From 24-25 April 2024, the University’s Teaching and Learning Development Centre (TLDC) hosted a ‘Teaching with Technology’ summit, a topic that Dr Manyane Makua, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, described as not only relevant but crucial to MUT’s future. The theme of the summit was ‘The Responsiveness of Higher Education to Artificial Intelligence: Impact and Consequences’.
Cebo Nyondo, Deputy Director: E-Learning at the TLDC explained the reasons they continue emphasizing the importance of technology in teaching and learning. “Beyond Covid-19, the future of education is continuously being enhanced by the extent of how we adapt and incorporate technology into our teaching and learning,” Nyondo said. He said the Teaching with Technology summit was a continuation of what the Centre was already doing to capacitate staff in innovative teaching and assessment approaches.
Out of the 170 delegates from most of South Africa’s higher education sector, industry, and some from overseas, the guest speaker was from Australia’s University of Tasmania. Nyondo said that at MUT, they were giving a chance to staff to continue embracing technology in their daily lives, and most importantly, their teaching and learning so that the students would continue to benefit. Nyondo continued: “You will recall that our Acting VC, Professor Marcus Ramogale, about three years or so ago, talked about the virtual classrooms, where a Maths professor will be able to teach many students at many locations. He said we were heading to a time when teaching professionals could be hired. MUT can proudly say that we are on the way to preparing for that time,” said Nyondo.