Curriculum review in economics : re-thinking pedagogy

Abstract

The purpose of this article (see Annexure A)1 is to review curriculum within the Department of Economics (Unisa). The article is intended for submission to the International Review of Economics Education (IREE) with the guidelines contained in Annexure F. Unisa is the largest open and distance, e-learning institution in Africa and as such requires reliable and applicable curriculum to cater in the needs of the continent and the rest of the world. The curriculum review also entails an evaluation of undergraduate and post graduate programmes offered by the Department of Economics. It is a mixed methods study, in that qualitative interviews inform and confirm the results of a quantitative survey done amongst alumni, students, faculty and industry on the degree offering within the Department. The world of work and workplace as such will change as part of the fourth industrial revolution. Improving the graduateness and employability of students has become crucial in line with Unisa’s motto of “Define tomorrow”. The main findings show that creative and critical writing and numerical skills in line with pluralism in Economics and pedagogy are key and at the forefront of any change that needs to occur. Further, re-thinking pedagogy will require a coordinated effort within the Department of Economics with revising all Micro- and Macroeconomics modules at the different levels of the BCom (Economics). This will also entail an overall strategy for assessment on the different levels to improve writing skills of the students. Implementing Calculus and Linear Algebra at first year level and Statistics up to third year level should bring the department in line with local and international universities. This has become clear within the Department and includes the two-stream qualification route, with revised Economics and new Applied Economics route. This curriculum review can inform other similar exercises, which makes South Africa the emerging market of future generations.

Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die kurrikula in die Departement Ekonomie (Unisa) te hersien. Unisa is die grootste oop- en afstandsleerinstelling in Afrika en verlang as sodanig betroubare en toepaslike kurrikula om aan die kontinent en die res van die wêreld se behoeftes te voorsien. Die kurrikulumhersiening behels ook 'n evaluering van voorgraadse en nagraadse programme wat die Departement Ekonomie aanbied. Die studie het gemengde metodes gebruik. Kwalitatiewe onderhoude het die resultate van 'n kwantitatiewe opname onder alumni, studente, fakulteitslede en die industrie oor dit wat die departement aanbied, belig en bevestig. Die wêreld van werk en die werkplek sal verander as deel van die Vierde Industriële Rewolusie. Dit het noodsaaklik geword om studente se graadwaardigheid en indiensneembaarheid te verbeter, ooreenkomstig met Unisa se slagspreuk van "Definieer die toekoms". Die hoofbevindinge wys dat kreatiewe en kritiese skryf- en numeriese vaardighede ooreenkomstig pluralisme in Ekonomie, noodsaaklik en aan die voorpunt van enige veranderinge is wat moet plaasvind. Verder, om pedagogie weer te bedink sal 'n gesamentlike poging binne die Departement Ekonomie behels om alle mikro- en makro-ekonomiese modules op die verskillende vlakke van die BCom (Ekonomie) te hersien. Dit sal ook 'n algehele strategie vir die assessering op die verskillende vlakke behels om studente se skryfvaardighede te bevorder. Deur Calculus en Lineêre Algebra op eerstejaarsvlak aan te bied en Statistiek tot op derdejaarsvlak, sal die departement in lyn met plaaslike en internasionale universiteite bring. Dit sluit die tweestroomkwalifikasies in met hersiende Ekonomie en nuwe Toegepaste Ekonomie roete. Hierdie artikel belig ander kurrikulumhersienings van verskeie vakgebiede plaaslik en internasionaal, wat Suid-Afrika die ontluikende mark vir toekomstige generasies maak.

Sepheo sa sengolwa sena ke le lekola-botjha dikharikhulamo tsa Lefapha la Dithuto tsa Moruo (Unisa). Unisa ke setsi se seholo ka ho fetisisa tsa thuto ya elektroniki se butsweng hape e le sa thuto ka ngollano, mme ka mokgwa oo, se hloka ho ba le kharikhulamo e tshepehang hape e amehang hore e kgotsofatse ditlhoko tsa kontinente le lefatshe ka bophara. Tekolo-botjha ya kharikhulamo e boetse e ne e kenyeletsa mananeo a pele ho grata le a kamora grata a fanwang ke Lefapha la Dithuto tsa Moruo. E ne e le boithuto ba mekgwa e fapaneng moo teng dinthavu tsa mokgwa wa boleng di tsebisetseng le ho netefatsa diphetho tsa boithuto ba mokgwa wa mongata hara ba neng ba kena sekolo moo, baithuti, lekala le indasteri mabapi le digrata tse fanwang kahare ho lefapha. Lefatshe la mosebetsi le sebaka sa mosebetsi di tla fetoha jwalo ka karolo ya Phetoho e Kgolo ya Bone ya Indasteri. Ho ntlafatsa boemo ba ho fumana grata le bokgoni ba ho fumana mosebetsi ha batjha ho se ho le bohlokwahadi ho latela lepetjo la Unisa la “Hlalosa bokamoso”. Diphetho tsa sehlooho di bontsha hore bongodi ba boiqapedi le boinahano le ditsebo tsa dipalo ho latela puso-pedi ho thuto ya tsa Moruo di bohlokwa mme di eme kapele ho phetoho efe kapa efe e hlokang ho etsahala. Ho feta moo, ho nahanisisa mokgwa wa thuto ho tla kenyelletsa maikutlo a hlophisitsweng kahare ho Lefapha la Thuto ya tsa Moruo ho ntjhafatsa dithuto tsohle tsa micro- le macro-economics maemong a fapaneng a BCom (Economics). Sena se boetse se tla kenyelletsa moralo o akaretsang wa tekanyo maemong a fapaneng ho ntlafatsa ditsebo tsa bongodi tsa baithuti. Ho tsebisa dithuto tsa Calculus le Linear Algebra boemong ba selemo sa pele sa dithuto le ho tsebisa thuto ya Statistics ho fihla ho boemo ba boraro ho ka tlisa lefapha maemong a tshwanang le a diyunivesithi tsa lehae le tsa matjhaba. Sena se kenyelletsa mangolo a karolo tse pedi le Dithuto tsa Moruo (le Applied Economics). Sengolwa sena se rerile ho tsebisa ditekolo tse ding tsa kharikhulamo ka mekgahlelo e fapaneng kahare ho naha le matjhabeng, e leng ho etsa Afrika Borwa e be setsi se hlahellang ka mahetla sa mebaraka bakeng sa maloko a nako e tlang.