TPN3703/101/0/2024

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2024

Teaching Practice

TPN3703

Year module

Department of Curriculum and Instructional

Studies

This tutorial letter contains important information about TPN3703.

BARCODE
 CONTENTS
Page

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 5
2.2 Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 8
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ........................................................................................... 8
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS................................................................................... 8
4.1 Lecturer(s) .................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Department ................................................................................................................................... 9
4.3 University .................................................................................................................................... 10
5 RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................. 10
5.1 Prescribed book(s) ...................................................................................................................... 10
5.2 Recommended book(s) ............................................................................................................... 10
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ................................................................................................. 10
5.4 Library services and resources ................................................................................................... 11
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES .............................................................................................. 12
6.1 First-Year Experience Programme @ Unisa ............................................................................... 12
7. STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................................................. 13
8. PRACTICAL WORK.................................................................................................................... 13
8.1 School placements...................................................................................................................... 13
9. ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 14
9.1 Assessment criteria..................................................................................................................... 14
9.2 Assessment plan ........................................................................................................................ 14
9.3 Assignment due dates ................................................................................................................ 15
9.4 Submission of assessments ....................................................................................................... 16
9.4.1 Assignments 1 and 2 are multiple choice and are available online. ............................................ 16
9.5 The assessments are available online. ....................................................................................... 16
9.6 The are no other assessment methods. ...................................................................................... 16
9.7 The examination ......................................................................................................................... 16
9.7.1 No invigilation/proctoring ........................................................................................................ 16
10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY ........................................................................................................ 16
10.1 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 16
10.2 Cheating ..................................................................................................................................... 17
10.3 More information about plagiarism can be downloaded via the link below: .................................. 17

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11. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES .............................................................................................. 17

12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 17
13. SOURCES CONSULTED ........................................................................................................... 18
14. IN CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 19

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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) institution of higher education.
The comprehensiveness of our curricula encapsulates a range of offerings, from strictly
vocational to strictly academic certificates, diplomas and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its
distance e-learning character result in many students registering at Unisa who may not have
had an opportunity to enrol in higher education. 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 the sufficiently prepared.

Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involve multiple modes of delivery – from blended
learning to fully online content delivery. As a default position, all postgraduate programmes
are offered fully online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are
offered in 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. Thanks to Unisa's commitment to serve humanity and shape futures, combined
with a clear appreciation of our location on the African continent, our graduates have
distinctive qualities which include

• being independent, resilient, responsible and caring citizens who are able to fulfil
multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national and global communities

• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent with its
histories, challenges and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts

• having the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of
information and data from multiple sources in a globalised world with its ever-
increasing information and data flows and competing worldviews

• knowing how to apply their discipline-specific knowledge competently, ethically and

creatively to solve real-life problems

• having an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and their future
potential

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This module (TPN3703) is fully online.

Whether a module is offered as blended (meaning that we use a combination of printed and
online material to engage with you) or online (where all information is available via the
internet), we use myUnisa as our virtual campus. This is an online system that is used to
administer, document and deliver educational material to you and to support engagement
with you. Look out for information from your lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to
determine how to access the virtual myUnisa module site. Information on the tools that will be
available to engage with your lecturer and fellow students to support your learning will also
be communicated via various platforms.

You are encouraged to log in to the module site on myUnisa regularly (that is, at least twice
per week).

NB: Please study this section of the tutorial letter carefully!

This tutorial letter also contains important information about specific issues:

• purpose and outcomes of this module

• the study material
• instructions regarding school visits and placement
• preparation and submission of assignments
• assessment criteria

We urge you to read this tutorial letter carefully and to keep it at hand when working through the
study material, preparing the assignment(s) and when addressing questions to your lecturers.
Please consult it for matters regarding teaching practice at a school.

Right from the start we would like to point out that you must read all the tutorial letters for
TPN3703 and BEDALE8/301 immediately and carefully, as they contain important – and
sometimes urgent – information.

Because this is a fully online module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and
complete the learning activities for this module. Visit the website for TPN3703 on
myUnisa frequently. The website for your module is TPN3703-2024.

We wish you every success with your studies!

2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

2.1 Purpose

This module, TPN3703, is an essential part of the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.
All the ITE programmes have three components, namely educational theory, professional
studies and teaching practice, which is the most fascinating part of the professional
preparation of teachers. The theory and learning areas for the teaching practice module consist
of the following:

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 EDUCATIONAL THEORY
TPN3703/103 Portfolio

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
TPN3703 – Five weeks of practical teaching experience at a school
Grades 4–6

The Teaching Practice module forms part of a series of learning situations for prospective
teachers in which they are systematically confronted with, or during which they can practise,
concrete activities of teaching and classroom management under the supervision of
experienced teachers and mentors.

The purpose of this module is to provide you with the opportunity to become acquainted with
formal teaching in the practical school situation and to apply the theoretical knowledge
gained in all modules of this programme. This module focuses on the different teaching and
learning strategies in practice.

Unisa follows a school-based initial teacher education model. According to this model, partner
schools and higher education institutions (HEIs) have a joint responsibility for the planning and
management of programmes, and the training and assessment of student teachers. Schools
have the responsibility to train student teachers to teach their subjects and learning areas, to
assess learners and to manage classes. Schools also have to supervise and assess student
teachers’ competence. HEIs have the responsibility to ensure that programmes meet the
requirements for academic validation, to present programmes for accreditation, and to award
qualifications to successful student teachers.

The idea that schools should play a major role in ITE (Initial Teacher Education) is not a new
one. As early as 1944, an investigation in England looked into the education of teachers and
concluded that the key to more effective teacher education was to give the practical side of
preparation greater weight. It was proposed that the staff in schools in which student teachers
were placed for teaching practice should be primarily responsible for directing and supervising
them. It was also suggested that in order to achieve more effective training and reflective
practice, training institutions such as higher education institutions should take responsibility for
the theoretical education and the practical training of their students in schools. More than 60
years later, these proposals are still relevant and come to the fore in current South African
national policy documents such as Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) and The
National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa (2007).

The stipulations and requirements of the national policy documents in this regard are included in
Unisa’s programmes (but can also be accessed at: www.education.gov.za). According to The
National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa (2007), this
move to “full partnership” is irreversible.

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Essentially, the partnership involves the following features:

• Student teachers work closely with experienced teachers in schools, and with mentors
who are responsible for their school-based progress.
• Student teachers are not thrown in at the deep end – very often, they used to be in earlier
teacher education programmes; student teachers are encouraged to observe
experienced teachers “in action” before embarking upon teaching themselves.
• School mentors and HEI advisors/tutors who visit student teachers in the schools are
required to give them feedback on their progress.
• Student teachers are encouraged to evaluate their own progress, which is done at the
University and in the school – this is called the reflective-practitioner model.

Thus, HEIs in partnership with schools determine whether student teachers reach what is
termed qualified teacher status (QTS) or not. In order to achieve QTS, student teachers must
demonstrate to the partnership that they have reached a certain level of competence.

The present system has considerable advantages for students, schools and HEIs. Prior to the
establishment of this partnership, many student teachers complained about what was called the
“theory/practice divide”, where much of the work done in the HEI was irrelevant to the practical
context of the school. Practising teachers played little part in the training process, and for many
student teachers the programmes on offer provided inadequate preparation for full-time
teaching. By contrast, a partnership can provide very effective means by which student teachers
can learn the complex craft of teaching, with the analytical environment of the HEIs enhancing
the professional experience gained in schools. The complex craft of teaching and the analytical
environment of the HEIs are essential in the partnership.

Against the background of the above remarks, we sincerely hope that you will enjoy the
opportunity to become involved with – and to actively participate in – all aspects of school life!

Please make sure you read the Educator Code of Conduct from the South African Council for
Educators – especially point 3 which relates to the educator and learners.

You will find it here: www.sace.org.za/upload/files/ethics-brochure.pdf

PLEASE NOTE: Your lecturers cannot help you with missing study material.

As indicated earlier, the module is fully online – therefore, you must have access to the internet,
to download the tutorial letters for the modules for which you are registered on the University’s
online campus, myUnisa, at http://myUnisa.ac.za.

The following study material for this module is available from the myUnisa site:

1) Tutorial Letter 101 – general information and first two assignments (active-student
assignment and lesson planning; multiple-choice)
2) Tutorial Letter 102 – with teaching-practice placement form and letter to the principal
3) Tutorial Letter 103 – with the assignment for school-based practice

Apart from these tutorial letters, you may receive others during the year.

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2.2 Outcomes

Your learning process, while studying this teaching practice module, is based on purposeful and
systematic practice and learning (from supervised teaching to co-mentoring and teaching and
finally leading to independent teaching).

The outcomes envisaged in this Teaching Practice module are:

• to support you step by step during your teaching practice experience.

• to provide you with experiences and good opportunities to become familiar with
classroom practices.
• to provide you, as a prospective teacher, with an opportunity to establish an appropriate
teacher-learner relationship.
• to provide you with an opportunity for assessing your potential as a teacher and your
suitability for the teaching profession.
• to provide you with an opportunity to develop personal relationships with students,
administrators, teachers, parents and learners.
• to provide you with an opportunity to put theories into practice and to develop a deeper
understanding of educational principles and their implications for learning; and
to assist you in developing skills in the use of fundamental procedures, techniques and
methods of teaching.
• to assist you in developing desirable professional interests, attitudes and ideas relative
to the teaching profession.
• to provide you with an opportunity to observe and report on classroom activities, policies
and resources present in a class context.

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In response
to this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda.
Curriculum transformation includes the following pillars: 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. These pillars and their principles will be integrated at both
programme and module levels as a phased-in approach. You will notice a marked change in the
teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with how the content is conceptualised in
your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a
responsive way within the framework of transformation.

4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer(s)

Module coordinator: Prof VA Nkonyane

Address : Nkoana Simon Radipere Building, Room 6-54
E-mail address : [email protected]
Telephone number: 012 429 6210

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NB: All queries that are content based must be directed to the coordinator.
Administrative and management concerns with regard to the module should be directed
to the Teaching Practice Office (TPO). All correspondence must be online (e-mail).

Your Teaching Practice coordinator will do the following:

• assist you in planning a way through your teaching practice module;

• support the collaborative partnership (either directly or indirectly);
• monitor and assess your teaching practice assignments (Assignment1, 2 and 50);
• act as a source of information about the content, teaching methodology, national policy
documents and school procedures; and
• assist you in interpreting the applied competencies so that they will make sense.

4.2 Department

This module is managed by:

Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies

College of Education
PO Box 392
UNISA
0003

4.2.1 Teaching Practice Office

Address: Sunnyside Campus, Building 10 Room 2-30, Rissik Street, Pretoria, 0001

Teaching Practice has introduced Skype for face-to-face contact with staff members, for student
support. We want to encourage you to use this if you have Skype on your PC, laptop or mobile
device. Refer to the table above for contact details as per province or country.

PLEASE NOTE:

Do not contact your lecturer(s) about enquiries regarding school placements. Also, do not
contact the Teaching Practice administrative officers about academic-related enquiries or the
submission of assignments.

Name Contact E-mail

TPO coordinators
Mr M Masango 012 484 1010 [email protected]
Ms B Mbuqe 012 481 2828 [email protected]
Workstation/ Provincial coordinators
Name Province Contact Skype Contact E-mail
Mr P Ramoba EC; 012 481 2805 Teachprac1 [email protected]
FS & NW [email protected]
Ms EN Maluleka 012 481 2885 [email protected]
Name Province Contact Skype Contact E-mail
Miss Z Thole KZN North 012 481 2929 Teachprac2 [email protected]
[email protected]

Name Province Contact Skype Contact E-mail

Mr AL Mangwato KZN South 012 481 2736 Teachprac2 [email protected]

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 [email protected]
Mr MM Malefo 012 481 2759 [email protected]
Name Province Contact Skype Contact E-mail
Ms H Botha WC & NC 012 481 2882 Teachprac3 [email protected]
[email protected]
Name Province Contact Skype Contact E-mail
Mr M Makhetha GP 012 484 1048 Teachprac4 [email protected]
[email protected]
Mr P Vilankulu 012 481 2811 [email protected]
Name Province Contact Skype Contact E-mail
Miss N Ndhlovu LP & MP 012 481 2730 Teachprac [email protected]
[email protected]
Mrs N Monyaku 012 481 2822 [email protected]
Name Region/Country Contact Skype Contact E-mail
Mrs L Moatlhodi SADC & 012 481 2841 Teachinternational [email protected]
International [email protected];
[email protected]

4.3 University

If you need to contact the University about matters not related to the content of this module,
please consult the publication Study @ Unisa, which you received with your study material. This
brochure contains information on how to contact the University (e.g. to whom you can write for
different queries, as well as important telephone and fax numbers, addresses and details of the
times certain facilities are open).

Please note that all administrative enquiries should be directed to:

E-mail [email protected]

5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)

The prescribed books are those that are prescribed for the theoretical modules linked to the
Teaching Practice module.

5.2 Recommended book(s)

The recommended books for teaching practice are:

• Du Toit, ER. 2016. Help! I’m a Teacher. 2nd ed. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
• Taole, MJ (Ed). 2015. Teaching practice, perspectives and Frameworks. Pretoria: Van
Schaik.

5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

E-reserves can be downloaded from the Library catalogue. More information is available at
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request

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5.4 Library services and resources

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources. The library has
created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• For brief information on the library, go

to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance
• For more detailed library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• Frequently Asked Questions –
visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Frequently-Asked-
Questions
• For research support and services such as the Personal Librarian service and the
Information Search Librarian's Literature
Search Request (on your research topic) service,
visit http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-
support.
• For library training for undergraduate
students, visit https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Training
• Lending Services: https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Lending-services
• Services for Postgraduate students:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-
Postgraduates
• Support and Services for students with disabilities:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Services-for-students-with-
special-needs
• Library Technology Support: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• A–Z list of library databases: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: [email protected]
• General library-related queries: [email protected]
• Queries related to library fines and payments: [email protected]
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: [email protected]
• Literature Search Service: [email protected]

Social media channels:

Facebook: UnisaLibrary
Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

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6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies

This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through
Unisa.

If you need assistance with regard to the myModules system, you are welcome to use the
following contact details:

• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)

• E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

You can access and watch 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, via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130

Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices
and updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours
for your account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after
registering at Unisa, by following this link: [email protected]

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official
correspondence with the University and will remain the official primary e-mail address on
record at Unisa. You remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.

6.1 First-Year Experience Programme @ Unisa

For many students, the transition from school education to tertiary education is beset with
anxiety. This is also true for first-time students to Unisa. Unisa is a dedicated open-distance and
e-learning institution. Unlike face-to-face/contact institutions, Unisa is a mega university and all
our programmes are offered through a blended learning mode or fully online learning mode. It is
for this reason that we thought it necessary to offer first-time students additional/extended
support – so that you can seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning journey, with
little difficulty and few barriers. In this regard we offer a specialised student support programme
to students entering Unisa for the first time. We refer to this programme as Unisa’s First-Year
Experience (FYE) Programme. The FYE is designed to provide you with prompt and helpful
information about services that the institution offers and how you can access information. The
following FYE programmes are currently offered:

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FYE Website Email Support

www.unisa.ac.za/FYE [email protected]

FYE1500
Post
myUnisa; Study
Registration
Skills; Academic &
Orientation Referrals to
Digital Literacies;
other support etc
services i.e.
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.

7. STUDY PLAN

Refer to Tutorial Letter 102, 6.3.

8. PRACTICAL WORK

8.1 School placements

8.1.1 Introduction

In terms of The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South
Africa (2007), student teachers have to be placed in schools which have been identified as
excellent places of teaching and learning, where student teachers will be able to complement
their theoretical training with practical experience and gain valuable experience in the day-to-
day operations at a school in an authentic teaching and learning situation.

In order to facilitate all the relevant procedures, student teachers have to make the necessary
arrangements with the various partners, namely the Teaching Practice administrator(s), school
principal, university lecturer(s) and/or supervisor(s) and mentor/subject teacher(s). You will have
to submit the required information to the Teaching Practice office to make the necessary
arrangements.

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The placement of student teachers in schools requires certain procedures. Information about
this will be sent to you in a separate tutorial letter. (Refer to Tutorial Letter 102.)

8.1.2 Duration of teaching practice

For this module, you need to complete Assignments 50–52 as evidence of your teaching
practice experience. You may plan to visit the school(s) according to your own personal
circumstances, taking the following into consideration:

• Unisa will assign you to a specific school for a specific period, where you will complete
the practical teaching (DSAR25 or DSAR27).
• No extension is possible as you have nine months to complete the five weeks’ teaching
practice.
• You should allow yourself time to gain enough insight into all the theoretical subjects
before you start with teaching practice and the completion of assignments.
• Students registered for this course are expected to complete their teaching practice in
the “normal” school system. Permission will not be granted for teaching practice at
schools which only provide educational services for children with special educational
needs.
• Teaching practice activities cannot be carried over from one year to the other and must
be completed in the year during which you have registered.

9. ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria

You will have to demonstrate competency in written planning and preparation of lessons as well
as presenting lessons for the subjects specified for this module. You will be expected to
implement current policy documents for teaching into your lesson planning and preparation
documents. In addition, you will be expected to integrate relevant education theories for the
specific subjects in the theoretical modules into your lesson plans. You need to demonstrate
competency in writing out lesson aims, objectives and lesson development in the planning
documents. You will be expected to draw on relevant Learning and Teaching Support Material
(LTSM) to develop, communicate and present lessons. You need to demonstrate that your
lesson planning is aimed at conceptual development and active learning. You will also be
expected to critically reflect on your lessons.

9.2 Assessment plan

• To complete this module, you will be required to submit three assignments

(Assignments 1, 2 and 50).

• All information on when and where to submit your assignments will be made available to
you via the myUnisa site for your module.

• Due dates for assignments, as well as the actual assignments are available on the
myUnisa site for this module.

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• Your assignments will comprise a combination of MCQs and a practical portfolio.

• You need to obtain a year mark average of 40% for the assignment/s to do the practical
portfolio.

• The assignment weighting for the module is 20%.

• The examination will be an out-of-timetable examination, the project or portfolio.

• The examination / practical portfolio will count 80% towards the final module mark.

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the landing page of myUnisa for
this module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.

• Please start working on your assignments 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 assignments.

9.3 Assignment due dates

• Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) institution, is moving

towards becoming an online institution. You will therefore see that all your study
material, assessments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take
place online. We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where
learning material will be available online and where assessments should be completed.
This is an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver educational
material to students and to support engagement between academics and students.

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the

myModules 2024 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are
registered for.

• The University undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site
regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with
you.

• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you
will see a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you
will see the assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some
assessments may be multiple choice, some tests, others written assessments, some
forum discussions, and so on. All assessments must be completed on the assessment
shells available on the respective module platforms.

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 • To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to
complete the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assignment 1,
Assignment 2, etc.). There will be a date on which 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 only made available online. You must therefore access the
quiz online and complete it online where the quiz has been created.

• It is not advisable to use a cellphone to complete the quiz. Please use a desktop
computer, tablet or laptop when completing the quiz. Students who use a cellphone find
it difficult to navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often
struggle to navigate between questions and to 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, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on the myModules
site of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double
check that you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be
allocated for incorrectly submitted assessments.

9.4 Submission of assessments

Submission of assignments is STRICTLY online through the Moodle System.

9.4.1 Assignments 1 and 2 are multiple choice and are available online.

Assignment 50 is a portfolio, which is available online and must be completed at school.

9.5 The assessments are available online.

9.6 The are no other assessment methods.

9.7 The examination

TPN3703 is a non-examination module.

9.7.1 No invigilation/proctoring

10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

10.1 Plagiarism
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 which involves several dishonest academic activities, such as the
following:

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• Cutting and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source
• Not including references or using incorrect references
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.

10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying from another student

during an assessment or allowing a student to copy from you
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files
• Buying completed answers from “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating)

10.3 More information about plagiarism can be downloaded via the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

11. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with new and returning students with disabilities.

• If you are a student with a disability and you would like additional support or need
additional time for assessments, you are invited to contact Prof VA Nkonyane
([email protected]) so that you can be assisted.

12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Students who are registered for Teaching Practice modules often ask the following questions:

• Could I arrange to do teaching practice myself?

You must complete and submit the form DSAR25 or DSAR27. The stamp of the
school of your choice must appear on the form. The form is attached to this
tutorial letter and could also be obtained from the Unisa website. In addition, the
form is available at all registration offices and is included in the brochure
myRegistration, which is available from the College of Education.

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• Can I do my teaching practice in a school where I am doing my internship?
It is possible. However, the Teaching Practice Office (TPO) may request that you
be placed at another school to ensure that all the requirements for teaching
practice are met.

• I will be relocating to China (or anywhere in the world, but outside South Africa). Can I
do my teaching practice there?
Unisa’s teaching practice rules require that you complete your teaching practice
in South Africa, whether you are registered for your teaching qualification in
South Africa.

• Will a supervisor visit me during my teaching practice time at a school?

A supervisor may visit you during your teaching practice time if everything goes
according to plan at the TPO. Full-time teachers will also be visited. Please note
that if you do not receive a visit from a supervisor, this will have no influence on
your final result.

• What is the procedure to be followed in case there is a change to my school placement?

You may phone the relevant telephone numbers or send an e-mail asking
permission to change your school placement. Please refer to the table with
contact details provided in this tutorial letter.

• What should I do if I want to transfer my Teaching Practice module to the following

year?
Teaching Practice must be completed in the year of registration. Students may
cancel their Teaching Practice modules through Student Admissions and
Registrations. In this case, a student will not receive any financial benefit from
such cancellation and will remain liable for the full fees for the cancelled
module(s).

• Whom should I contact if I experience problems with the academic content

(Assignments 1, 2 and 50) of my teaching practice module?
All enquiries related to academic content of your teaching practice module
should be directed to the relevant lecturer.

• Whom should I contact to find out if Unisa has received my teaching practice
assignment(s)?
You must keep track of your assignments via myUnisa. You should also contact
the Assignment Section – and not your lecturer or the Teaching Practice Office.

13. SOURCES CONSULTED

Department of Education. 2007. National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and
Development in South Africa. www.education.gov.za

South Africa. 2000. Norms and Standards for Educators. Notice 20844 of 2000. Department of
Education. 2000. Government Gazette, 320644: 1–33.

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14. IN CLOSING
We sincerely hope that you will enjoy this module and we wish you success with your studies.
You are welcome to contact the lecturer for assistance with academic-related queries.

Prof VA Nkonyane

©
Unisa 2024

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