TVET lecturer researches barriers to learning
Barriers to learning for students in the TVET college sector, was the focus of the, research done by Masters in Education graduate, Nontutuzelo Magingxa, 46.
“Barriers to learning pose a challenge to lecturers and students in TVET colleges, as many students who experience barriers drop out of the system. These barriers also affect colleges’ throughput rate,” said Nontutuzelo.
As an English Lecturer at Port Elizabeth TVET College for the past eight years, she’s had first-hand experience with these challenges.
Findings from the investigation indicated that many lecturers understand the concept of barriers to learning; however, they feel inadequately trained on how to identify and support students experiencing barriers to learning at the TVET College.
“I believe in education, it makes a difference and opens doors of opportunity, it will alleviate poverty and reduce crime,” said Nontutuzelo.
Her study concluded that the college should devise mechanisms that will enhance teaching and learning, apply effective implementation of inclusive education and provide professional development for lecturers on a continuous basis.
Besides her Masters, Nontutuzelo also has a BA Psychology and Sociology degree, her Honours in Psychology, Honours in Education and a Post Grad Certificate in Education. She started studying in 2007, after leaving her job as a tyre builder at a well-known tyre company in Port Elizabeth.
“I am a hard worker; I believe in myself and I’ve always wanted to achieve great things. For me my honours was not enough, I needed to push myself to achieve more,” she said.
Nontutuzelo, has taken the year off studying to support her son in his first year of his studies at Nelson Mandela University. She does however plan on working towards her PHD next year.
Published by Nelson Mandela University
A family of Mandela Masters
MSc Computer Science cum laude graduate John de Villiers is the fourth person in the De Villiers family to graduate with a master’s degree from Mandela University.
He is, however, the first in the family to obtain an MSc at this Autumn graduation and is currently an intern at Amazon in Cape Town.
His brother David obtained an MA in Economics also cum laude, while both his mother Alethea and father Derek hold masters and doctorates in Education and Philosophy respectively.
Alethea is head of the Music Department at Mandela University. John also plays electric guitar and is a prolific reader, interested in Philosophy, in line with his parents’ footsteps.
His supervisor Computing Sciences’ Prof Andre Calitz praised John’s research in the field of Computational Intelligence, which develops systems that can exhibit intelligent behaviour in complex environments, through the use of nature-inspired means.
In the related fields of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, this is often accomplished by using Deep, Artificial Neural Network-based Reinforcement Learning, Prof Calitz says.
Prof Jean Greyling was his co-supervisor.
Published by Nelson Mandela University
Hebrews 12:11 - “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces harvest of righteousness...”
This is for all the teenage moms who think they can’t make it in life. You can master it all sis. 23/04/2021 - Graduates NUMBER 4. Completed my last specialty and took a bow from specialties.
I’m excited to say, I have enough of them. Getting this second degree was such a challenge, yet exciting, through out it was a roller coaster of emotions but I’ve learnt akhonto ingadluliyo.
First graduates in BTech Marine Engineering
The first two graduates in BEngTech Marine Engineering graduated at Nelson Mandela University’s Autumn Graduation.
Matthew Nel and Aidan August are furthering their studies and have enrolled for the fourth-year honours in Mechanical Engineering at the University, taking selective specialist modules in marine engineering focusing on ship and marine craft design.
Matthew Nel (left), Marine Engineering acting head of department, Howard Theunissen and Aidan August
A total of 70 students are enrolled in the undergraduate Marine Engineering programme at Mandela University, says Howard Theunissen, acting Head of Department for Marine Engineering.
Nelson Mandela University joins UNESCO on International Jazz Day
Nelson Mandela University students, staff and alumni – along with three top South African musicians – will share a virtual stage with hundreds of international performers participating in UNESCO-backed International Jazz Day on 30 April.
The University’s Digital Isisusa Jazz Fest ‘20 was recorded without an audience in October last year, thanks to Covid-19 restrictions and will be broadcast online as part of the #JazzDay10 edition of International Jazz Day 2021.
The 60-minute concert features original compositions by vocalist and Mandela University music student Andy Ndlazilwana, a rising star in contemporary Afro-Jazz, Eastern Cape music educator and trombonist Kyle Du Preez and 2020 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz winner, saxophonist Sisonke Xonti.
Works performed in the concert reflected the diversity and musical hybridity of contemporary South African jazz, said concert director and pianist Ulagh Williams.
BCom graduate overcomes language barrier and excel
In 2016, when BCom Business Management graduate Marie N'Guessan, arrived from Côte d’Ivoire, excited and ready to study at Nelson Mandela University, she had never been in South Africa and had just learnt to speak English.
The then 19-year old Ivorian, who spent the previous six months in Ghana, learning to speak English in perpetration for her studies, had previously only spoken French.
“Before I went to Ghana, I couldn’t string a simple sentence together in English,” giggled Marie.
Marie sites overcoming the language barrier as the biggest challenge towards graduating.
She first heard about Nelson Mandela University when a family friend convinced Marie’s mother to let her study medicine at the institution. However, it was only once Marie arrived in Port Elizabeth, that she discovered the Medical School was not yet fully operational.
Master’s graduate’s exceptional diligence leads to unusual insights
Zoology Master’s graduate Hendrik du Toit overcame the challenging trials of doing a field and laboratory-based research project during the lockdown of 2020, to graduate cum laude at Nelson Mandela University’s April Graduation.
With the mentorship of Prof Nadine Strydom and her Fish Research Team, Hendrik’s dissertation produced meaningful insights into the ecology and physiology of an unusual gobid fish, experiencing high levels of parasite infection within microbialite pools near the University’s South Campus in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).
Hendrik is also the co-author of one peer-reviewed international scientific publication stemming from his master’s research and is in the process of preparing three of his dissertation chapters for submission for publication.
Record one-year master’s study on POPI Act
“Quoting our namesake, Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it is done” was a reality for the MPhil in Information Technology (IT) Governance treatise research that I undertook in 2020” says graduate Constandious Takura Munakandafa.
Constandious is a Lab Systems Analyst at Pathcare Pathology Laboratory in Cape Town. His research topic "Annotated Pathology Laboratory Workflows to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)" involved both IT and Law, which meant it required two supervisors, namely Professor Dalenca Pottas from the Faculties of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology and Professor Andre Mukheibir from the Faculty of Law.
Taking into account that the POPIA only comes into effect on 1 July 2021, there were limited research papers available in South Africa for organisations that have implemented the legislation. In particular, the health care sector has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic where processing of private patient information always comes under the spotlight.
Mandela University shines in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings
The Times Higher Education [THE] Impact Rankings are global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – essentially measuring higher education institutions’ contribution to the SDGs.
Measuring this contribution and the impact that the institution is having is especially important to Nelson Mandela University as it strives to be in service of society.
The 2021 Impact Rankings is the third edition, and the overall ranking includes 1 115 universities from 94 countries or regions. This was the first year that Mandela University participated in the THE Impact Rankings and the submissions were based on an extensive mapping exercise that was carried out across all faculties and departments. Based on the results of this exercise, three SDGs were chosen for submission to the THE Impact Rankings and the University submitted reports for Good Health and Wellbeing [SDG 3], Life Below Water [SDG 14] and Life on Land [SDG 15], as well as the compulsory submission required for Partnerships for the Goals [SDG 17].
The ranking report shows that Mandela University ranked 4th in South Africa with the University of Johannesburg, the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town as the top three ranking universities. Nelson Mandela University’s strongest ranking SDG was Life Below Water [SDG 14] and the University is the only one in South Africa to rank in this SDG – and 40th globally. Partnerships [SDG 17] also ranked high, with Mandela University ranking highest in South Africa, together with the University of Cape Town and the University of Pretoria.
These results confirm the institution’s commitment to being an engaged university, to contribute to achieving the SDGs and to make a contribution to social and economic development. Moreover, they indicate that this commitment is being actioned to produce research to solve complex problems and develop initiatives that serve communities. Furthermore, Mandela University is in the process of developing an institutional Sustainability Sciences Hub that will serve to position the university as a champion for sustainability science that has a uniquely African focus. An entity that contributes to global sustainability - Africa based and owned, but globally enabled.
We are indeed extremely pleased with this achievement, as it exposes years of scholarly and programmatic focus, our University has paid on Sustainability Science and practices. We thank our Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, Dr Thandi Mgwebi, and all colleagues working with her, for making sure that this work is elevated through our participation in the THE Impact Rankings programme.
Professor Sibongile Muthwa
Vice-Chancellor
Mandela University virtual autumn graduation has kicked off
The first of more than 6 000 graduands, including three honorary doctorate recipients, crossed the virtual graduation stage today in the first of six ceremonies at Nelson Mandela University.
Graduation kicked off with graduates from the Education and Law faculties, with 135 and 347 students respectively. Of the total 6 060 graduands, 41 are doctoral degrees and 270 Master’s qualifications.
Due to the prevailing restrictions in place because of the coronavirus pandemic, the University continues with its tough, yet responsible decision to host the graduation ceremonies virtually as part of the ongoing health and safety measures.
During its autumn graduation session, the University will confer honorary doctorates on businesswoman Ms Gloria Serobe; author and speaker Ms Mmatshilo Motsei, and internationally renowned academic lawyer and expert Professor Martin Tsamenyi.
Developing a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors
The development of a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors, while at the same time guiding policymakers and the mining industry in the development of policies and strategies, are among the contributions and findings of PhD in Business Management graduate Talifhani Khubana’s study.
Talifhani will graduate at Nelson Mandela University’s Autumn Graduation.
George Campus student and lecturer make history
The graduation of Gabriella Berman with an MCom: Marketing makes history for the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, and the Department of Marketing Management on the George campus.
Gabriella Berman is a postgraduate student at Nelson Mandela University’s George Campus who holds an undergraduate Diploma in Marketing, a Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Business Management as well as a Master of Commerce in Marketing Management. Gabriella was supervised by Dr Adele Potgieter during her master’s degree. Gabriella is therefore the first George student to obtain an MCom within the entire BES faculty on the George Campus, and the first time that a master’s student in the Faculty on the George Campus has been supervised by a lecturer of that campus.
PR graduate turns negative into positive
“It’s important for people to turn negative situations into positives,” this is the outlook of Public Relations Management graduate, Ross Dakin, 23.
Despite his physical challenges, due to cerebral palsy, compounded by the global Covid-19 pandemic, it was this motto that carried Ross through the final stages, to complete his studies.
Ross had just started his in-service training at a local PR company, when the National Lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic was implemented.
As was reality for many businesses, the lockdown meant that the company didn’t have much work coming in.
However, his positive, can-do attitude helped him self-generate work, in order to complete his mandatory in-service training and successfully qualify to receive his diploma.
Ross, who is differently abled, is wheelchair bound, cannot write and has challenges with his vision, yet these challenges didn’t stop him from obtaining 14 distinctions out of the 19 subjects required to complete his qualification.
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Congratulations to Alumni Association President and alumnus, Mr Blose, who was elected to serve on the Nelson Mandela University's Council structure last night (15 April 2021) at the Alumni Association Special Election Meeting.
Mr Blose holds a BSc (Construction Economics) ‘06 and BSc Hons (Construction Economics) ’06 from Nelson Mandela University.
He is currently the MD and sole owner of Tina Consulting: Quantity Surveying Services, MD & sole owner of Siyaya Hygiene Services – Hgiene, Cleaning, Pest Control and Sanitary waste, Director at N2End Consulting: Digital and Social Marketing Services and the Former CEO of Masakeni Civil Construction firm, CIDB grade 8CE PE.
Coming soon!! We will be launching our digital networking platform giving you exclusive access to our Alumni network. Stay tuned for updates!
Top entrepreneurship spot for Mandela Uni specialist
Student Entrepreneurship Specialist in the Department of Student Governance & Development at Mandela University, Karen Snyman, has been appointed as Deputy Chairperson of the Community of Practice for Student Entrepreneurship.
The Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education* (EDHE) Communities of Practice have grown to become the university voice of entrepreneurship that are called upon for information, guidance, advice and engagement with other public and private sector entities.
As Deputy Chair of the CoP for Student Entrepreneurship specifically, Karen will have an important task as the face of this CoP to provide leadership, advocacy, and influence in advancing entrepreneurial activity at institutions.
In addition, her participation will be in fulfilling the oversight responsibilities in respect to the EDHE Programme through actively driving the objectives and projects of the CoP.
* The EDHE is a programme of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), funded through the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP). EDHE is positioned within Universities South Africa (USAf), the representative organisation of the 26 public universities.