Press Release – Association of African Universities joins SCOSS to help secure the future of Open Science
October 17, 2018
Career Opportunity: Dean-School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Lusaka
October 18, 2018
Workshop on Innovations in Teaching and Learning
Strengthening the delivery of post-graduate Education in African Universities
Hosted by AquaFish ACE LUANAR & AAU
19-23 November 2018, Lilongwe, Malawi
NEW DATES: 4-8 FEBRUARY 2019
Registration Link: https://www.research.net/r/AquaFish
Background
Teaching if done properly results in “quality” academic outputs, that is, the graduates and research. The indicators of quality graduates include ability to conduct research, possessing critical thinking skills, ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder engagements, having entrepreneurial skills, ability to make presentations, exhibiting good written and verbal communication skills, having confidence, displaying life-long learning skills and having the ability to synthesize key information, among several other indicators. African Higher Education institutions continue to be challenged to produce graduates that can solve problems and contribute to the development of their countries. This therefore implies that universities must review how they teach and reflect on how their students learn effectively.
Examples of Innovative teaching and learning methods
Confucius, a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher is quoted as having said “I hear and I forget. I see and I believe. I do and I understand”. This statement links very well with the concept of being innovative in teaching. Clearly innovative methods of teaching and learning require a total mindset change in terms of the roles of the professors and the learners. The innovative methods also allow the learning to be two-way. These new ways facilitate practical exposure for students, experiential learning and role-based learning. The new learning solutions and methods thus become student centered with the objective of producing that “quality graduate”. Some examples of innovative teaching and learning methods include:
- Flipped Classroom
- Role-based learning
- Internships in relevant industries and corporate organizations
- Problem Solving linked to real Community Engagements
- Twinning programs to promote cross-learning
- Regional seminars to facilitate sharing of expertise
- Case based learning for fields such as medicine and health
- Problem based learning
- Group work assignments
- Field Visits
- Technology-assisted learning (mobile, learning management systems, multimedia technologies, etc)
Excellence in Education and Research Capacity and Development Impact
The Disbursement Linked Indicator 2 (DLI 2) under the Africa Centers of Excellence project places emphasis on “excellence in education and research capacity and development impact”. The sub-indicators further expound on “improved teaching and learning environment as per approved proposal”. The DLI document states that the “implementation plan for each ACE will clearly describe 4 annual main milestones for improving of teaching and learning environment based upon the specific activities to be undertaken by the ACE”. Besides `the creation of conducive physical learning environments through constructing classrooms and equipping of laboratories it is important for the ACEs to articulate how else they are strengthening their teaching delivery methods so that they produce quality graduates.
About the proposed workshop
The Association of African Universities and AquaFish ACE hosted by Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources will deliver a five-day workshop on ‘Innovations in Teaching and Learning’ to spark discussions and understanding how AquaFish ACE is implementing innovative teaching methods and what else they could be doing to improve in this area. The key objectives of the workshop will be to:
- Discuss key concepts and case studies on innovative teaching and learning methods
- Deliberate on the challenges and opportunities associated with supervising graduate students
- Exploring the use of technology to improve teaching delivery methods in African Universities
- Participate in learning visits to institutions in Lilongwe that have begun implementing innovative methods of teaching and learning
Draft Program
| DAY | PROPOSED ACTIVITIES |
| DAY 1 |
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| DAY 2 |
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| DAY 3 |
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| DAY 4 |
Hands On Sessions : Course / Learning Management Systems |
| DAY 5 |
Experiential Learning Visit to an institution in Lilongwe that has done well in implementing e-learning |
How To Register
Registration Link: https://www.research.net/r/AquaFish
What are the deadlines?
• Early round registration deadline: 31 December, 2018
• Regular registration deadline: 21 January, 2019
• Late registration: Dependent on space
Workshop Fees– include Workshop Tuition, Workshop Materials, Refreshments and Certificates
- USD 500 for staff from AAU Member Institutions
- USD 600 for staff from non-AAU Member Institutions
- Participants from Malawi must consult the AquaFish ACE for details on their participation Fees (Email: jkangombe@luanar.ac.mw)
Contact Details
Association of African Universities: Miss Edith LAARI: elaari@aau.org
AquaFish ACE: Professor Jeremiah KANG’OMBE: jkangombe@luanar.ac.mw
Download the Workshop flyer: AquaFish-Continental Flyer
