Teaching and Learning Encounters (TLE) 2021

Dear colleagues

We have seen impressive resilience from students and staff during the pandemic and we have learnt a lot from this often painful crisis. While we are still immersed in the dilemmas and stresses of online teaching, we need to consider how teaching and learning at UCT after the pandemic can be enriched by lessons and practices learnt. What have we gained? What have we lost? Where are we going?

Some of the key issues that have been highlighted are:

• compassionate approaches to teaching and learning at individual and institutional levels
• building sustainable systems to support teaching and learning in unequal conditions
• developing innovations that can become part of normal teaching and learning practices.

At the same time, staff and students have complained about lack of engagement and personal interaction. Concerns have been raised as to the effectiveness of the teaching done under pandemic conditions. For some there is a sense of loss, for others there is a strong sense of hope and opportunity, and for the largest majority there is a sense of exhaustion. It is for these reasons that we will be hosting the Teaching and Learning Encounters (TLE) 2021 from 26 November to 2 December 2021. The platform is designed to encourage and provoke colleagues across UCT to share insights and reflect on our experiences over the last 18 months, and to dream and plan together for our post-pandemic future.

• Register your interest in participating.

TLE2021 is adopting an open space methodology to support participant-initiated conversations, supporting online experiences of human connection and authentic shared presence. We will use a range of asynchronous and synchronous activities, to unleash the best thinking and creativity in the UCT teaching and learning community, and provide activities focused on community building and self-care. We will convene open space conversations on 26 and 29 November, as well as on 1 December. The community building and self-care events will be on 30 November and 2 December.

Key questions:

• How do we exercise self-care and compassion in teaching and learning?
• What did the pandemic reveal about the institution?
• What have we learnt about learning and teaching?
• What does leadership look like in such uncertain and changing contexts?

TLE2021 is open to only UCT staff (including those on contract).

• Find out more information.

If you have any further queries, please contact cilt.events@uct.ac.za, and a team member will get back to you.

Sincerely

Associate Professor Lis Lange
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements