Mukhtar Raban is a lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (LaALS), housed in the School of Language, Media and Communication (LMC) in the Faculty of Humanities. He also coordinates the Humanising Pedagogy Project in the University's LT Collab. He was a junior research fellow at the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa.

At Nelson Mandela University, he has formerly coordinated the Language Short Courses and English for Academic Studies (EAS) programme. He currently serves as a member of the Faculty's Research and Ethics Committee and the Learning and Teaching Committee. He also leads in driving the Digital Humanities Hub at the university.

Prior to joining Mandela University, Mukhtar Raban was an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher and lecturer in the Middle East. He is originally from Port Elizabeth, South Africa; and completed his tertiary education on a scholarship in Saudi Arabia. In addition to English and Afrikaans, he also speaks Arabic.

He completed his MA in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) at Stellenbosch University, focussing on blended language learning in English for Academic Purposes education (a sub-field of second language studies). He is currently pursuing his PhD in Language Education at UCT in critical digital language pedagogies and language learning design.

He currently lectures in the English Communication and Professional Communication modules offered to the School of Engineering at Mandela University, and in his department's Honours programme in the Language Acquisition stream. He facilitates some of the language short courses offered by his department. He also lectures in the B Ed Honours: Language Education programme in the Faculty of Education. He supervises honours and masters student research.

In 2015, he was awarded the university's "Excellent Teacher of the Year" for his innovative approaches to teaching and learning; that focus on ICT-mediated, online and blended learning and teaching.

Mukhtar Raban is a teaching and learning advisor to the International Open University (Gambia and Malawi) and the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA) in Cape Town.

His research interests include: language learning and teaching, ESL studies, Arabic studies, technology-enhanced language learning, digital humanities, open learning, and critical humanising pedagogies.

He has presented at conferences locally and internationally.

Qualifications: Dip. Linguistics (Arabic), BA, BA (Hons), BTech (IPL) (IU,KSA); SoTLC (NMMU); MA (TeLL) (Stellenbosch); Current: PhD (Language Education) (UCT)

Additional studies/short courses/training: Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), Enhancing Postgraduate Supervisory Capacity, Digital Humanities, Open Learning and Licensing

Awards received:

  • 'Best Presentation' award for: Developing and Enacting a Model for Institutional Implementation of the Humanizing Pedagogy – Case Study of Nelson Mandela University. Critical Pedagogy Conference. Paris, France, 2019.
  • Nelson Mandela University 'Excellent Teacher of the Year', 2015.
  • Nelson Mandela University 'Faculty of Arts Excellent Teacher', 2015.

Current research:

  • Critical humanising pedagogy in online language learning contexts
  • Open learning and social justice in South African higher education institutions

Past/current postgraduate supervision:

  • Digital Humanities-Inflected Pedagogy in the Second Language Classroom: Implications for Online Language Learning and Teaching Approaches
  • The Role of Learning Resources in Online ESL Learning and Teaching: Towards Constructivist Pedagogical Encounters
  • Analysis of Using Code Switching and Translanguaging for Teaching Vocabulary in an English First Additional Language Classroom
  • Communicative Competency Analysis of Post-Matric Arabic Second Additional Language Speakers in Cape Town - A Qualitative Case Study
  • Multiple Perspectives on Teacher Identity: An Autoethnographic Study of Online Language Teaching

Publications:

  • Raban, M., & Mayisela, T. (2022). Blended learning as a means of opening up learning at Northlink TVET College in South Africa: A social justice perspective. In T. Mayisela, S. C. Govender & C. A. Hodgkinson-Williams (Eds.), Open learning as a means of advancing social justice: Cases in post-school education and training in South Africa (pp. 86–105). African Minds. doi: 10.47622/9781928502425_4.
  • Raban, M., & Mayisela, T. (2022). Enabling open learning and participatory parity through increased e-learning: The case of leadership at Gert Sibande TVET College, South Africa. In T. Mayisela, S. C. Govender & C. A. Hodgkinson-Williams (Eds.), Open learning as a means of advancing social justice: Cases in post-school education and training in South Africa (pp. 269–290). African Minds. doi: 10.47622/9781928502425_12.
  • Zinn, D., Raban, M., Lück, J., Latolla, N., Kubashe, N., De Vega, T., Champion, E. & Biggs, L. (2021). Uzifozonke: Healing the Heart of Curriculum in a South African University. In, Curriculum Theory, Curriculum Theorising, and the Theoriser. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004447943_002.

Conference papers/presentations:

  • Blending and opening up learning at Northlink TVET College. DHET Research Conference. Online. September 2021.
  • Enabling open learning through increased e-learning: The case of TVET leadership at Gert Sibande TVET College. DHET Research Conference. Online. September 2021.
  • Developing and Enacting a Model for Institutional Implementation of the Humanizing Pedagogy – Case Study of Nelson Mandela University. Critical Pedagogy Conference. Paris, France. October 2019. (“Best Presentation Award” received).
  • Implications of Humanizing Pedagogy on Learning Design in an Online Language Learning Environment – Towards a Critical Digital Pedagogy. World Conference on Online Learning. Dublin, Ireland. November 2019.
  • Virtually (I’m)possible? Critical reflections on transitioning from campus-based instruction to online virtual classrooms in an English communication course at Nelson Mandela University – exploring lecturer perspectives. International Conference on Education and E-Learning. Bali, Indonesia. September 2018.
  • Technology-Enhanced Learning. Teaching and Learning Committee Meeting. Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. June 2018.
  • Integrating digital technologies into the educational experience provided at Nelson Mandela University. African Digital University Network Conference. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. April 2018.
  • A Historical Overview of the Cape Malay in Nelson Mandela Bay. Eastern Cape Islamic Congress. Port Elizabeth, South Africa. September 2017.
  • Exploring Opportunities for Multilingualism in Online Learning Spaces. Multilingualism Conference. Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. November 2016.
  • Online Assessment Strategies – Exploring Teaching and Learning Opportunities. Teaching and Learning Indaba. Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. August 2016.
  • Mapping Language Acquisition to Cultural Practice. [Keynote address]. International Conference for Educators. Chennai, India. May 2016.
  • Responsive Curricula Design – Reflections on Practices. International Conference for Educators. Chennai, India. May 2016.

Conference and summit participation:

  • USAf HELM Women in Leadership Programme Workshop. Online. March 2021. (Served as a respondent to the presentation made by Prof Francois Strydom).
  • World Conference on Online Learning. Dublin, Ireland. November 2019.
  • African Digital University Network Conference. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. April 2018. (Served as a panelist on the discussion on innovative practices).
  • Eastern Cape E-Learning Summit. East London, South Africa. July 2018.
  • International Conference on E-Learning. Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa. July 2018.
  • Edutech Technology in Education Conference. Johannesburg. October 2018.
  • World Conference on Online Learning and Distance Education. Toronto, Canada. November 2017.
  • International Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Conference. Bahrain. February 2017.
  • Federation of Universities Conference. Morocco. February 2017.
  • International Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa. Windhoek, Namibia. September 2016.
  • Human Language and Technologies Conference. Stellenbosch, South Africa. October 2015.
  • International Conference on E-Learning. Cape Town, South Africa. September 2014.