ESC Tutorial
ESC Tutorial
Year Module
Name of Department
Department of Educational Foundations
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and
make sure that you have regular access to the myUnisa module
website, ESC3701-25-Y, as well as your group website.
Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, available only on myUnisa.
BARCODE
CONTENTS
Page
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 4
2 MODULE OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Purpose .............................................................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Outcomes ........................................................................................................................................... 7
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................... 7
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS ...................................................................................... 7
4.1 Lecturer(s) .......................................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Department ........................................................................................................................................ 8
4.3 University ........................................................................................................................................... 8
5 RESOURCES .................................................................................................................................... 8
5.1 Prescribed book(s)............................................................................................................................. 8
5.2 Recommended book(s) ..................................................................................................................... 8
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ....................................................................................................... 8
5.5 Recommended guides: ...................................................................................................................... 9
5.6 Important contact information: ........................................................................................................... 9
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES .................................................................................................... 9
6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme ................................................................................ 10
6.2 Using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to apply for module credit within a qualification. ........ 11
7. STUDY PLAN .................................................................................................................................. 12
8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE .............................................................................................................. 14
8.1 What does it mean to study fully online?......................................................................................... 14
9. ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................ 14
9.1 Assessment criteria ......................................................................................................................... 14
9.2 Assessment plan ............................................................................................................................. 15
9.3 Assessment/assignment due dates................................................................................................. 15
9.4 Submission of assessments/assignments ...................................................................................... 15
9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions .......................................................................................... 16
9.5 The assessments/assignments ....................................................................................................... 17
9.6 Assignment 01, 02, 03, and 04 ........................................................................................................ 18
9.7 Other assessment methods............................................................................................................. 25
9.8 The examination .............................................................................................................................. 29
9.8.1 Invigilation/proctoring ....................................................................................................................... 29
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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
We would like to welcome you to Educational Studies in Context (ESC3701). We hope that this
shared module will give you a better understanding of the philosophy of education and
sociology of education and broaden your personal academic spheres of knowledge.
Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education institution. Our
comprehensive curricula encapsulate a range of offerings, from strictly vocational to strictly
academic certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its distance eLearning
character result in many students who may not previously have had an opportunity to enrol in
higher education registering at the university. Our CODeL character implies that our
programmes are carefully planned and structured to ensure success for students, ranging from
the under-prepared but with potential to those who are sufficiently prepared.
Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involves multiple modes of delivery, ranging from
blended to fully online learning. As a default position, all post-graduate programmes are offered
fully online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are offered using
a blended mode of delivery where printed study materials are augmented with online teaching
and learning via the learner management system, myUnisa. In some instances, undergraduate
programmes are offered fully online as well.
Furthermore, our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission and values of the University.
Unisa's commitment to serving humanity and shaping futures – combined with a clear
appreciation of our location on the African continent – means that Unisa's graduates have
distinctive graduate qualities, which include:
• being independent, resilient, responsible and caring citizens able to fulfil and serve in
multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national and global communities
• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent and taking
account of its histories, challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts
• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information
and data from multiple sources in a globalised world with ever-increasing information
and data flows and competing worldviews
• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential
Whether a module is offered either as blended or online, Unisa uses myUnisa as our virtual
campus. This is an online system that is used to administer, document and deliver educational
material to you and support engagement with you. Look out for information from your lecturer
as well as other Unisa platforms about how to access myUnisa. Information about the tools
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that you will use to engage with your lecturer and fellow students will also be communicated
via various platforms.
Because this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete the
learning activities. Please visit the website for ESC3701 on myUnisa regularly (at least twice a
week). Go to https://mymodules.dtls.unisa.ac.za; you will then be prompted to choose the
module ESC3701-25-Y from the myModules list.
The module consists of two parts, namely Part A: Philosophy of education and Part B:
Sociology of education.
In Part A you will embark on a philosophical journey in education. In simple terms, philosophy
is the theory on which we base and according to which we live our lives, including our
educational lives. All of us, either knowingly or unknowingly, are guided by a certain philosophy,
or ‘life theory’. There are a number of different ‘life theories’ available to us, and it is these
philosophies – life theories – that we will explore and discuss in this module. We will look at
how these philosophies can influence education and, in particular, the formulation of different
philosophies of education. We live in a global world, and some of these philosophies have a
very definite impact on educational practice in terms of teaching and learning. The philosophies
that we will explore are African philosophy, Empiricism, Hermeneutics, Phenomenology,
Critical Theory, Postmodernism and Critical Realism. All these philosophies have both
advantages and disadvantages, certainly as far as education is concerned. If we are to improve
our educational endeavours, we need to know what these advantages and disadvantages are.
In light of the above, this part of the module will deal with the:
• main ideas of different philosophies of education and what they have to say about
contemporary issues and problems in education
• implications of the main ideas of the different philosophies for the philosophy of
education.
We hope that in completing this module, you will be able to develop your own philosophy of
education to help you reflect critically on:
• the philosophy of education which directs the education system in your country.
• the effectiveness of your own classroom practice in the education of your learners in
preparing them to live meaningfully in their communities, society and the world.
In Part B you will gain a theoretical understanding of the Sociology of education by critically
analysing three major theories/perspectives/approaches, namely functionalism, conflict theory
and symbolic interactionism. The module also focuses on the history of citizenship education,
citizenship education, and democracy and diversity. Sociology of education provides insight
into how schools operate in society and how the broader social context can have an impact on
the individual, such as the teacher and the learner. You will start by developing a close
understanding of the theories, as well as the concepts, used in the Sociology of education. You
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will discover that concepts such as identity, race, social class and gender are central to the
discipline.
The module is also concerned with practical school and classroom matters, as you will be
required to implement the theories within a schooling context. To put it differently, you should
think about how sociological theory can assist you in understanding and gaining insight into
schooling and your learners’ social contexts. For example, knowing something about the social
class position of your learners can provide you, as a teacher, with a theoretical ‘handle’ on
some of the difficulties certain students face at home, at school and in society. Therefore, there
are close ties between theory and practice in this module. In addition, a central focus of the
module is the encouragement of critical thinking – we do not want you to accept a theory without
thinking carefully about it and critiquing it. You will develop the ability to formulate a critique by
working through questions relating to selected theories.
• the application of these theories and concepts to schooling and classroom practice
Although we are here to support you throughout your studies, if you are to complete this module
successfully, you will need to take responsibility for your own progress. You will receive tutorial
letters at the beginning of the year. These tutorial letters will contain important information
about teaching, learning and assessment. Please read all the tutorial letters you receive
immediately and be able to refer to them as you need to as you work through the rest of the
study material. Please study the general and administrative information relating to this module
carefully.
2 MODULE OVERVIEW
2.1 Purpose
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2.2 Outcomes
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter that places curriculum transformation high on the
teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes student -centred scholarship, the
pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and
the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. All of these are being phased in at both
programme and module levels. As a result of this, you will notice a marked change in the teaching and
learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with the way in which the content is conceptualised in
your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa, responsively
and within the framework of transformation.
4.2 Department
4.3 University
Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.
5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)
Part A: Philosophy of education - Higgs, P. & Letseka, M. 2022. 3rd edition. Philosophy of
education today: An introduction. Cape Town: Juta. (We will use the abbreviation PE to refer to
this source.)
Part B: Sociology of education - Siyakwazi, P., Du Plessis, S. et al. 2018. Sociology of education.
Cape Town: Oxford University Press. (We will use the abbreviation SoE to refer to this source.)
There are no recommended books for this module. (See E-reserves below.)
E-reserves can be downloaded from the library webpage, option Find E-reserves
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To view the Library orientation video – please click here: Unisa Library and Information
Services Video_1_1 (2).mp4
This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.
If you need assistance concerning the myModules system, you are welcome to use the following
contact details:
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You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to
access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessments
and how to participate in forum activities by visiting https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130
Registered Unisa students receive a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices
and updates are sent exclusively to this account.
Please claim your e-mail account immediately after registering at Unisa by following this link:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/static/myunisa/Content/Announcements/Documents/Claim-myUnisa-
myLife-Nov-2017.pdf
Note that it can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated after you have claimed it.
Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official correspondence
between you and the University and it will remain your official primary e-mail address on record
at Unisa.
Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful and this is often true
for students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning
institution and is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega university and all its
programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online learning. For these reasons, we
offer first-time students additional/extended support to help them navigate the Unisa teaching and learning
journey seamlessly and with little difficulty and few barriers.
Unisa’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme has been specially designed to provide you with prompt
and helpful information about the services that the institution offers.
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www.unisa.ac.za/FYE [email protected]
FYE1500
Post-
myUnisa; Study
Registration Referrals to Skills; Academic &
Orientation other support Digital Literacies;
services etc
e.g. Counselling;
Reading & Writing
workshops
To ensure that you do not miss out on important academic and support communication from the
SRU, please check your myLife inbox regularly.
6.2 Using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to apply for module credit within a
qualification.
Now that you are a registered student, you are advised to familiarise yourself with the learning outcomes
of the module or modules you have chosen. If you have been exposed to those learning outcomes for
three years or more – either through work experience or other involvement – you can apply to be exempted
from completing assignments and writing examinations. As part of your application for this exemption, you
will be required to compile a portfolio of evidence substantiating how your experience is equivalent to the
learning outcomes. The diagram below shows the steps involved in obtaining recognition of prior learning
(RPL) for module credit. For more information on the process, RPL fees, and the contact details of your
college RPL coordinator, visit the Unisa website: www.unisa.ac.za/rpl
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7. STUDY PLAN
Consult the Study @ Unisa site for guidance regarding general time management and planning.
The site contains valuable information on where to begin with your studies. The closing dates for
assignments will be communicated later on the myUnisa platform. Plan your studies around those
dates.
PERIOD ACTIVITY
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• Make sure that you have submitted all three assignments by
the applicable due dates.
• Write examination.
Using the myUnisa platform is an important part of your online learning. You need to be able to
access your study material on the myModules platform from within myUnisa; participate in
discussion forums; submit assignments and examinations online; check the announcements for
each module and attend e-tutoring for some of your modules (where applicable). We do not have
the e-tutoring support in this module.
For more information on what online learning entails, follow the link below:
myUnisa_Basic_Skills.pdf
9. ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria
You need to acquire knowledge that will allow you to reflect critically on contemporary issues and
problems in education, and on your own teaching practice in the classroom. The assessment in
this module will focus on your ability to:
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• Assessment/assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing
page for this module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon
registration.
• Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assessments/assignments
• The myUnisa virtual campus offers students access to the myModules site, where
learning material is available online and where assessments should be completed.
Together, myUnisa and myModules form an online system that is used to administer,
document, and deliver educational material to students and support engagement between
those students and Unisa’s academics.
• To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to
complete the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1,
Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a date recorded there telling you when the assessment
will open for you. When the assessment is open, access the quiz online and complete it
within the time available to you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial
letter (Tutorial Letter 101) and are made available online only. You must therefore access
and complete the quiz online where it has been created.
• It is not advisable to use a cellphone to complete quizzes and you should please use a
desktop computer, tablet or laptop for this task. Students who use cellphones find it difficult
to navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle to navigate
between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cellphones are
more vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all possible,
please do not use a cellphone for this assessment type.
• For written assessments/assignments, please note the due date by which your work must
be submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment/assignment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell
on myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment to the myModules
site for the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double-
check that you have selected the correct file for uploading. Remember, no marks can be
allocated for incorrectly submitted assessments/assignments.
• Elective assignments
- If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
- The best of the required submissions will count.
• Mandatory assignments
- If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
• Optional assignments – You are encouraged, as a student, to do optional
assignments in order to benefit your learning.
I. Elective assignments
a. The student is given a choice of which assignments within an identified group to submit
and only the best result/s, the number of which is specified in advance, will contribute
towards the year mark.
b. Elective assignments must be grouped into an elective group.
c. For the student to select which assignment to submit, the elective assignments must
be grouped together. For such an elective group, relevant information (such as how
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many of the assignments must be submitted and how many of the assignment marks
should be combined into the year mark) will be supplied to you.
d. The selection criteria define how marks received for assignments in an elective group
are to be combined into the year mark. Three different criteria may be used for
calculating the year mark:
• The best mark should be used, or
• If the student submits fewer than the required number of assignments per
group, or no assignment in a group, a mark of 0% will be used.
• 0% is awarded to all non-submitted or unmarked assessments. A best mark is
then calculated from all the qualifying items submitted.
As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete 04 assessments/assignments for this module.
Details of the tasks set will appear on the assessments/assignments themselves on myModules.
NB: All assessments should have the Honesty Declaration form attached.
You are required to complete two assignments made up of short questions; each of these
assignments consist of 100 marks.
Part A (Philosophy of education): short questions are set on chapters 1 to 10 of the prescribed
textbook (PE) (Learning units 1–7). These questions cover the core aspects of these chapters.
We believe that you need a broad overview of the subject matter so as to develop a reasonable
knowledge of all the philosophical perspectives pertaining to the human and social sciences.
Part B (Sociology of education): short questions are set on chapters 1 to 4 of the prescribed
textbook (SoE) (Learning units 8 – 14). We suggest that you study the relevant chapters of your
prescribed book (SoE) carefully and work through the activities based on these chapters before
you attempt to complete these assignments.
Although students may plan together when preparing assignments, each student must write and
submit their own, individual assignment. In other words, your assignment must reflect your own
ideas expressed in your own words, with the possible inclusion of short, relevant quotations that
are properly referenced. It is unacceptable for several students to submit identical assignments
on the basis that they worked together. No assignment should be shared. Submitting identical
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assignments is copying, which is a form of plagiarism, and none of these assignments will be
marked.
• Organisation of content
• Definition and use of relevant terms
• Correctness and relevance of information taken from the textbook, recommended books
and articles
• The correct use of the Harvard method of reference
• Integration, comparison and assessment of the collected facts
• Sufficient argumentation
• Your own contributions, practical examples and conclusions
• Correct language usage, spelling and sentence structure
Students often fail their assignments due to one or more of the following:
Question 1
Explain the relevance of African indigenous knowledge systems within education. (10)
Question 2
Differentiate between ubuntu and communality as vital African values in education. (10)
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Question 4
Explain ways in which Phenomenology can contribute to education. (10)
Explain how his contributions to Waldorf education have steered away from education prescribed
by the state/government. (10)
Question 7
How would you describe your understanding of a Feminist philosophy of education? (10)
Question 8
Discuss the feminist issues that you think should be addressed in the classroom and what
feminism can help us achieve in education. (10)
Question 9
Describe the similarities between feminism and the critical theory. (10)
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Postmodernism and a postmodern philosophy of education
Question 10
Explain how postmodernism emanated from modernism. (10)
Question 1
Functionalism is one of the major theories in Sociology of education.
Question 2
Talcott Parsons elaborates on how society functions as a system, and thus creates balance and
equilibrium.
With the above in mind, briefly explain Parsons’s view on the fundamental premises of
functionalism. (10)
Question 3
Conflict Theorists have identified certain assumptions as being evident in the foundation of conflict
theory.
Question 4
Social institutions can be understood as established sub-systems that satisfy the basic needs of
society. Each institution has different responsibilities that contribute to the overall functioning and
stability of society.
Briefly explain the role of religion and the economy as social institutions. (10)
Question 5
Symbolic interactionism takes place when people interact with each other by means of symbols.
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Briefly argue the principles of symbolic interactionism and how it applies to society. (10)
Question 6
Culture defines acceptable ways of behaving for members of a particular society and to a large
degree, culture determines how members of society think and feel: It directs their actions and
defines their outlook on life.
Question 7
Define the concept ‘social stratification’ and briefly explain the two characteristic criteria that form
the basis of social stratification. (10)
Question 8
Promoting patriotism in post-apartheid South African schools is important.
Argue this point in detail and indicate why, according to Brighthouse (2008), patriotism
should be promoted in local schools. (10)
Question 9
Class is a large-scale grouping of people who share common economic resources, influencing
the types of lifestyles they lead.
Briefly elaborate on the Marxist and Functionalist points of view on class, with special
reference to the South African context. (10)
Question 10
Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Human Development proposed a conceptual and
operational network that divides the environment into different levels.
Differentiate between the five levels of Bronfenbrenner’s theory which position the family
and school in the social system context. (10)
TOTAL [100 MARKS]
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Assignment 03: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION (PART A)
Write an essay in not more than 5 typed pages (bibliography excluded) on the following
topic:
2. Body of the essay, in which you discuss the contribution of empirical philosophy in terms
of:
2.2 Implications for education (provide examples to substantiate your response) (15)
3. Conclusion to the essay, in which you summarise the points discussed in the essay. No
new sources or new information should be introduced in the conclusion. (5)
According to Hoppers (2001), education authorities need to acknowledge and recognise the
cultural diversity of African societies, especially in matters pertaining to curriculum issues in
education on the African continent.
With this said, write a lesson plan in which you teach about the topic “African Philosophy and
Indigenous African knowledge Systems” to your Grade 10 learners. Consider the below aspects
in your response:
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• Name of school
• Grade
• Phase
• Topic
• Duration of the lesson
• Outcomes/objectives (at least 3)
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• [Infuse teacher and learner activities in the introduction, body and conclusion]
• Learning and teaching support material (LTSMs)
• Teaching method
• Assessment
• Africanisation (how you plan to incorporate the learners’ culture or heritage into this
lesson – playing a traditional game, or doing a traditional activity, singing a song, telling a
story that relates to the learners’ culture, using a traditional African teaching strategy – be
creative and make this lesson relevant to the learners’ culture):
• Differentiation (How did this lesson accommodate diverse learner needs? How can
you/did you cater for learners who need enrichment or those who have special needs? BE
SPECIFIC AND PLAN FOR THIS IN A DETAILED MANNER. You may also refer to various
teaching and learning strategies used in the lesson and include worksheets after the lesson
plan.)
• Evidence of resources used (pictures of textbook, worksheet, PPT slides, etc.)
TOTAL [100 MARKS]
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SECTION A (ESSAY-TYPE QUESTION) [50 marks]
Write an essay in not more than five typed pages (10 marks per page, bibliography
excluded) on the following topic:
3. Conclusion in which you wrap up your response, return and summarise the main points
in the essay. No new sources of information should be added to the conclusion. (5)
4. Bibliography: The sources in the bibliography should be in alphabetical order. In
completing your essay, consult the sources available on the myUnisa module site under e-
Reserves. You can also add any additional references to support your writing. (5)
In not more than five typed pages (10 marks per page, bibliography excluded), write an
essay on the following topic:
Discuss the role of the school as a social institution and argue the very different views held by the
functionalists and conflict theorists in this regard. (50)
1. Introduction: Introduce what you intend to discuss in the essay and define your key terms.
(5)
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3. Conclusion, in which you wrap up your responses, and summarise the main points in the
essay. No new ideas or sources of information should be added to the conclusion. (5)
There are a number of activities in each of the chapters in your prescribed book, and a number
of questions in the activities on myUnisa. Work through these activities and questions
systematically, recording your answers in a workbook of your own for future reference and for
study purposes. Your assignments and the examination will be partly based on these activities
and questions, so we recommend that you take the time to formulate comprehensive answers to
them. Please do not submit the answers to the questions in the activities. However, we have
selected a number of questions related to the content and activities in chapters 1 to 7 of the
prescribed textbook and included these below. Please do your best to answer them, and we will
provide feedback on them in a future tutorial letter.
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5 What educational values does African traditional thought emphasise?
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Year mark
• In order for the final mark to be determined, Unisa requires students to have obtained a
year mark. For this module, Assignments 01, 02, 03 and 04 are all online compulsory
assignments, and each will contribute to the year mark as follows:
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• Your combined mark for Assignments 01, 02, 03 and 04 will contribute 20% to your
examination final mark final mark, and your examination mark will contribute 80% to your
final mark. However, you will need to obtain a subminimum of 50% for the examination
in order to pass and to benefit from the year mark system.
You will receive examination information and details on the format of the examination
online via myUnisa. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your lecturer
and for communication from the university.
In terms of a decision reached by the Colleges, lecturers may not demarcate or “scope”
specific work for examination purposes, and examination questions must be based on all
the work covered during the notional hours specified for modules. Lecturers should
therefore encourage students to study the full scope of the work. In cases where
competencies or skills are assessed differently during the tuition period, the various
methods of assessment will be clearly indicated by the lecturer in Tutorial Letter 201.
According to Assessment Procedure Manual 2013, paragraph 4.5.2(e), the examination
memorandums (guidelines, rubrics, and so on) will not be made available to
students.
• Examination paper
You will receive information about the composition of the examination paper in Tutorial
Letter 201 at the end of September 2025. At this stage we envisage that the examination
paper will consist of two parts (Part A: Philosophy of education and Part B: Sociology of
education) and will be written in October/November.
We suggest that you study the following when preparing for the examination:
Part A: the answers to the activities in the prescribed textbook, and the assignments.
Part B: the guidelines in Tutorial Letter 201, the assignments and the prescribed textbook.
Previous examination papers are available to students on myUnisa in 2025. Consult the
Study @ Unisa site for general examination guidelines.
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Finally, manage your examination preparation according to a strict time schedule that will
suit your personal circumstances and workload. With diligence and perseverance, you will
improve your chances of passing the examination and completing your studies
successfully.
Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to
you online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your
lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant), as well as for communication from the University.
9.8.1 Invigilation/proctoring
Since 2020, Unisa has conducted all its assessments online. Given the stringent requirements
imposed by professional bodies, as well as increased solicitation of Unisa’s students by third
parties to unlawfully assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the
University is obliged to assure the integrity of its assessment integrity by using various proctoring
tools: Turnitin, Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools authenticate the
student’s identity and flag suspicious behaviour to assure the credibility of their responses during
assessments. The description below is for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of these
in your registered modules:
Turnitin is plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions
against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and
ghostwriting. Students are expected to submit typed responses when using the Turnitin software.
The Moodle Proctoring tool is facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identities
during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera.
Students must ensure that their cameras are activated in their browser settings prior to starting
their assessments.
The Invigilator is a mobile application-based service that verifies the identity of an assessment
participant. The Invigilator app detects student dishonesty-by-proxy and ensures that the
assessment participant is the student registered for the module concerned. This invigilation tool
requires students to download the app from the Google Play Store (Android devices), the Huawei
AppGallery (Huawei devices) or the Apple App Store (Apple devices) on their camera-enabled
mobile devices prior to their assessment.
The IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides
for both manual and automated facial verification. It can record and review a student’s
assessment session and it flags suspicious behaviour by the student for review by an academic
administrator. The IRIS software requires installation on students’ webcam-enabled laptop
devices.
Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious or dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports will be referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceedings.
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Please note:
Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to determine
which proctoring or invigilation tool will be used for their formative and summative assessments.
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:
• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging that source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the source of the information.
10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support, or if you need additional
time for assignments/assessments, you are invited to contact (Mrs TM Myende at
[email protected]) to discuss the assistance that you need.
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ESC3701/101/0/2025
13. IN CLOSING
If you encounter academic problems relating to your studies, please contact us as soon as
possible either by e-mail or telephonically on Microsoft Teams.
Your lecturers
©
Unisa 2025
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