Infusion of Information and Communication Technologies into a Science programme for assistant lecturers

The rapid growth and impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives across the globe. Hence, it makes sense that the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) should not be left behind in this phenomenon. The authors address how teaching-and-learning practices within HE settings can be enhanced through the effective infusion of ICTs. The Centre for Innovative Educational and Communication Technologies (CIECT) recently collaborated with the Science Faculty and other stakeholders at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), to design and develop a Programme, namely: Faculty of Science Teaching Assistants Development Programme (FSTADP). The paper highlights that the infusion of ICT into the curriculum depends on dedicated training and support interventions - in order for lecturers to successfully engage in the discourse related to the infusion of ICTs, and the actual implementation thereof. Therefore, “integrated institutional ICT infrastructure and systems with dedicated front-end and back-end support capacity and processes enable the development of pedagogically sound, interactive online courses which can be accessed at any time and from any geographical space”. Whilst ICT plays a critical role in enabling teaching-and-learning practices, it is imperative that the lecturer-student relationship be maintained