The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), partnered with the First-Year Student Experience (FYSE) programme and GoMobile to host a Campus-to-Campus Technology Tour. The aim of the tour was to create awareness of the DUT online systems to students.

Held for the second year in succession, the tour began on Monday, 23 July at the DUT City Campus and went to all DUT campuses before closing off last Friday 27 July at the ML Sultan Campus.

Speaking at the Ritson Campus during the tour, Mzwandile Khumalo, the Coordinator of the Residence Education Programme and First Year Student Experience Programme at the Durban Campus, said the Tech Tour aims to also enhance student learning experiences.

“We are trying to ensure that students have the accessibility of information and effective use of information that they find on the online systems that we have here at DUT. We also understand that a lot of our students are not fully informed of the DUT online systems and we have partnered with GoMobile to help with the training of Microsoft office 365, which is way advance in terms of making learning effective,” said Khumalo.

The tour provided training on DUT online systems such as ThinkLearnZone, DUT Student Portal, DUT4Life Email ITS, DUT Mobile App and the Library Information Systems.

Simon Ndlovu, the Coordinator of Technology for Learning (TFL) – A programme which focuses on supporting DUT students with technological matters in their studying journey, said the partnership with FYSE was a result of a huge number of first-year students who were unable to access DUT online systems.

“We are trying to rectify that problem with this tour and the attendance shows that students are eager to learn about the technology that we have, which helps enhance their learning in the lecture halls,” said Ndlovu.

Sibusiso Mkhabela, the Head of Marketing at GoMobile in Durban said this tour goes beyond providing information on DUT online systems- saying it will be influential when students become part of the workforce.

“I think the most important thing is that we would like to be seen as an enabler for students to be able to get into the workplace, ready to move.  It must not only be about with their qualifications, but they have to be an asset to the company that they go to,” said Mkhabela.

During the tour students who answered questions correctly based on the information which was shared by the speakers won gadgets such as laptops, tablets and USB flash drives.

Pictured: Mzwandile Khumalo, with Nkosinathi Mthethwa, IT student who won a laptop and Sibusiso Mkhabela.

Sandile Lukhozi