• ​Word processing, identifying fake news, plagiarism, how to be a responsible online citizen and digital literacy among the essential knowledge skills first-year students will learn

The six-credit module – convened by the Department of Journalism – uses some of the principles of gamification in learning to equip students from various faculties, including Arts and Sciences, Theology, Law and Medicine and Health Sciences (Speech Pathology) with the tools they need to access and use information for academic purposes. The skills, which cover everything from word processing and accessing library sources to digital literacy, can be applied to all aspects of their studies. “These are skills that will support students throughout their university career and provide a strong foundation for further learning," says Dr Marenet Jordaan, senior lecturer at the Department of Journalism and one of the module's presenters.   

“This is a big undertaking for a department that has focused on postgraduate studies for 40 years. We have never had the opportunity to pull undergraduates into our programme and now, with this, we also hope to make them excited about what journalism has to offer," says Jordaan.

Interactive, hybrid approach

The course has been designed as a “road trip" with academic success as the end destination. As the department's first fully hybrid module, much of the learning takes place online with the student “behind the wheel", navigating through self-study material. This hybrid approach allows for synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities - a key focus for the University. The module includes live-streamed classes on Microsoft Teams, peer-assessed assignments, and interactive quizzes.  

A collaborative effort

Although the Department of Journalism has taken the lead in designing and convening the Knowledge Skills module, it has been in the planning since around 2017. It forms part of a faculty-wide programme renewal initiative and is a collaboration between several departments and divisions, including staff from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Extended Degree Programme, library specialists and learning designers from the hybrid learning division.

“One of my biggest learnings from this initiative is how many support structures SU offers lecturers. The Centre for Teaching and Learning and the Centre for Learning Technologies are just two of the resources available to help faculties support teaching on campus."

Jordaan says the Department was also looking forward to being able to contribute to enhanced learning at the participating faculties. “It is daunting but also exciting to welcome so many students to this module. As a department with an established focus on post-graduate study, we are delighted to be able to broaden our footprint within the University with a module that is aimed specifically at first-year students."