From teaching staff to learning designers and leadership, every university aims to drive better learning outcomes to prepare students for the future. Besides delivering quality course content and structure, it is also crucial to engage students with the content itself and have them become active participants in the learning process to ensure that the knowledge and skill uptake takes place in a meaningful way. However, this is not an easy task, especially in the context of courses with large classes, and multiple faculties and departments having diverse needs and expectations. How can universities and educators provide every student the support they need considering the limited time, resources, and the capabilities of their existing learning environments?
Join our webinar with the University of Free State to learn about how they collaborated with FeedbackFruits to transform their teaching & learning across several faculties and departments with innovative learning and assessment strategies. They will showcase examples of engaging course designs and learning activities implemented with FeedbackFruits in Blackboard, and how they improved the student experience at scale.
Get a head start on enhancing your educational practices by downloading our ebook, "Authentic Assessment Rubrics in Higher Education: A Collection of Templates." This resource complements the topics we'll be discussing at OLC and provides valuable insights for educators seeking to implement authentic assessment strategies including:
Violet Phejane is a dedicated Senior Learning Designer at the University of the Free State's Centre for Teaching and Learning. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to fostering educational equity and student success. With a proven track record in creating innovative and inclusive learning experiences, Phejane's research has been published in numerous South African Higher Education journals. Her research agenda intersects with broader higher education concerns, examining the complex interplay between technology, pedagogy, and student access/success. Phejane is actively involved and serves as an executive in various organisations, including the Kutloanong Rehabilitation for Ex-Offenders (KREO), the Global Feminist Action Group, the National Association of Distance Education and Open Learning in South Africa (NADEOSA), and serves as the project lead for FeedbackFruits. She holds a Master's degree in Gender Studies with research distinction. Phejane has been recognised for her contributions to the field of education, receiving numerous accolades, including being named one of Mail & Guardian's top 200 Young South African leaders in Education in 2024.
Jocelyn Diedericks is a dedicated and hardworking accounting professional, holding a Postgraduate Diploma in Chartered Accountancy (2023), a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Honours (2022), and a bachelor's in commerce accounting (2021) both from the University of the Free State. She has also completed her Initial test of competence board exam in 2024 and on her way to completing her APC board exam in 2025 in her journey of becoming a Chartered Accountant. With extensive experience as a tutor in Accounting, Tax, Business, and Ethics, she has a strong background in guiding students through complex subjects. As a former Officer for Professional Development with the UFS Golden Key Honour Society, she honed her skills in event planning and student development. Currently engaged in her 1st year of Academic Articles at UFS, she continues to expand her expertise in the field.
Passionate about the world of Digital Learning, Marion’s journey has afforded her a 360° view of this sector: starting as a distance learner, then progressing to become a tutor and online instructor, and ultimately an instructional designer. With a blend of pedagogical innovation and UX Design, she enjoys envisioning and crafting learning experiences that foster participants' engagement. Marion finds AI to be valuable in saving time when creating certain pedagogical activities, particularly quizzes with detailed feedback. She sees value in leverage AI to generate templates that can be personalized.
Adrien Painturier champions the use of digital tools to elevate educational practices. With a notable interest in AI, functioning as a daily user and facilitator, he is dedicated to enhancing the pedagogical landscape. His initiatives ensure faculty and students are well-equipped to employ innovative technologies, aligning with HEC Paris's vision for a progressive and interactive learning ecosystem.
Melinda is a learning designer who received her training as a high school teacher in Hungary and completed her PhD at Paris VIII & Cornell. She is dedicated to creating impactful courses across a variety of projects, ranging from designing courses for EMBA public programs to collaborating with NGOs. Melinda is particularly interested in how AI can facilitate the development of high quality courses and how it could be integrated in personalized learning via algorithms to tailor educational content and assessments according to each student's individual needs and learning styles.
Marie is a learning designer at HEC Paris. She has 16 years of experience in instructional design across both private and public sectors, including institutions such as Demos Group, Crédit Agricole, and Paris-Dauphine University. In her work, Marie is particularly focused on the clarity of course structure and ways of managing learners' attention span and engagement. Marie is interested in how AI can be used to do more than just generate educational content (which she already does on a regular basis). For example, how could AI be used to give students detailed feedback on their work?
As a Digital Learning Leader and innovation Manager at the Pedagogical Innovation Laboratory (PILab) of EDHEC Business School, Claudia is actively involved in the search for transformation of the educational landscape. She is dedicated to improving the learning experience, contributing to an engaging environment for students, teachers, and researchers. Her role involves providing strategic guidance for the seamless integration of technology into face-to-face, blended, and online learning across all university programs. Claudia's approach to teaching and learning also revolves around the use of Artificial Intelligence to promote creative engagement and collaborative learning, ensuring that the educational journey is not just informative but also transformative.
As a passionate educator and curriculum designer, Shani Naude is dedicated to empowering students of all ages to reach their full potential. Armed with a Master's degree in Education and currently pursuing a PhD from the University of the Free State, she brings experience in teaching, curriculum development, and learning design. Her diverse background includes running a successful homework and tutoring center, designing engaging learning experiences for students, and developing dynamic Life Science workshops for high school learners. Driven by a commitment to innovation, she has been a part of impactful programs such as the "Digital Skills and Competencies Pathway for Students" to equip learners with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Matlali Mthembu's journey commenced at the University of the Free State, where she was offered an opportunity to become an A_STEP intern. She then transitioned into the role of a Learning Developer within the BLISS (Blended Learning Innovation Support Services) focus area in the Centre for Teaching and Learning. Her technological acumen and dedication to student learning experiences were key to the role. Seven months later, she transitioned to the Learning Designer role. Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown challenges, she continued to support the QwaQwa Campus staff and students in adopting and using Blackboard and other learning technologies in learning and teaching. Her aspirations are rooted in the utilization of empowerment, collaboration, scholarship, and inclusivity values to shape the realms of technology use, instructional design, and student training and support in the UFS QwaQWa Campus.
Retshegofaditswe Diswane is currently a Junior learning designer for the Faculty of Education at UFS. She started her career in higher education as an Edu-Tech buddy during her undergraduate studies. After graduating with a BCom degree, she was employed as a Blackboard Helpdesk assistant and then subsequently became a Learning developer for the Faculty of Theology and Religion. She thrives on the challenge of blending technology and pedagogy to foster meaningful connections and promote lifelong learning.
.png){kind=logo}
Grace Wachter is a Pilot Success Specialist at FeedbackFruits, closely working with University of Free States and other piloting institutions to help them achieve their goals on teaching & learning. She guides innovative institutions from initial exploration to successful implementation and adoption, she helps instructors streamline teaching and learning by engaging in pedagogic best practice that enhances student satisfaction.
.png)
A collection of rubric templates for authentic, effective, and scalable assessment
We have prepared this exclusive content to guide educators at business schools with the use cases from the Wharton School and Griffith University. In this ebook, you will find classroom-validated strategies to facilitate group work in large-size online courses with effective use of technology.
We gather the most valuable resources and learnings on pedagogy and email them to you every month.
.png){kind=small}
