Journals Proceedings

Abstract

To deal with demand-response imbalance – the growing pressure to bear upon universities from their external environment vis-à-vis their capacity to respond sufficiently to those pressures while they remain in their productive form, the Central University of Technology in South Africa implemented the Strategic Transformation of Educational Programmes and Structures (STEPS) in 2010. Among other considerations, this strategic process (STEPS) seeks to develop new curricula and programmes that are aligned to the developmental priorities of the region (i.e. Free State Province, South Africa) as well as discontinue existing ones that are inconsistent with contemporary contextual needs. In addition to developing transformed curricula in which developing professionally trained, market-ready graduates are trained and contextual operational knowledge are prioritised, the document calls upon academics to develop context-relevant classroom methodologies together with social, technological innovation for improving pedagogy and classroom environments. Mindful of the mandate of Universities of Technology of adopting the relevant state-of-the art technology and media that render powerful learning environments and rich student experiences, this study employs critical discourse analysis to examine the extent to which CUT academic leadership factored in and considered emerging educational technologies in the implementation of the STEPS process. The findings suggest that although various teaching technologies are salient and considered in various documents steering the practical implementation of STEPS, their location, strategic application and contribution to transformed teaching and learning remain a grey area that calls for more deliberation