Professional Skills Gap Analysis of Distance Education Professionals (DEPs) at the Technikon of Southern Africa
Abstract:
The paper is based on a research project conducted at the Technikon of Southern Africa (TSA), a dedicated distance education institution, in the course of 2001, with the following aims:
- To determine the extent to which the skills and competencies of DEPs matched those described in the approved Profile of Competencies of DEPs.
- To determine what the professional development/training needs of DEPs at TSA were in order to develop appropriate learning programmes to address those needs.
- Whether the skills which we intended to equip DEPs with, were in accordance with the requirements of the current and emerging technology- and knowledge-based environment in which we find ourselves.
The methodologies used in the project, were as follows: Literature review, Document analysis, Interviews and a Questionnaire.
Value and relevance of paper
- The paper will
provide a South African perspective on attempts to equip our academic
staff at tertiary distance education institutions, with the skills required
by the new technological and knowledge-based era.
Author:
Dr. Van Koller
Dr. Van Koller has been a secondary school teacher for seven years before he started at the Technikon of Southern Africa as an Academic Staff Development Specialist in 1994. He was appointed as Acting-Director of the unit, Technikon Teaching, after the resignation of the head of the unit in 1997 and held that position until the end of 1999. He became appointed as Executive Director of the newly established unit, Institute for Staff Development, at the beginning of 2000 and is currently still in that position.
Dr. Van Koller, who obtained his Doctorate in Education in 1998 at the University of South Africa, has delivered a number of papers in the fields of Assessment and Staff Development at national and international conferences. He has also already published in three national journals. His latest presentation was at the International Council for Distance Education (ICDE) conference in Germany in 2001, where he presented a poster titled: Profile of functions and competencies of Distance Education Professionals at Technikon SA.