[Registered Qual & Unit Std Home page] [Search Qualifications] [Search Unit Standards]
SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technology 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
93852  Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Technology 
ORIGINATOR
University of Cape Town 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 05 - Education, Training and Development  Higher Education and Training 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The primary purpose of this qualification is to provide potential or practicing teachers, lecturers and corporate trainers with the opportunity to understand the evolution of technology in education and identify ways in which the affordances of emerging technologies can be harnessed to respond to challenges in the 21st Century education globally and within Africa in order to critically engage in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of educational technologies in various contexts.

Rationale:
Globally, universities are having to respond to vastly increasing demand for access to higher education and are under pressure to become more efficient due to the increasing costs. Universities are also being challenged to provide quality education to an ever-broadening range of students with various levels of competence who need flexible learning options due to their geographic location, employment or living conditions. One of the ways in which publicly- and privately-funded higher education institutions are endeavouring to respond to these demands is by employing an array of information communication technologies (ICTs) to support and enhance teaching and learning activities.

As the range of ICTs increases, the price of various devices decreases and connectivity expands and becomes cheaper. This leads to the increased potential for using ICTs in teaching and learning. Students around the world have almost ubiquitous access to mobile phones and to a range of other devices such as smart phones, e-book readers and tablets, as well as to web-based social media platforms and complex web-based applications hosted on a cloud, which means easier access to information and online activities by students, irrespective of geographical location, employment or living conditions. In Africa there is increasing access to mobile phones, including smart phones which provide an opportunity for online teaching and learning activities if properly designed.

The challenge, however, lies in the appropriate pedagogical use of these ICTs and specifically the knowledge and skills of higher education lecturers to devise apt online activities to optimise the affordances provided by the ICTs. Merely uploading a set of lecture notes online is not good pedagogy. Lecturers need to be aware of the range of re-usable materials, i.e. open educational resources (OER), which could be re-purposed for their particular courses. They also need to have mastered a range of technical skills and have developed online learning design skills to maximise the use of ICTs for teaching and learning. The purpose is, therefore, to deepen knowledge of the use and applications of ICTs in education and to enable students to reflect on their current and future practice.

Unfortunately the knowledge and skills required to take full advantage of the range of ICTs to which their students have access is not as prevalent as it needs to be. With over-crowded lecture halls and in the face of many institutional and capacity constraints, lecturers and educational technologists have to possess a sophisticated set of pedagogical and technical skills to exploit opportunities and often find solutions through a drawn-out process of trial and error.

A formal qualification to help to fast-track their knowledge and skills development is ideal for the purpose. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Experience of working in educational technology, training or e-Learning will be a strong recommendation.

Candidates wishing to gain Recognition of Prior Learning will need to submit a detailed application that includes the following:
  • A motivation/justification for admission to the programme.
  • Details of relevant work experience, highlighting skills that would be an advantage in the programme.
  • Leadership positions held or potential for this.
  • Evidence of writing skills or involvement with the offering of training.
  • An analysis of his/her strengths and limitations, and how the applicant intends to address these in the programme.
  • Any other proof (not mentioned above) that the applicant would like to offer in order to indicate that he/she should be considered for admission to this programme.

    Entry Requirements:
    The qualification is open to any learner in possession of a:
  • Bachelor's Degree.
    Or
  • Advanced Diploma at NQF Level 7. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    The qualification consists of four compulsory modules with 30 credits each at NQF Level 8, totalling 120 Credits.

    Modules:
  • Emerging Technologies in Education.
  • Research and Evaluation of Emerging Technologies.
  • Online Learning Design.
  • Learning, Teaching and Emerging Technologies. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Understand the evolution of technology in education and critically appraise the implementation of educational technologies in various contexts to identify ways in which the affordances of emerging technologies can be harnessed to respond to challenges in the 21st Century education, globally and within Africa.
    2. Understand key theories of learning and pedagogy to establish how learners might best engage with various tasks and justify why and in what ways specific teaching strategies and emerging technologies might best support learning.
    3. Understand various online learning design models to design, develop and formatively evaluate an online learning prototype and justify and reflect upon this process in an electronic portfolio.
    4. Engage with global and African research and critically appraise research and evaluation strategies adopted in order to evaluate the implementation of online learning in a specific context and effectively communicate the findings in a publically available online site. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
  • The challenges facing education in the 21st Century are identified.
  • The evolution of technology in education globally and within Africa is reviewed.
  • The affordances of educational technologies are classified.
  • The influence of multi-layered contexts on the implementation of educational technologies is critically examined.
  • Ways in which the adoption of emerging technologies can respond to challenges in 21st Century education are identified.
  • Theories of learning from the psychological and sociological literature are critically reviewed.
  • Theories of pedagogy from the educational literature are critically reviewed.
  • Practical examples of emerging technologies used in support of learning are critically appraised.
  • How researchers have explained the theories of learning, pedagogy and technology affordance underpinning the use of educational technologies are critically examined.
  • Various online learning design models by making their underlying psycho-social learning theories, pedagogical theories and online learning design strategies explicit, are critically appraised.
  • A prototype online learning intervention that passes through all the phases of design and a flowchart of the activities is designed and developed.
  • The process of the phases of design in an electronic portfolio is documented and justified.
  • The activities and processes in learning about online learning design in an electronic portfolio are critically reflected on.
  • Global and African educational technology research is critically appraised and the various research and evaluation strategies adopted are examined.
  • The link between theory and practice in the implementation of educational technologies is identified.
  • A small-scale evaluation of the implementation of online learning in a specific context is conducted.
  • The information available online is analysed and the findings on how these relate to studies in Global and African contexts are effectively communicated.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Assessment will occur on a continuous basis. There will be no final examination. Students will be assessed based on course work, (which includes a range of activities such as group work, blogs, wikis, and presentations). Each module has a written assignment which students undertake individually. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The Indira Gandhi National Open University in Delhi offers a one year full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Technology (PGDET) which is aimed at professional development within education and technology.

    This qualification aims to develop a cadre of teachers and other professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills for organising teaching and training with the help of appropriate technologies.

    The qualification assists learners to:
  • Develop an understanding of the nature of educational technology and its impact on teaching and learning.
  • Build up an awareness about the various educational technologies and their pedagogic uniqueness.
  • Develop the skills needed for making optimum use of the technologies enabling collaborative practices and sharing of educational resources.
  • Make judicious selection of technology and integrate it successfully in the instructional system.
  • Develop the know-how of designing and developing courseware for various media.

    The Massey University in New Zealand presents a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (e-Learning) that provides a specialist qualification for educational professionals interested in the use of technology in teaching and learning in a variety of contexts including schools, vocational education, higher education, the corporate sector, and lifelong learning. Learners analyse and critique the theory and practice of e-Learning, fully understand and participate in research in this area, and develop the confidence and flexibility to provide leadership in e-Learning in their own contexts. This programme is ideal for those considering a career in academic development, instructional design, online development and teaching, or leadership in technology-related education initiatives.

    The University of Bristol in the United Kingdom offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Technology and the Society. The qualification is designed for individuals from diverse educational backgrounds and establishments, from teachers and lecturers in schools and colleges, to ICT specialists working to support learning in both school and 'non-school' sites such as museums, education advisory services and at government level. The qualification will support learners through the rapidly changing world, prepare them for further research and provide a firm foundation for developing a career in Education and ICT.

    The following are modules learners need to complete to achieve the qualification:
    Core units:
  • Digital Design for Mind, Brain and Education.
  • ICT and Society: Contexts, Policies and Practices.
  • Research Methods and ICT.
  • Teaching and Learning with ICT.

    Optional units:
  • Learning, Community and Identity in Digital Spaces.
  • New Media Representation and Digital Literacies.

    Conclusion:
    The educational level of every country in the globalised economy is vital for that country to compete with others. Technology also has the potential to transform education by extending the learning space beyond the four walls of a classroom. The qualification compares favourably with the ones selected. The focus of all these (including this Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Technology) qualifications is to enhance the ability to work in a critical, innovative and creative manner in education. The qualification also aims to produce reflective and competent teachers, sensitive to the demands of the pupils and the job, responsive to a changing education system. These attributes are noticeable among the qualifications. The qualifications modules and duration are similar. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Learners may articulate horizontally to a:
  • Bachelor of Education Honours.
  • Bachelor of Education Honours: Technology Education.
  • Postgraduate Diploma: Technology for Language Learning.

    Learners may articulate vertically to either of following:
  • Master of Education: Information Technology: Education.
  • Master of Education: Technology Education.
  • Master of Education: Science and Technology. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2015. 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of Cape Town 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.