On Saturday 10 October 2016, the Centre for Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education (SUNCEP), introduced seven new Advanced Diplomas in Education (ADEs) to about 40 members of the Western (WCED) and Northern Cape (NCDoE) Education Departments. The ADE courses are to be offered in Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Natural, Life and Physical Sciences teaching.
The aim of these courses is to create opportunities to currently serving teachers to enhance their subject content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge and skills and in so, equip themselves to enhance their practice.
These NQF level 7 qualification courses will be offered in a blended format.
Dr van Louw, Director of SUNCEP explains: "Blended learning entails contact sessions with participants, followed up by tuition via telematics, interactive e-lessons and post teaching mentoring. This can be done either on-site at the school, on an individual basis or in cluster format."
After demonstrating some of the modules in the new e-lesson format, Ms Pauline Hanekom, eLearning specialist at SUNCEP explained how different social media platforms will be used to create virtual communities of practise where teachers could communicate with and learn from peers, facilitators and mentors and thereby breaking the isolation of the classroom and school.
Responding to SUNCEP's offering of these courses for in-service teachers, Dr Peter Beets, Chief Director: Curriculum Development and Teacher Development at the WCED thanked SUNCEP for reaching out to the education community as "it is important to combine theoretical learning with the professional learning [and] where pedagogy should be aligned to the context".
Dr Chris van Wyk from RESEP (Research on Socio Economic Policy), showed the group how existing data about performance can be used to indicate specific shortcomings in order to make informed decisions about professional learning interventions.
Dr Heinie Brand, Director of Education at WCED expressed his appreciation for the fact that the courses SUNCEP offers are in line with the professional development strategy of the WCED. "We would like to form a true partnership with this institution to move the 32 000 teachers in the province to enhance learner performance".
In the picture above are from left to right: Mr Eddie Kirsten, Director: Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI), Ms Pauline Hanekom, Dr van Louw, Ms Suanne Rampou, Senior Curriculum Planner (Natural Sciences), WCED, Dr Heinie Brand and Dr Peter Beets.