A 3 day short course for Grades 10-12 Life Sciences students was held by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), through the UKZN Extended Learning (UEL) division. The short course titled Teaching Biodiversity was held from 21 September 2016 to 23 September 2016 and was a culmination of negotiation between Rhodes University and UKZN, the latter which established this module as a short course in the College of Humanities.
Twenty practicing Life Sciences teachers from disadvantaged settings in KZN participated in the course, which focused on content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and assessment strategies for teaching Biodiversity. Commenting on the course, one of the delegate said the course enlightened them on how to link content with actual practical experiences within the environment.
Delegates who attended the course applauded the course saying it was very informative as it allowed for the use of current environmental information and that it highlighted continuous learning. They also said the course was transforming in that it shifted their mindset from the primitive approach to a more activity oriented teaching style.
The following pictures capture activities during a field trip to a local nature reserve: