About.
The Helping Professions consist of a broad spectrum of professions regarded as scarce skills within the South African context, including psychologists, social workers, speech language therapists and audiologists and may go further to incorporate medical doctors and other health science professionals. However, they all have one main purpose in mind; to make a positive difference in the lives of people they serve. In South Africa, enhancing the lives of others needs to be prioritised, considering the many challenges experienced. This dovetails with the Higher Education institutions’ need to produce helping professions graduates of the highest calibre as many of these individuals go on to work in public institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs); Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in health and educational settings as well as the private sector.
South African Higher Education sits at the cusps of various seismic changes and consequently ideological demands are placed on teaching and learning to manage these changes effectively (South African Congress of the People, 1955). This necessitates that all committed educators at tertiary institutions reevaluate their teaching and learning; including the selection of curriculum content, adoption of learning materials and the pedagogical approach. New strategies require the decolonisation of the curriculum, the use of technology enhanced learning and a deeper understanding of content as well as student needs. Furthermore, the content as well as the processes involved in teaching and learning requires redesign and redress as we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Teachers and students are required to be co-constructors of knowledge. Therefore, discussions, debates, explanations and understanding need to keep in mind the ethic of care (Owens, & Ennis, 2005) and the pedagogy of discomfort (Zembylas & McGlynn,2012).
Moreover, South Africa stands at the pinnacle of a turning point regarding the values that underlie higher education and pedagogy. This occurs after the emancipation of the black child has evolved from a political to economic struggle and now mental liberation is highly in demand. South African young people have called for transformation and decolonisation of the curriculum beyond access to higher education. Transforming the curriculum involves making the content and the pedagogy relevant to the context, while supporting students to achieve their potential.
South African Higher Education sits at the cusps of various seismic changes and consequently ideological demands are placed on teaching and learning to manage these changes effectively (South African Congress of the People, 1955). This necessitates that all committed educators at tertiary institutions reevaluate their teaching and learning; including the selection of curriculum content, adoption of learning materials and the pedagogical approach. New strategies require the decolonisation of the curriculum, the use of technology enhanced learning and a deeper understanding of content as well as student needs. Furthermore, the content as well as the processes involved in teaching and learning requires redesign and redress as we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Teachers and students are required to be co-constructors of knowledge. Therefore, discussions, debates, explanations and understanding need to keep in mind the ethic of care (Owens, & Ennis, 2005) and the pedagogy of discomfort (Zembylas & McGlynn,2012).
Moreover, South Africa stands at the pinnacle of a turning point regarding the values that underlie higher education and pedagogy. This occurs after the emancipation of the black child has evolved from a political to economic struggle and now mental liberation is highly in demand. South African young people have called for transformation and decolonisation of the curriculum beyond access to higher education. Transforming the curriculum involves making the content and the pedagogy relevant to the context, while supporting students to achieve their potential.
Programme.
symposium_programme_final_18_june_2019.pdf | |
File Size: | 407 kb |
File Type: |
Register.
Attendance is free! Join the conversation. See you there! |
Share the event with your friends! |