Walter Sisulu University has concluded a refurbishment project that started in February of 2022 on lecture halls now fitted with ultra-modern technologies at the institution’s Mthatha Campus.
The lecture halls situated in the East Teaching Mall at the Nelson Mandela Drive (NMD) site will be using the latest technologies to enhance teaching and learning experiences through the use of smartboards and wireless connections.
Deputy Director and Facilities Engineer, James Rodze, said, “At the beginning of 2022, WSU partnered with the global technology corporation, Huawei, to install smart gadgets and connections on all four campuses and these lecture halls are no exception.”
The Interactive Smart Boards or Smart Interactive Whiteboards use a high-definition liquid crystal display (LCD) screen as a display and operation platform with the biggest lecture hall using an 86 inch screen.
The smart boards have functions such as bundle intelligent writing, High Definition (HD) video conferencing and wireless sharing. The smart boards also called Huawei (IdeaHub) fits into any environment, effortlessly transforming classrooms, meeting rooms, executive offices, and open areas into smart spaces.
There’s also the Huawei Smart Classroom Solution application that’s based on the IdeaHub Board series of products which offers three main application scenarios: digital classroom, collaborative classroom, and hybrid learning; allowing teachers and students to meet their needs in a variety of settings unleashing the power of digital education.
Mthatha Campus Rector, Prof Elphinah Cishe, said, “Our vision states that we are a technology infused university and these lecture halls are a step towards reaching that goal. Lecturers will now be able to record their lectures and easily display anything on their laptops on the boards. The boards are interactive and will be able to also zoom in to a learner asking questions in class for audibility.”
Cishe also added that lecturers from all the five faculties will be trained on the use of the smartboards so that when they get to be installed in the different sites, they can be able to use them.
The newly renovated lecture halls are also accommodative of students living with disabilities while two of them also accommodate lecturers with disabilities.
WSU Chief Operating Officer, Sinethemba Mpambane, said, "The refurbishment of our infrastructure is all about restoring the dignity of our students. The spaces in which they were previously taught in were not giving them the dignity they deserve."
Dewing Construction, the contractor that was responsible for the project, handed over the lecture halls back to the university on Friday, 10 February 2023.
By Anita Roji