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Cus3701 Assignment 02

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NAME: SINETHEMBA CHARLOTTE LONDIWE NGEMA

STUDENT NUMBER: 59796529


MODULE CODE: CUS3701

STUDENT DECLARATION FORM


I Sinethemba Charlotte Londiwe Ngema
Student number: 59796529
Module code: CUS3701
Declare that…
1. I understand what plagiarism entails and am aware of the University’s policy in this
regard.
2. I declare that this assignment is my own, original work. Where I used someone else’s
work, whether a printed source, the internet or any other source, I give the proper
acknowledgement and include a complete reference list.
3. I did not use another current or previous student’s work, submitting it as my own.
4. I did not allow and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of
submitting it as his or her own work.
Signature: SCL Ngema Date: 21 January 2022

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QUESTION 1
Skills to consider that would prepare learners more holistically and might assist teachers
in the implementation of the curriculum, include the following:
1. Sense-making: determine deeper meaning, e.g. relate concepts to everyday
experiences and reality.
2. Social Intelligence: ability to connect deeply and directly with others, to sense and
stimulate reactions and desired interactions, such as working in groups on tasks or role
play.
3. Novel and adaptive thinking: proficiency in thinking and coming up with solutions
and responses that go beyond what is rote or rule-based, e.g. practical scientific tasks
that can be completed by using one's own experiences to prove a point.
4. Cross-cultural competency, e.g. doing a task where they do research on a culture
other than their own to ensure that uses/traditions within the culture are understood.
5. Computational thinking: ability to translate large amounts of data into abstract
concepts and comprehend data-driven reasoning, such as using a questionnaire to
collect data on food preferences and then plotting it on a graph in food groups.
6. New media literacy: ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new
media forms, as well as to leverage these media for persuasive communication, such as
using e-mails to exchange ideas on group/online learning tasks.
7. Transdisciplinary: literacy in and understanding of concepts from multiple
disciplines, for example, being able to write a report/essay on research done in several
subjects using the basic language rules of essay writing – introduction, body, and
conclusion.
8. Design mind-set: ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for
desired outcomes, such as designing a new recipe for baking bread/using mind maps.
9. Cognitive load management: ability to discriminate and filter information for
significance, as well as understanding how to maximize cognitive functioning using a
variety of tools and techniques, such as creating a study plan for some subjects/time
management skills
10. Virtual collaboration: ability to work productively, drive engagement, and
demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team, e.g. collaborate on a life-oriented
task with students from other schools via social media such as Facebook and Skype.
QUESTION 2
Contextualised action words-Learners should be aware of what is expected of them.
So, when teachers assign a task, they should do so in writing and make it clear how the
task will be graded. The best way to accomplish this is to include the main assessment

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criteria and indicators in the task instructions. More specific performance indicators can
be incorporated into the marking criteria/memorandum/rubric. The action word in the
task must be appropriate for the context, according to the teacher. For example, listing
known items necessitates recalling facts (knowledge), whereas listing a sequence of
events necessitates the learner selecting, collecting, and conducting a basic
classification of information, and is thus rated as application.
Clear and accessible language-The majority of South African learners are assessed in
a language other than their mother tongue. When learners' first language is not English,
it is critical to phrase assessment tasks clearly and in simple language. Writing
questions in difficult English is unjust and discriminatory toward second-language
speakers. Learners may know the answer, but if they don't understand the question,
they won't be able to demonstrate their knowledge. Here are some pointers for writing
clearly and concisely:
• Keep sentences short and use vocabulary and terminology appropriate for the
learners' level. Contrast the two questions below:
– Which physical quantities could be determined for a vehicle moving in a straight line
by determining the gradient (slope) of its velocity-versus-time graph at a specific point
on the graph?
– A car travels down a straight road. Make a graph of the motion's velocity versus time.
Which quantity is obtained from the slope of the graph at a given time?
• Instead of using the passive voice, use the active voice. "Add sugar to the cup of tea,"
for example, is preferable to "sugar must be added to the cup of tea".
• Avoid words with a lot of syllables. "Use the formula," for example, is preferable to
"Use the formula".
•When using pronouns, it must be clear what they refer to. For example, who are “they”
and “them” in the following sentence? “When teachers explain things, they often forget
that they should ask them diagnostic questions first.”
•Encourage students to respond in the ways that they are most comfortable. Allow
learners to use words in languages other than English (code-switching) if that is the best
way for them to express an idea, or allow multiple ways of answering, such as giving a
definition using words or a labelled diagram.
Comprehensive instructions-It is critical to provide clear instructions regarding what is
required/expected in a task. Learners will be unable to complete a task if they do not
comprehend the question or the instructions.
The following should be kept in mind when writing instructions:
• Use clear language according to the level/grade of the learner.
• Use action words to describe what activities are part of the task.

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• Link instructions to the set outcomes and the assessment criteria in order to make
sure that what is expected is what is assessed.
• Re-read tasks after setting them to make sure that no steps are left out. INCOMPLETE
ANSWER
QUESTION 3
As interpreter and developer of the curriculum, it’s insufficient for the educator to
give a narrow definition to the concept “curriculum” There are different
definitions and aspects of “curriculum”.
To respond to the above statement, we will first describe the various ways of
understanding curriculum and how these different understandings relate to each other in
some ways, referring to the intended and enacted curriculum. We will also consider the
fact that "curriculum, both as prescribed and in practice, is not neutral, but carries
values and is a political issue." On the one hand, the curriculum is viewed as an
intention, plan, or prescription, an idea of what one wishes to occur in schools. On the
other hand, what happens in schools is seen as the current state of affairs. To
demonstrate our points, we will define a curriculum by referring to the various
components that must be considered.
Definitions become extremely difficult, especially when dealing with abstract concepts,
because people frequently have different interpretations of the same words. On a broad
level, a definition of "curriculum" can be distinguished by what is included and/or
excluded from the description. The older, narrower definition states that when studying
a curriculum, we must examine the curriculum plan, which is the document or written
intention of what, how, and why something should be taught. This then defines
"curriculum" as a "course of study" or "study programme," whereas a broad definition is
a more inclusive concept that includes all opportunities for learning and is viewed
historically in its sociopolitical context. Narrow definitions are more likely to foster a view
of curriculum change as a limited and primarily technical endeavor. Broader definitions
of curriculum, on the other hand, imply a stronger sense of the curriculum's complexity
and/or change processes, as they acknowledge both intended and unintended learning
and view curriculum as a social construct. This means that the culture of a particular
society will produce a specific type of curriculum, which will in turn contribute to the
shaping of that society and its culture. This mutual influence is ongoing, and as a result,
the curriculum and social structure should not be considered as separate entities.
Looking at the situation in South Africa, we can accept that the following social
structures have had a significant impact on the South African curriculum:
 The shifting economic relationships that occur during the transition from an
agrarian to an industrial economy.
 With regard to economic changes, shifting power relations both within and
between power groups.
 Shifts in ruling group ideology caused by and contributing to change.

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This debate about the interpretation of “curriculum” comes a long way. The following
definitions might be useful:
Official, explicit curriculum: The prescribed curriculum is the official, formal
curriculum, and it is also referred to as the "blueprint" for teaching. It is also referred to
as the curriculum, plan, or intentions of an organization, such as the Department of
Education. This means that a single plan can be used for multiple learners, even if the
contexts are vastly different.
Curriculum in practice: This is the curriculum that is actually practiced or lived. In
other words, it refers to how learners and educators interact with the curriculum. It is
also known as the non-official, implicit curriculum implemented by a teacher. As a result,
it can refer to what is actually taught and learned. Educator A's lesson, for example,
demonstrates how what is actually taught can differ greatly from what was planned.
Curriculum in practice refers to the phenomenon in which, aside from educator
misunderstandings, resource constraints, and so on, the educator's ability to effectively
implement a curriculum plan is hampered.
Covert curriculum (as an aspect of the curriculum): The term "covert" refers to
teaching that is implicit (not explicitly stated), but deliberate on the part of the educator
or school. This is especially important in the early years of schooling, when concepts
like "consideration for others," "order and obedience," and "teamwork and cooperation"
are stressed. Early childhood "play" is a deliberate curriculum strategy for developing
important attitudes and skills such as fine motor skills, spatial differentiation, and various
pre-numeracy skills.
Hidden curriculum (as an aspect of the curriculum): The term "hidden" refers to
learning that is hidden from both educators and learners. This is another type of implicit
learning that educators did not intend or are likely unaware of. The types of
environments that schools and classrooms provide allow us to learn many things about
the world or to have different perspectives on the world in an indirect way.
Assessed curriculum-This refers to the knowledge and skills that are measured in
order to determine learner achievement or what objectives or learning outcomes have
been met. Assessment is an important component of a curriculum because it
establishes how learners' performance will be measured.
QUESTION 4
Between 1989 and 1994, South Africa embarked on a radical transformation of
education and training, followed by curriculum reviews. One of the most difficult aspects
of the initial transformation has been the adoption of an OBE approach, which serves as
the foundation for the implementation of C2005. C2005 attempted to capture aspects of
all three approaches discussed above, but just as there were tensions between Tyler,
Stenhouse, and Freire's approaches, so there are tensions between different aspects of
policy. Tyler defined curriculum narrowly, whereas Stenhouse argued for a broader

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definition and Freire simply assumed one. But that was only the beginning for them.
Their main point of contention was over what should be included in a curriculum and
how it should be approached. As a result, these various approaches become useful
tools for honing our understanding and interpretation of C2005, both its revisions and
the amended NCS, known as the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
(CAPS).
Approaches to curriculum planning according to Tyler, Stenhouse and Freire: a
summary
Ralph Tyler Lawrence Stenhouse Paolo Freire
Curriculum is viewed as a Curriculum is viewed as a Consider the purpose of a
product process, with objectives curriculum: it must serve to
(objectives/instrumental that change throughout the liberate learners by
approach). Has a linear teaching process rather allowing them to make
focus on the end product; than being fixed at the connections and
cannot diverge in the start. Emphasize understand language,
middle. descriptiveness. experiences, and their
Knowledge must be daily struggles.
speculative in nature.
Objectives, content, The importance of Liberation intellectual,
methods and sequence guidelines and social, and political – how
questions. professional development learners feel about
cannot be overstated. knowledge and whether
Learners should experiences can be
understand what to do with applied in everyday life.
the content. Understanding
and criteria are critical
components of the
process.
Educational purposes, Conduct research while The way we teach has the
experiences etc. are teaching, evaluate while potential to change
important. researching, and alter the students – it is always
goal-achieving process. political (empowers or
domesticates the learners).
Negotiate comprehension
with students.
Conduct research to To see if the process is Learners should be
determine the best illuminating, test, adapt, encouraged to reflect on
curriculum content to and evaluate it. During the the importance of learning.
include/evaluate content. learning process, learners
should "change."

The following universal principles in approaches to curriculum, but also to teaching and
learning, are to be found in the views of Tyler, Stenhouse and Freire:

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 experiential learning
 clarity of focus
 expanding opportunities
 defining outcomes, aims or objectives
 importance of knowledge, skills and values
 evidence of achievement
 individual learning
 what and whether we learn is more important than when we learned it
Tyler argued that there should be clarity of focus in what you want to teach, how you
want to teach, and how you want to assess in the teaching and learning situation. As a
result, the first step in effective teaching is to define objectives (outcomes), with the
understanding that these objectives must be context-bound. The teacher should ask
four fundamental questions:
1. What educational purposes should the school seek to achieve? (By “purpose” Tyler
was referring to behavioural objectives (developed by gathering information from three
sources: the subject matter, the learners and the society.)
2. What educational experiences can be provided that is likely to achieve these
purposes?
3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organised?
4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being achieved?
Tyler contended that individual learning will ensure that each learner achieves the goals
that have been established (outcomes). This can be interpreted to mean that
educational experiences should be derived from objectives based on the results of a
situation analysis (learner, subject, society), and that objectives should have been
filtered through a philosophical/psychological screen before being finalized. It is critical
to cultivate citizens who can solve problems and participate in democratic processes.
The aforementioned principles have their origins in the competency-based education
movement and mastery learning. They are predicated on the idea that we can assist
students in producing definite and reliable evidence of achievement. This model
emphasizes the importance of creating favorable learning conditions in terms of time,
teaching strategies, and learning success.
A closer examination of competency-based learning reveals that Stenhouse's concepts
of a teaching-learning process prepare learners for success in a variety of life roles. It is
critical to test, adapt, and evaluate the process to determine whether it is illuminating
and, if so, to expand opportunities for application. Stenhouse emphasized the
importance of conducting research while teaching and following the path of "design
down, deliver up" – a developmental process in which the teacher can change the
teaching-learning environment based on context and the needs of the learners. The

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learner should change during the teaching-learning process in order to internalize
information and form his or her own opinions.
Mastery learning promotes the idea that if given favorable learning conditions such as
flexibility, adequate time, and alternative learning methods, all learners can achieve the
desired teaching outcomes. Freire was concerned with these issues; he wanted
teachers and curriculum developers to ensure that educational experiences could be
applied in the real world. Experiential learning was critical: students should be able to
reflect on the value of learning. The perception of what the ideal learner in a particular
field should look like, be like, act like, and think like is also taken into account here.
Freire believed that it was critical to identify specific knowledge in order to develop a
skill that could be applied in practice as the link between reflection and action.
The impact of these approaches in terms of curriculum interpretation
When we translate the approaches described above into teaching and learning
principles, methodology, the use of learning materials, and assessment, we see that
teaching entails providing learning experiences to the learner as well as guiding,
supporting, and mediating the learning content by facilitating understanding.
Learning entails the development of the learner's understanding of concepts, skills,
activities, and values as well as his or her knowledge. All of this should then be based
on interactions between the teacher, the learner, the context, and the content. Because
learning is relevant to the learner's real-life situations and experiences, cross-curricular
integration of knowledge and skills may prepare learners for reality and the world of
work.
In a nutshell, teaching strategies imply that teaching entails critical thinking and
reasoning, reflection, and action. Learners must assume responsibility for their own
learning by participating actively in the teaching-learning process. This also implies that
the teacher should use a variety of approaches and learning materials to accommodate
different learning styles during the learning process.
Apart from testing, assessment is viewed as an integral part of teaching and learning, is
continuous, and is based on a wide range of techniques. As part of the learning
process, assessment feedback is valued.
QUESTION 5
In this section of the assignment we will define teaching strategies and deliberate how
and in which instances we would use these teaching strategies in a teaching-learning
environment. We will discuss these strategies by referring to advantages,
disadvantages and by giving practical examples.
5.1 Teaching critical thinking-The answer to "Why do we teach thinking skills?" lies in
understanding that we want to give learners the ability to solve problems and make
more intelligent decisions, as well as to open their minds and allow them to develop

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self-confidence when reasoning. It also implies that students will become more
committed to seeking reliable information and eager to test hypotheses (Facione, 2009).
Learners must be able to question their own understanding and compare it to the
teacher's and their peers' versions of the truth.
 Best time to use
When a process of knowledge building, collective inquiry into a specific topic, and
reaching a deeper understanding through interactive questioning, dialogue, and the
continuous improvement of ideas is used.
 Advantages
The learner accepts responsibility for his or her own education. It will aid in a more
advanced understanding of what the learner knows about the subject.
 Disadvantages
In large groups, it may not be possible. Teachers may find assessment tasks difficult.
 Examples
Assessment that involves problem solving skills.
5.2 cognitively guided instruction-Cognitively guided instruction is a method of
learning that incorporates both listening and language. The strategy draws on the prior
knowledge of the learners and expands on it through discussion and dialogue. The
educator can direct or guide learners' thinking about the subject and topic by listening to
what they are thinking about the subject and topic.
 Best time to use
When critical thinking is required, cognitively guided instruction is best. Learners must
have prior experience and knowledge of the subject matter, as well as the confidence to
participate actively.
 Advantages
This strategy aids in the development of learners' understanding of the problem. It
enables students to recognize different approaches to problem solving as well as the
importance of sharing experiences and perspectives.
 Disadvantages
Quiet learners can "hide" by not participating. We can't use this strategy if learners
aren't well prepared or have insufficient prior knowledge. It can also be a real issue
when a few learners dominate cognitively guided instruction while the majority of
learners are excluded and do not benefit from it.
 Examples

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Examples include class discussion and dialogue.
5.3 Scaffolding- Scaffolding is the process of constructing a framework based on prior
knowledge to assist learners in constructing new knowledge.
 Best time to use
It is best to use scaffolding when learners have personal, social or academic obstacles
to learning.
 Advantages
The educator can gradually guide the students and instill confidence and motivation in
them. Scaffolding encourages interaction and collaboration by utilizing teacher guidance
and peer support.
 Disadvantages
Learners will not achieve the educational objectives if tasks are oversimplified. Learners'
differing viewpoints may necessitate teacher intervention. Language and socioeconomic
issues, attitudes, and low levels of motivation may all be issues..
 Examples
Examples includes questioning, collective enquiry into a topic and dialogue.
5.4 simulation- The controlled re-enactment or imitation of situations using technology
is known as simulation, and it includes real-life enactment by learners. Students practice
problem-solving abilities.
 Best time to use
It is best to use simulation to demonstrate real-life situations to learners.
 Advantages
The method allows students to practice real-life situations without fear of serious
consequences. Learners can experiment and solve problems in a safe and realistic
environment. The educator can emotionally engage students in a situation in a fun and
interactive way.
 Disadvantages
The method takes a long time, and students can become overly emotional and involved
in fictitious situations.
 examples
Examples may include computer-aided simulation and role-play.

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5.5 Problem solving- Problem solving enables learners to develop skills such as self-
management and teaches them how to approach problems in a balanced manner.
 Best time to use
When learners have a clear understanding of the subject related to the problem, are
motivated to learn, and have acquired a measure of problem-solving ability, it is best to
use problem solving.
 Advantages
The educator actively engages learners by challenging them to make judgments, apply
what they've learned, and reflect on their own learning processes.
 Disadvantages
Learners' fear of failure may prevent them from participating. This method necessitates
extensive and time-consuming preparation on the part of the educator.
 Examples
Examples may include context-based teaching, case studies and word sums.

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