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PWR611S - PROFESSIONAL WRITING - 2ND OPP - JAN 2020pdf |
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NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
. FACULTY OF HUMAN SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES
COURSE CODE: PWR 6115S
COURSE NAME: PROFESSIONAL WRITING
DATE: JANUARY 2020
DURATION: 3 HOURS
MODE: FM, PM & DI
MARKS: 100
EXAMINER:
MODERATOR:
SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
Mr C Gwasira
MsJ Brandt
Dr K lipinge
Ms E Limwena
Ms A Smith
Mr T. Chunga
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Write clearly and neatly.
3. Number the answers correctly.
PERMISSIBLE MATERIALS
1. Examination paper.
2. Examination script.
THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 5 PAGES (INCLUDING THIS FRONT PAGE)
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SECTION A: BUSINESS LETTER WRITING
[30 marks]
You recently attended a music show at the showgrounds. Things did not go as you expected.
There were long queues at the entrance; the venue was overcrowded; the sound system
was of poor quality. As if that was not enough, the main musician did not pitch up; only the
lesser-known musicians performed. Write a letter of complaint to the organisers of the
event. Suggest what they have to do in view of the above scenario. Invent the addresses and
any other necessary information.
SECTION B: REPORT WRITING
[30 marks]
The Director of Education Programme Development in the Ministry of Education Arts and
Culture in Namibia is keen on introducing e-learning programmes in Namibian schools. In
particular, he would like to find out the type of e-learning programmes that would be
suitable for implementation in schools. Furthermore, he seeks information on the
advantages and disadvantages of e-learning programmes.
The Director, on 25 November 2019, instructed you as Education Officer to carry out an
investigation and prepare a Short formal Report. The report with recommendations should
reach his office on or before 15 January 2020.
Read the newspaper article below and use some information from it to answer the
question that follows.
Can Laptops For Schools Project Deliver Greater Learning Efficiency?
Following a protracted wait for the implementation of the promised laptop project for
schools, the Kenya government finally announced that the exercise would kick off in
February 2019. The pilot phase of the digital literacy program is to kick off in selected
primary schools in all the 47 counties.
Technology integration to support education in classrooms is a phenomenon that continues
to trend in Africa. Countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe have in recent times been
testing technology integration concept to support learning in schools. With Kenya following
suit, citizens will be eager to know if indeed this concept has the likelihood to transform our
education system for the better.
Since the introduction of free primary education in Kenya, there has been a steady
increasing demand in training and education. In principle, this means that traditional
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teaching and learning methods will not suffice to take the country from Universal Primary
Education (UPE) into the Education For All (EFA) agenda as stipulated in the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). This clearly calls for a business re-engineering process, a
paradigm shift, and the adoption of alternative methodologies that will encourage
continuous improvement of instruction, and personalized learning in our schools.
Therefore as the government readies to launch the digital literacy programme, it is of
utmost importance to endeavour to look beyond the general hype behind ICT enabled
learning in the quest to answer the question — can laptops deliver greater learning
efficiency?
In recent years, a number of studies have been carried out by experts to evaluate the
impact of ICT enabled learning. These studies have concluded that this mode of instruction
can aid and yield immense positive outcomes to learners and educators alike, but only if
supported by holistic approaches such as appropriate policies, infrastructure, professional
development, and curricula. For instance, from a learner’s perspective, a Centre for Youth
Empowerment and Leadership study indicates that technology enhanced learning can aid
students increase motivation and performance; on average, a learner who does not use ICT
enabled learning is rated at 50th percentile statistically, while one that uses ICT enabled
learning ranks at about 70th percentile.
Another empirical research study has it that if blended with Open Educational Resources
(OERs), laptops can provide equalized access to collective knowledge and provide many
more learners with access to quality education through the use of books and curricula
widely available on the Internet. Studies have concluded that this mode of instruction can
aid and yield immense positive outcomes to learners and educators alike, but only if
supported by holistic approaches.
Additionally, laptops can empower learners with real life learning opportunities. This
practical and real life experiences allow learners gain soft skills, such as time and work
management, a course that permits for the enhancement of language and ICT skills, which
can be acknowledged as being essential in this era. In general, laptops can deliver greater
learning efficiency to learners, as well as promote continuous improvement of instruction
and personalized learning.
From teachers’ perspective, laptops can be more effective tools capable of instilling
educators with a more positive attitude towards their work in terms of increasing lesson
planning, preparation and productivity. This in turn aids educators to provide more
personalized learning to their learners. These viewpoints definitely are clear indicators that
effective learning can emanate from using ICT to broaden educational opportunity and help
students develop 21st century skills.
Despite the numerous advantages of ICT enhanced learning among learners and educators,
there is a flip side to these devices. Case in point, in order to enable teachers to properly
integrate devices in the classroom, there is a profound need for adequate investment in
technology access and curriculum resources for them to apply what they learn in
professional development activities. To this effect, it may be difficult to transform teaching
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and learning in an ICT enabled classroom environment without the sufficient technology
skills required.
Another factor is that of the distracting nature of the devices to the learners; By design,
technology enabled learning should by all means adhere to the principles of ergonomics.
Ideally, a difficult gadget to navigate may adversely hamper learners’ engagement - a key
requisite for learning. From a technical angle, considering both educators and learners lack
professional technical expertise in the event of device malfunction, it puts them at a
disadvantage to handle such eventualities. In as much as it may be a non-issue, it is essential
especially for the educator to have basic technical troubleshooting skills.
A Commonwealth of Learning review argues that though not tested statistically, laptops are
more effective as learning tools when used with a student-centred approach, rather than
within teacher-controlled environments. Correspondingly, Intel findings indicate that "there
are no longitudinal, randomized trials conclusively linking ICT enhanced learning with
positive learner outcomes”.
Nevertheless, there is need for the government to launch the digital literacy project to
provide not just formal education, but all forms of learning if the country is to achieve the
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If implemented in a pensive and calculated
manner, Kenya is bound to attain economic progress and become competitive globally as a
result from developing a better educated workforce through ICT enabled learning.
[TAIFA MAGAZINE 24 FEBRUARY 2018]
Write only the following sections of your Short Formal Report:
e Title
(2)
e Identification section
(4)
e Terms of reference
(4)
e Findings:
3 advantages of e-learning programmes
3 disadvantages of e-learning programmes
(6)
e Recommendations (at least 2)
(4)
e Signature and completion date
(2)
e [Format
(2)]
e [language and style
(6)]
DO NOT WRITE THE PROCEDURES AND CONCLUSIONS SECTIONS
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SECTION C: MEMORANDUM WRITING
[20 marks]
You are the General Manager of a business organisation. You notice a steady rise in the
electricity bill over the past few months. Write a properly laid out MEMO to all your staff in
which you draw their attention to the problem of wasteful use of electricity. Suggest some
measures they must take in order to save electricity at the work place.
SECTION D: BUSINESS PROPOSAL LETTER WRITING
[20 marks]
Write short, clear answers to the following questions.
1 What is a solicited business proposal?
(2)
2 Which important information must be included in the Background section of
business proposal letter?
(2)
What is the essential information in the Budget section?
(2)
Name four other sections of a Business Proposal, besides the Background section
and the Budget section.
(8)
What is the ‘hook’ in Business Proposal writing.
(2)
Explain why the following elements are important in a winning proposal:
6.1 benefits
6.2 Samples.
(4)
END