Author Description

This series of mixed-media learning packages explores the implications of an outcomes- or competence-based educational philosophy for the practice of learning and teaching in South Africa. The series is a dramatic departure from the often didactic and alienating educational texts produced in the past. Each module develops - through case-studies, school-based dialogues, and common educational problems - teachers' abilities to think and solve problems in the fluid educational environment in which they find themselves. Creating People-centred Schools: School Organization and Change in South Africa This module gives teachers a basic understanding of the organizational dynamics of schools, and how they operate within schools to change them. It explores concepts like 'whole school' development, schools as 'learning organizations', and co-operative governance. Understanding Outcomes-based Education: Teaching and Assessment in South African Schools. What does an 'outcomes-based' education paradigm mean for curriculum and assessment practices? What are the knowledge assumptions that underpin OBE? This module explores the differences between 'atomistic' and 'holistic' forms of competence and OBE, especially in relation to curriculum-design and assessment practices.