https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/490 Fri, 01 May 2026 14:23:52 GMT 2026-05-01T14:23:52Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/19811 Monitoring workplace learning as means towards international accreditation and recognition of professional chemical engineering technicians Mateescu, Corina; Groenewald, Thomas While workplace learning plays a significant part in engineering education the pedagogy and assessment thereof are still coming into being. This article aims at making a small contribution to the monitoring of work-integrated learning. The role of the Engineering Council of South Africa as an accreditation body, signatory of various international accords and the Dublin Accord, in particular, is considered. The path of engineering education, training and career development, in the context of the accords is illustrated. A common range of competencies is expected in accordance with the accords. Internationally, the structures and ways of engineering education differ substantially. In the South African context the criteria of the Council for Higher Education serve as guidelines for, among others, the work-integrated learning of engineering programmes. One criterion specifically pertains to monitoring. A qualitative study has been undertaken about the monitoring of the work-integrated learning modules of the National Diploma in Chemical Engineering. An earlier pilot investigation into monitoring served as an example. The administrative arrangements in the School of Engineering at the University of South Africa serve as backdrop for the study. The results of a purposive sample of 19 participants are presented. Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/19811 2015-10-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2665 Best Practice in Cooperative Education Co-operative Education; CTM Standing Committee The competitive edge of technikons is founded largely in the practice of cooperative education. The World Association for Co-operative Education (WACE) defines cooperative education as a method of education that combines learning in the classroom (theoretical studies) with learning in the workplace (experiential learning). The importance of incorporating an experiential learning component into the various instructional components is illustrated by the comment that a competitive economy requires a close link between education and the world. The Green Paper on Further Education and Training states that the curriculum and qualifications framework of the future will require a profound shift away from the traditional divides between academic and applied learning, theory and practice, knowledge and skills, and head and hand. The success of co-operative education programmes depends largely upon close cooperation with commerce, industry, government and the community. It is hoped that this publication, which was compiled in a consultative manner with members from each of these sectors, will provide guidelines for promoting co-operative education and experiential learning at technikons and closer collaboration with these sectors. In addition to outlining guidelines for stakeholders in the existing co-operative ambit, it is important to note that legislation (i.e. the Skills Development Act of 1998 [3] and the Skills Development Levies Act of 1999) provides opportunities for technikons to consider the challenges that lie ahead in the provision of skills programmes and learnerships. Although experiential learning and learnerships appear to demonstrate synergy in many respects, there are also subtle differences between the two approaches that need to be taken into account. Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2665 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2664 Essentials of co-operate education practice CTM Standing Committee; Co-operative Education The competitive edge of technikons is founded largely in the practice of ooperative education. The World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE) defines cooperative education as a method of education that combines learning in the classroom (theoretical studies) with learning in the workplace (experiential learning). The importance of incorporating an experiential learning component into the various instructional components is illustrated by the comment that “a competitive economy requires a close link between education and the world”. The Green Paper on Further Education and Training states that the curriculum and qualifications framework of the future “will require a profound shift away from the traditional divides between academic and applied learning, theory and practice, knowledge and skills, and head and hand". The success of co-operative education programmes depends largely upon close cooperation with commerce, industry, government and the community. It is hoped that this publication, which was compiled in a consultative manner with members from each of these sectors, will provide guidelines for promoting cooperative education and experiential learning at technikons and closer collaboration with these sectors. In addition to outlining guidelines for stakeholders in the existing cooperative ambit, it is important to note that legislation (i.e. the Skills Development Act of 1998 and the Skills Development Levies Act of 1999) provides opportunities for technikons to consider the challenges that lie ahead in the provision of skills programmes and learnerships. Although experiential learning and learnerships appear to demonstrate synergy in many aspects, there are also subtle differences between the two approaches that need to be taken into account. Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2664 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2575 Cooperative curriculum development and mechanisms to ensure continued relevance Baird, Deon P.; Groenewald, Thomas Co-operative education as practised by technikons in South Africa involves far more than the placements of students for experiential learning and the administrative systems supporting it. This paper elaborates on two very important aspects of co-operative education, namely co operative curriculum development and continuous consultation. Schneider's original philosophical basis for co-operative education is revisited. The potential deeper learning is emphasised and the importance of reflected learning highlighted. The latter is directly linked to curriculum development. The economic performance, needs and demands of a country tend to be directly influenced by the curricula of the country's education system. The relevance of the marketing concept and the similarity between curriculum development (education) and product development (an aspect of the marketing mix) are illustrated. The present curriculum development process for technikons in South Africa is outlined in this paper. Because technikon curricula are industry-focused, continuous consultation is of the utmost importance to ensure continued relevance. Significant changes are foreseen for the technikon curriculum development process due to the introduction of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the new National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Conference paper; Groenewald, T & Baird, DP. 1999 'Cooperative curriculum development and mechanisms to ensure continued relevance in the World Association of Cooperative Education. 11th world conference. The Global Workforce Strategies for the Future, July 1999, Washington, DC. [http://www.waceinc.org/pdf/Baird] Thu, 01 Jul 1999 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2575 1999-07-01T00:00:00Z