Postgraduate Diploma in Special Needs Education

Purpose

The Postgraduate Diploma in Special Needs Education is primarily professionally-orientated that may offer working professionals the opportunity to undertake advanced reflection and development on special needs issues in education.

The purpose of this qualification is to

• Consolidate and deepen learners' expertise in the area of special needs education, as encompassed in the various modules in the qualification;
• Provide learners with a deeper understanding of the professional practices, institutions, and systems that deal with special needs in the school system;
• Develop learners' potential to act as leaders and experts in the field of special needs education in their area of function in the school system;
• Develop learners' potential to make responsible decisions and solve specific problems in respect of matters in special needs education;
• To equip learners to conduct an independent inquiry in a particular problem they experience in their practice in special needs education;
• Provide learners with a deeper understanding of the economic, social and cultural diversity and needs of South African professionals within special needs education.

This qualification also undertakes advanced reflection and enhance the professional development of learners using a systematic survey of current thinking, practice and research methods to strengthen and deepen learners' knowledge of special needs in their educational contexts. It will also deliver learners with the requisite skills to enhance national competitiveness and productivity in a global context. The learners who are practising professionals in micro and macro levels will engage with most recent theory, discourses, and practices.

Rationale

The Department of Basic Education requires working professionals in the Education environment to participate in the continuous development of their professional and theoretical skill during their careers and where appropriate, enhance their potential to provide appropriate guidance to learners and sub-ordinates in a special needs educational environment. The qualification will provide a Postgraduate specialisation in Special Needs to practising professionals through the distance learning mode of delivery within the Unit for Open Distance Learning (UODL), thereby widening access to education professionals who cannot afford to study full time or on campus. The UODL offers the opportunity for school-based and workplace integrated part-time learning supported and enhanced by appropriate ICT.

The qualification will demand of learners a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence and the ability to relate knowledge of special needs education. Furthermore, this qualification includes a research methodology module; however, this module does not include a research project, and the aim is to equip them with the theoretical grounding for research.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution endorses the view that Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), gained either through the formal qualification at this or other institutions, or informally (through experience), is an essential element when deciding on admission to and granting of credits for a particular chosen teaching-learning qualification of the institution. RPL deals with the proven knowledge and learning an applicant has gained, either by undergoing formal training qualification or through experience. At all times within this qualification the question will deal with the level of skill the learner has acquired, reviewed in the context of the exit level skill required for the envisaged teaching and learning qualifications, or composing modules, or status for which the applicant applies, and not only the experience an applicant has recorded. RPL will thus be granted based on the applied competencies the applicant has demonstrated.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Education, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Postgraduate Certificate in Education, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Advanced Diploma in a cognate specialisation, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 128 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 128 Credits

• School Guidance and Lay Counseling, 20 Credits.
• Learners with special needs, 20 Credits.
• Health Promoting Schools, 20 Credits.
• Learner Support in the Diverse classroom, 20 Credits.
• Applied Learner Support (Year module), 32 Credits.
• Education Research, 16 Credits.

1. Take responsibility for judgements, within an inclusive society which is based on a strong value system, and an awareness and understanding of moral and social issues;
2. Integrated knowledge of underlying theories relevant to special needs education and learner support critical understanding of school guidance and lay counselling, learners with special needs, health-promoting schools, learner support in a diverse classroom and applied learner support.
3. Contribute to the current knowledge framework of educational matters and issues, within special needs and learner support, by evaluating different knowledge sources;
4. Demonstrate specific skills to identify and solve real-life problems regarding key matters in special needs and learner support education, as well as competence with regard to ethical issues and professional practise that deal with special needs and learner support within the South African school system through an acquired in-depth expertise within the field of special needs and learner support;
5. Show effective teamwork with for both staff members and learners in the educational environment by demonstrating their expertise in the field of special needs and learner support education;
6. Critically analyse alternative approaches and solve specific problems within the area of special needs education as well as the capacity for argumentation and reasoning, based on their values, beliefs, and practices;
7. Take accountability for own self-directed learning when dealing with a problem in special needs and learner support and present new insights, and solutions to known issues in an academically appropriate way;
8. Appreciate own limited knowledge, and demonstrate an intellectual curiosity for new ideas as lifelong learners, that question established ways of understanding current educational issues.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for their judgements based on a strong value system;
• Evaluate their awareness and understanding of moral and social issues.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Discuss and evaluate key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules, and theories in the field of special needs education;
• Discuss the different underlying theories relevant to special needs education and learner support;
• Critically discuss school guidance and lay counselling, learners with special needs, health-promoting schools, learner support in a diverse classroom and it's underlying concepts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Identify specific procedures and methods of inquiry in the field of special needs education;
• Evaluate and apply procedures and methods of enquiry in a practical situation;
• Discuss and reflect on solutions regarding problems in the practical special needs classrooms.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Explain and apply the principles, values, skills, and attitudes a teacher needs to possess when working in a special needs environment;
• Justify decisions and actions, drawing on ethical values and approaches;
• Identify and analyse the challenges and problems teachers encounter within the South African school environment regarding the special needs of learners.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Identify and describe the principles of effective teamwork and communication;
• Apply the principles of effective teamwork with relevant stakeholders within the field of special needs education.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Reason ethical issues and teacher responsibility regarding learner support in the diverse classroom;
• Act responsibly in his/her actions and practices, as well as decision making, and being conscious of accountability when providing learner support;
• Debate and critically analyse alternative approaches to solve problems within the field of special needs education.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Take full responsibility for his/her own learning needs, monitor his/her learning progress, apply relevant learning strategies, and manage applicable resources to attain the learning outcomes of the modules in the qualification;
• Critically reflect on his/her learning processes toward the development of a higher Degree of self-directedness and specialisation;
• Demonstrate the skills and disposition needed to stay informed and current about special needs education trends and developments as a lifelong learner.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Evaluate the effectiveness of their learning strategies;
• Develop different strategies should they have to improve their learning to realise the outcomes.

Integrated Assessment

The assessment procedures are based on the assessment and moderation policy of the institution. The assessment practices within this qualification will be open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable and will ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever. Both formal and informal formative (continuous assessment) will serve as a monitoring instrument to enable learners to determine their learning progress and to allow lecturers to determine the effectiveness of their teaching. Adjustments will thus be made in time to make the teaching and learning process more effective. Utilise feedback from informal formative assessment opportunities for improvement of learner learning and facilitator guidance. Informal assessments will be available to learners through the assessment tools on the different platform or drop-box module sites in the form of, for example, multiple-choice questionnaires and other assessments, with the benefit of immediate feedback on learning. Compile assessment instruments, for instance, memorandums, rubrics, and control lists, for each formal formative and each summative assessment activity performed by the learner. In the case of summative assessment, submit the assessment instruments with the examination paper for moderation. Co-assessors or markers utilise the assessment instruments for formal formative and summative assessment activities, as well as for moderation activities described in the Policy.