Home SAGEA Events Calendar - Members only Webinar series SAGEA Graduate Attributes Webinar: Designing and implementing digital skills learning pathway for all students

SAGEA Graduate Attributes Webinar: Designing and implementing digital skills learning pathway for all students

In a post-pandemic world of work, we need to think differently about work by thinking differently about the world. There has been a distinct shift in working environments as they become increasingly more reliant on digitalisation. Employees with digital skills are now more sought after than ever before. How are universities preparing students to be competent and efficient in a digitalised world of work?

At the UFS, we believe in teaching our students the value of upskilling themselves. We have created a digital skills learning pathway to help them do just that.

Join Prof Francois Strydom and Lauren Oosthuizen as they explore what digital skills and competencies are, how the UFS has designed and implemented a digital skills learning pathway for all students, and how they are measuring it.

This interactive session promises to be a thought-provoking discussion on the digital skills students and employees need, and how the UFS empowers students to be more employable through developing those skills.

Speakers:

Prof. J. Francois Strydom

Ms Lauren L. Oosthuizen

Prof. Francois Strydom is currently the Senior Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State. He has been the project leader of the South African Surveys of Student Engagement (SASSE) since 2007. The SASSE project, sponsored by the Kresge Foundation, has been used by 20 public higher education institutions across Southern Africa. The SASSE has influenced national quality assurance policy and practices and is a key component of the Siyaphumelela (We succeed) network focused on improving student success in higher education through the use of data analytics. His research interests include student engagement and success, improving the quality of teaching and learning, and evidence-based change in higher education and employability.

Lauren Oosthuizen is on the management of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State. Lauren leads two High Impact Practices: the university’s compulsory First Year Seminar for first year students, and the capstone ePortfolio module for final year and postgraduate students to enhance their employability. She also leads two institutional projects: the UFS Graduate Attributes project, and the UFS Digital Skills and Competencies Pathway. Her experience is related to curriculum development and design, student success, project and people management, delivering high impact practices at scale, and teaching large classes with a focus on blended learning, student engagement and learning-centred teaching.