NEW: Emerging Technologies in Higher Education - A guide for South African HE practitioners

One of the activities of the 'Emerging ICTs in Higher Education' project has been the documentation of in-depth case studies of educators’ innovative pedagogical practices using emerging technologies, with particular emphasis on those that would be useful and affordable in resource-scarce contexts.


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As an outcome we have developed this practitioner’s guide of selected case studies available from the end of 2013. This guide provides a brief overview of the South African higher education (HE) context and the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to respond to some of the challenges that the South African HE landscape faces, an introduction to the project, and the key findings that resulted from this project. At the heart of this guide, however, are 11 short case studies, in which educators report on their experiences with introducing emerging technologies in their teaching and learning practices.

These case studies are drawn from seven South African HEIs, both resource-rich and resource-poor, from diverse disciplines such as Teacher Education, Nursing and Media Studies, covering a variety of tools and technologies, such as traditional learning management systems (LMSs), but also a wide range of social media applications, such as discussion forums, Facebook groups, Google Drive and blogs, to address a variety of educational challenges. These challenges include: managing large classes, enhancing interaction and collaboration among geographically dispersed students, facilitating critical reflection, developing digital literacy skills or creating safe online spaces to practice professional skills.

We are hoping that this wide choice of applications of emerging technologies and in particular the key points for effective practice based on both the rewards and challenges of the educators’ experiences using technology in their specific educational contexts, will offer the reader valuable insights into the benefits and challenges of adopting innovative and creative ways to enhance teaching and learning in HE, and transfer some of the passion and enthusiasm of these innovators to a wider audience.

Cheryl Brown & Daniela Gachago (eds.)