University of Zululand UNIZULU NPDE

PROGRAMMES

A.National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) Programmes

1.Purpose of the NPDE Programme

This qualification has its purpose the upgrading of currently un-and under-qualified school educators with a view to improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools. This qualification will provide educator- learners with the opportunity of becoming fully qualified professionals (REQV13). The qualification will be practice-based, have a strong classroom focus and will equip educators with foundational, practical and reflexive competences required for further study at NQF Level 6. Educators who have successfully completed the NPDE Programme will qualify for registration with the South African Council of Educators (SACE), and will be eligible for employment in independent and state schools in the Republic of South Africa.

2.Admission Requirements

This qualification is meant for currently serving educators in schools who are classified as

oREQV 10 with at least five years of teaching experience.

oREQV 11 and 12, and

oCandidates from other subfields (e.g. ABET. ECD) classified as REQV11.

3.General Structure of the NPDE Programme

The following is the general structure of the NPDE Programme:

Table 1

•Duration of the programme (Full-Time and Part- Time)

For Full-Time students the programme can be taken over three years with five modules taken in each semester. For Part-Time students this programme can be taken over six years with five modules taken over a period of a year. Given that this programme is meant for practicing educators with five or more years of teaching experience, some educators will earn the first 120 credits (year one) through RPL (REQV 10) and others will simply be credited with the first 120 credits (year one) without any RPL (REQV 11 and 12).

Given that students enrolled for this programme are funded by the Department of Education, and the Department can only fund students for a period of three years, arrangements have been made to make sure that the programme is delivered within that period, and this has been made practically possible because of the year one credits that can be earned through RPL or credited to students as explained above. The following table indicates how the programme will be delivered within three years for Part-Time students.

Table 2.

4.Programme Description

4.1Modular System

Programmes are based on a modular system. Each module carries 12 fundamental credits and will be offered over a semester. Modules are divided into three components: core and elective modules Fundamental and Core modules are compulsory. Elective modules are those which a student chooses for his/her specialisation.

Time allocated for each module shall be 120 notional hours, devoted to lecturing, self-study assessment and practicals. A student may take a minimum of 5 modules per semester, or per year in the case of a part-time study.

5.Assessment Procedures

Each module will be assessed using various methods, tools and strategies. There will be both formal and informal assessment.

5.1 Informal Assessment

Through self-assessment and peer-assessment, educators will be expected to continually assess their progress on the module through activities that lead to the achievement of learning outcomes as indicated for each module. The lecturer will give feedback on the progress of the students through informal baseline, formative and summative assessment strategies.

5.2Formal Assessment

Various formative and summative assessment strategies will be used and will include the following: Assignments, Projects, Portfolios, Tests, Case studies, Worksheets and Examination

A minimum of three tasks will be given to students will count 60% towards the final mark.

5.2.1 Examination

Examination will take place in January of each year. Each module will have a two- hour examination. The examination mark will count 40% towards the final mark.

5.2.2 Supplementary/Aegrotat Examination

Educators will have two chances to write an examination in any particular module. Failure to write or missing the examination in both chances will require the educator to re-register for the module. The educator will be expected to pay for the re-registration of the module, as the Department of education will not fund a module done for the second time

6.Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

REQV 10 Candidates will undergo RPL to receive 120 credits associated with the ten modules at year level one through the development of a Portfolio of evidence. Otherwise they will do all the remaining twenty modules (240 credits).

REQV 11 Candidates will receive 120 credits associated with the ten modules at year level one without any Portfolio development. Candidates will also earn 72 credits for five modules at semester one of year level two plus one module at semester two of year level 2 i.e. Functional use of language, through development of Portfolio of evidence. This means they will only do the remaining fourteen modules (168 credits).

REQV 12 Candidates will receive 192 credits associated with the ten modules at year level one, five modules at semester one of year level two plus one module at semester two of year two level two i.e. functional use of Language.

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