THE UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND to the academic blended learning strategy , everything then was aligned before we went into lockdown ,” said Mpofu .
Mpofu also noted the change he saw in his own role and the change in others ’ attitudes surrounding the role of a CIO : “ People actually began to realise the importance of ICT . IT is actually a very critical component of the academic learning process going forward because the future is driven by technological advancements .”
Lockdown accelerating the shift towards a digitalised future Despite the challenges and hardships most have experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic , it has acted as a catalyst in many
More than
85 % of Wits ’ research is published in accredited international journals organisations and industries when it comes to digital transformation .
Wits is no exception and Mpofu explained : “ From an IT perspective , it helped us to make sure that there was an acceleration in the digital route . Right now no one is talking about going back to fulltime , face-to-face learning . It ' s now acknowledged that if meetings and learning can happen when people are not necessarily face-to-face . We just need to innovate the rest of the activities .”
Now , Mpofu is looking at innovative ways to allow for things more challenging to be digitalised , such as practical examinations and experiments . Once these are digitalised it ’ s not essential for students to physically attend the university .
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