Maitseo M.M. Bolaane,
Faculty of Humanities,
University of Botswana,
P/Bag 00703,
Gaborone. Botswana.
Email:
Abstract
Rurality research, social justice, inclusive innovation, access and equity: Analysis of teaching and learning, University of Botswana.
The aim of this presentation is to develop a comprehensive argument analyzing the concept of rurality, social justice, access and equity in the Botswana higher education system using the University of Botswana (UB) Learning and Teaching Policy as the framework. The launching ofSouthern African Universities Learning and Teaching (SAULT) Forumis evidence of growing scholarship of learning and teaching in the south.But the question is “to what extent is scholarship on teaching & learning relevant to the needs of the community under study?”. Like most universities in southern Africa the state funded University of Botswana has been implementing policy on teaching and learning to provide relevant and high quality academic programmes at the graduate and undergraduate level. The UB Learning and Teaching Policy is not only in line with the University Strategic Plan to 2016 and Beyond (Strategy for Excellence) but other key national policies/ strategies including Vision talks of being grounded on the requirement to prepare students effectively for life, work, and citizenship so that they will be able to contribute to economic and social development, adapt to change and provideleadership. Students are very central in the implementation of learning and teaching policy and therefore this presentation will reflect more on ethical issues which arise from teaching and learning with respect to the rural population. Furthermore this presentation will make specific reference to the student population of those coming from marginalized communities. Lessons will be drawn from the UB San Research Centre in understanding the extent to which universities in the south address social justice and inclusive innovation within the learning and teaching.Hence the call for increased inclusiveness of the social structures that universities interact with at the community level in discharging their social mission and public good. Such communities must necessarily include the marginalized social groups whether as geographically distant or marginalized & ethnic minorities or the urban poor whose technological innovations are not in the mainstream of the frameworks that formal social service structures and processes work with.