Frequently Asked Questions
Have you found yourself seeking services from the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching and have some initial questions that need immediate answers? Then you are in the right place. Browse through our FQAs per the various categories below and we may just make your day.
eLEARNING ISSUES
In case you registered, but not linked to Moodle or unable to access your course on Moodle, please create a ticket and select the Help-Topic: Missing Module on Moodle
Click <HERE> to create a ticket
If you are enrolled on a wrong course, use our ticketing system to have this resolved. Please create a ticket and select the Help-Topic: Missing Module on Moodle
Click <HERE> to create a ticket
Please send an email to itsupport@unam.na and provide your student number in the email subject together with “Password Query”. Explain the issue in the email.
Please access our tutorial on How to Access Moodle Courses available on YouTube.
Please access the Online Learning Orientation Tutorials availed to you through YouTube. Also take time to attend the online orientation sessions as they get availed at your respective campuses.
We have a tutorial made just for you: Providing feedback to lecturer on Moodle
We have a tutorial made just for you: How to use the CILT Online Ticketing System
ODL, BLENDED AND ONLINE LEARNING ISSUES
Please consult the stores at your nearest Campus. Also note that study materials for the Distance learning mode are to be accessed on Moodle from Semester 2 of 2022.
Please call our study material stores staff:
Mr. Petersen at Tel. +264 61 206 3080
Email: at: epetersen@unam.na
Mr. Siyanga at Tel: +264 61 206 4535,
Email: msiyanga@unam.na
Please contact the lecturer of the course. Lecturer details would be on the course information or assignment tutorial document. You may also email: elldsupport@unam.na
Please contact the lecturer of the course. Lecturer details would be on the course information or assignment tutorial document. You may also email: elldsupport@unam.na
For all Vacation School queries, please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty.
_____________________
Faculty of Agriculture, Engineering & Natural Sciences
Ms. Ester Muhepa
Email: emuhepa@unam.na
Tel: +264 61206 3748
_____________________
Faculty of Commerce, Management & Law
Ms. Anna-Marie Murere
Email: amurere@unam.na
Tel: +264 61 206 3729
_____________________
Faculty of Education & Human Sciences
Ms. Janey Joseph
Email: jjoseph@unam.na
Tel: +264 61 206 3111
_____________________
School of Nursing and Public Health
Ms. Charlotte Keyter
Email: ckeyter@unam.na
Tel: +26461 206 3640
For all Vacation School queries, please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty. See answer number 12 above for their details.
If you are a Distance mode student, please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number 12 above for their details). If you are a Full-Time student, please consult the Research coordinator in your School or Campus.
ONLINE ASSESSMENT ISSUES
Firstly, check the folder called Assignment Letter Folder at the top of your course Announcements and Discussions. If there is no assignment uploaded, please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number 12 above for their details).
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number 12 above for their details). Alternatively, consult your lecturers or facilitators of the courses concerned.
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number 12 above for their details). Alternatively, consult your lecturers or facilitators of the courses concerned.
If you submitted an assignment onto a wrong course (e.g. CSI3580 onto CLC3509) or onto a wrong submission box (e.g. Assignment 1 onto Assignment 2 submission box), please note that this is will be regarded as negligence. Always double-check your submission and study the guidelines under each assignment submission box. Always read all instructions on your assignment cover page where you are reminded to double check before submitting.
All students are urged to ensure the following when submitting assignments online:
- That you have effective Internet access on your computer
- That, if you are located at a place with poor or no Internet connection, you travel to a location with better connectivity
- That you submit your assignments ON the due date, leaving you with additional time (grace period) to still submit your assignments
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number XX above for their details). Alternatively, consult your lecturers or facilitators of the courses concerned.
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number XX above for their details). Alternatively, consult your lecturers or facilitators of the courses concerned.
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number XX above for their details). Alternatively, consult your lecturers or facilitators of the courses concerned.
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number XX above for their details).
Test auto-submission usually happens when using a Moodle mobile app on a mobile phone. Please always ensure that you DO NOT use a Moodle mobile app to attempt online tests. If using a mobile phone, rather use the browser on your phone. Students are urged to use a computer to take high stake assessments such as exams at all times.
Please consult your Student Support Coordinator in your Faculty (see answer number XX above for their details). Alternatively, consult your lecturers or facilitators of the courses concerned.
EXAMINATION ISSUES
For all examination queries, please contact your Examination Officer using the details below:
_____________________
Faculty of Education and Human Science (Secondary programmes)
Ms. E. Hasheela
Email: ehasheela@unam.na
Tel: +26461-206 3087
_____________________
Faculty of education Lower and Upper Primary
Ms. Mathilde Ishitile
Email: mishitile@unam.na
+26461-206 7272
_____________________
School of Humanities, Society and Development
Ms. Monika Nuuyoma
Email: mnuuyoma@unam.na
Tel: +264 61 206 3661
_____________________
Rundu Campus
Ms. Paulina Ndjamba
Email: pndjamba@unam.na
Tel: +26466-268 6072
_____________________
Southern Campus
Mr. Tyrone Roos
Email: troos@unam.na
Tel: +264 63 220 2017
_____________________
Katima Mulilo Campus
Mr. Joseph Tischer
Email: jtischer@unam.na
Tel: +26466 262 6083
_____________________
Faculty of Commerce, Management and Law
Ms. Unondjamo Katjangua
Email: ukatjangua@unam.na
Tel. +264 61 206 4881
_____
Ms. Stephanie Nehoja
Email: snehoja@unam.na
Tel: +264 61 206 3715
_____________________
School of Law
Ms. Tresia Nuuyoma
Email: tnuuyoma@unam.na
Tel: +264 61 206 3232
_____________________
Faculty of Agriculture, Engineering and Natural Sciences
Ms. Merry Katjita
Email: mkatjita@unam.na
Tel: +26461 206 3520
_____________________
Faculty of Health Sciences & Veterinary Medicine
Ms. Lizzy Xoagus
Email: lxoagus@unam.na
Tel: +264 61 206 5079
LEARNING & TEACHING SUPPORT
An academic workload is a comprehensive view of the different activities undertaken academic staff. The workload is agreed by members of a section or department and it allocates an agreed time to each activity and each staff member.
The UNAM academic workload consists of three components, namely, teaching, research and community engagement. The teaching component constitutes 60% of the workload while research and community engagement take up 30% and 10% respectively.
The workload fulfils two purposes:
- it allows a section / department / staff members (and management) to have a clear and comprehensive picture of who is doing what, and the amount of time they are dedicating to it.
- it ensures that staff are adequately, efficiently, and appropriately loaded in an equitable, fair and transparent manner that maximises their strengths. In this way, the workload contributes to the enhancement quality in learning and teaching, supervision, research and community engagement.
After the section / department / staff have agreed on the work allocations, the section head or head of department compiles the workload using UNAM Workload Template.
The completed workload is submitted to the division Learning and Teaching Enhancement, where it is it is verified whether
- all claims are aligned with the requirements of the relevant policies, and modules as stipulated in the prospectus in terms credit, contact hours, practicals, tutorials, etc, and
- all the variables claimed by a staff member are in line with a departmental or programme requirements
- staff are fairly and appropriately loaded in terms of number of hours taught, relative to other staff in the section or department
- the section / department as a whole is under- or underloaded, and whether a case can be made for extra staff
After verification the workload is returned to the section head / head of department, who, if necessary, takes up staffing matters with Human Resources.
The teaching hours should be reflected in your contract of employment. However, the current teaching hours guidelines per week, as approved by the Senate, are as follows:
Practice | |
Dean/Director / Associate Dean | 14 |
Deputy Dean | 18 |
Deputy Director | 18 |
HoD | 18 |
Teaching Staff | 28 |
Teaching Practice Coordinator | 12 |
Field Attachment Coordinator | 16 |
Field Attachment Coordinator | 20 |
This is best handled between the section head / head of department and the staff member concerned. The hours are not absolute for each component. For example, a staff member’s teaching workload may be below the approved hours, but they are doing more research and / or community engagement, then on balance their total workload should even out.
No, the teaching workload hours include not only actual teaching, but also teaching related activities, such as lesson preparation and assessment.
The existing UNAM workload policy and guidelines were designed in 2007 to cover only the teaching component. At that time, UNAM was predominantly a teaching institution; therefore, teaching was the most important part of the workload. However, as research and community engagement have become a compelling factor in academics’ work, and also in line with international trends, a comprehensive academic workload policy, which includes research and community engagement, is being designed. After the policy has been approved, these components will be added to the workload template.
Yes and no. Yes, if you are not paid for the supervision, in which case the claim can be regarded as community engagement.
No, if you are paid. Because if you are paid and then claim credit on your workload, then that is a double claim.
MONITORING & EVALUATION
An evaluation is a process of assessing all of the lecturers’ activities inside and outside of the classroom, lecture halls or laboratories that are aimed at identifying strengths and weaknesses in order to enhance student learning.
The evaluation serves three major purposes, namely to:
- Provide feedback on teaching effectiveness, as perceived by students, lecturers and academic supervisors
- Promote improvement in teaching approaches
- Enhance student learning outcomes
- Offer feedback to faculty and contribute to management decisions on promotion and tenure
- Provide information to support programme development and accreditation
Using questionnaires the evaluation of learning and teaching is conducted in a “360 degree” approach, through four main ways:
- Students assess the lecturers’ teaching effectiveness by expressing their perceptions by completing an online questionnaire
- Lecturers assess one’s own teaching effectiveness by completing a questionnaire (hard copy or online)
- Lecturers’ assess their peers’ teaching effectiveness by observing peers’ teaching and expressing their perceptions by completing a questionnaire (hard copy or online) and conducting interviews with specific peers. Head of departments are responsible for selecting evaluators.
- Academic supervisors assess the lecturers’ teaching effectiveness by completing a questionnaire and conducting interviews with specific lecturers.
There are four primary instruments used, namely:
- Student evaluation instrument
This tool is completed by students once each semester, to evaluate their lecturers’ instructional practices.
- Self-reflection instrument
This tool is completed by individual lecturer on an ongoing basis, to evaluate their own instructional practices.
- Peer observation instrument
This tool is completed by lecturers once each semester, to evaluate their fellow lecturers’ instructional practices.
- Academic supervisor observation instrument
This tool is completed by Head of Departments or their delegates once each semester, to evaluate instructional practices of lecturers within their departments.
Student evaluations: student evaluations are administered to students once each semester, for the purpose of evaluating their lecturers’ instructional practices.
Self-reflections: self-reflection is administered by individual lecturers on an ongoing basis, to achieve the objective of evaluating their own instructional practices. One completed questionnaire must be submitted to CILT each semester.
Peer observations: peer observations are conducted by lecturers once each semester, for the purpose of evaluating their fellow lecturers’ instructional practices.
Supervisor observations: supervisor observations are administered by Head of Departments or their delegates once each semester, to assess instructional practices of lecturers within their departments.
Currently (2021), all evaluations of learning and teaching are administered on an online system known as the Education Surveys Automated Suite (EvaSys).
However, plans are underway to relocate all evaluation functions to a more manageable online system.
EvaSys is an automated education surveys platform, used by the University of Namibia (UNAM) to evaluate teaching and learning activities.
If the survey link is inactive, the staff/student should contact the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) unit, at LTE Section.
Tel: +264612064671/3906;
The password consists of 5-characters (a mixture of letters and numbers, letters only or numbers only) and it is located at the end of the survey link. Kindly see an example below:
http://evasys.unam.na/evasys/online.php?p=8E3DA
The password is 8E3DA.
At the end of the online questionnaire, you will be requested to click on “Submit”. Immediately after clicking submitted, you should be returned to the first page of the survey, this means your responses have been successfully submitted.
The following reports are created in EvaSys:
- Student evaluations reports: after students have completed the online questionnaires to evaluate lecturers.
- Self-reflection reports: after the lecturer completed an online questionnaire to assess their own instructional practices.
- Peer observation reports: after the lecturers have completed questionnaires to evaluate their peers’ instructional practices.
- Supervisor observation reports: after the academic supervisor completed questionnaires to evaluate lecturers in their departments
Other survey reports can also be produced as it may be requested.
Faculties, schools, departments and individual lecturers can use students’ feedback in the following ways:
- Analyse and compare how the evaluation feedback provided fits in with their own teaching goals and their faculty/school/department’s expectations for teaching
- Check for patterns and themes in students’ feedback, to identify trends, take note of what has been done well and what needs improvement, while taking into account their own experiences, the context and characteristics of the course/module and student profiles.
- Use student feedback to improve their own teaching methods, in order to enhance student learning experiences and improve student performance
- Inform students that their honest opinions and constructive feedback are valued, and used for improving learning and teaching.
- Inform students that lecturers are interested in both positive and negative feedback on the course/module.
- Inform students about the kind of feedback lecturers find most useful.
EvaSys is an independent commercial system, thus it is not linked to any other UNAM systems.
All the data are stored in an EvaSys server.
Currently, evaluation reports are not accessible outside of EvaSys. One needs to be registered on EvaSys in order to obtain a username and a password to logon to the system. However, the rights to access information on EvaSys are restricted to administrators only.
A few individuals such as information and technology (IT) support technicians and managers who have direct official accountability for the functioning of the systems may also be permitted to access information on the system.
There may be a number of reasons (some of them not genuine) why students are reluctant to evaluate their lecturers/modules:
Students may feel that:
- There are no observable/tangible benefits for them in completing the questionnaire
- They are being used by lecturers who require student evaluation reports for appraisals, probation approvals and promotions.
- Their issues raised in evaluation reports are not adequately attended to by the university.
- Evaluations are just routine exercises without any genuine purpose, thus a waste of time and energy.
Nevertheless, student evaluations are important because:
- Students’ voice is an essential element of a comprehensive strategy for improving teaching and enhancing learning.
- Students provide vital data, right from the classroom where most of the learning and teaching occurs. These data manifest the realities of teaching and assessment practices in actual time.
- Data from students are used by lecturers to adjust their teaching and assessment practices in order to enhance student learning.
- Data from students inform the review of course content whereby academics incorporate essential employability attributes and soft skills requirements for programme development.
- Data from students inform management decisions on academic staff employment appraisals, contractual renewals, probation approvals and promotions.
Staff and student evaluations of learning and teaching are mandatory as per the UNAM Policy on Learning and Teaching of 2019 (see page 10).
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
In higher education, the concept can be loosely viewed in the same manner as the term social responsibility is used in the corporate world. Just as companies have realised that they have a responsibility to do more than simply make money, universities worldwide accept that they have a larger responsibility to the communities in which they exist other than simply producing graduates.
UNAM does not exist in an insular capsule. Community engagement affords the university to listen to our communities and stay connected with them. In this way the university and the communities can benefit from collective learning.
When UNAM gets involved in community engagement, we are affirming that we are part of the communities in which we exist and which we serve. By engaging with our communities, we ensure that the concerns and aspirations of those communities are understood and addressed in our programmes. When we do this, we stay relevant, we build cultural and social competency bridges, and we are empathetic and responsive. When we do this, we catalyse the long-term survival of the university.
Seen from this angle, community engagement is more than just a ‘cog’ in the academic workload wheel. It is also more than just walking into a community and delivering what we think is good for them. What we may think is good for a community is not necessarily a priority for them, hence the need to ‘engage’ with them at a deeper level.
When done properly, community engagement maximises our impact on the communities we serve. Also, seen from a learning organisation perspective, it is, in a way, an acknowledgement that we as a university have much to learn from communities – that we do not have a monopoly on knowledge creation / generation, that indeed, we do not have or know all the solutions.
Community engagement forms an integral part of an academic’s workload, along with teaching and research, as shown in the graphic below.
In the UNAM framework, therefore, community engagement is a requirement for all academic staff, not a choice.
Reckoned from a 40-hour work week, 10% equates to about 2 hours per week, give and take. It could be more, depending on the specific loading agreements in the department.
At UNAM, community engagement takes different forms. For example, staff can choose to do one big project, which will contribute 100% to their community engagement obligation in the workload. Alternatively, they can also mix and match a number of activities, eg, reviewing scholarly journals, moderating examination papers for other universities, doing volunteer work that has an impact on UNAM and the outside community.
Here is a breakdown of the community engagement options available to UNAM staff, and their weightings:
4.2 Category B: Work Integrated Learning for Students
- Community engagement that is learning based and is aligned to core, elective and foundation modules;
- Compulsory practical attachment or internships and other community based work of professional training that is mandatory in the academic programmes
- Participatory community-oriented action research
The types of community engagement, and their weightings are laid out in Section C: Categories of Community Engagement Activities, in the Policy on Community Engagement.
Yes.
Different types of community engagement activities follow certain approval paths. But as long as they are intended to be claimed as part of the workload, they should be approved by the relevant UNAM structures.
Big, long term, project / development-oriented community engagement projects are approved at department, school, faculty and eventually by the University Community Engagement Committee.
More information on implementing big, long term projects can be found in Section E: Strategies for the Implementation of Project / Development-oriented Community Engagement in the Policy on Community Engagement.
Non- project / development-oriented community engagement projects need only be approved at campus / school / faculty or centre level.
All community engagement activities must be registered with the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching.
The documentation for ensuring that due process of achieved regarding the approval and registration of community engagement projects can be found in Annexures A, B, C and D of the Policy on Community Engagement.
Yes.
The Policy on Community Engagement does not recognise the following activities as community engagement:
- paid consultancy work;
- Serving on boards or committees in a personal capacity;
- Supervising students engaged in activities that are required for them to complete their programme of study, such as work integrated learning, teaching practice, field work, internship, clinical practice, pharmacy placements, and other activities of a similar description / nature;
- operating a business or any other income generating activity for personal profit, even though involvement in these activities may have been approved by UNAM.
If unsure, the rule of thumb is: if it is paid, then it is likely not community engagement.
Yes.
UNAM regards work integrated learning by students as community engagement. The details about this can be found under sub-section C.2: Category B: Work Integrated Learning for Students, under 4.2 above.
ACADEMIC MERITORIOUS AWARDS
The University of Namibia’s academic meritorious awards (AMAs) were created to celebrate excellence in teaching, research and innovation, community engagement, and academic leadership. They are awarded annually to all permanent and full-time academic staff who are considered to have performed exceptionally well in various aspects of academic life over a certain period of time.
Such outstanding performance is deemed to have brought honour, recognition and / or benefits not only to the awardee, but also to their section, department, school, faculty, centre, campus, the university, and the community at large.
Academic meritorious awards do not just accrue benefits to the individual awardee; they also set an example or model for others to follow, and to strive for excellence in all aspects of academic life.
UNAM offers awards in four areas, namely, teaching excellence, research excellence, innovation excellence, and community engagement excellence. Each category has several awards, which cater for a wide range of interests and are as inclusive as possible. They are listed below:
FACULTY / CENTRE LEVEL AMAs
Research Excellence Awards
Early Career Research Excellence Award
Best Research Award
Research Team Excellence Award
Teaching Excellence Awards
Early Career Lecturer Excellence Award
Established Lecturer Excellence Award
Innovative Lecturer Excellence Award
Innovation Excellence Awards
Innovation of The Year Award
Community Engagement Excellence Awards
Community Engagement Excellence Award
Please go to Section E.1 of the rules and regulations in the Policy on Academic Meritorious for more detailed information on these awards.
- UNIVERSITY-WIDE AMAs
There are five awards under this category, namely, meritorious research excellence award, meritorious innovation excellence award, meritorious teaching excellence award, meritorious community engagement excellence award, and merit sabbatical award. Only candidates whose applications are successful at the school / faculty or centre are eligible for these awards, provided they have also applied for them.
Please go to Section E.2 of the rules and regulations in the Policy on Academic Meritorious for more detailed information on these awards.
The awards are open to all academics who qualify as provided for in Section F: Eligibility, in the Policy on Academic Meritorious Awards.
In the past, academic staff were nominated by their department / faculty or centre for the awards. Now academic staff apply for the award they are convinced they qualify for. No letters of support, no recommendations, etc, are necessary. Applicants need only present a portfolio of evidence for evaluation.
The awards are applied for annually. Each year, a call for applying for the awards is issued by the Office of the PVC: Academic. This call comes with a schedule of activities and deadlines for application process.
The basic process for applying, through to the recommendation of awardees by the school of School or Faculty Meritorious Awards Board is laid out in the graphic below:
The call for applications for AMAs is issued with a complete package to help applicants to complete the application process successfully. Additional information can be found in Sections G, H, I and J in the rules and regulations of the Policy on Academic Meritorious Awards. The policy is available on UNAM’s Intranet.
There are three bodies involved in the vetting of portfolios. They are:
1. The School Meritorious Awards Committee (SMAC)
Chaired by the (Executive) Dean or Associate Dean, as the case may be, the SMAC is the first quality assurance step in the AMA application process. It consists of heads of department and/or section heads. Among other things, this committee is responsible for receiving applications and organising the internal selection process and recommending awardees to the University Meritorious Awards Committee.
2. The University Meritorious Awards Committee (UMAC)
This committee is chaired by the Director: Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching. It is the second quality assurance step in the AMA application process. Its composition can be found in Section B of the rules and regulations of the Policy on Meritorious Awards.
One of its key responsibilities is to vet the applications and recommendations received from the SMACs before they are seen and discussed by the External Adjudication Panel.
3. The External Adjudication Panel (EAP)
This panel is comprised of 5 people of good standing in the community who do not work for UNAM. Applications / portfolios considered by the UMAC to have met the criteria end up with this committee. Its primary responsibility is to assess the applications received from the UMAC.
All applicants will be informed either by the school, faculty or centre of the status of their application(s). Award recipients will be informed by the Office of the PVC: Academic, through the respective schools / faculties / centres, after the EAP has sat and made its recommendations.
Definitely. You can apply for one award under each award category. See Section 2 of Annexure A of the Policy for Academic Meritorious Awards.
Yes. But there is a caveat to this. If you won an award in the previous AMAs cycle, you may not apply for that same award in the next cycle; you may only participate in applying for the same award after a two-year cycle. You may apply for a different award of course. The reason for this is to widen access and afford an equal opportunity to all eligible staff to apply and qualify.
Bottom line
- If you won the award you may not apply for it until after two years.
- If you were not awarded it, you may apply for it again.
Yes.
Apart from the intrinsic motivation and personal and professional gratification accruing from these awards, they also come with a monetary incentive. When funds are available, each award at the school / faculty / centre-level carries a N$5000 monetary incentive, while the university-wide AMAs each carries a N$15,000 monetary incentive. In addition to the monetary incentives, awardees receive a certificate of excellence as well as a trophy. The trophies obtained at school / faculty / centre-level belong permanently to the awardee, while those for the university-wide AMAs are floating trophies.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)
- Coined mid-1970, CPD is rooted in the notion that a person’s constructions and views of the world are not static, but are in continuous change (Griffin as cited in Gray, 2005).
- Professional development in a broad sense refers to all the professional-oriented activities in which a person engages in order to enhance their work.
- In the Namibian education context, CPD implies improved quality learning and teaching for educators (teachers, education officers and lecturers) at general and higher education.
- Through CPD programmes, educators engage themselves in ongoing professional development in order to enhance their competencies in their profession to remain relevant.
- Professional development can be formal experience and informal experiences (Ganser, 2000).
Ongoing – An individual educator should always be looking for opportunities to improve his or her performance;
Self-initiative - The responsibility of an individual educator to identify his or her own professional needs and how to meet those needs;
Self-evaluative rather than descriptive – So that an individual educator understands the impact of his or her professional activities;
An essential component of professional life – That an individual educator may not be able to do better without it.
- CPD keeps educators updated and or upgraded in order to remain competent and relevant throughout their career;
- Pre-service teacher education is not complete nor does it constitute the total professional formation of an educator, therefore CPD prepares pre-service educators for the practical problems that they may face on a daily basis in their work;
- CPD contributes to the enhancement of the body of knowledge in the profession to enable quality teaching and learning.
- The Namibian education system is not static, it keeps changing, including changes due to technology, therefore educators need to be competent in order to cope with the ongoing changes within the education sector.
- CPD can help realign educators to meaningfully contribute to the realisation of the national development goals as stated in Vision 2030, Harambee Prosperity Plan and NDP4/5
- CPD provides opportunities to educators to engage in lifelong learning
- A heavily front-loaded teacher education, trying to teach it all in the first 3 or 4 years of initial teacher education with little or no consideration of a well-structured CPD system;
- Uncoordinated and fragmented CPD programmes and activities, often attendance of workshops, mainly off-site, workshops – episodic, once-off;
- Non-collaboration, providers operating in isolation, competition, duplication of activities – no efficiency and effective use of resources;
- Externally determined professional development needs, mostly centrally determined with no or little consultation with beneficiaries & often not so relevant and ‘expert-driven’;
- One-size-fits-all approach – not being cognisant of the uniqueness of educators’ needs, using one programme to address everyone’s professional development needs;
- No system of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of impact to inform future CPD activities;
- Persistent dissatisfactory educational outcomes;
- A coordinated and seamless CPD system for educators in Namibia;
- The new CPD system serves as a model of best practices in the provision of ongoing professional development in Namibia.
- Structures for implementing CPD system include:
- Regional CPD coordinating committees (RCPDCCs);
- Circuit based CPD coordinating committees (CCPDCCs);
- School based CPD coordinating committees (SBCPDCCs);
- RCPDCCs, CCPDCCs and SBCPDCCs coordinate and oversee CPD activities at regional, circuit and school level;
- The current CPD system is a decentralised model coordinated through RCPDCCs, CCPDCCs and SBCPDCCs;
- Blend supply driven and demand-driven CPD;
- It is based on collaboration, networking and sharing of best practices to enhance learning opportunities among educators
- Educators have a voice in determining their own professional development needs and planning for these needs through their RCPDCCs, CCPDCCs or SBCPDCCs rather than having them centrally determined by someone else;
- Systematic CPD programmes as opposed to the disjointed, episodic and once-off programmes;
SHORT COURSES
As one of the mandate of the university, we need to provide further training and continuing education, to contribute to the social and economic development of Namibia and to foster relationships with any person or institution, both nationally and internationally. Short courses are designed and provided to the university staff and external stakeholders to update or upgrade their skills and knowledge to be efficient in the ever-changing work environment.
On the other hand, short courses serve as an important source of a fourth income stream for the university.
A short course refers to any activity involving teaching and learning that requires less than 400 hours of learner effort (or less than 40 NQF Credits). As per the University of Namibia’s short course policy, the university offers Credit-bearing short courses and Non-credit bearing short courses.
Credit-bearing short course refers to a short course that has a direct relationship with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and is assigned an appropriate NQF credit value. More details can be obtained on the university intranet.
Non-credit bearing short course is a short course that falls outside the intended scope and purpose of the NQF of Namibia OR, though it can be aligned to the NQF, it does not result in any NQF award. More details can be obtained on the university intranet.
CILT is the custodian of the policy on short courses. CILT ensures – through CPD programme sub-unit - that the policy is adhered to from the development up to the approval stage.
Short course coordinator shall assist the Professional Development Programme Coordinator to coordinate the short courses. He/she shall be the contact person and administer all short course processes as stipulated in the short course policy.
All faculties/ departments/ schools/ units/ campuses shall be responsible for developing and facilitating short courses which falls under their scope of expertise. All faculties/departments/schools/units/campuses are implored to participate in developing and implementing short courses, thereby contributing to the fourth stream income of the university.
CILT through its short course coordinator will provide guidance on developing and implementation of short courses.
Any individual/ faculties/departments/schools/units/campuses who has the required expert capacity to meet the target clients’ needs.
Short courses shall be hosted by the faculties/ departments/ schools/ units/ campuses that initiated or developed it.
No, all short courses shall be subjected to the processes as stipulated in the short course policy implementation guidelines. Hence, all short course developers shall adhere to the implementation guidelines of the short course policy. All short courses shall be approved by the short course task force.
Participants shall be issued with certificate of Achievement/Certificate completion/ Certificate of attendance, depending on the sub-category of the given short course they participating in. Details of the short course categories may be attained in the short course policy guidelines for implementation on the UNAM intranet.
Facilitators shall be remunerated as per short course policy. The short course hosting unit share bear the cost for facilitators and for the course material/resources.
The hosting department/ centre/ faculty/ school/ campus will get a share of the income from the short courses as determined in the Short course policy.
INDUSTRY AND COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
Industry can be a business, organization, Government Ministry, State Owned Enterprise, Non-government Organisation, Faith Based Organization, Community based Organisation, Village or Farm network that partner with the University to provide a Cooperative Work Integrated Education learning opportunity to UNAM students.
UNAM is striving to produce well-grounded graduates by providing opportunities for CWIE in our courses. Some of our programs has mandatory CWIE units that students are expected to complete to enable them to graduate. We can only afford this opportunity through partnership with our stakeholders.
Opportunity to influence the Curricula and foster relationship with the academic stakeholders
- Potential Recruitment Pathway: you can always have a pool of potential human resources through your graduate attraction or internship placements programs. A potential intern can become a permanent employee and grow with the organization. Risks associated with hiring unknown candidates and recruitment and training costs are reduced this way
- Fresh and new ideas from interns
- Partner with us and help us groom the future workforce
- Provide a suitable workspace
- Provide induction and supervision to the intern: Remember this is a student, and he/she will need more guidance and supervision than a new employee.
- Provide feedback to the student and academic contact person when required and as needed for improvement and quality assurance purposes
Benefits of a Co-operative Education Partnership for employers/Industry
Cooperative education creates a platform for business, industry, government and community organisations to work together with UNAM to develop a well-equipped future workforce. Become our partner and contribute to this noble cause.
By according our students an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge into practice, will most likely results in the following to you as our partner:
- Better opportunity to influence the curricula;
- Reduced recruitment and training costs;
- Fresh, innovative and new ideas from our students/graduates;
- Increase your visibility in the community;
- Foster good relationship with our institutions;
- Enhanced leadership and professional development to your existing staff through supervising student interns.
Expression of interest form: If you have an opportunity to offer, Click here, download and complete theExpression of interest form and email the form to knghipandulwa@unam.na, jnghipandwa@unam.na
Recruitment procedures
Each academic programme has a suitable period when students can apply for attachments. To establish the recruitment period for the fields you are interested in, please contact the faculty focal staff members on the list by clicking here. Talk to us if you wish to be part of the selection process.
Feedback
We value feedback from you as our partner and stakeholder. This will help us to improve our programs and activities, thereby making it better for the next placement at your institution or company.
Send your feedback directly to knghipandulwa@unam.na
Faculty Focal persons
Click here to see who you can contact on cooperative education/ experiential learning per each faculty/department.
- Partnerships are established between UNAM and external stakeholders (i.e Government ministries; NGOs, CBOs, Regional council bodies, FBOs, Corporate Organisations, International organisations and Academic institutions)
- Engagement between Faculty representatives and the stakeholders follows, to ensure the appropriateness of the learning opportunity in relation to the academic learning outcomes requirements;
- Recruitment and placement process are done in collaboration with the stakeholder;
- Students commence with their placement under the supervision of the Industry based supervisor;
- UNAM Faculty coordinators visits students on site to monitor their progress, where appropriate;
- Students are assessed and evaluated in collaboration with the Industry supervisor, where appropriate;
- Duration of placement and timing varies depending on the requirements of each academic programme.
Expressions of CWIE opportunities can vary depending on the program, but generally it may take one or more of the following:
- Work/Industry placements: A direct work placement in an industry or professional workplace to enable students apply theoretical knowledge into real life situations (e.g. clinical practical attachments; legal aid clinic, teaching practice, social work field placement, professional practice, internship)
- Industry Based or Community Based Service Learning: This approach requires individual students or teams of students to undertake a project based on a real situation, problem, or need by an industry or community organisation. Projects can be performed at UNAM or in a workplace/community/village/farm setting. There are many types of possible projects, some of which are more appropriate to certain disciplines than others. Projects might range from industry or community-based research, product research, product development and design, policy analysis, audit, field work, legal clinics, etc.
- Project Based Learning/Research Based Learning/Problem Based Leaning: This is an approach that enables students to engage in authentic projects and/or perform tasks linked to real-world problems as opposed to direct presentation of facts and concepts. It often goes hand in hand with service learning and goes beyond merely projects in the sense that students investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex problem, or challenge. It is often interdisciplinary and helps students to develop the 21st-century skills they need to succeed in their future careers, such as critical thinking, investigation, team work/collaboration and creativity. Examples range from case studies aimed at solving real world problems, workshops with communities on basic financial/hygiene/food safety management, assisting a small business enterprise to develop a marketing plan, etc.
- Virtual / Simulated Workplace Environment: This approach is sometimes necessary for practical, professional or ethical reasons. Learning activities within virtual and simulated work environments allow the development and application of work-related skills and knowledge. It may include laboratories, studios, moot courts, practice firms and virtual businesses that emulate the complexities of a real work situation.
- International Co-op Exchanges/study abroad: This approach involves placing students for extended periods of time in international based industries. It allows students to gain international related work experience in their fields, greater sense of independence and self-confidence, and to developacademic and future career competencies along with broadening their personal and cultural perspectives.
Benefits of CWIE opportunities for students
Students with CWIE experience are more likely to be competitive for career-level positions and in entrepreneurial activities. Additionally, they are more likely to:
- Become more confident and work ready
- Learn about corporate culture and basic work etiquette
- Gain academic credits and increase their employability chances
- Broaden their network & expand on their social, cultural and academic horizons
All UNAM academic programs are encouraged to apply and make provision for any suitable form of CWIE in their curriculum.
There is support available to all our UNAM staff members that are directly involved in the implementation of CWIE activities. The unit will assist you with:
- Skills enhancement in dealing and negotiating with industries;
- Supervision and management of CWIE processes;
- Student work readiness workshop/seminars.