Lecturer / Senior Lecturer: Academic Literacies & Digital Pedagogies

Wits School of Education (WSoE), Science and Technology Division, Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg,

This position is a strategic response to the growing complexity of academic study in the digital age. The successful candidate will contribute to innovative undergraduate and postgraduate student success by teaching, researching, and leading a multi-stranded portfolio that promotes academic literacy and digital pedagogical initiatives designed to foster critical thinking, ethical engagement with digital tools, and scholarly excellence. This role aligns with Wits University’s strategic focus on student success, digital transformation, equity of access, and excellence in teaching and learning. The incumbent will play a vital role in realising a digitally enriched, inclusive, and community-oriented academic environment.

The post holder will oversee and implement three interlinked areas of work:

At Lecturer Level the applicant must have qualifications and expertise in the three (3) main strands of the post, i.e. Academic Reading and Writing, Integrated Academic Digital Development, and running the Innovative Digital Initiatives

1. Academic Reading and Writing

This strand supports the development of foundational and advanced academic literacies. Activities will include:

• Designing and facilitating embedded academic literacy interventions for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

• Offering one-on-one and group-based writing consultations for students and early-career researchers.

• Developing tailored support for thesis and dissertation writing, particularly in educational research contexts.

• Promoting ethical writing practices and academic integrity, with guidance on citation, referencing, and responsible use of AI tools.

• Facilitating peer-assisted writing support programmes, including e-tutoring and mentoring schemes.

• Delivering academic writing workshops for academic staff seeking to enhance their pedagogical practices or scholarly outputs.

• Conducting and publishing research on academic literacies, with a focus on multilingualism, inclusive pedagogy, and epistemic justice.

2. Integrated Academic Digital Development

This strand aims to build integrated academic digital confidence and academic agility across all levels:

• Training students and staff in the use of digital research tools (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley), writing software (e.g., Grammarly, Overleaf), and collaborative platforms (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams).

• Enhancing awareness of academic databases (e.g., Scopus, JSTOR, Web of Science) and search strategies for effective literature reviews.

• Supporting the ethical and informed use of generative AI in teaching, learning, and research contexts.

• Embedding digital literacy into curriculum delivery by working alongside lecturers and academic developers.

• Curating and maintaining self-paced online modules and digital toolkits to support independent learning.

• Supporting postgraduate students and staff with research data management, online publishing tools, and digital dissemination strategies.

3. Hub for Innovative Digital Initiatives

This strand positions the Learning Commons as an intellectually vibrant, digitally enabled space for the entire academic community:

• Organising academic events such as critical reading marathons, writing retreats, digital storytelling sessions, and AI awareness workshops.

• Coordinating school-wide initiatives on academic integrity, responsible authorship, and scholarly engagement.

• Developing and managing multimedia platforms to showcase student writing, staff research, and community-based scholarship.

• Collaborating with faculty committees to align academic literacy and digital events with School priorities.

• Supporting digital exhibitions, research cafés, and academic development colloquia to enhance postgraduate and staff engagement.

• Building partnerships with other university departments, academic libraries, and digital innovation hubs to promote best practice and resource sharing.

At Senior Lecturer Level, the applicant needs to:

• demonstrate substantial experience in postgraduate supervision

• have a substantial academic publications record

• have a record of grant funding

Additional duties include contributing to School committees relevant to the key responsibilities, supervising postgraduate students, and collaborating with university-wide teaching, learning, and digital transformation efforts.

• A PhD in Education and/or Digital Literacies and/or Instructional Design or Digital Technologies, with an advantage given to those with specialisation in language/literacies.

• Proven experience in academic literacy support and digital facilitation.

• Familiarity with AI in education and open-access scholarship.

• Strong organisational, communication, and project coordination skills.

For academic queries related to the role ONLY, please contact:¿Prof Reuben Dlamini, Head of Science and Technology Division, Wits School of Education¿

Email: [email protected]

To apply, submit a letter of motivation - clearly indicating which position you are applying for, detailed CV and the names and contact details of three referees (incl. e-mail addresses).

Internal employees are invited to apply directly on Oracle by following the path: iWits /Self Service application/

External applicants are invited to apply, by registering a profile on the Wits i-recruitment platform located at https://irec.wits.ac.za and submitting your application.

WITS Employment Equity Policy: https://www.wits.ac.za/media/wits-university/footer/about-wits/transformation-office/documents/Policy%20-%20Employment%20Equity.pdf

NB: Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note that only applications via the website will be considered for shortlisting.

The University reserves the right to verify all information provided by candidates and to verify credit standing. Please note that correspondence will only be entered into with short-listed candidates.

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment or to re-advertise.