Feature • Academic Development
Supporting Academic Growth Through Technology
By Susan Wolff
Problem Analyst, Vanderbijlpark Campus Information Technology
As an Educational Developer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, Robyn Bunt spends most of her time empowering lecturers to rethink how they teach. For her, technology is not a gadget or a trend. It is a powerful enabler that helps academics create more interactive, student centred learning experiences and reflect more deeply on their own practice.
Robyn explains that when lecturers start experimenting with educational technologies, they often become more intentional about what they want students to learn and how they design activities. Digital assessment tools, learning analytics and collaborative platforms provide rich feedback about how students engage with content. This feedback, in turn, helps academics refine their courses so that learning is more meaningful and more inclusive, even when students do not all have access to the same resources.
Although Robyn does not work on curriculum documents directly, she regularly co facilitates workshops with Educational Developers and Educational Technologists. In these sessions, academics are encouraged to see the Learning Management System as much more than a storage space for notes. The LMS becomes the place where learning design comes to life, through structured modules, carefully sequenced activities and opportunities for students to collaborate and reflect.
Services offered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, from instructional design support to multimedia production, play a key role in this process. When academics partner with CTL staff, they can transform a traditional face to face course into a blended or online module that is flexible, engaging and aligned with clear learning outcomes.
When lecturers approach Robyn for help, she always starts with a simple question: what is the real teaching and learning problem that needs attention? Technology, she emphasises, should never be an add on. It must serve a clear pedagogical purpose, such as improving participation in large classes, supporting students who are at risk, or providing quicker feedback on assessments. Often the best approach is to start small, introduce one or two tools with clear instructions, and build confidence from there.
As part of her Masters research, Robyn identified several barriers that make it difficult for academics to adopt new technologies. Some lecturers doubt their own competence or lack the time to experiment. Others have limited access to tools or training, particularly when the technology is not centrally supported. Resistance to change is also common, especially when previous attempts with technology felt frustrating rather than helpful.
Communities of practice have proven to be one of the most effective responses to these challenges. By forming small groups within faculties, academics can see what colleagues in their disciplines are doing, ask questions in a supportive environment and share practical examples. When lecturers witness how a peer uses technology to simplify marking, increase engagement or generate actionable insights, the mood often shifts from anxiety to curiosity.
One of Robyn’s most rewarding projects was funded through a government grant that equipped academics with innovative technologies to transform their teaching. Several communities of practice grew out of this initiative, each focused on technology enhanced learning. In one case, a lecturer used interactive polling tools to turn a large first year lecture into an energetic conversation. Student participation and satisfaction improved, and the lecturer gained a clearer view of where students were struggling.
Looking ahead, Robyn believes that academic development will increasingly be shaped by three trends: digital fluency, data informed teaching and flexible professional learning opportunities. As analytics and artificial intelligence become more common in higher education, educational developers will play an important role in helping academics interpret learning data and personalise student support. At the same time, professional development itself is changing, moving toward more on demand, personalised and community based models rather than one off workshops.
Her message to colleagues is hopeful and practical. Lecturers do not need to master every new tool that appears. Instead, she encourages them to start small, experiment with purpose and see technology as a way of amplifying, not replacing, their expertise. The most important step is to be willing to try, to learn from experience and to reach out to support departments such as IT and CTL when guidance is needed. Colleagues, she says, are often the best source of inspiration, because they are already using technology in creative ways that others can adapt.
In this way, Robyn sees technology as part of a bigger culture of continuous improvement at the university. With thoughtful design, strong partnerships and a willingness to explore, academics can use digital tools to support student success and shape a more engaging learning experience for everyone.