The Faculty of Integrated Development Studies (FIDS) at the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) has organised a training programme to build the capacity of its faculty members and enhance their teaching skills.
The initiative formed part of activities under the faculty’s five-year Strategic Plan (2023–2027), specifically Strategic Issue Three, which focuses on training, teaching and research.
Commitment to Excellence
Opening the session, the Dean of FIDS, Prof. Africanus Lewil Diedong, commended faculty members for their dedication and commitment to improving their teaching methods.
He explained that the goal of the strategic plan is to produce holistic, highly skilled and competent graduates for the contemporary job market, and achieving that requires faculty members to be constantly retooled and supported.
Practical Approaches
The lead facilitator, Prof. Dennis Puorideme—an Accredited Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) trainer and Head of the Department of African and Endogenous Studies (DAES)—urged participants to design lessons with clear learning objectives and assessment schemes that build students’ knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Prof. Puorideme, who also serves as an Academic Programmes Assessor for the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), blended ISW principles with GTEC guidelines and practical experiences from the field.
Participants were taken through topics such as Preparation for Teaching, Teaching Techniques, Lesson Planning, Practical Lesson Delivery, Design and Implement Assessment, and an example of a Practical Lesson.
Dr Francis Nangbeviel Sanyare, Head of the Department of Development Studies, said the workshop reinforced the technical requirements of teaching while also prompting reflection on overlooked aspects that make learning enjoyable, effective, and efficient.
He noted that the training exposed participants to new terminology and approaches in line with modern learner-focused teaching.
For Dr Amos Dordah, Head of the Department of Communication Studies, the programme was highly impactful.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Amanda Wiasekor Tembile, described the workshop as a transformative experience, particularly for novices like her.
