Krystle Ontong

I am a goal-oriented Senior Academic Development Lecturer at The University of Cape Town, South Africa, in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Department of Construction Economics and Management (CEM). Within this faculty, I am the sole academic with a doctorate in Education in the interdisciplinary department of CEM, which has been particularly beneficial for the adaptation to online education over the past four years. Ignited by ongoing educational research, development, and leadership, and utilizing my unique skillset in this context – Education (Curriculum Studies) – I apply critical thinking to overseeing all portfolios related to Education, Curriculum Review, and Teaching and Learning in the novel field of interdisciplinary education, where I have played a major developmental role. I provide a bridge between the theoretical aspect of the hard sciences and the social sciences, having transitioned from the discipline of environmental and geography education to professional ethics, 4IR education, and E-learning in the Built Environment. I am fortunate to have taught at tertiary education institutions since the start of my master’s degree in 2009 which afforded me the opportunity to familiarise myself with the core functions of academia: teaching, research, and academic citizenship. My love of learning, and expertise, has been honed over more than 10 years in academia, where I have risen continually through the ranks. My research focus shifted from environmental and geography education to higher education, E-learning, and curriculum development. I currently teach Professionalism and Professional Ethics to students in the Built Environment and convene the mentorship and tutorship programmes in the CEM department, constantly seeking innovative methodologies extracted from contemporary ethical thought. Publications in several accredited local and international journals have facilitated my presentations at various global and local conferences; I also review dissertations and articles and have been the recipient of numerous prestigious academic grants.

• Reviewing of academic manuscripts 
• Supervision of postgraduate students 
•  Examining of dissertations | Mentoring
•  Grant writing 
• Programme governing and convening 
• Course designer 
• Curriculum reviewer and developer
• e-Teaching/online teaching 
•  Teaching and Learning consultant/advisor
•  Management: Projects, people, students 
•  Conference and event organiser

•PhD – University of Stellenbosch (Higher Education: Curriculum Studies) 2013
•MEd – University of Stellenbosch (Curriculum Studies: Environmental/ Sustainability Education) (Cum Laude) 2010
•BEd (Hons) – University of Stellenbosch (Education) (Cum Laude) 2008
•BEd – University of Stellenbosch (Social Sciences/History, Mathematics, English)  (Cum Laude) 2007