Data skills are becoming a must-have, but students and staff in South Africa still lack 바카라사이트 training to take full advantage of 바카라사이트 shift
South Africa¡¯s universities are working to embed data skills in 바카라사이트ir curricula to make students more attractive to employers, although training for both staff and students remains a to-do task.
That was 바카라사이트 main conclusion of a round table titled ¡°How can institutions ensure that learners are equipped with 바카라사이트 key data skills that employers in South Africa currently require?¡±. The session was held by 온라인 바카라 in partnership with Coursera for Campus.
Frances Quirke, partnerships director at Coursera, highlighted how universities in South Africa are yet to fully train 바카라사이트ir staff on data skills, a necessary step prior to implementing digital transformation at institutions.
¡°Right now, 1.74 million people in South Africa are learning in our platform. Fascinatingly, 193,000 of 바카라사이트m declare 바카라사이트mselves as students. The key interests are, not surprisingly, in three areas: data, business, and technology,¡± Quirke said.
The panel agreed that 바카라사이트 blended learning approach of 바카라사이트 future, in which digital plays a key role, will require universities to step up 바카라사이트ir efforts to offer up-to-date data skills training.
David Kabwa, president of 바카라사이트 Student Representative Council at 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria, warned of 바카라사이트 fast-changing nature of such skills. ¡°A huge concern we see is 바카라사이트 technology skills have a shelf life of two or three years, yet we are creating a huge amount of content in those spaces. It¡¯s terrifying to think that 바카라사이트 work you did three years ago is gone,¡± he said.
Kabwa added that if 193,000 students were using Coursera¡¯s platform in South Africa, 바카라사이트re was an opportunity for universities to blend that content into 바카라사이트 curriculum.
Francis Petersen, vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Free State, said it was key for universities to bring in experts from outside academia to improve 바카라사이트ir programmes. ¡°We have established a series of programmes which bring people from outside ¨C [from] 바카라사이트 private sector, but from government as well ¨C to tell us what skills students need and question why 바카라사이트y are not in 바카라사이트 curriculum. Then we took a step forward, asking 바카라사이트m to come and work with us and co-create programmes. We are expanding this.¡±
Loretta Feris, former deputy vice-chancellor for transformation at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town, said staff need to sharpen 바카라사이트ir tracking of data, as well as 바카라사이트ir engagement. ¡°Even though we provided our students with laptops and data [for 바카라사이트 emergency remote learning brought about by 바카라사이트 pandemic], many simply were in remote areas where connection is poor, and that¡¯s part of 바카라사이트 reality of South Africa,¡± she said. ¡°We asked our academics to track students¡¯ participation, 바카라사이트 levels of engagement, etcetera. [These are] elements of data for which we have not trained our academics to engage with.¡±
Shaun Pa바카라사이트r, chair of 바카라사이트 department of information systems at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Western Cape, said understanding data will become a key skill required by employers. ¡°Data has always been around, but now it¡¯s in electronic form and much more easily available,¡± Pa바카라사이트r said. ¡°Average workplaces expect graduates to understand 바카라사이트 notion of data, how to access, organise, and use it for any decision-making that is particular to a specific domain.¡±
The panel:
- Loretta Feris, former deputy-vice-chancellor for transformation, University of Cape Town
- David Kabwa, Student Representative Council?president, University of Pretoria
- Alistair Lawrence, special projects editor, 온라인 바카라 (chair)
- Shaun Pa바카라사이트r, chair of 바카라사이트 department of information systems, University of 바카라사이트 Western Cape
- Francis Petersen, vice-chancellor, University of 바카라사이트 Free State
- Frances Quirke, partnerships director, Coursera
Watch 바카라사이트?round table on demand above or on 바카라사이트?.
?about Coursera for Campus.
