Using assessment for lesson planning

One of the key dimensions revealed in the findings was the use of assessments for placement of learners in the AET classes.

a) Assessments

Assessments were used to determine the learners’ strength and needs, to enable facilitators and centre managers to identify the areas of reading and writing which determined where the learner could be placed in the AET programme. The theme assessment in the AET programme manifested itself as a pattern that emerged within each set of observed data. This theme is presented in Table 4.8. It covers facilitators and centre managers as presented in the biographical Table 4.1.

Table 4.8: Assessments Theme

number Category Theme description Participants

a. Assessments (i) After learners were identified, the learners’ learning

potential was formally assessed, using the following two methods; firstly, the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT) was conducted and secondly, interviews were conducted by a mini panel consisting of operations HRD and direct supervisors.

P7

(ii) Assessment helps for placing learners in the right

class for their level. Some have grade 12. When we assess that qualification we don’t know how they have passed it; they belong to a lower level especially for Maths.

P2

b. Lesson Planning (i) Most of the teachers/facilitators made concerted

efforts to plan their lessons step-by-step in conjunction with learners’ workbooks prepared by Media Works.

P3

(ii) Delivery of content happened within given time

frames and communication in the classroom was encouraged.

P1

(iii) I think the use of computer is much, much better than

doing face to face but depending on the group of learners that you have. Uh, so somehow face to face is also good but the computers are also good if they can use them after

Theme

number Category Theme description Participants

they face to face or before they do face to face, it is a, we are using it as a supplementary.

P7 explained: After learners were identified, the learners’ learning potential was formally

assessed using the following two methods: firstly, the LPCAT was conducted and secondly, interviews were conducted by a mini panel consisting of operations HRD and direct supervisors.

The purpose of assessment was to identify the learner’s current skills in relation to literacy in English or mathematical literacy skills, to ensure that s/he was placed for entry into the correct AET Level for either Communication /or Mathematical Literacy.

P2 responded: Assessment helps for placing learners in the right class for their level. Some have

grade 12 when we assess that qualification we don’t know how they have passed it, they belong to a lower level especially for Maths. Learners who were regarded as suitable to enrol for AET

studies followed the above process.

b) Lesson planning

A lesson plan is a detailed systematic guide that summarises the facilitators' goals for what the learners will achieve during the development of the lesson and how they will learn it. The theme lesson planning in the AET programme manifested itself as a pattern which emerged within each set of observed data. This theme is presented in Table 4.9 and covers facilitators and centre managers as presented in the biographical Table 4.1.

Table 4.9: Lesson planning Theme

number Category Theme description Participants

a. Lesson Planning (i) Most of the teachers/facilitators made concerted

efforts to plan their lessons step-by-step in conjunction with learners’ workbooks prepared by Media Works.

P3

(ii) Delivery of content happened within given time

frames and communication in the classroom was encouraged.

Theme

number Category Theme description Participants

(iii) I think the use of computer is much, much better than

doing face to face but depending on the group of learners that you have. Uh, so somehow face to face is also good but the computers are also good if they can use them after they face to face or before they do face to face, it is a, we are using it as a supplementary.

P5

P3 stated: Most of the teachers/facilitators made concerted efforts to plan their lessons step-by-

step in conjunction with learners’ workbooks prepared by Media Works. The findings reveal that

the goal-orientated facilitators followed the instructions to fulfil their daily lesson requirements as prescribed. Facilitators conscientiously showed content when they had achieved or completed the activities of the day. Most participants (facilitators) remarked that the activities of the day had to be completed to avoid losing the skills development grant benefit.

P1 confirmed that delivery of content happened within given time frames and communication in

the classroom was encouraged. Apart from focusing on completing the prescribed work to cover

the four to six months’ scope of the curriculum for Own-Time and Full-Time, facilitators also focused on active learner engagement and participation. Even weaker adult learners could cope in the available time in which the day’s prescribed goals were to be achieved.

Learners were afforded many talking opportunities, mostly in the face-to-face classroom, which comprised mainly open-ended questions. Learners were encouraged to express themselves freely. Facilitators’ presence was dominant in the face-to-face environment because most of the centres only used face-to-face and not multimedia or computer-based learning. Mohr and Mohr (2007:440) mention that research has indicated that teacher talk dominates classroom communication. However, communication skills develop when learners are interested and more engaged rather than simply being there, responding to the teachers’ instructions (Van Wyk & Higgs, 2011:171).

Learners showed interest in engaging with the computer as the object in the activity system. At present, there is only one Own-Time centre that is integrating computers for learning and thus

enhancing learners’ computer-based skills. The other two Own-Time learning centres and one Full-Time centre were not using computers for learning because of technical problems encountered at the computer centres. P5 responded: I think the use of computer is much, much

better than doing face to face but depending on the group of learners that you have. Uh, so somehow face to face is also good but the computers are also good if they can use them after they face to face or before they do face to face, it is a, we are using it as a supplementary.

It is the understanding of this study that the mine has a service-level agreement with the service provider Media Works, who provides the mine with AET curriculum for face-to-face and multimedia teaching. The service provider installs the learning intervention management system (LIMS) Navigate in every learner workstation connected to the local area network (LAN). Through interaction with the learners in the computer lab, the findings revealed that Navigate involves project-based training, with each project having a defined timeline which manages and monitors the entire learning intervention and supports the service provider’s AET programmes, as shown in Table 4.9.