Lecturer training in times of Corona
Facilitating active citizenship
The new TVET Life Orientation lecturer guides "Facilitating active citizenship"
HSF; HSF
The comprehensive, practical guide is a tool for Life Orientation lecturers on including Civics Academy videos in their lessons on the topic of Citizenship in the TVET Life Orientation curriculum, in a youth focused, interactive and enjoyable way.
The new guide had been developed together with the Department of Higher Education and Training over the past two years, finalised in participatory focus groups jointly with lecturers and launched at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in February 2020.
Successful online training - after intense team work to prepare it
HSF; HSF
As #Covid19 and the Lockdown changed the situation in South Africa as well, the team developed online training in an intense collaborative process involving experienced consultants, the Department of Higher Education and Training and knowledgeable teachers from several colleges.
The guide and the videos were very well received: “I wish we could have this for the entire curriculum”, “This makes my life so much easier”, “Students will love it” are just some of the statements heard in the feedback rounds.
Masks made by students in the new assignment project
DHET; DHET
The guides contain many practical exercises developed specifically to be relevant and interesting for students in South Africa today. They are presented in a user friendly format and include a variety of methods, aiming to stimulate learning, reflection, debate and practical engagements.
Now, some of the assignments have been adapted to the current Covid situation as well. Classes also speak about how to deal with the pandemic safely and productively.
One of the colleges just sent the organisers pictures of a recent assignment - students had made creative masks - and discussed their experiences and thoughts in the process.
Screen shot from the Civics Academy website - it's enticing, and full of resources
The Civics Academy is a civic education project the Hanns Seidel Foundation in South Africa has been running since 2015. It was launched in 2016 at the Nelson Mandela Foundation - with Prof Thuli Madonsela as a keynote speaker.
Civics Academy offers short civic education videos and podcasts on its website online. Topics include Introduction to Democracy, Justice and Human Rights, Separation of Powers, Political Parties, Elections, Economics and Constitutional Rights.
The videos are used in different contexts - the series on Local Government for instance is being used in Councillor Training as well.
Explore the website here.