JULY 27, 2020

ASSIGNMENT 2
Theories and Theorists in TVET and Post Schooling

NYIKADZINO MASHIZHA
UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE
4077589
Contents
Section 1: Declaration of authenticity .................................................................................................... 2
Section 2: Question 1 .............................................................................................................................. 3
Section 3: Question 2 .............................................................................................................................. 4
Section 4: Question 3 .............................................................................................................................. 5
Section 5: Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 9
Section 6: Index ..................................................................................................................................... 10

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Section 1: Declaration of authenticity

I the undersigned declare the work contained in this assignment 1 as my own work.

1. The work has never been submitted to any other university/institution for credit
on any other degree.

2. The work is original and has not been copied either fully or partially from another
person

3. Whenever I have used other people materials from other sources, I have given
due credit to them in the text and giving their details in reference list.

Name: NYIKADZINO MASHIZHA Date: 27/07/2020

Student Number: 4077589

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Section 2: Question 1

The society that we live in today, technological advancement is occurring in leaps

and bounds. Thus educators and classroom practitioners are constantly seeking
effective educational interventions, with the sole goal of fostering pupil/student
centred learning. In this assignment, through self-reflection of the current module the
writer will endeavour to answer the question asked in Assignment 1, which is ‘How
can experiential learning theory be used to improve learning?’

What started as a tea break discussion in the staffroom as colleagues, struck a

chord? Two senior colleagues lecturing at exit levels, N5 and N6 complained that the
students were not able to cope with the content. The students’ faculties of critical
thinking and problem solving were seriously lacking as witnessed by the high failure
rate in the subjects of Power Machines, Mechanotechnics and Strength of Materials,
which required a high degree of abstract thinking. The reasons that they proffered
were that the learners had very weak Mathematics and Engineering Science
backgrounds. However, in contrast, results in the two subjects at the lower levels
show that the learners are doing well.

This got me thinking that educational interventions, originated with us as instructors

and the teaching process. Consequently, to fully understand these processes, we
need to explore what teachers are doing in centres of learning and the reasons why
they do what they do.

This exercise can be successful if it is teacher initiated. It will involve the teachers
observing themselves, collecting daily classroom data about their roles within them,
and thus using the obtained data as a yardstick for self-evaluation and changing of
lesson delivery methods. Which will in turn result in the teacher’s personal growth
and according to (Wilson & Paterson, 2006), creating a situation with multiple
opportunities for learners to seek deeper levels of content understanding.

Faced with dilemma of my colleagues, I realised two areas in the curriculum that
need to be visited, that of critical thinking and problem solving. These two
phenomena are very essential since employers nowadays require a labour force with

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the ability to be creative and flexible problem solvers (Lynton, 1989). This is
achieved when the learners are able to apply their experiences and prior knowledge
when challenged by novel problems. According to (Resnick, 1989), current students
are no longer strong critical thinkers due to the shortcomings of the traditional
instruction which has failed dismally in producing the necessary transfer to new
problem solving situations.

Section 3: Question 2

Four theories can be used to try and remedy the above mentioned case study,
namely Activity theory, Disciplinary knowledge, Critical pedagogy and Surface and
Deep learning. For the purpose of this assignment and due to time limitations Deep
and surface learning theory will be identified as the most appropriate theory to be
employed for the case study.

According to (Marton, 2006) surface learning is a learning approach that involves

little engagement with a given task and on the other hand deep learning involves
great intention to mastering and understanding content.

The curriculum for lower levels, N1 to N3, predominantly elicits surface learning
where students are expected to rely on memorisation; rote learning, of facts and
formulae to solve problems. The learning content is broken down to unrelated bits
where there is no relation and cross referencing between ideas and theories. N4
thus becomes a critical turning point. This is Instructors should realise that surface
and deep learning is a continuum with no clear cut boundary. The higher levels now
elicit for meaning in educational content. Students should be able to relate new
knowledge to previous acquired knowledge. There is a high degree of inter-
disciplinary engagement and multiple theories are related to each other to solve
practical situations. This can be fully explained by what is known as The SOLO
Taxonomy, the structure of the observed learning outcome.

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According to the graphical representation by (Biggs, 1999), the framework is divided
into two phases, (quantitative and qualitative) and further sub- divided to give five
levels. On the first level the student responses are numerous and often miss the
point. The second level is characterised by the origination of one lone idea. which
translates to many ideas but unconnected and unrelated. The fourth level allows
these many ideas to be integrated into one whole. This heralds the onset of the
qualitative phase which lies on the deeper learning side of the continuum. The fifth
level, is the highest, is where these related ideas are expanded to the level of
abstraction.

Section 4: Question 3

The high marks obtained in Mathematics and Engineering science at the lower levels
and the failure of the same students at a higher level is enough evidence to warrant
an enquiry. I have devised two activities which can be used by lecturers for Strength
of Materials and Mechanotechnics to help students have a deeper understanding of
engineering principles. These activities are an attempt to make the students,
appreciate that the engineering fraternity is diverse. That it involves finding out how
mechanisms function and how best they can hone their skills.

I have documented two activities for the research, the structural challenge for
strength of materials and the mechanical design project for Mechanotechnics.

The quality of the work done by the students and the nature of their feedback (Hattie,
1998), can be used to ascertain the levels of learner motivation and to determine
whether the variables of problem solving and critical thinking were achieved.

The main goal for these activities is to try to unite engineering skills with pedagogical
foundations. Secondly to equip learners with skills for the engagement of
engineering analysis, design and problem solving. The design of the framework was
influenced by three main areas of educational research: (a) SOLO Taxonomy, (b)
Scaffolding and (c) Collaborative learning.

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The explanation of the SOLO taxonomy was explained earlier on, collaborative
learning is a situation where students will work together as equals and share the
responsibilities of learning amongst each other. Research has shown that
cooperative learning creates situations were learners are able to support each other
through questioning and offering alternative routes.

Scaffolding will help in two ways, (a) producing autonomous self-regulated learners
and (b) the practice of making thinking visible.
The expected outcomes for the a) the ability to grapple open-ended questions, (b)
team work skills and strategy, (c) hands-on skills, (d) effective communication and
(e) positive engagement with multi-disciplinary content and design.

The background of the students will also be taken into consideration. Nkangala
TVET College is situated in an industrial hub, blessed with coal mines, structural
steel manufacturing companies and most of the national power stations. Thus its
enrollment is drawn from a broad spectrum, ranging from students coming from
urban areas and also from rural under resourced schools.

The learners will be grouped in groups of four or five students using random
sampling to try and minimize bias. Which means that they will be mixed ability
groups. For the initial pilot test there will be no control group. Student feedback will
be used as a basis to inform on how best to constitute the control group in the next
round of research.

Structural design project

In groups of four or five students, learners will be given 20 straws and 20 pins, with
the instruction to build the tallest and most stable structure that will be able to hold
an egg at the top for a period greater than 60 seconds. For this exercise learners can
be given half an hour and on completion each structure will be individually tested and
learners also explain their designs.

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Mechanical design project
In this activity the learners will be grouped again into groups of four or five as well.
This project will comprise a series of activities that will join two chapters for
Mechanotechnics N5, chapter 4, Bucket elevators and chapter 7, Rail and road
traction, (Eeden van, 1990). The main thrust of this activity is to let the students put
into practical use of linear and circular motion, which are chapters already taught in
Engineering science N4, chapters 1-3, (Villiers de, 1998). Figure 1, included in the
index shows the diagrammatic illustration of the situation under investigation. In this
activity the students will be asked to theoretically design a bucket elevator that must
empty its contents into dump trucks below. The main calculation will be speed at
which the bucket elevator must rotate, the speed at which the rail dump trucks must
move. Secondly and most importantly, the height at which the bucket elevator must
offload its contents. Finally, to suggest the powering mechanism with reasons.

In both instances on completion of the given tasks the teams will be given a chance
to compare the different designs and try to determine the features which guaranteed
the best design. Through the discussion I hope that the students will be exposed to
different designs and the methodologies employed by other teams. This will give
them a chance to evaluate design merits and demerits. The greater part for judging
and analyzing the designs should be given to the students in order to develop
autonomy.

Scaffolding is fostered by allowing the students to assist each other as social

supports through providing feedback, sharing design concepts and critique of each
other’s projects.

Self-reflection is obtained by the class presentations, where the learners must exhibit
and give explanations for their designs. The explanations must include the process
and events that they went through in order to solve the problem like brain storming
ideas, challenges, conflicts and errors they encountered.

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To wrap up the activity the learners would be tasked to write a report or memo. This
memo should be directed to the ‘Chief Engineer’, giving him/her the details of the
design. This report will include the specifications of the design, the bill of materials
(BOM), bill of quantities and the nature of the problem solved. Whether the design
was a success and if not the reasons why and recommendations. The memo
exercise besides defending academic performance tries to develop and nurture
official written communication expertise.

All the activities are designed to fully expose the learners to engineering practice.
Firstly, by identifying the problem, which is the initial question. Researching about
the problem and coming up with a hypothesis. Actual experimentation, observations
and analysis of results. Deducing conclusions and offering recommendations
(Burnett, 1999).

According to (Wiggins, 1998), assessments must not only seek to audit learner
performance but to educate, improve and expand it. With this exercise deeper
learning will prepare the students to master educational content, think critically and
answer composite problems. Secondly to work collaboratively and communicate
effectively. Finally, the learners learn how to learn which is also known as self-
directed learning.

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Section 5: Bibliography

Biggs. (1999).

Eeden van, J. a. (1990). Mechanotechnics N5. Troupant Publishers (Pty) Ltd.

Fenwick, T. J. (2000). Expanding Conceptions of Experiential Learning: A Review of the Five

Contemporary Perspectives on Cognition. Adult Education Quarterly , 50 (4), 243-272.

Hattie. (1998).

Lynton, E. (1989). higher Education and American Competiveness. National Centre on Education and
Economy .

Marton, F. (2006). Sameness and Difference in Transfer. The Journal of the Learning Sciences , 15 (4),
499-535.

Marton., &. S. (1976).

Resnick, L. a. (1989). Toward the Thinking Curriculim: Current Cognitive research.

Saljo, M. a. (1976).

Villiers de, D. (1998). Engineering Science N4. Troupant Publishers (Pty) Ltd.

Wiggins. (1998).

Wilson, S. M., & Paterson, P. (2006). Theories of Learning and Teaching: What Do They Mean for
Educators. National Educational Association .

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Section 6: Index

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Figure 2: Results analysis

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