CHAPTER TWO
THE PROGRAMME AS A WHOLE

INTRODUCTION

The focus of this chapter is on what helps the different elements of the Mpumalanga Master of Management Programme to function as a whole, what assists coherence and ensures that individual efforts and individual contributions to the programme have the maximum impact on student learning. There are three dimensions to this. First, the management of the programme needs to ensure a coherent strategic direction as well as efficient administration. Although management and administration are not a focus of this evaluation, some brief comments on their impact on teaching and learning need to be made. Second, there should be a shared understanding not only of the general strategic direction, but of the overall learning outcomes in terms of which student achievement will be measured. Thirdly, the different teaching and learning methods should be seen as complementary to each other, and part of an overall plan to help the students achieve the purpose and outcomes of the programme. In a programme offered at a distance, as an extension of another programme, there may need to be a different blend of methods to achieve the same outcomes while accommodating the particular needs and circumstances of distance learners.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF THE MPUMALANGA PROGRAMME

As noted earlier, the Mpumalanga Master of Management is one of the programmes of the Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM), which was established in its own facilities, as part of the Faculty of Management in 1993.

The strategic direction for the Wits P&DM Master of Management Programme as a whole is managed from Parktown by the P&DM Director and Academic Programme Director. The Mpumalanga Master of Management Programme is described as ‘an extension of the programme formerly offered only at Parktown.’(Based on interview with Christo de Coning, 19 August 1998). There is concern that what is offered at Parktown should be equivalent in standard and in terms of the teaching and learning approach.

It is important also to see the Mpumalanga Master of Management Programme in its context in the Mpumalanga Management Programme (MMP) as a whole. Although described by the programme manager as the most important project, the Master of Management is only one of several projects in the MMP.

It is important to emphasize that the objective of the MMP is not to develop a satellite campus but to extend its existing academic programmes to Mpumalanga via distance education for a five year period so as to provide management capacity building, training and technical assistance in the region during a period when indigenous institutions are establishing and building more permanent capacities.(de Coning, C (1998). Annual Progress and Status Report of the Mpumalanga Management Programme (MMP) June 97 to May 98. Nelspruit: MMP).

Considerable time and resources have gone into clarifying the strategic direction of the P&DM programme as a whole, and the MMP in particular.

MANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAMME AS A WHOLE

The documentation shows that there has been considerable corporate thought given to the curriculum and management of the Wits P&DM Master of Management programme:
- evaluations in 1995 by Nel and Shapiro, by Dr V.V. Moharir, and by Prof. L. Picard;
- annual curriculum review and academic planning meetings;
- an agreed Teaching and Learning Policy with information about the management structure, teaching and learning approach, course packs, exercises and assignments, exams and lecturer and course evaluation.

However, despite this, there are some problems of coherence, as will be illustrated below.

The coherence of the programme is more difficult to manage if it runs in two centres. Although the programme manager is a senior academic based in Nelspruit and manages the Mpumalanga Programme from the point of action rather than the centre (Parktown), he has to rely on the Parktown based Academic Director and Masters Programme Coordinator for decisions about how to run the programme in Mpumalanga. As will be reflected elsewhere in the report, this sometimes creates problems, as there is not much understanding of the distance education difficulties for programme management. As the programme manager puts it, ‘There is no champion of distance education at Parktown.’(Based on interview with Christo de Coning, 19 August 1998). Particular administrative difficulties are those relating to timetabling, and production and dispatch of materials.

One example was provided by the programme manager of how difficulties of communication created teaching and learning problems in the delivery of the third compulsory course this year. Without consultation, the programme manager was allocated responsibility for convening the Information and Policy Analysis course with all its various modules, which would have entailed responsibility for Parktown students as well. Although he repeatedly informed Parktown that he could not perform this role in addition to his numerous other responsibilities, no action was taken to replace him until one month before the course was due to start. This might possibly be in order for a face-to-face course, but for a distance course, it created a number of problems. The course packs could not prepared ahead of time, and session materials were supplied piecemeal for students to file in a ring file.

The second problem was with the timetable. With PictureTel, space is needed to reschedule in case the telephone lines go down. Sometimes there is a backlog, and the whole of a Saturday has to be used for a double session to catch up. If the timetable is left too late, it becomes difficult to space lecture sessions appropriately. Hence in one of the weeks for the third compulsory course, sessions were scheduled for Saturday morning and afternoon as well as twice in the weekend. It is not surprising that attendance levels drop, when such heavy weekly demands are made on students’ time.

Although considerable effort has gone into clarifying the strategic direction of the programme, there is clearly still a need for all the Wits P&DM staff to understand that running a programme in two centres requires a shared vision at both centres, as well as greater commitment to efficient administration from everyone involved.

Key to achieving coherence in a programme is a shared understanding of the overall programme purpose and outcomes. In this programme, there seem to be variable understandings of the purpose and learning outcomes of the programme, not only between Mpumalanga and Parktown, but between the various contributors to the programme.

The main purpose of the programme is probably not a matter for debate. The MMP programme manager (Interview with Christo de Coning, 19 August 1998). describes the main purpose as to produce more effective managers at senior levels. The publicity brochure spells this out in more detail:

Public and development managers are confronted with rapidly changing political, economic, technological and social challenges that test skills, knowledge and decision making capacity. The purpose of this degree is to enhance the capacity of experienced managers to: expand their managerial knowledge, test and explore new ideas, sharpen analytical capabilities, broaden awareness of the complex issues that influence decision making, interact with peers and leading academics and practitioners and reflect on their personal goals, values and careers. Graduates of this degree will be managers who can contribute to, and act within, a democratic, accountable and responsive public and development environment. Course participants will also complete an in-depth policy research project. (P&DM Brochure. The Master of Management Degree in the Field of Public and Development M.M (P&DM)^.

However, within this framework, a slightly different emphasis is emerging in Mpumalanga. According to the programme manager, there is a focus on three things:
- knowledge acquisition to manage within the Mpumalanga public sector context;
- skills development (personal as well as work skills – writing skills as well as things like assertiveness and confidence); and
- ethos (values – to help, for example, in dealing with corruption within departments; and within the group, an ethic of self-management).(Interview with Christo de Coning, 19 August 1998)

The integration of knowledge, skills and values implied here is very much in line with current educational thinking. However, given the very ambitious scope implied, there is clearly a need to use this framework to set out specific measurable and achievable outcomes. As indicated below, this process has already started. However, the suggested outcomes are still very broad and need further refinement to allow for development of practical assessment criteria guided by what is measurable and achievable within the scope of the programme.

There is an awareness in the documentation that P&DM 'lacks clarity on the learning outcomes of academic and specialised programmes'. (P&DM. (1995). Strategic Review: Course and Curriculum Team: Meeting One - 1995. Johannesburg: P&DM)

A workshop was held on 12 October 1995 to try to address this concern. However, the statement of learning outcomes that arose from this workshop does not appear to have found its way into formal programme statements (or course packs). The following list of outcomes emerged from this workshop (P&DM. (1995) Report on P&DM workshop on learning outcomes, 12 October 1995. Johannesburg: P&DM.):

Students will be able to:

Function effectively in middle and senior management
in analyzing and finding solutions to complex problems

- list the key issues
- identify causal relationship between issues
- generate possible solutions
- evaluate solutions in terms of criteria
- implement the solution
- evaluate implementation and make appropriate recommendations.

Apply conceptual frameworks and a broad base of knowledge
in solving management problems

- demonstrate the selection and application of an appropriate conceptual model/knowledge base
- assess different framework knowledge in a comparative context.

Be agents for transformation

- influence groups, individuals and processes
- identify the interests/paradigms of individuals/groups in a specific context
- choose an appropriate mode of communication in a given context
- demonstrate effective communication of information and argument through verbal and written media.

Demonstrate the ability to use MS Windows, Word, etc.
Demonstrate strategic thinking in a simulation
Interpret numbers in a management context
Link budgeting to planning
Carry out a self-management project which demonstrates:
- planning
- analysis
- application of frameworks
- implementation
- writing of proposals, reports, etc.

There is a difference between the statement of programme objectives and the statement of learning outcomes. In the latter statement, the beginnings of a particular definition of managerial competence have been made. The former statement gives a sense of the kind of manager the programme is seeking to develop, but there is currently very little indication of how success will be judged. Outcome statements are the basis for assessment and have to be a great deal more precise. It is essential, therefore, that the important work started in the workshop on 12 October be continued and that agreement is reached on the specific outcomes for the course as well as how these outcomes will be assessed.

The importance of this process is indicated by the third compulsory course, where each module writer appears to have a different understanding of what goes into a description of goals, purpose, outcomes, objectives.

One of the modules (Information Gathering for Policy Analysis) specifies the learning outcome for the course (module)(There is incosistancy in the use of module/course within the programme). as a whole as follows:

By the end of the course participants would have been introduced to managing the techniques of data collection, which are most often used in policy analysis and policy research.

This is actually not a learning outcome, but an expression of what the course/module aims to communicate. Actual learning outcomes (i.e. what the students will be expected to be able to do, rather than what the teacher aims to communicate) appear in the various session outlines. However, there is no overall conceptualization of the learning outcomes for the module. Also there is no sense from this about how this module will help students fulfil the objectives of the programme as a whole, or even just this course as a whole.

In another module (Analytical Approaches and Techniques for Policy Analysis), three learning objectives (outcomes) are listed:

To be able to:
- Analyze empirical data appropriately using intermediate level statistical methods;
- Develop and apply simple probability models;
- Select, use and interpret statistical methods in case studies involving policy decisions.

This statement is clear and serves as a basis for assignments and tests that are set. However, it will be difficult for students to see the link between this statement of learning outcomes, and the enhancement of their general management capacity that the programme aims to achieve.

In one of the modules (Introduction to Public Policy) there is a set of overarching goals phrased in terms of knowledge, skills and ethos, as well as student learning outcomes for the module as a whole. In addition, if the learning outcomes of the module are placed side by side with the objectives of the programme as a whole, there is a clear relationship between them.

This module could therefore be used as a model for revision of the other modules in the course.

CONCLUDING COMMENT.

A shared understanding of purpose, objectives and learning outcomes cannot ensure that all staff and students on a programme have clarity about what they are meant to do and achieve. However, lack of clarity will almost definitely result in different courses and modules within a programme working in ways, which are not complementary, and sometimes in ways which are contradictory. The development of professional competence is a complex affair, and the chances of real impact on practice will be diminished if the various contributors to a programme do not ensure the coherence of their ‘bit’ with the whole. The Module Introduction to Public Policy provides an example of how this can be done.

THE BLEND OF TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

P&DM has an overall Teaching and Learning Policy which sets out for all the programmes the agreed general teaching and learning methodology as well as the different methods, the management structures, and the assessment and evaluation requirements.

The teaching and learning methodology is described by P&DM as interactive and discussion based. Students are expected to develop independent thinking and problem solving skills. The lecturer is a facilitator who ensures that students learn about the subject matter of a particular course at the same time as they master process skills. Students are required to participate actively in the course.

The Teaching and Learning Policy (1997) summarizes the methodology (see the middle block in the diagram below)(P&DM. (1997). Teaching and Learning Policy.Johannesburg: P&DM. p.21) and the blend of methods that contribute to the general methodology.

Specifically in the design and implementation of lecture sessions, lecturers are requested in the Teaching and Learning policy to think through the following processes:

planning – defining goals and objectives
meaning – understanding and making sense of experience
confronting – challenging resistance and confronting difficult issues
feeling – managing the emotional context of the classroom
structuring – methods of learning and structuring experiences
valuing – creating a supportive climate of mutual respect. (P&DM. (1997). Teaching and Learning Policy. p18)

More detail is provided about the learning approach that the lecturer is meant to structure in: a cyclical approach involving reflecting (observing your own thinking and acting), connecting (developing ideas and possibilities for action and arranging them into new forms), deciding (making decisions about a course of action), and doing (performing a task) (Ibid. p. 20.). The policy document therefore sets out extremely high goals and P&DM is to be commended for committing the programme to their attainment.

The questions that need to be asked in this evaluation are:
- Are these ideas realized in practice in the teaching and learning that occurs in the various courses in the programme?
- Are the lecturers making effective use of the blend of methods suggested above?
These questions will be addressed in some detail in the successive chapters, particularly chapter three (on lecture sessions and course packs) and chapter five (on learning groups). What needs to be addressed in this chapter is the distance learning perspective on the ‘blend of methods’.

In a distance education programme, the main means whereby the curriculum is communicated is through the course materials. The lecturer or tutor and the contact sessions are meant to support student learning through the materials.

In this Masters Programme, the focus is slightly different. As Mark Swilling pointed out (Based on interview with Prof. Mark Swilling, dated 6 October 1998) P&DM’s position is that while conventional distance education methods are suitable for mass education, management education of the kind that P&DM offers is ‘elite’ and any method that breaks the physical/visual connection between lecturer and students or prevents ‘customized personal relationships with students’ is not acceptable. This position appears to demand considerable contact between lecturer and students and implies that the structure of the course will to a large extent be customized to meet the needs of individual groups of students. Reliance on course materials in a traditional distance education sense is therefore regarded as not acceptable.

However, equally important to the programme is the fact that the link between the workplace and the classroom is vital to successful achievement of the purpose of the programme – to develop managers who can contribute to, and act within, a democratic, accountable and responsive public and development environment. This was emphasized by the MMP programme manager[Based on interview with Christo de Coning, 19 August 1998.] when he said:

In Mpumalanga the programme goes beyond merely providing distance education. It undertakes capacity building in a number of projects aside from the distance education Masters. Involvement in these projects allows the programme manager to observe the learners in their workplace.

The third issue much emphasized by the MMP programme manager (Ibid). is the need to ensure that the students who are at a distance receive a programme of equivalent quality to those who are able to attend at Parktown[Ibid.]. The problem is how the programme will meet all these imperatives when the students and their workplaces are at a distance from the lecturers who teach them.

The solution selected by this programme has been twofold. Firstly, the programme is managed from the point of action (Mpumalanga) rather than the centre (Parktown) (Ibid)., by a senior academic. This provides hands on management, and personal academic counselling for Mpumalanga students in Nelspruit. Secondly, a variety of methods have been used to deliver the same lecture programme as that received by Parktown students as reported by the programme manager: (de Coning, C. (1998). Annual Progress and Status Report of the Mpumalanga Management Programme (MMP) June 97 to May 98. Nelspruit: MMP.)

Models of delivery included the use of PictureTel in joint classes (two classes simultaneously), the use of PictureTel one on one (lecturer and class) as well as person to person live contact (flying lecturers to Nelspruit), or Nelspruit based facilitators presenting the course. Of late, all sessions have been video taped as an extra back-up for PictureTel failure.

Added to this are the elements of the programme present in the Parktown based course as well: the use of course packs (supposed to be ready two weeks prior to the commencement of the course) (P&DM. (1997). Teaching and Learning Policy. op cit.) and the requirement that students work in learning groups.

The MMP has over the last 1½ years shown that the perception that distance education is inferior is unfounded with MMP examination results and throughput being comparable with their Parktown counterparts. Although the MMP has benefited from the approach of using the same lecturers, coursepacks, exams etc, it is agreed that once such a standard has been achieved, various methods can then be adapted.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

What is clear from the evaluation is that there is a commitment among the management and staff responsible for the programme to the continuous improvement of the service provided, guided by the criteria set out in the P&DM Teaching and Learning Policy document.

In evaluating a programme as a whole, however, we consider all the factors which give the programme coherence and which help to ensure that the overall purpose is achieved. This leads to consideration of factors such as the following:
- A clear strategic direction
- A clear purpose and outcomes related to content and assessment
- Effective management and administration
- An appropriate and effective blend of methods.

In terms of these requirements, what is still needed is for final clarification on the overall outcomes of the programme as well as guidelines on how these outcomes could best be assessed. As will be discussed in a later chapter, there is also a need to assess current practice in terms of the extent to which you provide a good educational experience addressed to the needs of a particular group of students, rather than focussing on concerns relating to the extent to which you manage to replicate a particular teaching model in a second centre.

Apart from lessons regarding the use of the technology (which are explored more fully in Chapter 4), the MMP experience offers a number of other useful lessons for future potential service providers:

- Time and resources need to be committed to formulating a strategic direction for the programme and to sharing and committing to the overall vision.
- A fundamental aspect of the MMP approach has been to manage the distance education programme from the point of delivery and to support distance education with locally based tutoring and local management. This has resulted in a blend of different methods being used (explored more fully in Chapters 4, 5 and 6).
- The MMP experience indicates that a full-time senior academic at the point of delivery may have advantages of direct support in various areas as this allows for hands-on management and continuity and the counselling of students in outlying regions.
- There is a need for distance education initiatives of this nature to focus on a joint vision and working programme between centres, especially the need for agreement on programme objectives and learning outcomes.

What will emerge in the succeeding chapters is the increased importance for distance learners of:
- comprehensive, well-produced and well-managed course packs;
- well-functioning learning groups;
- criteria for learning group assignments that include the assessment of team processes;
- greater emphasis in assessment design on assessment of competence in the workplace;
- greater emphasis on providing detailed written feedback on individual and group assignments.

What will also emerge is the need to reconsider the amount of time currently being spent on ensuring that 40 hours of lectures are delivered to the students for each module.

The MMP further confirms the more general experience that the move to providing for distance education learners poses a challenge to conventional management and administration processes that have been established for full-time learners.

The overall management approach has a profound impact on the quality of the programme and in the distance education arena requires consideration of issues such as contingency planning of staff, back-up arrangements on equipment, the management of the resources centre, policy change, planning and programming, financial management, information management, monitoring, evaluation and ongoing quality control, etc. It is therefore recommended that future research be conducted on the MPP and similar programmes in this regard.