Master of Education in Adult Education

Purpose

The qualification aims to provide learners with advanced knowledge in Adult Education at NQF Level 9. Learners who graduate will be proficient in Curriculum and Materials Development in Adult Education, Management and Administration in Adult Education, Health Adult Education, Adult Education, and Skills Training and the Labour Market. The purpose of the qualification is to produce learners who demonstrate the capacity to undertake well-founded and independent inquiry in a field of adult education, training and development.

Rationale

The Master of Education in Adult Education [MEd (Adult Education)] is a Postgraduate qualification, above that of the first Postgraduate Degree but below that of Doctorate, which accredits learner's capacity to undertake well-founded and independent inquiry in the field of Education, Training and Development. The qualification is responsive to the national priority of providing improved and expanded provision of educational services and opportunities with a specific emphasis on increasing the country and region's teacher capacity as well as the quality of this capacity in the field of Adult Education. The achievement of a qualification at this level will also contribute towards significantly improving the management and leadership capacity in schools in the country and regions served by the institution.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is guided by the institutional policy and is aligned to the objectives of the NQF. Entry into the qualification is possible via RPL as well as indicating advanced standing, provided that it is aligned to the institutional policy and that the learner is evaluated by a qualified RPL assessor in a manner that is free from any form of discrimination. RPL practices also include standard Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) practices of equivalent modules that may have been achieved in the course of the learner's studies.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• A relevant Bachelor Honours Degree.

Or

• Equivalent at NQF Level 8.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 9 totalling 200 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 200 Credits

• Mini-Dissertation (Adult Education), 100 Credits.
• Foundations of Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, 16 Credits.
• Curriculum and Materials Development in Adult Education, 16 Credits.
• Management and Administration in Adult Education, 16 Credits.
• Health Adult Education, 16 Credits.
• Adult Education, Skills Training and the Labour Market, 16 Credits.
• Practice Oriented Research Methodology, 20 Credits.

1. Demonstrate specialist knowledge and be able to critique and evaluate current research or practices that are pertinent to the specialisation area.
2. Demonstrate a command of and the ability to design, select and apply appropriate and creative methods, techniques, processes or technologies to complex practical and theoretical problems in the specialisation area.
3. Solve problems in the field of chosen specialisation.
4. Accesses, manages and produces information ethically in the context of the specialisation practitioner's profession.
5. Sensitive to and understands the contexts and systems of the profession.
6. Manages his or her own learning and takes accountability for his or her own work.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate familiarity with contemporary philosophical and theoretical issues in the field of specialisation.
• Debate complex issues orally and in writing.
• Display specialised knowledge in a critical and comparative manner, depending on the particular field of focus in the courses selected.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Draft a research proposal of acceptable stander in line with the faculty guidelines for the chosen specialisation.
• Produce a research dissertation of the required length and complexity that demonstrates the application of the research design to the identified problem.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Produce a research dissertation that reflects on current research, problem analysis and implementation of strategies to solve problems.
• Provide solutions to problems posed in the assessment of the structured part of the course to indicate the learner's mastery of the complexities that characterise the field of specialisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Understanding, analysis and resolution of identified research areas in an ethically appropriate manner, aligned to the Faculty requirements for ethical knowledge production.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Properly contextualise responses to assessment tasks in the structured part of the course, as well as the research mini-dissertation, and rooted in the specialisation area.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Researching and writing of the dissertation in the prescribed time frame.
• Complete modular components of the course with due observation of formative and summative assessment requirements.

Integrated Assessment

(Summative, Formative And Or Work Integrated Learning (WIL))

Learning and assessment across exit level outcomes within the qualification are integrated to ensure a well-structured cohesive qualification. Assessments are based on formative assessments which are in place to assure continuous learning and feedback to learners and summative assessments which ensure a judgement of learning at exit level outcomes. Such assessments should assess the learner's ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, competencies and attitudes that are represented by the exit-level outcomes, either as a whole or as components of the qualification. Furthermore, integrated knowledge will be evaluated within the form of a mini-dissertation.