This study investigates the nature and extent of teacher's understanding of assessment in the context of an outcomes-based education system at a Hammersdale Farm School. The study also investigates the nature of assessment techniques used by educators at the school and whether these techniques were implemented in a manner that enhances learner performance. The educator level of assessment literacy or illiteracy was also examined. Learner's experience of assessment was also investigated. The subjects in this study were eleven educators and twenty-two learners. The research methodology was in the form of a qualitative case study. Individual interviews of educators, learners questionnaire as well as document analysis were used to investigate educator's assessment, literacy or illiteracy, learner's experience of assessment and whether assessment (there) techniques are implemented in a manner that embraces principles of outcomes-based education. The results revealed that educators show an understanding of assessment in an outcomes-based education system. There has been a shift from the traditional way of conducting assessment, which was by means of tests and examination only. Educators conduct assessment continuously and employ a variety of strategies, which help educators collect data about learner's performance. The data collected enables educators to give constant feedback to learners and also report to parents about their children's performance. However, findings also revealed that there is some illiteracy with regards to assessment planning and implementation. (Educators attempts are dwarfed by the tradition of summative type of assessment that educators have been exposed to all their lives. The study has also revealed that though educators engage in continuous assessment and employ various assessment strategies; examinations are still considered as the strategy to be used for making decisions and public judgments due to lack of clearly formulated school assessment policy. There is minimal participation of parents in their children's learning, which is due to illiteracy with regards to transformational policies and curriculum issues. Some parents, because of work commitments, financial constraints and not living with their children, makes participation almost impossible. The implication of this study is that the school needs to have a clearly formulated assessment policy, which reflects OBE principles. The policy should state clearly how assessment is to be planned and implemented in an outcomes-based education system. The school also needs to have a staff development programme which is an ideal platform for sharing meanings and interpretations with regards to assessment implementation in an outcomes-based education system. The development programme will also help educators revisit and review their assessment policy to ensure that assessment implementation is on track. Parent participation in their children's learning could be made a reality through workshops. Parent's workshops would help develop parents on transformational policy and curriculum issues. This will ensure maximum parent participation in their children's learning and also ensure that parents provide necessary support to sustain effective learning. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2003.

Introduction e-Learning has been integrated and implemented in education and training to the level that it is now a well-established global practice. If used judiciously, e-Learning is a tool that enables active, individual and flexible learning. When integrated into medical education, it offers features that allow lecturers to be not merely content distributors, but also facilitators of learning. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the readiness of students to make the shift from traditional learning, to the technological culture of e-Learning. Methods An observational, cross-sectional, analytical study design was used and data was collected using a validated questionnaire. The sample comprised of all students enrolled in the first year nursing programme at the Durban University of Technology registered for anatomy and physiology in 2013. Informed consent was obtained from each participant prior to conducting the study. Results Three quarters (77/101 76%) of the participants were females. The psychological readiness score was noted to be high in the “could be worse” category (pre-72%, post- 64%). The technological readiness score was noted to be in the “dig deeper” category (pre- 58%, post- 65%) whilst the equipment readiness score fell in the e-Learning “not ready category” (pre- and post- 68%). Discussion The Chapnick Readiness Score Guide was used to analyse psychological, technological and equipment readiness. e-Learning has been identified as a multi-disciplinary field, which is dominated by information technology. Technological and equipment readiness factors of e-Learning are easier to resolve than the psychological readiness factor. Recommendations Although e-Learning could be a key tool in nursing education, a few factors require attention before it can be effectively implemented in this tertiary level education facility. / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2014.