelisha Mfishi, Instructional Designer at UTLO, who took participants through educational data analytics, highlighted how the goal was ‘to turn data into information and information into insights.’ Mfishi urged academics to use institutional intelligence data to create more personalised learning experiences for students by enriching the curriculum. This, in turn, informs benchmarking and resource allocation, enabling data comparisons with other institutions.

Examining AR in Education, Instructional Designer in the College of Humanities, Mr Melikhaya Noqamza demonstrated how it ‘bridges the gap between the real and virtual worlds in education by overlaying digital information onto the physical environment.’ He showcased demonstrations that can be used in subjects like Astronomy, Physics, Maths and Life Sciences advancing the education landscape.

Participants were immersed in the world of VR in the Tech Zone.

To view the Instructional and Learning Design Expo offerings, click here.

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photographs: Supplied