The Forestry Curriculum Development Process at Ogongo Agricultural College, Namibia is based on SADC AAA 5.9 Curriculum Development Philosophy and Procedure.
The SADC programme AAA 5.9 Improvement and Strengthening of Forestry Colleges in the SADC Region was established in collaboration between the governments of the SADC countries and the Government of Finland. Since education is a long-lasting activity, the programme was designed to cover a 12-year period, 1989-2000.
The process was started in the SADC region as early as 1989 and by 1990 was ongoing in four countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In 1992, the Forestry Curriculum Development Process was also introduced in Lesotho and in Namibia, at Ogongo Agricultural College.
Jarlind (1998) offers some definitions:
The Curriculum Development Procedure in the SADC AAA 5.9 Curriculum Development Process follows a behaviourist pattern as the result is achieved by a step-by-step process. This will produce a behaviour-oriented curriculum which identifies the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be developed.
The main principles of SADC AAA 5.9 Curriculum Development Philosophy and Procedure are:
The format consists essentially of nine components:
Figure 1 shows the SADC AAA 5.9 Model for Curriculum Development
This stage deals with the identification of the needs of the people regarding forest products and services. Training is one of the solutions to meet these needs.
The first action that the curriculum designers must consider is an analysis of the present and expected future training needs. Multiple methods and tools can be used to identify these training needs:
(a) Desk research of existing information
It is necessary to carry out a desk research of existing facts and already available information, such as reports, documents, research findings, reference literature, master plans and results of previous surveys and studies, before an extensive training needs survey is planned. This will prevent spending resources on expensive and time-consuming investigations when all the information required is already available in government offices and parastatal organizations as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
(b)Training needs survey
If desk research of the existing information is not adequate to determine the needs, it is therefore necessary to complement it with a comprehensive training needs survey, either quantitative and qualitative, i.e. how many and what kind of trained professionals are needed. Both present and future needs should be considered when defining the problems for which training is a solution.
Attention should first be given to the present performance capabilities, followed by a comparison between required performance demand and performance capabilities. Based on this comparison, the training and educational needs can then be defined. All training and educational efforts must be future-oriented, especially if longer training programmes are planned.
The National Forest Policy is one of the most important instruments in defining and predicting the future needs of trained professional staff. Other means of identifying the training needs are through the collection of data from all stakeholders in the forestry-related environments.
Data collection can be achieved through the following:
The data collection method used will depend on the resources available (personnel, time and funds), which must be weighed against the expected benefits from information gathered. When designing a curriculum it is of consequential importance that it complies with the educational policy of the country concerned. Contacts and cooperation should be maintained with the ministry responsible for education in that country. Furthermore, the curriculum should be compatible with domestic and international standards.
The academic content of the curriculum is should be of a sufficiently high standard to enable graduates of diploma programmes to be accepted for degree programmes at international training institutions. Another important issue is accreditation. Efforts should be made to investigate and promote the possibility of gaining accreditation for a national diploma in forestry at other training institutions, thereby exempting diploma holders from having repeat basic forestry and science courses.
Soliciting information from the large number of resource persons who are participating in the curriculum development process is important. This can be done through workshops, seminars and meetings with different stakeholders.
The OP can be defined as "the priority tasks which the graduated student is predicted to master after a short on-the-job introduction". The benefits and advantages of including an OP as the first document in the curriculum can be summarized as follows:
The purpose of this stage is to analyse information about the learner's social, cultural and educational (theoretical and practical) background to enable the curriculum designers to determine the appropriate level in terms of skill and knowledge of the learning objectives.
The objectives should be set on a level attainable by the learner, which means that the objectives should not be set on too low or too high a level. The problems which will occur if the objectives are set too low are obvious: the learner will lose interest and motivation to continue learning. If the objectives are set too high, the learner loses self-confidence and develops a self-denigrating attitude, which will impede further learning.
Overall learning objectives are derived from the OP and take into account the analysis of the learner's background. OLOs are indispensable and have the following functions:
This is the stage for writing the remaining content of the curriculum, which should appear in the following order, continuing from the OLOs:
Since the beginning of the curriculum development process, the following programmes have been produced in Namibia:
Six Curriculum Development Workshops and two Curriculum Development Meetings have been conducted between 1992 and 2000. The first and the second CD workshops and the first CD meeting will be discussed in detail to explain how the Certificate Programme was produced, while the fifth and the sixth CD workshops will be discussed to explain how the Certificate Programme was upgraded to the diploma level.
For the success of any curriculum, stakeholders should have a say in the content and implementation of that curriculum. Participation of stakeholders should not only be in the implementation of programmes, but also in the planning stage. Participation is necessary so that people act as "good cogs" which will fit into the wheel of development. Oakely (1987) has referred to participation as being an "ingredient" of development, an ingredient that was previously omitted, but has since been recognized as being useful.
The aim is to develop a curriculum from the interchanges of experience and information among the various stakeholders in the education and training programme. PCD seeks to identify all the stakeholders. Rogers and Taylor in FAO (1998) defined stakeholders as "people and groups who have some interest in the eventual outcomes of the development programme or course of study". It seeks their involvement in the construction of the curriculum, the full curriculum, including not just the subject matter being taught but also the experiences and activities in which the students are engaged during the course. It seeks to explore with them, collectively or individually, their views about the desired learning objectives and the processes intended to bring about the achievement of those objectives. Rather than belonging to a small selected group of experts, the process of curriculum development now involves as many of the stakeholders as possible.
The curriculum developers are still at the centre of the picture, but they are free to draw upon the experience and insight of the other stakeholders, who include members of the educational institution and a wide range of groups and individuals from the internal (known) environment and the external (unknown) environment. When it is possible for students to be involved in the curriculum development process, they are treated on an equal basis with all the other stakeholders
Mushabati (1999) revealed that many stakeholders interviewed in Namibia were familiar with the certificate course in forestry which was offered at OAC and phased out in 1997. They knew of it through their involvement in curriculum development workshops, being Agricultural or Forestry Training Officers or students at the college. However, a significant number of stakeholders interviewed had no idea about the curriculum and indicated that they were not invited to these workshops. The criteria used to select stakeholders was any individual or institution that was in any way involved in forestry-related activities. The themselves criteria are appropriate, but invitations were confined to a limited number of stakeholders. Some important stakeholders such as farmers, politicians, NGOs and parastatals were not invited.
Many of the stakeholders interviewed agreed that participatory curriculum development (PCD) was the best procedure for designing a relevant curriculum for forestry colleges in Namibia. They supported their opinions with the following:
When the employers of the forestry college graduates are involved and their inputs taken into consideration, this alone will give stakeholders confidence in college graduates and will create employment opportunities. Furthermore, what will be accumulated in the curriculum encompasses all spheres of life, thus enabling the student to work in any environment. Developing countries, in particular, need a multisectoral participation rather than working in isolation.
A professor at UNAM, when interviewed, stated that, although he agreed that PCD was a good procedure, it had disadvantages, such as the high cost involved in the process in terms of time and money. Moreover, although CD, through questionnaire and interview surveys is much faster and cheaper, it still will not achieve its aim, as the stakeholders would feel that they were not physically participating because they were not able to express their ideas and present their real needs. In spite of the disadvantages, it may eventually transpire that PCD is the most reliable method of curriculum development for forestry colleges in Namibia. In any event, what the developed countries have already achieved should be considered and incorporated with the ideas expressed by Namibian stakeholders.
One farmer, while participating at the last CD workshop stated that, farmers would like to see a graduate with a good attitude towards practical work, but not a graduate with a tie in a field.
The major constraint to curriculum development and procedure, if all stakeholders are to be invited, is the cost in terms of time and money. Hence, the following recommendations were made:
The first Curriculum Development Workshop for the Two-year Certificate Programme in Forestry and Range was held at Ogongo Agricultural College, Omusati Region, Namibia from 21 to 25 September 1992. It had been initiated during the Curriculum Development Planning Mission to Namibia which took place from 17 to 21 February 1992.
The workshop programme was planned in collaboration with the Directorate of Forestry, the Directorate of Agricultural Training, Ogongo Agricultural College, a Namibia Forestry Training Programme specialist and Curriculum Development Component SADC AAA 5.9. The main objectives were:
Stakeholders
Since participatory approach is one of the main principles in this process, a broad representation from the fields of forestry, agriculture and range management was invited. Invitations were sent well in advance and confirmation was requested before the beginning of the workshop in order to facilitate the practical arrangements.
Seventeen participants from the following organizations participated in the first Curriculum Development Workshop:
The professional education and experience of the 17 participants were divided among the following categories:
M.Sc. |
Agriculture/BA Education |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Agricultural Education/B.Sc. Range |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Agricultural Engineering 1 |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Agricultural Education |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Agriculture |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Range Science |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Forestry/BA Education |
1 |
M.Sc. |
Forestry |
4 |
M.Sc. |
Wood Science |
1 |
BA |
Social Science |
1 |
BA |
Education |
1 |
Dip. |
Forestry/Dip. Agriculture |
1 |
Dip. |
Forestry |
1 |
Cert. |
Forestry |
1 |
Workshop procedure
Introductory presentations oriented the participants concerning the forestry situation in Namibia and the linkage between forestry and other related sectors. The curriculum development procedure was well presented by a specialist who explained all the steps thoroughly before the group work commenced. The curriculum of Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) Certificate in Forestry was used as an example.
Following discussions on the natural conditions in Namibia and on the papers presented, participants agreed that a strong component of Range Management should be included in Forestry Training and, accordingly, the training programme was called Certificate Programme in Forestry and Range.
Participants were asked to write on cards their own ideas of the benefits of the forestry sector to the Namibian people and were then divided into three groups. The groups were arranged so that participants with different educational and professional backgrounds worked together in order to stimulate multidisciplinary discussions, thus resulting in group proposals encompassing the content of the entire curriculum without being biased towards a certain sector in land-use management.
1. Defining occupational profile (OP):
The first group task was to define the OP for the expected graduates of the Training Programme. The task was clearly explained before the groups started their work. Thorough discussion in the groups was based mainly on the Forest Policy of Namibia, presented at the beginning of the workshop. Participants examined the document carefully, identifying the training needs of the country as interpreted by the priority tasks OP (Annexes 1, 2, 3). The group work results were presented, discussed, amended and finally compiled in one document
2. Formulation of overall learning objectives (OLOs):
The second task was the formulation of the OLOs of the programme based on the OP document. Participants were requested to produce the OLO in the form of statements comprising the content of the curriculum and to indicate the attitudes and the level of skills and knowledge required from a graduate in order to perform the specific task for which he/she has been trained. The group work was presented and discussed, and finally compiled in one document (Annex 4).
3. Determination of courses and subjects:
The final task was to elaborate on the courses and subjects that lead to the OLOs formulated earlier. A senior training officer from a sister college, Neudamm Agricultural College, gave a presentation on agroforestry and how it could be included in the Certificate Programme. The groups examined the OLOs and identified the relevant courses and subjects for the training programme. Finally, the results were presented, discussed and compiled in one document to form a list of courses and subjects for the Certificate Programme in Forestry and Range. The outcome of the joint work of the three groups was 11 courses and 48 subjects (Annex 5).
The first Curriculum Development Workshop marked the beginning of the development of the curriculum for the first sustainable forestry training to be implemented in Namibia.
Prior the second Curriculum Development Workshop, the first Curriculum Development Meeting was held in Windhoek (17-21 January 1993), attended by two forestry teachers from Ogongo Agricultural College, a forestry training specialist and the curriculum development specialist. The group had discussions with representatives from various institutions and organizations (Directorate of Forestry, Directorate of Agricultural Training, Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism, Namibia Nature Foundation and Agrifutura) on several issues concerning the curriculum and the way forward. The objectives of the meeting were:
These objectives were met through the following agenda:
The outcome of the meeting was the following:
This workshop was a continuation of the first CD workshop. It was held at Rossing Foundation in Okashana, Owamboland from 1 to 7 April 1993, with the following objectives:
Stakeholders
The workshop was attended by 21 participants, representing 11 different countries, from the following institutions:
- Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development
- Green Namibia Community Project
- Development Aid from People to People
- Namibia Development Brigades
- Namibia Development Trust
- Kuru College of Educational Technology (Finland)
- Wageningen Agricultural University (the Netherlands)
- Forestry Training Programme
- Ogongo Agricultural College.
Workshop procedure
During the first three days of the workshop, Ogongo teaching staff, and staff from the Forestry Training Programme and the Directorate of Forestry staff were worked on specific aims, objectives and syllabi for the forestry courses and subject matter. The other participants joined the workshop on the fourth day. The representative of the Directorate of Forestry gave a comprehensive presentation, outlining the future forestry development programme for Namibia based on national forest policy. Other presentations were made on the relevance of including range management and wildlife in forestry training and a further training unit.
Participants were divided according to their experience and expertise into course and subject matter groups to work on specific aims, objectives and syllabi. The group work followed the following fixed procedure:
The second drafts of the OP and OLOs which had been established at the first Curriculum Development Meeting were approved, while the list of courses and subjects was amended before final approval. Aims, objectives and syllabi for courses and subject matter were presented, discussed and finally approved and compiled. The number of contact hours indicated for each course and subject were tentative and would be worked out by the forestry staff in the college.
At the end of the workshop a programme for the continuation of curriculum development was agreed upon and responsibility for establishing syllabi for all courses and subject matter was assigned to Ogongo Agricultural College teachers.
The fifth CD Workshop was held at Otjibamba Lodge, Otjiwarongo from 27 to 29 January 1998. During this workshop, the outputs of the fourth workshop were revised based on the new Forest Policy and Forest Act established in 1997.
Stakeholders
Twenty participants from six different organizations (Directorate of Forestry, Private Farmers, Ongwediva College of Education, Namibia/Finland Forestry Programme, SADC AAA 5.9 Programme and Ogongo Agricultural College) participated in the CD workshop.
The importance of inviting farmers to such workshops was highly recognized.
Workshop objectives
1. To produce a forestry curriculum according to SADC AAA 5.9 Curriculum Development Philosophy and Procedure.
2. To interpret and incorporate the new Forest Policy and Forest Act, and the results of the nationwide training needs assessment survey carried out by OAC, in the curriculum of the Diploma in Forestry Programme, as well as take into account the views and opinions raised by the participants.
3. To finalize the OP for the Diploma in Forestry Programme (based on objective No. 2).
4. To derive OLOs from the OP.
5. To decide on a list of courses and subjects (based on the OLOs).
6. To evaluate the CD workshop and decide on the way forward.
Workshop procedure
The participants were welcomed and the new Forest Act which emphasized the role of Social (Community) Forestry for the long-term benefit of the people of Namibia was presented. The head of the Forestry Programme at OAC gave a comprehensive report on the results of the national training needs assessment survey conducted by the college in September and October 1997. He also elaborated the drawbacks of the previous traditional curricula in Africa and gave guidelines as to the kind of forester indicated by the present situation .
The new Forest Policy, Forest Act and the Training Needs Survey were the main documents on which the new Diploma in Forestry Programme is based.
Orientation-basis for the fifth CD workshop
WHY ARE WE HERE?
7. New Forest Policy and Forest Act require revised Curriculum of the Diploma in Forestry Programme
8. Nation-wide training needs survey indicates desired and required changes
9. Share our views on future forestry training at OAC
HOW?
(as the programme indicates)
THE WAY FORWARD?
Teachers continue with steps 4,5 and 6 according to individual plans- to be presented in follow-up CD Workshop.
SUSTAINABILITY OF CD?
SADC Regional Level - ZCF/FITC
OAC: CD Committee (Core members are College Staff)
· Defining occupational profile (OP):
The first task given to the groups was to define the OP for a graduate of the Diploma in Forestry Programme. The group work results were presented and merged and compiled in one document. The OP was presented to the participants in a plenary session, amended and the final draft was approved by the participants (Annex 6).
· Derive overall learning objectives (OLOs):
The Curriculum Development and Teaching Methods Adviser gave a presentation on how to formulating OLOs before the group work started. Participants worked in the same groups and formulated the OLOs, based on the approved OP for the Diploma in Forestry Programme. They then presented their work in a plenary session and a final draft was formulated (Annex 9).
· Derive list of courses and subjects:
Courses and subjects were derived for the Diploma in Forestry Programme. The results were presented and discussed and the final draft was compiled.
A number of issues were discussed before closing the workshop, particularly the way forward. It was agreed that OAC teachers would complete the work by producing steps 4, 5 and 6 (Figure 1).
The sixth Curriculum Development Workshop was held at Alte Brucke Resort and Conference Centre, Swakopmund on 2-3 August 1999 to continue the steps remaining from the fifth CD Workshop and to finalize the first draft of the Diploma in Forestry curriculum.
Stakeholders
Twenty-two participants from nine different organizations attended and participated in the sixth CD Workshop: Directorate of Forestry, Development Brigade Cooperation, Northern Namibia Environmental Programme, Namibia Meteorological Service, SADC AAA 5.9 Mutare, Zimbabwe, Ministry of Agriculture, Namibia/Finland Forestry Programme, Community Forestry Extension Development and Ogongo Agricultural College.
Workshop procedure
After welcoming the participants, the workshop facilitator introduced SADC AAA 5.9 Curriculum Development Philosophy and Procedure and the objectives of the workshop. The background to the previous CD workshop and the current status of the curriculum were presented by the head of the Forestry Programme with the help of a forestry teacher. The participants approved the previous OP and OLOs produced by the fifth workshop and accordingly worked on the course content, specific objectives and teaching hours.
Based on their qualifications and experience, participants were divided into five groups. A forestry teacher from the college headed each group. Course identification was based on OLOs.
Owing to the changes to the new Forest Policy and Forest Act, Community Forestry was introduced as a course in the present curriculum.
Participants were asked to identify subjects for each course and to list knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) required to address the OLO tasks.
What is meant by knowledge, skills and attitude? |
The groups identified subjects for each course and listed the KSA for each subject. The list of courses and subjects produced during the previous CD workshop were modified; a new course (Community Forestry) and two new subjects (biology and community forestry principles) were introduced, while other subjects such as criminal code and labour code were cancelled as subjects and taken as topics. In addition, some subjects have been allocated to other courses. The results were presented, discussed, approved and compiled (Annex 8). The KSA were matched with the OP to ascertain whether the KSA adequately represent the OP, and vice versa, as shown in the example below.
Example:
COURSE: EXTENSION ACTIVITIES | |
OP |
1,2,3,4,5,6,12,13,14,15,16,17 |
Knowledge |
Forestry techniques, communication methods, extension methods, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of extension programmes, data collection methods, adoption and diffusion of innovation process, farmers' rationale and knowledge system, and gender issues. |
Skills |
Community mobilization, communication and presentation skills, PRA techniques, action research, facilitation and negotiation skills, identification/solution of problems, conflict resolution, operation of forestry tools, audiovisual equipment. |
Attitude |
Positive attitude towards local knowledge |
The group work continued to produce detailed contents (topics and subtopics) and to allocate time per subject and topic (Annex 9).
Courses, subjects and topics are to be listed and rated according to their contribution to OLOs, objectives of the course and objectives of the subject, respectively (see example below).
| What percentage does the course contribute to the OLOs? What percentage does the subject contribute to the objectives of the course? What percentage does the topic contribute to the objectives of the subject? |
Example:
Course: FOREST AND RANGE PROTECTION Number of hours: |
SUBJECT |
RATE | |||
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 | |
Forest Entomology |
* |
* * |
* |
|
Accordingly, more hours will be allocated to Forest and Range Fires, followed by Forest Pathology and Control of Other Damaging Factors and, finally, Forest Entomology.
During the last session, the head of the Forestry Programme requested output from the participants on the following issues:
1. Field attachment:
Since DoF and the NGOs will be the host of the forestry students during their field attachment, their input is valuable to the college. The items discussed were duration, frequency and the duties of the people who receive the students. The outcome was:
2. Project work (special study):
Topics, supervision, field assistance, presentation and time were the items discussed. Accordingly, it was agreed that teachers should take the responsibility and seek help from forestry officers in identifying real forestry problems in their areas and assist in data collection.
