MASTERS IN ADULT EDUCATION

Admission Requirements:
The normal minimum entry requirements for admission into the M. Ed programme in
Adult and Distance Education shall be:
B. Ed degree in Adult Education with at least a second class (lower division) from this
University or any other university recognized by NUL Senate;
or
Relevant degree in any discipline from this university or any other university
recognised by NUL Senate with at least a second-class lower division;
or
In exceptional cases, a holder of a pass degree in any field with a three year post
graduation work experience may be accepted. However, candidates who fall into this
category will be required to take and pass satisfactorily an entrance examination, which
shall be organized by the Institute of Extra-Mural Studies, for admission purpose.
Admission procedures:
The admission procedures will be
i) Applications may be obtained from 1st January and be submitted by 30th March of
the same calendar year in which the study is to commence.
ii) The Processing of applications by the Department of Adult Education of IEMS will be
undertaken in the month of April of the year in which the study is to commence.
iii) Processing of applications by the Board of Postgraduate Studies will be from the end
of April to the end of May of the year in which the study is to commence.
iv) Applicants shall be notified of the status of their admission to the M. Ed Adult
Education programme in May/June of the year in which the study is to commence.
v) Commencement of studies shall normally be the same as that of undergraduate
studies, that is, during the month of August.
Programme Structure:
The M. Ed programme in the Department of Adult Education of Institute of Extra-Mural
Studies (IEMS) shall be on part-time basis. The programme shall run a mixed distance
education delivery mode as deemed appropriate and suitable for the adult learners.
This may include occasional face-to-face and short residential sessions including the use
of printed study modules.
Course Workload
For any student to graduate, he/she must have taken the following courses:
5 courses with a total of 30 credit hours in the first year. These are the core courses for
all students irrespective of area of specialization in the M. Ed Adult Education
programme. They are ADE 600, 601, 602, 603 and 604 which will be divided adequately
into the two semesters of the first year, to avoid overloading the part-time learners.
5 courses with a total of 30 credit hours in the second year under the students chosen
specialization area. Students are allowed also to even take any course as elective
outside of their specialization areas for enrichment purposes.
Dissertation with a total of 12 credit hours in the third and the last year, making an
overall total of 72 credit hours over the three years of study.
Areas of Specialisation:
1. Adult Education and Community development
2. Open and Distance Learning
3. Adult Education and Management of HIV/AIDS programmes.
Programme Duration:
The M. Ed degree programme in adult education is designed to normally last for a
period of 3 years on part-time basis.
However, the maximum duration for any student to remain on the programme before
completion shall be 6 years.
Progression:
Students enrolled in the M. Ed programme can carry forward at least two failed courses
to the next year in both semesters of that year. Students can however be allowed to
spend a maximum of 2 years in each year level. The following marks will be used for the
type of progression at the end of each year‚s course evaluation, that is, (course work +
written examination):
Proceed with distinction 80 and above;
Proceed with merit70 – 79
Proceed 50 ‚ 69
Course Assessment:
i)Students in the part-time M. Ed Adult Education Programme shall be examined by
continuous assessment and written examinations at the end of each semester of the
course.
ii)Students shall be mandated to participate in postgraduate seminars through
presentation of papers, which shall be a form of training for academic writing process.
Seminar presentation shall be graded accordingly as part of continuous assessment.
iii)Each course successfully taken by passing course work, shall count as 40% of the
final mark while examination shall count for 60%. Examination shall be by a three-hour
paper at the end of each period in which courses are taught.
Supplementary:
i)Any postgraduate student shall be allowed to supplement a maximum of 3 courses in
which he/she has obtained a minimum grade of E that is between 45 and 49 marks.
ii)The maximum mark obtainable by any postgraduate student in a supplementary
examination shall be 60%.
Supplementary Examination Fee:
i)Any postgraduate student, who shall supplement examinations, shall be charged a
supplementary fee to be determined by office of the Registrar.
Fail and Repeat:
Any post-graduate student who fails a course shall proceed and carry forward the failed
course. Any post-graduate student who fails more than one course shall not proceed,
but repeat failed course (s). Students can be allowed to repeat a class only two times
provided the student can still finish his/her programme within the stipulated period of
SIX years.
Fail and Discontinue:
Any postgraduate student who fails up to four courses at the end of any academic year
shall be discontinued from the programme and NUL. He/she can re-apply after a period
of 2 years.
Results Calculation:
Compulsory and required specialization area courses in the M. Ed Programme shall be
used in calculating the overall results, for the award of the M. Ed degree; and all courses
must be passed at 50% or above.
All relevant courses from the first and second years of the M. Ed programme, including
dissertation at the third year, shall be used in calculating the final results.
Award of Degree:
i)A total of TEN (10) courses, in addition to the M. Ed dissertation offered during the 3
years of part-time studies in the M. Ed programme, making a total of 72 credit hours,
will be used to determine the final classification of the degree.
ii)The final grade for the award of an M. Ed in Adult Education shall be calculated on
pass level of 50 OWM and above. The average shall be converted into letter grades as
follows:
80 – 100 A Outstanding
70 – 79 B Very Good
60 – 69 C Good
50 – 59 D Pass
45 – 49 E Supplementable
Below 45 F Fail and Repeat/Discontinue
COMPULSORY COURSES FOR ALL STUDENTS:
ADE 600-6: Foundations of Adult Education: A/B
This course reviews the historical development theory and practice of adult education
and examines the fundamental disciplines in which adult education as a professional
practice and an academic field is rooted. These include philosophy, sociology, history,
economics, language, psychology and politics. The course therefore, exemplifies how
each of these different disciplines can be interpreted in the context of the meaning,
purpose and scope of adult education practice worldwide.
ADE 601-6: Education and National Policy Development: A/B
In this course, students will be exposed to the principles, processes and paradigms of
National policy development in any field and particularly for all levels of education. The
course will examine the practical implementation procedures for the formulation of
national policies and highlights the socio-political factors underpinning the production
process of any policy. The course will also review the purpose, dimensions and
implications of policy production in the context of national development framework.
Students will be expected to engage in constructive preparation of mock policy
documents as a process of academic growth.
ADE 602-6: Resource Management for Adult Education: A/B
This course is designed to improve the efficient and effective performance of the
employees at workplace through the organization of training and retraining
programmes. The course will review extensively the theories of human resource
development against the organisational training policy. It will analyse some concepts of
industrial relations management including conflict management and collective
bargaining at work. The course will further examine different models of training and the
strategies for managing human resources for optimum organizational utilization.
ADE 603-6: Advanced Research Methods in Adult Education: AB
This course examines research paradigms from many ramifications of educational
practice. It introduces students to high level of both qualitative and quantitative
research designs in finding solutions to societal problems. It adopts systematic
approaches in analysing social phenomena for pragmatic implementation, using
modern and relevant research techniques in the data collection process and
interpretation up to making appropriately implementable recommendations.
ADE 604-6: Social Psychology: A/B
This course exposes postgraduate students to behaviour in social settings and analyses
various social factors affecting and related to group dynamics. The behaviour
characteristics and patterns to be studied will cover the adults‚ life span in relation to
infectious diseases. (HIV/AIDS, etc,.) it will also cover three major agencies in social
behaviour, that is the school setting as well as the interacting processes in the
environment in which people live.
ADE 605-12: M. Ed Dissertation: AB
Each student, irrespective of his/her specialization area, will be expected to engage in a
practical research activity, under the guidance of a supervisor, leading to the production
of a dissertation, which shall follow the Institute‚s guidelines and procedures. The topic
of such dissertation must have direct relationship to the chosen area of specialization of
the student. The dissertation, which will be produced during the third and last year of
study and having a minimum of 150 pages, appropriately bound to the specifications of
the Institute and/or the Board of Postgraduate Studies, will have to be orally defended.
The oral defence, which will be before a panel of examining committee to be composed
by the Dean of the Institute will be done after such dissertation has been positively
assessed by the External Examiner to the Institute.

SPECIALIZATION AREA I: Adult Education and Community Development:

ADE 611-6: Management and Administration of Adult Education Programmes:
A/B
This course deals essentially with the management and administration of different adult
education programmes such as literacy, social welfare, extra-mural, remedial or
vocational education to mention a few. It considers the recruitment, selection, appraisal
and supervision of clientele and employees involved in such adult education
programmes. The course will further deal with costing, acquisition and production of
the material resources meant to assist the effective delivery of such programmes. It
focuses on governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations dealing with
adult and distance education including non-formal education programmes. Students
will learn about the administrative strategies used as implementation and evaluation
mechanisms of adult education programmes.
ADE 612-6: Principles and Practice of Community Development: A/B
The course reviews the theories of community development, the process and
approaches to community development practice including the principles of community
participation. The course will also examine the planning and implementation
procedures including the phases in community development process. The mobilization
strategies necessary for the articulation of the identified community needs and the role
of the different stakeholders will be assessed while monitoring and evaluation process
of community programmes will be dealt with.
ADE 613-6: Conflict Management and Resolution: A/B
Students will be exposed to conflict management theories and strategies for resolving
conflicts within and among organizations and communities. Sources and types of
conflicts will be reviewed including the factors responsible for engendering conflicts.
The role of communication and the processes involved in conflict resolutions will be
articulated. Skills of negotiations and collective bargaining processes will be dealt with.
ADE 614-6: Seminar on Issues and Trends in Adult & Non-Formal Education: A/B
This course will examine significant social issues in contemporary adult education
practice. It reviews the role of adult education agencies from the multifarious
dimensions of national development. Students will be sensitised to critical review and
analysis of world view with regard to issues of human rights, participatory democracy,
environmental degregation, gender analysis and empowerment, youth and women in
development including social vices and pandemics ravaging the world. Students will
therefore be expected to prepare and present seminar papers supported by current
data on individual basis on any of the contemporary issues as a global trend on which
adult and non-formal education can be a precursor.
ADE 615-6: Leadership & Community Education for Development: A/B
This course assesses the theories of leadership and community education including the
philosophical concepts and approaches in examining the objectives and delimitations of
community education in African context. The qualities of a leader and the
implementation strategies in mobilizing for community participation will be reviewed.
Students will be exposed to the different models of community development vis- -vis
the implications of socio cultural milieu and economic status for communities in
propelling development activities based on African values.

SPECIALIZATION AREA II: Open and Distance Learning

DE 621-6: Organization and Management of Distance Education: A/B
The theories, growth and development of distance education will be covered while
conceptualizing the principles, objectives and delimitations of distance education
practice. A review of governmental policy framework against the background of the
organizational efficiency and management process of a distance education institution
will be articulated. The course also examines the planning, implementation and
evaluation of any distance education institution and programme including personnel
consideration, quality output and the effective operational performance. Case studies
will be studied to assist students in acquiring organizational and management skills in
distance education.
ADE 622-6: Learners Support Service in Adult and Distance Education: A/B
This course will deal with the need and the mechanisms for making institutional
arrangements for supporting distance learners. It will also review the definition, theory,
practice and importance of counseling and tutoring services. The relevance of education
resource centres and the interactivity between learners and the tutors on one hand and
among learners themselves on the other, as a process of facilitating learning through
group dynamics will be treated. Other pertinent issues to be covered in this course will
include how to design collaborative learning environments, case studies of global
perspectives on learners support services and the organizational process of learners
support services in the developing countries.
ADE 623-6: Instructional Material Design for Distance Education: A/B
This course reviews different types of instructional materials used in distance
education. It examines the processes and determinants of the application of the
different types of instructional materials. The assessment of the quasi-bureaucratic
process of course material development on the quality assurance maintenance of the
end product including the socio-political factors affecting the efficiency of instructional
design. Students will be taken through the needs assessment process, identification of
instructional designers, planning writers‚ workshops including implementation
mechanisms and the production processes. A succinct review of institutional
collaboration models in material design will be made and the possible implications will
be assessed. Finally, the students will undergo practical lessons in instructional material
design of their choice.
ADE 624-6: Communication Media & Technology: A/B
This course reviews the role, types, growth and the use of educational technology for
the delivery of educational content. It assesses the socio-cultural, educo-political and
geo-economic factors determining the adoption of technology in distance education in
any country and their implications for knowledge and digital divide between the west
and the developing countries. The course further examines the relative effectiveness of
the different media technologies utilized in distance education globally and considers
this against the background of commercialisation drive, which may inhibit general
accessibility thus making education an elitist commodity. It reviews some practical
production processes of using communication technology for delivering educational
content.
ADE 625-6: International Perspectives in Distance Education: A/B
This course considers different educational models across the world and assesses the
essential ingredients that an educationist will have to take into consideration in
evaluating educational programme performance or in introducing educational reform
to the educational curricula at all levels in a country. It examines the national
development goal against the operational background of an educational paradigm to be
adopted. It reviews the mechanisms necessary to democratise education in order to
achieve equity, equality and access to educational provision.

SPECIALIZATION AREA III: Adult Education & Management of HIV/AIDS

programmes:
ADE 631-6: Perspectives on HIV/AIDS Issues for Adult Learning: A/B
This course is designed to introduce students to an overview of natural history and
theories of HIV/AIDS including the social, cultural and economic impact of HIV/AIDS in
Lesotho. It will cover discussions and analysis of myths and misconceptions related to
health behaviour seeking practices of adults. It will further acquaint and develop in the
postgraduate students analytical skills on laws and policies on HIV/AIDS/STIs/ Drug
abuse, life skills and gender in Lesotho.
ADE 632-6: Mobilization Strategies on HIV/AIDS Activities: A/B
This course will expose graduate students to mobilization strategies in fighting
pandemics with special reference to communities in Lesotho. The course will cover
positive mobilisation strategies based on individual adult participatory behaviour
towards awareness creation about the phenomenon of HIV/AIDS/STIs. The strategies to
be adopted will include lobbying at the level of policy makers, churches, service
providers and community participatory techniques for organized campaigns. The
strategies will be used by the students during the practical attachment in initiating
interventions against HIV/AIDS/STIs and substance abuse.
ADE 633-6: Managing HIV/AIDS Activities and Health Issues: A/B
This course is designed to provide graduate students with well planned basic and
continuing life skills based on the facts about HIV/AIDS/STIs in general, and especially
in Lesotho. Furthermore, the course will cover issues on and concerns about socio-
cultural norms of the society in relation to HIV/AIDS, prevention and care for people
living with HIV/AIDS. The graduate students will also learn about the basics of planning
and managing techniques for handling HIV/AIDS activities. The course aims at exposing
graduate students to Lesotho HIV/AIDS policy and its strategic plans as the foundation
for this course.
ADE 634-6: Community Guidance and Counseling: A/B
The course in community guidance and counseling will introduce and equip graduate
students with modern and traditional techniques and skills for empowering community
and the individual in order to be able to face life and AIDS challenges. The course will
explore the philosophy of community counseling, role and performance of the
community counsellors, issues in different counseling settings. Graduate students will
also cover basic concepts of community counseling, community counseling model,
traditional counseling, training and supervision of community counsellors. Finally, it
covers development, implementation and evaluation of community counseling
programmes.
ADE 635-6: Gender Equality, Equity and Empowerment in HIV/AIDS Perspectives:
A/B
This course reviews and analyses gender factors in transmission, prevention and
control of HIV/AIDS/STIs. The course further examines communication skills among
men and women on HIV/AIDS related issues including listening skills, seeking
information needs, resources, refusal skills, assertiveness, decision making and delaying
gratification. It would also cover measures to address gender disparities in
HIV/AIDS/STIs in Lesotho as well as women‚s empowerment in providing home based
care.
NB: Courses marked AB are expected to be taken during the two semesters of the year
in which they are offered. However, courses against which A/B are labelled will only run
for one semester. Availability of lecturers in such courses will determine which
semester A or B; such courses will be offered during the session in which they are to be
taken by the students.