An evaluation of the assessment of creative writing essays in the Further Education and Training band

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-173
Author(s):  
Johannes Sibeko
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Further Education And Training ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
Generic Essence ◽  
And Training

The current process of assessing creative writing essays (using the correction code and the rubric to mark the pre-final and final drafts of essays in the Further Education and Training band) does not provide useful feedback that learners can use to improve their creative essay writing skills. This discursive paper highlights the basic flaws of the process. Amongst others, is the issue of the holistic nature of the rubric feedback presented to learners on their essays, the generic essence of the rubric in assessing different essay types as though they are similar and the divergent focus of the rubric feedback on the macro-scale issues from the focus of the correction code on micro-scale essay features. The argument here is that the different foci of the two assessment tools leave learners with uncertainty on what they need to improve in their writing, thus impairing the whole process of assessment. This study recommends, inter alia, an inclusion of rubric feedback in pre-final drafts and the expansion of rubric feedback presented to learners. Keywords: Assessment; Further Education and Training; Holistic rubrics; Analytic rubrics; Correction Codes; CAPS; Creative writing essays

Centres of Excellence in the Context of Further Education and Training in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62
Author(s):  
Andre van der Bijl ◽  
Adele Ebrahim
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Further Education And Training ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Business Sectors ◽  
And Training ◽  
Centres Of Excellence

Since 1994 South African further education and training (FET) has undergone significant and fundamental changes. These changes include the transfer of colleges between state departments, curriculum revision, forced mergers and a shift in the student population. As a result of the growing interest in, and funding of, vocationally aligned education, education and training excellence models have permeated into the management portfolio of South Africa's FET. FET colleges (FETCs) have been faced with the emerging excellence discourses in the higher education and business sectors, as well as funding and accreditation linked motivators. How FETC managers have chosen to incorporate, or not to incorporate, centres of excellence (CoEs) into their organizational structures indicates both the difference in the application of CoE models to the sector compared with the higher education and business sectors and the way FETCs are managed in their volatile environment. This paper uses data initially gathered for a funded project aimed at identifying excellence indicators applicable to the FET sector, and a comparative content analysis of related publications and telephone interviews with senior staff responsible for innovation. The authors argue that higher education or business excellence models cannot be applied to the further education and training college environment; models need to be adapted to suit this specific type of environment.

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