National Strategic Planning Meeting - Implementing Review of Undergraduate Physics Training

26 Mar 2015, 08:00 → 27 Mar 2015, 18:00 Africa/Johannesburg

St George Hotel

This planning meeting aims develop concrete strategic interventions to address issues and challenges from the Report on Review of Undergraduate Physics Training in South Africa. The overall aim of the project is to improve the quality of undergraduate physics graduates in South Africa hence contribute to better prepared post-graduate students and increase in Human Capital with Science Engineering and Technology (SET) skills required for key global science projects such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

Thursday, 26 March

09:30 → 10:00 Arrival and Registration

10:00 → 10:10 Welcome Remarks - SAIP President - Dr I Gledhill

10:10 → 10:20 CHE & SAIP Partnership and Review - Prof Rehana Valley

10:20 → 10:30 Remarks Group of Experts - Prof Craig Comrie

document Undergrad_Physics_Report_Final.pdf (Protected)

10:30 → 10:45 Overview of Challenges & Issues - Dr. Sam Ramaila

document Summary_of_Key__Issues.pdf (Protected)

10:45 → 11:00 Expectations and Planning Process (Lead Co-Facilitators Dr Gledhill & Prof Valley)

Expectations
Everyone present will be given the opportunity to summarise their expectations from the workshop. What they think are the most important issues Physics Community must address to improve Undergraduate Training?

Planning Process
Lead Facilitator will outline how the planning process will proceed. Made up of break away sessions and report back sessions and final discussion of resulting strategies and and agreed way forward.

For each strategic focus area that will be addressed, the break-away groups must discuss and report on the following key issues
1. Broad Strategic Objective
2. Desired Outcome / Outputs / Milestones
3. What Activities , Strategies and Tactics must the Physics Community Implement to achieve the desired outcome/outputs/milestones
4. Who must do which activity / task within The Physics Community

document Guidelines_to_Moderators_and_Rapporteurs.docx (Protected)

11:00 → 13:00 Planning Session 1 : Break away - Dr Sam Ramaila

1.1- Dealing with poor skills of entering students
• Improving quality of entering students from matric
• Students work Ethic
• Dealing with under-performing students
• 4 year degree programme

1.2- Resources
• Sharing Lecture Materials
• Inadequate laboratory facilities
• Under staffing & workloads

===> National Physics Teaching Platform (IT Systems, Staff and Services)

document Example of Necsa Teaching System Mational_Physics_Teaching_Platform-1.docx (Protected)

paper See Chap 8 (Protected)

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Session 1: Report Backs (Lead Co-Facilitators Dr Gledhill & Prof Valley)

15:00 → 15:15 Afternoon Tea

15:15 → 17:00 Planning Session 2 - Break Away - Dr Sam Ramaila

2.1 – Quality of BSc Degree
• Implementing benchmark statement
• Evaluation Techniques
• Quality versus quantity

2.2 – Professional development
• Mentoring and lecturer development / lecturer sharing exchange
• Regional Communities of practice
• Teaching Monitoring and Evaluation of Physics Lecturers
• Promoting Physics Education as area of research

document Benchmark_Statement_Draft.pdf (Protected)

17:00 → 18:00 Session 2 Report Backs (Lead Co-Facilitators Dr Gledhill & Prof Valley)

19:00 → 20:00 Dinner

Friday, 27 March

09:00 → 09:15 Summary of Day 1 (Lead Co-Facilitators Dr Gledhill & Prof Valley)

09:15 → 11:00 Planning Session 3 Break Away - Dr Sam Ramaila

3.1 – Physics Teacher Development
• Involvement in teacher development and training
• University training of Physics Teachers
3.2 – Attracting & Keeping Students into Physics
• Attracting students into physics
• Retaining undergraduates in physics
• Tracking students
• Promoting Women in Physics
• Careers in physics & link with Industry and commerce

11:00 → 12:00 Session 3 : Report Back (Lead Co-Facilitators Dr Gledhill & Prof Valley)

13:00 → 14:00 Luch

14:00 → 15:00 Overal Meeting Summary, Concluding Remarks and Way Forward - (Lead Co-Facilitators Dr Gledhill & Prof Valley)

15:00 → 15:35 Vote of Thanks & Closure - B Masara