Speakers
Below is the current line-up of speakers.
Dr Helen Beetham
TITLE: BEYOND BLENDED: LESSONS FROM THE UK IN CURRICULUM DESIGN FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Beyond Blended is an ongoing research and development programme, funded by Jisc UK. It began with a major review of curriculum design practice after the Covid pandemic, and continued with a year-long consultation involving over 750 curriculum experts. A series of reports and workshop materials are helping curriculum design teams to meet student demand for flexible participation, while at the same time helping teachers to deliver more engaging sessions. Pilot projects are evaluating these resources in practice. Helen Beetham, who led the research with colleague Sheila MacNeil, will present key findings and lessons for curriculum teams. She will share some of the workshop materials and invite conference participants to try them and give feedback from a South African university perspective
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Helen Beetham has been a researcher and consultant in digital education for over 25 years. She has edited a number of standard texts including Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age (Routledge), now in its third edition, and has published in numerous peer reviewed journals on topics from digital literacy to curriculum design. Helen has advised global universities in the UK, Europe, Africa and Australasia on their digital education strategies, and has worked for international bodies such as the EU, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Commonwealth of Learning. Since 2004 she has played a leading role in Jisc programmes, building capacity for digital transformation and helping to put the student experience at the heart of strategic thinking. Her Digital Capabilities framework is used in a majority of UK universities and in healthcare settings and libraries: also in Australia and New Zealand, Ireland and other parts of Europe. She has developed and taught on a number of Masters programmes in digital education, and regularly leads workshops for academic leaders and teaching staff.
Beyond Blended is an ongoing research and development programme, funded by Jisc UK. It began with a major review of curriculum design practice after the Covid pandemic, and continued with a year-long consultation involving over 750 curriculum experts. A series of reports and workshop materials are helping curriculum design teams to meet student demand for flexible participation, while at the same time helping teachers to deliver more engaging sessions. Pilot projects are evaluating these resources in practice. Helen Beetham, who led the research with colleague Sheila MacNeil, will present key findings and lessons for curriculum teams. She will share some of the workshop materials and invite conference participants to try them and give feedback from a South African university perspective
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Helen Beetham has been a researcher and consultant in digital education for over 25 years. She has edited a number of standard texts including Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age (Routledge), now in its third edition, and has published in numerous peer reviewed journals on topics from digital literacy to curriculum design. Helen has advised global universities in the UK, Europe, Africa and Australasia on their digital education strategies, and has worked for international bodies such as the EU, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Commonwealth of Learning. Since 2004 she has played a leading role in Jisc programmes, building capacity for digital transformation and helping to put the student experience at the heart of strategic thinking. Her Digital Capabilities framework is used in a majority of UK universities and in healthcare settings and libraries: also in Australia and New Zealand, Ireland and other parts of Europe. She has developed and taught on a number of Masters programmes in digital education, and regularly leads workshops for academic leaders and teaching staff.
Prof. J. Francois Strydom
TITLE: NURTURING ENGAGEMENT, LEARNING AND SUCCESS
The University of the Free State has been recognised as an example of an institution that promotes an equitable learning environment which helps students to succeed. The paper will share the journey of the UFS and the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). At the core of this journey has been a multi-faceted, collaborative, approach which supports learning, engagement and empowerment of students, academics and support staff. The importance of evidence to promote reflective and reflexive practice as well as the role of technology will be explored focusing on implications for practice.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY:
Prof. Francois Strydom is currently the Senior Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State. He has been the project leader of the South African Surveys of Student Engagement (SASSE) since 2007. The SASSE project, sponsored by the Kresge Foundation, has been used by 20 public higher education institutions across Southern Africa. The SASSE has influenced national quality assurance policy and practices and is a key component of the Siyaphumelela (We succeed) network focused on improving student success in higher education through the use of data analytics. His research interests include student engagement and success, improving the quality of teaching and learning, and evidence-based change in higher education and employability.
The University of the Free State has been recognised as an example of an institution that promotes an equitable learning environment which helps students to succeed. The paper will share the journey of the UFS and the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). At the core of this journey has been a multi-faceted, collaborative, approach which supports learning, engagement and empowerment of students, academics and support staff. The importance of evidence to promote reflective and reflexive practice as well as the role of technology will be explored focusing on implications for practice.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY:
Prof. Francois Strydom is currently the Senior Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State. He has been the project leader of the South African Surveys of Student Engagement (SASSE) since 2007. The SASSE project, sponsored by the Kresge Foundation, has been used by 20 public higher education institutions across Southern Africa. The SASSE has influenced national quality assurance policy and practices and is a key component of the Siyaphumelela (We succeed) network focused on improving student success in higher education through the use of data analytics. His research interests include student engagement and success, improving the quality of teaching and learning, and evidence-based change in higher education and employability.
Professor Mays Imad
TITLE: REPARATIVE HUMANISM IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EXAMINING & RECASTING AGREEMENTS THAT GOVERN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Prof Mays presentation will delve into the intricate relationship between trauma, burnout, healing, and our collective human experience, with a special emphasis on the wellbeing of faculty within the academic sphere. At the heart of this discussion will be the concept of reparative humanism, a philosophical approach dedicated to mending the human condition through the adoption of humanistic principles. These principles advocate for recognizing the “whole” person and emphasize personal autonomy, self-determination, interconnectedness, social responsibility, and the innate worth and dignity of every individual. Drawing upon the insights of educational theorist Laura Rendon, Dr Mays examines the exclusive and inequitable "agreements" that underlie traditional higher education, as discussed in the seminal 2005 article. These frameworks can exacerbate stress and burnout for both students and faculty. By re-evaluating and transforming these agreements to better reflect our collective humanity, we aim to foster a more inclusive and nurturing educational environment.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
A/Prof Mays Imad's academic journey is rooted in a profound dedication to educational reform and humanistic principles. She began her academic career at the University of Michigan–Dearborn, where she studied philosophy and minored in chemistry. She holds a doctoral degree in cellular & clinical neurobiology, with a minor in biomedical sciences, from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona's Department of Neuroscience, she joined Pima Community College (PCC), where she taught various biology-related subjects and founded the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC).
Currently serving as an associate professor at Connecticut College, Dr. Imad is focused on understanding the social determinants of student wellbeing and success and conducts research on equity pedagogy. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity and justice in and through education. With fervor, she advocates for institutions to pay close attention to intergenerational trauma and to prioritize repair, healing, and growth. She holds fellowships with the Gardner Institute, AAC&U as a Senior STEM Fellow, the Mind and Life Institute, and is a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ).
Prof Mays presentation will delve into the intricate relationship between trauma, burnout, healing, and our collective human experience, with a special emphasis on the wellbeing of faculty within the academic sphere. At the heart of this discussion will be the concept of reparative humanism, a philosophical approach dedicated to mending the human condition through the adoption of humanistic principles. These principles advocate for recognizing the “whole” person and emphasize personal autonomy, self-determination, interconnectedness, social responsibility, and the innate worth and dignity of every individual. Drawing upon the insights of educational theorist Laura Rendon, Dr Mays examines the exclusive and inequitable "agreements" that underlie traditional higher education, as discussed in the seminal 2005 article. These frameworks can exacerbate stress and burnout for both students and faculty. By re-evaluating and transforming these agreements to better reflect our collective humanity, we aim to foster a more inclusive and nurturing educational environment.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
A/Prof Mays Imad's academic journey is rooted in a profound dedication to educational reform and humanistic principles. She began her academic career at the University of Michigan–Dearborn, where she studied philosophy and minored in chemistry. She holds a doctoral degree in cellular & clinical neurobiology, with a minor in biomedical sciences, from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona's Department of Neuroscience, she joined Pima Community College (PCC), where she taught various biology-related subjects and founded the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC).
Currently serving as an associate professor at Connecticut College, Dr. Imad is focused on understanding the social determinants of student wellbeing and success and conducts research on equity pedagogy. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity and justice in and through education. With fervor, she advocates for institutions to pay close attention to intergenerational trauma and to prioritize repair, healing, and growth. She holds fellowships with the Gardner Institute, AAC&U as a Senior STEM Fellow, the Mind and Life Institute, and is a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ).