Programme Level Review as an Academic Planning and QA Tool for Constructing a Differentiated Curricu

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Programme Level Review as an Academic Planning
and QA Tool for Constructing a Differentiated
Curriculum in Emerging Comprehensive Institutions
in South AfricaRachel C. PrinslooUNISA Florida
Campusrprinslo_at_tsa.ac.za
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Structure and Format

• The Policy Interpretive Approach
• Presentation Methodology
• The HE Policy Context graphic depiction of
• Triangulated Planning and QA Levers
• Distillation of Key Features of Comprehensive
• Institutions
• Constructing the Differentiated Curriculum
• Programme Level Review Preferred HEQC Lens
• of QA Scrutiny
• Lessons from the TSA Case Studies
• Emerging Issues for Facilitating Effective
• Mergers

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The Policy Interpretive Approach

• Underlying values and assumptions of policy
• implementation
• Rational purposive model assumes linear
  relationship, driven by strong and controlling
  leadership top down and prescriptive rigid and
  unresponsive
• Policy Interpretive Approach assumes more
  participatory style, recognition of complexity
  and opts for phased and incremental approach
  clear decision-making processes and critical
  points of reflection and benchmarking

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• Presentation Methodology

• Interpretive and Contextualised Account of
  Responsiveness to Policy
• Imperatives
• Dialogical Approach facilitating a
  conversation
• Work in Progress sharing insights and lessons
  learned
• tracing evolving
  re-engineering processes
• extracting
  implications for planning and practice
• Invite critique and engagement from
  participants
• Co-creation of formal paper Expression of
  Interest Template

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The HE Policy and Regulatory Environment Triangula
ted Planning and QA Levers
DoE (1997) PQM / NAP Policy Leg.
Public Good Funding
Advisory Role
HE Is
CHE / HEQC Instit Audits Prog Accred Capacity
Building 2000
SAQA Act 1995 NQF Architecture OBE
Quality Regulation for ETD
ETQA
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Aligned HECQ Regulatory Framework

• Fitness of purpose to be located within a
  framework based on national goals, priorities and
  targets The fitness of purpose approach allows
  national policies to provide the macro frameworks
  within which institutional missions and goals are
  formulated
• Fitness for purpose in relation to specified
  mission within a national framework of
  differentiation and diversity
• Transformation in the sense of developing the
  capabilities of individual learners for personal
  enrichment, as well as (meeting) the requirements
  of social development and economic and employment
  growth
• Value for money judged in relation to the full
  range of higher education purposes set out in the
  White Paper. Judgments about effectiveness and
  efficiency to include but not be confined to
  labour market responsiveness and cost recovery

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Distillation of Key Features of Comprehensive
Institutions (1)

• CHE Interrelated Notions of Differentiation and
  Diversity (Baijnath, 2002)
• Differentiation social and educational mandates
  of institutions (Fitness of Purpose)
• Diversity specific missions of individual
  institutions ( Fitness for Purpose)
• Institutional Typologies and Elements of Diversity

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Distillation of Key Features of Comprehensive
Institutions (2)

• American HE Typology criteria level of degree,
  size, PhD output. 1994 classification- research,
  doctoral univs, masters colleges and univs BA
  (liberal arts) colleges, Associate of Arts
  colleges, specialised colleges
• UK - Polytech Experiment , 1996 study using 42
  variables resulted in typology of 16 institutions
  for UK universities, OU indicated as distinctive
  DoE (2004) Creating CIs
• Emerging Typologies of SA Comprehensives
• Half univ/ half tech mix of contact and DE mix
  of
• UG and PG programmes ( UPE/PET RAU/Wits Tech)
• 70 Univ / 30 tech ( new UNISA)
• Part Univ/ largely tech smaller univ, largely
  UG focus (Unizul)

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Distillation of Key Features of Comprehensive
Institutions (3) Diversity Indices

• 1. Systemic diversity referring to type, size and
  control
• mechanisms
• 2. Structural diversity, premised upon differing
  legal and
• historical foundations, governance
  structures,
• institutional culture delegations of
  authority
• 3. Programmatic diversity scope, levels,
  comprehensiveness,
• purposes, mission and emphases of programmes
  and mode
• of delivery, nature of technical and support
  services
• 4. Procedural diversity
• 5. Reputational diversity status and prestige
  differentials
• 6. Constitutional diversity- students served,
  range of stakeholder
• constituencies

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Programme Level Review HEQC Lens of Scrutiny
and Unit of Analysis

• Rationale for Programmatic Thrusts
• Old wine in new bottles
• Re-invoking disciplinary coherence and
  qualifications under the PQM guise
• Streamlined efficiencies and releasing new
  creativity and niches
• Investing in planning platforms and renewal

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Gibbons in the DoE CI Concept Document
(2004)identifies general traits of the
comprehensive universityResponsiveness and
relevance of PQM and research foci to local,
regional and national needs Diversity full
suite of programmes (vocational,
career-focused, professional and general
formative) reflecting university and technikon
types Accessibility- differing entry and exit
levels Learner mobility and articulation
vertical and horizontal Flexibility
collaboration and partnerships with community,
Co-operative Governance involving ket
stakeholders in civil society, government,
business, organized labour, and industry
partners
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The UNISA Context ODL an innovative
approach responsive to the education environment
and societal needs. Ideally reflect the vision
of the World Declaration on Higher Education for
the Twenty-first Century Vision and Action,
adopted by the World Conference on Higher
Education convened by UNESCO in Paris on 9
October 1998.
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UNISA Context contUNESCO Declaration On
HEProvide opportunities for higher learning and
for learning throughout life, giving learners an
optimal range of choice and flexibility of entry
and exit points within the system, as well as an
opportunity for individual development and social
mobility in order to educate for citizenship and
for active participation in society, with a
worldwide vision, for endogenous
capacity-building, and for the consolidation of
human rights, sustainable development, democracy
and peace, in a context of justice.
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New UNISA Vision Statement
The current vision statement of the institution
builds upon this theme and positions the new
UNISA as impacting on societal development,
through optimising its comprehensive character
(i.e. offering programmes that span general as
well as vocational areas) in relation to broad
human resources, knowledge and capacity
development".


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Insights and Lessons from the TSA Faculty Audit
and Programme Review Project (1)

• Pre-merger strategy to consolidate vocational
  programmes, internally QA and produce guidelines
  for programme redesign and redevelopment
• Critical alignment to national DE Quality
  Criteria, Improved Teaching and Learning
  Strategies, Integrated Assessment

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Insights and Lessons from the TSA Faculty Audit
and Programme Review Project (2)

• Production of FLPEI based on prior TSA/SAIDE
  Evaluation and Capacity Building Study and
  Recommendations
• Historical Context of Institutional Inequities
  and Discrimination (Ogude et al)
• FLPEI Evidence based reporting leading to Self-
  Assessment Report and Recurriculation Plan
• Iterative Design and Methodology

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Insights and Lessons from the TSA Faculty Audit
and Programme Review Project (3)

• Enriched process harnessing Academic Expertise
  with Educational Design and Learning Development
• Intended and Unintended Consequences
• Improved T L integrated assessment enhancing
  applied competence curriculum benchmarking,
  research based development and future trajectory
• Critical location and alignment of programmes /
  insertion of research themes

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Emerging Issues for Facilitating Effective
Mergers (1)

• Unresolved tension between systemic,
  institutional structural re-engineering in the
  absence of clear and consensual typologies,
  institutional identities and overarching academic
  planning frameworks evolutionary change
• Impact of transitional and interim arrangements

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Emerging Issues for Facilitating Effective
Mergers (2)

• Generating criteria for arriving at
  proportionality of programme types
• Redefining programme types across binary divide
  and ensuring insertions of critical elements e.g.
  (EL / Community Service, integrated assessment)
  in vocational types
• Facilitating credit transfers assumes comparable
  OBE practices -pegging, modularisation and
  weighting
• Opting for hybrid programmes as planning point of
  departure to ensure quality and alignment

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Expression of Interest Template

• Critique / refinement of content
• Gaps
• Responding to policy interpretive positions and
  standpoints
• Dialogue via e-mail
• Deadline end July 2004
• Rrpinslo_at_tsa.ac.za