Designing to Promote Access, Quality, and Student Support in an Advanced Certificate Programme for Rural Teachers in South Africa

Jill W Fresen,Johan Hendrikz

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v10i4.631

Abstract

This paper reports on the re-design of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, which is offered by the University of Pretoria through distance education (DE) to teachers in rural South Africa. In 2007, a team re-designed the programme with the goal of promoting access, quality, and student support. The team included an independent body, the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE), and various education specialists. Training workshops for academics and a comprehensive internal and external review process contributed to the quality of the re-designed programme. Interactive web-based technologies were not included because of poor Internet connectivity; however, the authors note the use and potential of cell phone technology for DE programmes. Student support was enhanced by an additional short contact session, a capping assignment, a CD-ROM, and decentralised tutoring at contact venues. The programme was re-evaluated and approved in 2008, and the re-design methodology now guides similar projects.

Highlights

This paper reports on the re-design of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, which is offered by the University of Pretoria through distance education (DE) to teachers in rural South Africa
This paper reports on various strategies and methodologies that were adopted to ensure that the newly designed programme would meet the requirements of the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) and international standards
An added challenge is that the recent Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD) document of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) determines that by 2013 all practising teachers must meet the M+4 level to be registered by the South African Council for Educators (SACE)

Summary

Introduction

This paper reports on the re-design of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, which is offered by the University of Pretoria through distance education (DE) to teachers in rural South Africa. In 2007, a team re-designed the programme with the goal of promoting access, quality, and student support. The University of Pretoria offers three distance education programmes in the Faculty of Education for teachers in rural areas. Designing to Promote Access, Quality, and Student Support in an Advanced Certificate Programme for Rural Teachers in South Africa – Fresen and Hendrikz. The Unit for Distance Education at the University of Pretoria collaborated with the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE), who presented workshops, facilitated the development of programme and module outcomes, and evaluated learning materials as they were being written. An added challenge is that the recent Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD) document of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) determines that by 2013 all practising teachers must meet the M+4 level to be registered by the South African Council for Educators (SACE)

Methods

Results

Conclusion