As part of the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec), Carnegie Mellon University Africa, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand, held its annual Faculty Enrichment Program in October. The Faculty Enrichment Program aims to support ICT instructors by providing an opportunity to explore effective teaching and learning methods and approaches and network with colleagues across institutions. The program was done in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
Given Afretec’s objective to create technology leaders and innovators in the ICT sector to drive inclusive digital transformation in Africa, the Faculty Enrichment Program’s target audience includes colleagues working in the ICT sector. Each year, the Faculty Enrichment Program will target a different ICT-related discipline.
This year, a mix of postgraduate students, junior and senior faculty, and staff in computer science (e.g., programming, data structures and algorithms, database systems, software engineering or design, machine learning, etc.) were invited to participate. Participants were from across the Afretec Network, including CMU-Africa, the University of Witwatersrand, the American University in Cairo, the University of Lagos, the University of Nairobi, and the University of Rwanda.
The Faculty Enrichment Program aims to support ICT instructors by providing an opportunity to explore effective teaching and learning methods and approaches and network with colleagues across institutions.
Afretec is working to create technology leaders and innovators in the ICT sector to drive inclusive digital transformation in Africa.
Participants note the benefits of collaborating with instructors from across the continent and the exposure of a variety of different perspectives.
The program consisted of two parts. In part one, 67 registered participants attended a four-day virtual program to explore innovative, evidence-based pedagogy and course design practices. In part two, a selected group of 32 participants attended a three-day in-person facilitator session at the University of Witwatersrand to learn to facilitate the workshops from part one at their own institutions.
"The useful insights and hands-on activities helped me learn a lot. I feel not only enriched, but empowered,” says one participant as part of the course feedback form. Other participants note the benefits of collaborating with instructors from across the continent and the exposure of a variety of different perspectives.
Each university committed to facilitating at least one workshop at their institution and another regional institution within six months. The aim of the additional workshops is to continue building internal capacity for teaching and learning across the network, increase the impact of the Faculty Enrichment Program, and extend resources and support to universities beyond the Afretec Network.
Source: University of the Witwatersrand
Program participants pose together at University of the Witwatersrand.
