The symposium is aimed at bringing together the University’s academics and students to explore the impact of the pedagogy of care on the assessment of students’ learning experiences, especially post COVID-19.
The University’s gradual move towards a more Blended Learning approach brings with it challenges about access and integrity, which speak to the quality of education that the University offers.
“Interrogating our approaches and practices brings us a step closer to understanding where and how we can improve. Education in its very essence is an act of care and a social justice imperative because of its importance in liberating the potential of students to become agents of change, hope and social justice. We understand that a humanising pedagogy requires students to take responsibility for their own learning,” said the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching, Dr Muki Moeng.
“It encourages a dialectic relationship between lecturers and students in order to co-construct knowledge and for meaning making. For true education to take place the dialectic relationship requires a relationship of care, mutual trust and vulnerability to exist between students and lecturers.
“Such a relationship opens opportunities for conversations and engagements that critically examine learning experiences, including assessment practices for the improvement of the learning experience and the achievement of learning outcomes.”
Dr Moeng said this relationship comes under strain during the implementation of assessment practices; especially when humanising principles and the pedagogy of care are misinterpreted to mean that all students must pass and that they will be given endless opportunities to pass.
“These challenges inhibit quality and effective assessment practices that promote continuous enhancement of learning and teaching,” she said.
The symposium affords academics and students a platform to critically reflect on learning, teaching and assessment matters in a scholarly manner. The intention is for these reflections to inform and shape the institution’s learning and teaching policies, guidelines, processes and practices.
Distinguished Professor in the Sociology of Education at Stellenbosch University, Prof Aslam Fataar; US-based Professor of Education Leadership, Prof Antonia Darder, and Rhodes University’s head of the Centre for Higher Education Research Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) Prof Joanne Vorster with give keynote addresses.