Adding Value to Open and Distance Learning Programmes …
457
3.5 Engaging with WIL Students at Telperion Nature
Reserve as a Living Lab for Sustainability
3.5.1 Introduction
The partnership with Telperion has enabled Unisa to expand beyond its urban-based
campus facilities and to establish a research and education presence at Telperion
Nature Reserve. As an ODL institution, this provides Unisa with a distinctive milieu
for WIL provisioning. This partnership provides for agreements to initiate and conduct biologically focused research projects within the nature reserve, together with
hosting of monthly WIL excursions for targeted groups of nature conservation students. As a ‘satellite campus’ located in a natural area with free roaming wild animals,
this living lab provides several opportunities for research and WIL. While participating in the excursions offered at Telperion, WIL students are guided by a Unisa
academic, with a view to develop competencies in sustainability similar to those
posited by Brundiers et al. (2010).
Although the topics assigned to each WIL excursion at Telperion are utilised to
develop specific skills, students also need to focus on sustainability challenges. These
require students to apply their theoretical understanding in practice, thus aligning
their thinking and experiences with sustainability perspectives (Brundiers and Wiek
2011). When students are required to focus on a single task but at numerous sites
in the reserve, they are exposed to several unique contexts in that particular focus.
When multiple topics are offered, the situation differs in that students are required
to negotiate the multidisciplinary milieu created by the diversity of theoretical, skill
and competency requirements. This speaks to the suggestion by Wall et al. (2017),
that WIL presents an ideal setting for sustainability learning. The rest of this section
reflects on some of the topics dealt with during WIL excursions at Telperion and
shows how sustainability learning is supported in this living labs milieu.
3.5.2 Soil Erosion Control
Soil erosion at Telperion Nature Reserve is mostly of natural origin, caused by game
animals using the same pathways on their way to and from water and grazing. These
pathways became cleared of protective soil and vegetative covering through the action
of the hoofs of these animals. This increases the potential of these pathways to act
as rainwater furrows. Left unchecked, these furrows may expand during successive
downpours. By reducing the speed of the water within these furrows, the erosive
impact of the flowing water can be mitigated.
This can be achieved through creation/placement of water runoff restrictors such as
gravel humps or rock-filled gabions (Fig. 3). If positioned correctly, these restrictors
are effective in channelling rainwater out of the furrows, so that rainwater is dispersed
away from the erosion site. Game animals should be encouraged not to use these
susceptible pathways repeatedly, which is achieved by packing thorn-bush branches
457
3.5 Engaging with WIL Students at Telperion Nature
Reserve as a Living Lab for Sustainability
3.5.1 Introduction
The partnership with Telperion has enabled Unisa to expand beyond its urban-based
campus facilities and to establish a research and education presence at Telperion
Nature Reserve. As an ODL institution, this provides Unisa with a distinctive milieu
for WIL provisioning. This partnership provides for agreements to initiate and conduct biologically focused research projects within the nature reserve, together with
hosting of monthly WIL excursions for targeted groups of nature conservation students. As a ‘satellite campus’ located in a natural area with free roaming wild animals,
this living lab provides several opportunities for research and WIL. While participating in the excursions offered at Telperion, WIL students are guided by a Unisa
academic, with a view to develop competencies in sustainability similar to those
posited by Brundiers et al. (2010).
Although the topics assigned to each WIL excursion at Telperion are utilised to
develop specific skills, students also need to focus on sustainability challenges. These
require students to apply their theoretical understanding in practice, thus aligning
their thinking and experiences with sustainability perspectives (Brundiers and Wiek
2011). When students are required to focus on a single task but at numerous sites
in the reserve, they are exposed to several unique contexts in that particular focus.
When multiple topics are offered, the situation differs in that students are required
to negotiate the multidisciplinary milieu created by the diversity of theoretical, skill
and competency requirements. This speaks to the suggestion by Wall et al. (2017),
that WIL presents an ideal setting for sustainability learning. The rest of this section
reflects on some of the topics dealt with during WIL excursions at Telperion and
shows how sustainability learning is supported in this living labs milieu.
3.5.2 Soil Erosion Control
Soil erosion at Telperion Nature Reserve is mostly of natural origin, caused by game
animals using the same pathways on their way to and from water and grazing. These
pathways became cleared of protective soil and vegetative covering through the action
of the hoofs of these animals. This increases the potential of these pathways to act
as rainwater furrows. Left unchecked, these furrows may expand during successive
downpours. By reducing the speed of the water within these furrows, the erosive
impact of the flowing water can be mitigated.
This can be achieved through creation/placement of water runoff restrictors such as
gravel humps or rock-filled gabions (Fig. 3). If positioned correctly, these restrictors
are effective in channelling rainwater out of the furrows, so that rainwater is dispersed
away from the erosion site. Game animals should be encouraged not to use these
susceptible pathways repeatedly, which is achieved by packing thorn-bush branches