D.Phil. (Leadership in Performance & Change) / Over the past four to five years, the role of central banks has grown increasingly important globally in respect of national and international financial and economic stability. The recent financial crises have emphasised the critical role that central banks, in particular their bank supervisors and regulators, could and should play in stabilising the financial sector to curb the potential spread of economic and financial instability internationally. Though many central banks agree on what the core functions of a central bank should be, there is little or no consensus globally about what constitutes a “competent central banker”. It is for this reason that this study was undertaken. More specifically, the study was intended to enable central banks to have a “common language” for describing central banker competencies. A validated central banker competency model could also help to align and create in central banks a common focus on ensuring effective human resources management. Furthermore, there is a need in central banks for an integrated learning and development delivery model which could deliver the critical competencies required by central bankers, in particular the use by central banks of the corporate university model as the principal learning and development delivery mechanism. In this regard, the study discusses the core features that underpin the principles on which most corporate universities are based, namely (a) a learning business driven by and focusing proactively on real-time business needs; (b) the custodian of the intellectual equity of the organisation as expressed in its core organisational competencies and its people’s skills, knowledge and expertise; (c) the seamless merging of learning/teaching and business action into a single, connected process; (d) the adoption of a comprehensive, integrated learning/teaching perspective on the business and its respective role players; and (e) a key enabler to, catalyst of, and institutor of organisation-wide change at the strategic, managerial and operational levels. Against the above background, the two-fold problem statement of the study was, firstly, to develop and validate a central banker competency model for central bankers; and secondly, to identify and assess a suitable learning and development delivery model which could effectively deliver these competencies, and more specifically the suitability of a corporate university in playing this delivery role for central banks.

M.Ed. / This research is aimed at investigating problems that educators are experiencing in grade 8 with the implementation of Outcomes-Based Education in township schools, in the Bethal area. The researcher was confronted on a daily basis by a horde of unwilling and unmotivated teaching staff who claimed that they were unable to find their way through the labyrinth of the Outcomes-Based Education programmes. I thus set out to find the reasons why educators in township schools encounter problems with the implementation of grade 8 outcomes-based education. Summarily, the purpose of this study is to suggest solutions to the problems encountered of the implementation of OBE of the five schools in the township The objectives of the study can be stated as follows: · To analyse and understand the problems educators are experiencing in teaching out-comes based education. · To know how to assess the learners. · To understand the concept out-comes based education. · To be able to assist the educators in solving problems

Prof. T.C. Bisschoff

D.Ed. / This research study focusses on assessment in the Natural Sciences learning area in grades 8 and 9. The aspect under focus is the extent to which educators can apply assessment methods, tools and techniques in this learning area. Outcomes-based education makes use of outcomes-based assessment which incorporates different methods of assessing learners. This study is concerned with the assessment practices of educators in the classroom. The literature examined looks at what is science?, what is assessment?, assessment in outcomes-based education and outcomes-based assessment in the Natural Science learning area. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used in this study. The research instruments used were questionnaires, lessons observations, interviews and analysis of learner portfolios. As a research strategy, questionnaires were administered and analysed; assessment lessons were observed and analysed against principles for outcomes-based assessment; interviews were held with educators, subject advisor and OBE facilitator and learner portfolios were analysed in order to validate data gathered. The findings of the study revealed that educators have begun assessing using the outcomes-based assessment model, however, they are assessing on a very superficial level. The assessment tools, techniques and methods available to educators are not being used properly. It was found that the reason for this was that educators do not fully understand how to assess outcomes and they are not familiar with the assessment criteria. Certain assessment methods like self - and peer - assessment were totally neglected. Educators did not know how to use rubrics and rating scales when assessing learners. From the evidence in the learners’ portfolios, it was found that there is still an over-reliance on tests and that teacher assessment is the dominant assessment method. From the lesson observations it was found that content of the Natural Science learning area was not being adequately covered. In addition, Physical Science sections of the curriculum were deliberately not taught due to inexperience by educators in this field. The lesson observations also revealed that practical work in the form of experiments, observations and investigations was limited and in many cases not done at all. Educators cited lack of experience and resources. It was found that educators over-used textbooks and relied on them as the only source of scientific information. Planning of assessment was also another key area that needed attention.

Globalisation has taken root at all economic levels and has forced organisations to skill their employees in order for them to compete on unprecedented levels. Companies can no longer afford to see themselves in operation outside of the global village. Those that have not yet been absorbed into the global economy are moving faster than ever before towards the information age, focusing on people as the greatest competitive edge. Survival in a global economy is not only dependent on how quickly an organisation is able to respond to the changing economic environment but also on the ability of the business to learn. The concepts of a network organisation and a learning organisation have redefined how suppliers, employees and customers interact and how learning in organisations takes place. Traditional learning processes are no longer adequate for meeting the demand for faster just-intime learning. The benefits of anytime, anywhere access to learning and information offered by the Internet and the World Wide Web are fundamentally changing the way many companies operate and interact. In the field of mass education the Internet is changing instruction, research, and administration. The prospects of e-learning have far-reaching implications for business organisations by virtue of the enabling technologies that are removing distance and fostering collaborative on-demand learning. The business case for investing in e-learning is evident in the myriad new products, services, and providers that are entering the e-learning domain. Curriculum and content development through software learning environments, teleconferencing, and integrated learning delivery systems have a fundamental impact on the growth of the e-learning industry. Companies are not the only entities affected by the new economy. Governments across the world have become increasingly involved at a macro-economic level in fostering skills development as a means of competing in the global arena. South Africa has approximately 5 million economically active citizens, compared to the UK with 15 million and the USA with 25 ii million. In response to the skills shortage, South Africa has proposed a Human Resources Development (HRD) strategy, entrenched in an outcomes-based learning methodology and enacted through various pieces of legislation, including the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act 61 of 1995. The national HRD strategy, by virtue of this legislative element, has been cascaded to organisational level to ensure the requisite skills development across all sectors of the economy. Organisational training and development strategies are influenced by the national outcomesbased- learning methodology. The development of skilled individuals through interventions such as workplace skills programme and learnerships must conform to SAQA requirements in terms of unit standards, assessment, quality assurance, the National Qualification Framework, and registration as a training provider. African Oxygen Limited (Afrox) is one such South African Company that must conform to such legislation in developing its employees. Afrox is in the business of gases, welding products and healthcare. The Company was established in 1927 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (now referred to as JSE Securities Exchange) in 1964. It has a market capitalisation of over R5,5 billion and 343 million shares in issue. The group comprises of two focused listed companies: gases and welding, and healthcare. Afrox is South Africa’s 17th largest employer with over 16 000 employees in both lines of business. The company is part of the BOC group plc affording it the status of a global company. The BOC Group has operations in 50 countries on five continents and owns 55% of the shares of Afrox. Afrox can rely on its parent company to provide the latest in technology, research and development and other leading global business practices. A historical feature in Afrox (and the BOC Group) has been the regional basis on which the company was organised and structured, with some employees operating in fairly remotes sites. The geographical composition and proximity of the customers and markets, as well as transportation constraints has influenced the establishment of three regional centres from which to distribute product and service customers. The challenge in Afrox is to refine how learning systems that involve the use of technology take place. All employees in Afrox have a competency profile on the e-learning systems of the organisation. However, in recent focus group sessions perceptions of e-learning have been found to vary among e-learners. The study is therefore concerned with investigating the iii perceptions of e-learners in order to position the company to capitalise on the advantages that elearning offers the business world. A literature review of key aspects of e-learning systems will be presented relative to the learning systems within Afrox. An empirical exercise involving a telephonic survey is offered, based on a stratified sample of respondents in Afrox to determine their perceptions of key aspects of elearning. / Ms. H. Jacobs

Class of 2011 Abstract / OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of the institutional objectives for the Introductory to Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) course at the University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy. METHODS: This observational study included 83 first-year PharmD students, of which 36 were enrolled in the IPPE course during the Spring 2009 semester. At the beginning and end of the semester, each student was given a multiple-choice test with questions related to the institutional objectives for the IPPE course. At the end of the semester, the tests were scored and the pre- and post-tests were matched for each student. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test scores, although most students had an improved score on the post-test. Of the students in IPPE, test scores were divided based on the type of practice site attended. No difference was found for the pre- or post-test scores between the different practice sites (p>0.1 for all comparisons) and a medium impact was found between community and hospital practice settings (affect size = 0.49). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that although student competencies improved over the course of the semester, participation in the IPPE course during the first-year of pharmacy school did not significantly contribute to this improvement.

The South African Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS), curriculum guides, and instructional materials on the Outcomes Based Education (OBE), emphasize the development and use of science process skills. Learners using these materials are expected to acquire these skills. The traditional assessment of process skills through practical work only, has practical constraints, particularly in large under resourced classes. A reliable, convenient and cost effective complementary paper and pencil test for assessing these skills may provide a solution. In South Africa, little research has been undertaken in the area of development and validation of science process skills tests. This study was an attempt to develop and validate a test of integrated science process skills, referenced to a specific set of objectives, for use in the further education and training band (grades 10 – 12). The science process skills tested for were: identifying and controlling variables, stating hypotheses, experimental design, graphing and interpreting data, and operational definitions. Thirty multiple-choice items, designed to be content independent; and gender, race, school type, and location neutral, were developed and administered to a total of 1043 grade 9, 10, and 11 learners from ten schools, in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Results from data analysis show that the test is valid, and that its test characteristics fall within the acceptable range of values for discrimination index, index of difficulty, reliability, and readability levels. Comparison of the performance of different groups of learners who wrote the test showed that the test is gender and race neutral. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MSc / Unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Humanities Education / PhD / Unrestricted

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Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a method used for patients to express in advance their preferences, beliefs and values for life-sustaining treatments at the end-of-life. With growing ethnocultural diversity in Canada, health care providers are managing an increasing number of diverse beliefs/values that are commonly associated with preferences for mechanical ventilation (MV) at the end-of-life. The aim of this project is to explore methods used by health care providers to set care plans for MV with ethnocultural populations. Methods: Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and two clinical vignette components was conducted with eight (8) health care providers who engage in ACP. Participants were recruited using a snowball-sampling approach from five acute-care hospitals within the Ottawa region. Results: Three major themes emerged from collected dataset: 1) Goals of care across illness trajectories, 2) Respecting beliefs, values, and wishes for care, and 3) Cross-cultural support in ACP. Using a value-based approach in ACP was described as an effective method for managing and interpreting diverse beliefs/values that impact decisions for MV. However, organizational, systemic, and personnel barriers that exist continue to hinder the provision of cross-cultural ACP across health settings. Contexte: La planification préalable des soins (PPS) est une méthode utilisée par les patients et les familles pour exprimer à l'avance leurs préférences liées aux traitements de prolongation de vie. En raison de la diversité ethnoculturelle croissante au Canada, les professionnels de la santé sont confrontés à des croyances et valeurs différentes, souvent associées à une préférence pour l’initiation et le maintien de la ventilation mécanique (VM) en fin de vie. L'objectif de ce projet consiste à explorer les stratégies utilisées par les professionnels de la santé lors des discussions associées à la VM auprès d'une clientèle multiculturelle. Méthodes: Huit (8) participants (médecins et infirmières) impliqués dans la PPS ont accepté de participer à une entrevue semi-structurée avec des questions ouvertes et deux scénarios cliniques. Les participants ont été recrutés à l'aide de la méthode d’échantillonnage par réseau (« boule de neige ») de cinq hôpitaux de la région d'Ottawa. Résultats: Trois grands thèmes ont émergé des entrevues: 1) les objectifs de soins à travers les trajectoires de la maladie, 2) le respect des croyances, valeurs et souhaits pour les soins, et 3) le soutien dans la PPS en contexte interculturel. Lors de la PPS, utiliser une approche basée sur les valeurs a été décrite comme une méthode efficace pour interpréter et prendre en compte les diverses croyances et valeurs qui ont une influence sur les décisions liées à la VM. Cependant, les barrières systémiques, organisationnelles et personnelles continuent d'entraver les services associés à la PPS en contexte interculturel dans les établissements de santé.