Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education

Purpose

The primary purpose of the qualification is to

• Facilitate the development of lecturers, academic developers and quality promotion specialists through undertaking advanced reflection and systematic survey of current thinking, practice and research methods in the area of Higher Education as a field of study.
• Develop in participants, high levels of theoretical engagement, intellectual independence and the ability to relate knowledge to a range of contexts to undertake specialist or highly-skilled work and provide formal recognition and qualification for Higher Education practitioners.

Rationale

Governments and institutions recognise the importance of the role of teaching quality in higher education (HE), its impact for learners and prepare them for their future contribution to the society and economic performance of a country or region. The shifts in higher education around massification, globalisation and the discourse of 'high skills' have brought a changed workplace for academics and academic developers. They have to negotiate new expectations and identities.

These changes have particular nuances in the South African context to address historical disadvantage, social justice and transformation. This qualification aims to contribute towards academic developers' ability to respond to these challenges and to meet the teaching and learning needs of the learners and academics in our context. Due to the current low pass rate of the increasingly diverse South African higher education student body, it has become crucial to ensure greater success for more learners. To achieve this, professional development for academic staff is a priority for the sector. Hence the offering of this qualification will advance academic developers' knowledge of higher education as a field of study and enable them to conceptualise, design and implement formal and informal academic development initiatives (with a particular focus on academic staff development) appropriate to our specific context. The qualification aims to equip higher education teachers from various disciplines educational. Also, to contribute to the production of skillfully qualified academics who can interpret and implement the curriculum in a holistic way as innovative educators, instructional leaders, planners, counsellors and researchers.

The qualification will facilitate the professional development of lecturers, academic developers and quality promotion professionals through undertaking advanced reflection and systematic survey of current thinking, practice and research methods in the area of Higher Education (HE). The qualification seeks to develop learners with high levels of theoretical engagement, intellectual independence and the ability to relate knowledge to a range of contexts to undertake professional or highly-skilled work. This qualification will also provide for professional accreditation for HE practitioners.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

To access this qualification through RPL, learners need to demonstrate that they are competent in terms of prior relevant learning through experience and research skills. Learners are required to reflect on the prior learning and then do a self-assessment exercise before applying for the RPL. The prior learning must be appropriate to the academic context of the qualification, and must still be current, valid and applicable. Learners are then required to compile a portfolio comprising the self-assessment activity and details of relevant learning through experience. Upon submission of this portfolio for internal and external assessment, the student will be informed to conduct an oral defence of the portfolio. The qualification cannot be achieved entirely by RPL. Also, learners must meet all other requirements as laid out in the institution RPL policy.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Appropriate Bachelor in Education , NQF Level 7.

Or

• Appropriate Advanced Diploma in Education, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 96 Credits

• Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education, 28 Credits.
• Higher Education Research Project, 16 Credits.
• Curriculum Development and Quality Assurance in Higher Education, 20 Credits.
• Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16 Credits.
• Higher Education Policy and Legislative Framework, 16 Credits.

Elective Modules, 24 Credits (Choose two Modules)

• Internationalisation of the Higher Education Curriculum, 12 Credits.
• Management and Leadership in Higher Education, 12 Credits.
• Postgraduate Supervision and Research Ethics, 12 Credits.

1. Critically reflect on challenges in the South African higher education context and research and report on possible solutions.
2. Analyse the educational needs of higher education learners and design and implement instructional practices to produce a positive impact on teaching and learning.
3. Demonstrate a deep and thorough conceptual understanding of identified aspects of the subject matter.
4. Create innovative strategies and incorporate technology in tertiary education.
5. Analyse and apply different innovative methodologies in curriculum design, teaching, learning, research, assessment and quality assurance.
6. Reflect and analyse the process of developing a higher education research process.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify challenges in the South African higher education context.
• Critically reflect on challenges in the South African higher education system.
• Investigate possible solutions to challenges.
• Report on possible solutions to challenges.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Analyse the educational needs and results of higher education learners.
• Investigate instructional practice in line with the analysis of the educational needs of higher education learners.
• Design and implement instructional practices.
• Gather and analyse data on the impact on teaching and learning of these newly developed instructional practices.
• Draw informed conclusions on the analysis of the data.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Identify different aspects of the subject matter.
• Critically reflect on and analyse elements of the subject matter.
• Acquire a deep and thorough conceptual understanding of the subject matter through analysis and reflection.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Investigate innovative strategies to incorporate technology.
• Analyse data on these innovative strategies.
• The results of the data analysis must lead to the development of relevant and innovative approaches.
• Critically reflect on and analyse to make informed decisions about the impact of these innovative strategies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Explore different methodologies in curriculum design, teaching, learning, research, assessment and quality assurance.
• Apply different methodologies in curriculum design, teaching, learning, research, assessment and quality assurance in context.
• Critically reflect on and analyse the effectiveness of the different methodologies in curriculum design, teaching, learning, research, assessment and quality assurance to arrive at informed conclusions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Compile a higher education contextualised research project.
• Take decisions on how to compile a higher education research project.
• Complete a higher education research project. Reflection and analysis of the process of developing the higher education research process must occur to strengthen understanding of the purpose of the project.

Integrated Assessment

For this qualification, formative assessment will take the form of performing and presenting, debating and discussing, using digital technology to access, manage and share content as well as stimulating creativity. Formative assessment involve activities that:

• Encourage learners to think actively and creatively.
• Develop a positive disposition towards investigating.
• Reasoning and problem solving.
• Reflecting on and evaluating their thinking and learning.
• Active classroom participation, projects, assignments, presentations and case studies.

Teachers assess as part of their daily practice through observation, and listening as learners carry out tasks. Teacherslook at what the learners write and make, and by considering how they respond to, frame and ask questions. Teachers will use this assessment information to help learners plan the next steps in their learning.

Periodically the teachers conduct this assessment will be in more structured formalised settings where teachers will need to obtain a snapshot of the learners' progress to make decisions on future planning and to report on progress. The assessments may involve the learners in doing projects, investigations, case studies and tests and may occur at defined points in the academic.

The institution uses formative assessment to monitor learning and to provide ongoing feedback to improve teaching.

Also, for learners to improve their knowledge, summative assessment, is used to evaluate student's learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

In this qualification, the summative assessment will comprise an integrated portfolio which will cover the learning content for all the modules. Learners will submit this portfolio as the final assessment for the year and will not be able to obtain the qualification until this portfolio is submitted and assessed.

Formative assessment will comprise 50% of the total mark, and summative evaluation will include the other 50%.