Teaching and Learning
Teaching and Learning
We are committed to thoughtful, rigorous, and supportive teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Our approach values scientific depth, critical thinking, and the development of people as emerging researchers.
Undergraduate teaching
Dr Lisa Rothmann contributes to undergraduate teaching within the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) across several modules in the B Agric and BSc Agric programmes.
She contributes to the AGRI1664 – Microbiology module, a first-year B Agric course, where she introduces students to foundational concepts in plant pathology, including the role of plant-associated microorganisms, plant disease development, and the relevance of plant health in agricultural production systems.
Dr Rothmann co-designed and teaches the PLPG2623 – Introduction to Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology module, offered to second-year B Agric students, where she contributes to building students’ understanding of host–pathogen interactions, plant disease management principles, and the relationship between plant breeding and disease resistance.
Dr Rothmann designed and teaches the Plant Disease Epidemiology module at UFS, a final-year BSc Agric Plant Pathology module, which is academically equivalent in depth and rigour to a BSc Honours-level course. This module focuses on the principles of plant disease epidemics, quantitative disease measurement, temporal and spatial analysis of disease, epidemiological modelling, and the application of epidemiological knowledge to disease management in agricultural systems. You can find the module syllabus here to see what is being covered during the semester: Plant Disease Epidemiology Module Syllabus.
Areas of focus
- Plant pathology concepts
- Plant disease epidemiology
- Phytopathology
- Applied interpretation of real-world scenarios
- Scientific communication
Postgraduate learning and supervision
To be added in April 2026.
What postgraduate students can expect
- Structured supervision
- Research design support
- Writing and presentation development
- Critical engagement with literature
- Growth in independence and researcher identity
- Responsible use of AI in research
Researcher development
This space includes more than coursework. It includes learning how to read well, think clearly, design sound research, communicate effectively, and contribute meaningfully to the discipline.
Contact
Students interested in learning opportunities or postgraduate study can make contact through the contact page.