The Department for Education Innovation (EI) provides institution-wide workshops and priority courses to develop academic staff members' teaching, assessment and e-learning skills.
As an academic at the University of Pretoria, you have the opportunity to enhance your teaching skills continuously. Our continuing professional development programme improves the expertise of academic staff by providing resources that help you build your current skill set but also help you advance your career. By using continuing professional development, you will increase your teaching knowledge, acquire new teaching and facilitation skills, and find adapting to changing circumstances in the working environment much more effortless.
The aim of continuing the professional development programme is to develop a combination of Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge and skills. This is the knowledge required to integrate appropriate technology into teaching while addressing the complex nature of your academic knowledge.
To support academics as teachers, we provide a hybrid mode of delivery related to teaching, facilitation, learning, and assessment.
By enrolling in continuing professional development courses as a lecturer, you will develop teaching, facilitation, and assessment skills, increasing student engagement and ultimately leading to student success. The professional development programme (CPD) is tailor-made to support and develop academics at different career stages, which include:
- An emerging scholar with an interest in following an academic career
- A newly appointed academic or someone in the early stages of their career
- Alternatively, you might already be established in your role and have developed a significant teaching and research capacity.
- Or you could be an academic leader, no longer teaching directly but holding a professional leadership position.
Regardless of the level, CPD allows you to continue growing in different career areas and achieve prominent distinction locally and internationally with the University of Pretoria. Visit the UP Portal and find out more about how you can enhance your academic career.
e-learning & clickUP workshops
Please download the Professional Development 2024 Booklet for more information about the courses.
Self-paced, entirely online clickUP courses (not for the new clickUP ULTRA)
Enrol yourself by opening this link. Please note that you must first be logged in to clickUP before opening this link.
Academic induction for newly appointed lecturers
As part of the teaching and learning requirements, newly appointed staff must complete the UP Teaching and Learning Induction process during the probation period (first year). The first opportunity to attend the academic induction is 12-14 February 2024 (course code 530). For more information, please see the invitation. For more information, contact Ms Faith Mathibedi at x5177 or email [email protected]. It is also essential for all newly appointed lecturers and teaching assistants to attend the clickUP Overview course (link).
The Academic Induction Programme aims to introduce newly appointed lecturers to the different aspects of their teaching roles in higher education and at UP in particular. The programme:
- Offer participants opportunities to explore various teaching and learning features (pedagogical competencies).
- Ensure that participants know the regulatory environment around research and innovation at UP and the university’s strategic research priorities.
- Introduce participants to the teaching and research infrastructures and support mechanisms available to enhance the university’s research productivity and teaching excellence.
As part of the permanent appointment process, newly appointed academic staff members are obliged to complete the Academic Induction Programme during their probation period. The process consists of the following:
- Attend the Academic Induction Programme (two days) that follows the UP’s teaching model of “prepare, engage and consolidate”.
- Complete any three professional development courses presented by the Department for Education Innovation’s Education Consultancy section.
- Conduct two lectures for evaluation by an Education Consultant and a peer.
- Submit the certificate of attendance for probation requirements to HR.
Participants will be made aware of the various professional development opportunities available. For more information, please contact Dr Rejoice Nsibande (Head: Education Consultancy).
Tutor training
To ensure that tutors and demonstrators are trained and equipped, they should complete the self-enrol online tutor training course. The course takes about 4 hours to complete. Upon completing the online course, tutors receive an automated letter of participation. The training consists of the following five themes:
- Introduction to tutoring
- Tutoring for Learning in Higher Education
- Exploring Tutorial spaces
- Knowing your students
- Evaluating your tutorial practice
The key outcomes of the training are:
- Analyse and reflect on the purpose of tutorials in Higher Education from the South African context;
- Understanding and reflecting on your role as a tutor as a change agent in creating a learning environment where all students can learn.
- Reflect and discuss the significance of tutoring for engaged learning
- Be familiar with a range of teaching and learning approaches applicable to tutoring spaces
- Understanding the UP context and embracing student diversity and student agency
Courses to enhance teaching, learning and assessment
The Education Consultancy Unit provides institution-wide priority courses to enhance teaching, learning and assessment. See the detailed information about the outcomes and topics addressed in this document to determine if the course will manage your expectations. Should you have any questions, email the coordinator, Ms Faith Mathibedi.
Please download the Professional Development 2024 Booklet for more information about the courses.
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