A graduate level programme in education, comprising two certificates that sum up to a diploma, which then can be built upon through a research project and thesis to lead to a Masters in Education, could play a pivotal role in capacity building for reformation and transformation in the Caribbean. And, if well developed, students could credibly do such in about three years (though one cannot pin down a thesis to a specific timeline).
Thus, this can be a key complement to the proposed part-time Associate programme that was discussed here at the KF blog last week.
Back in the KF Capacity Focus, 10 post, the basic structure of the proposed programme was presented:
In terms of units, we had earlier looked at:
Level I Cert. Ed, ideas (15 Cr):
Survey, Phil & Ethics of Education, 2: timeline highlights, key ideas, dynamics/ models /views & key cases, issues, duties of care and challenges
Survey, Devt'l & Edu Psychology, Caribbean Context, 2
Princs + Praxis, Design & Delivery of Content & Skills, 3: key ideas (& background), dynamics/ models/ approaches/ cases, issues, duties of care and challenges, also benchmarks of "best practice"
Princs + Praxis, Edu Organisation & Administration, 3
Princs + Praxis, Edu assessment, research & quantitative methods, 3 (statistics to be a bridging module)
Seminar I, Micro-teaching & multimedia presentation practicum, 2
Level II Cert. Ed, ideas (15 cr):
Curriculum, Programme & Course Design & Development, 2
Strategic Management & Policy in Education, 3
Specialisation /Independent Work A, 3
Specialisation/Independent Work B, 3
Education Research Methods, 2
Seminar II, micro research practicum, 2Such a programme should be easily reachable for colleges, Ministries of Education, Seminaries etc. using a blend of online access, micro-campus learning centres based on existing institutions in the community, schools or training departments, and for especially the onward Masters, access to campuses for the in-campus module preparatory to doing one's thesis. The ongoing e-book revolution would easily provide significant access to resources, but strategic centres would probably need to put in place significant reference and periodicals resources.
Not counting bridge units, this could be "converted" to the same sort of part-time basis as the AACCS; in fact this would obviously be the principal mode proposed for delivery. Where, it would have always been the case that the research period and thesis would have been envisioned as taking about a year and as complementing one's full time work.
This yields a three year programme.
The key point being, that this proposed programme would allow conversion of those who have professional or academic qualifications otherwise into educators and trainers capable of building up capacity to a high level. Thus, it potentially multiplies capacity. And of course this programme could be implemented over the next several years, taking advantage of the rising Tablet computer revolution.
Where also, multiplication of capacity is plainly a pivotal component of a strategy of reformation and development.
So, again, we are back at the Mordecai challenge: why not now, why not here, why not us? [Cf Esther 4, esp vv 12 - 14.] END
