The EduTech Division plays a role advising faculty staff on the inclusion of e-learning in courses and programmes. Staff are advised on, and supported in the on-line, mixed-mode delivery of educational programmes for qualification purposes. At postgraduate level we are involved in programmes from departments and units such Paediatrics, Family Medicine, Disabilities Studies and the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre. At undergraduate level, we advise and support courses in all MBChB disciplines and Allied Health Services’ divisions. 

The division was part of the group which received UCT’s 2015 Collaborative Educational Practice Award for developing a very successful Post Graduate Diploma in Pesticide Risk Management (DPRM) led by Hanna-Andrea Rother, based in the Centre for Environmental and Occupational Research in Health Sciences, The diploma not only by assembling the right blend of cross-disciplinary content and skills, but by creating on-line communication and teaching approaches. The programme has been acclaimed for not only providing effective training, but also inducting participants into the community of PRM professionals.

The division thus provides technology support to staff and students in the faculty. This involves supporting the use of Vula and lecture recording and managing staff training workshops, teaching Digital Literacy to all first year students and running a CPD-accredited online course called “Innovative Teaching using Technology”. The goal is to allow staff and students to be able to concentrate on teaching and learning without getting bogged down by "how-to's". There is the additional requirement that necessary policies and manuals are created, made available and adhered to enable a high standard model of support in line with current UCT policies and other documents:

Since this policy is the basis on which all technology usage is based, it is important to keep in mind the principles expressed in the policy:

  • UCT encourages and is committed to enabling the innovative and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for teaching and learning in UCT courses and programmes.
  • UCT supports a faculty-based approach to implementation.
  • UCT believes that the use of ICTs for teaching and learning must be driven by sound pedagogical principles.
  • UCT believes that ICT use must be driven by the needs of the institution's students and staff, facilitated by technological advances.
  • UCT supports an integrative approach to the use of ICTs
  • UCT is committed to ongoing research in the emerging field of educational technology.

It is important to remember that the goal of EduTech Division is to support the teaching of staff and learning of students in the Faculty of Health Sciences in pursuit of UCT's vision of being an outstanding teaching and research university, educating for life and addressing the challenges facing our society