This document is a student's assignment on conceptualizing the "new learner" in the South African context. It discusses how the changing world, work, education landscape, and learner are creating a "new learner." The student defines the new learner as having a traveler's mind, exploring new avenues of engaging learning beyond the classroom using technology. The challenges for teachers are to embrace this, incorporate new tools into teaching, and make learning available outside the classroom while keeping it relevant. The conclusion reflects on the importance of treating each learner as unique and supporting them to achieve greatness rather than as objects or results.

1. Wessels, A
Student number: 920305559
Contact number: 0825676402
Education A PGCE
Learning Task 1
Lecturer: Dr M. Van Der Merwe
3 March 2011
I declare that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, this is my own work, that
all sources have been properly acknowledged, and that it contains no plagiarism.
Sign:_________________________________________________

2. (For my own use)
Learning Task 1
Exploring and conceptualizing learning for the future – “The new learner”
Taking the following as your point of departure
 The changing physical and social world
 The changing world of work
 The changing Educational Landscape
 The changing learner
1. Define and conceptualise the term “The new learner” within the South
African context in relation to these changes.
2. Make use of the following resources:
 Research literature, articles, case studies, anecdotes, est.
3. As conclusion, write a one-page reflection on the implications and
challenges that “The new learner” poses for teachers in practice.
I have written a lot more than expected but it was tricky for me to keep to a 3
page limit. I am so use to assignments requiring 5 to 10 pages. It’s length
increase because I did not take line spacing into consideration when typing up
my initial drafts. I did not use many references as was intending this to be a
creative discussion of my opinion on teaching and the new learner

3. Table of content
1. Introduction
2. The ‘new learner’ in a South African context
3. Reflection

4. 1. Introduction
The changing physical and social world, the changing world of work, the
changing Educational Landscape, the changing learner: a common trend is
apparent, a constant, that of change. The world is in a constant state of flux, so
to the realm of teaching, and for it to be successful, it needs to be aware of these
changes, prepare to deal with it, and evolve accordingly. As a student of
‘teaching,’ it is important to be aware of the ‘new learner’ and the future of
learning, to see yourself as part of the changing landscape, influenced by the
learner / student of the future, and develop appropriate PCK (pedagogical
content knowledge) based teaching practises. I will address the term ‘new
learner’ and reflect on the challenges and implications this will have for me once I
join the teaching profession.

5. 2. The ‘new learner’ in a South African context
All South Africans have the right to an education as per our constitution and Bill
of Rights [South African Government Information, www.info.gov.za: Chapter 2,
Section 29], and that education is compulsory, under the South African schools
act of 1996, for all child aged 7 and up. Though education receives 20% of state
expenditure per annum1, the legacy of 40 years of apartheid still lingers over the
country’s education system with high rates of illiteracy and low school attendance
amongst black and coloured communities2. Therefore teachers do not only have
a responsibility for teaching and growing our children, but they are required to
overcome and eliminate the inequalities of the past. It seems that burden is
mostly on the teachers and the education system to get students to pass, with
those not achieving this expectation blaming it on a failing or flawed system of
instruction or ill-equipped teachers. These factors have made students
complacent and lazy, expecting results with minimum effort. This has led to the
creation of the Bill of Responsibility3, a document the mirrors the Bill of Rights but
puts the onus on students, creating a framework each learner needs to embrace,
emphasising that with rights comes responsibilities.
What does this mean to the ‘new [school] learner’? 2011 and beyond has
become dedicated to improving the Education system, to serve both the learner
and teachers, to create an inclusive academic environment. The school system
the ‘new learner’ will enter (if all goes to plan), will be aimed at improving literacy
and numeracy levels, with a focus on mathematics and science, with equal and
fair opportunities to all students, especially those from previously disadvantaged
groups. It is a future where all schools are equal in standard, and that exceptional
1
The 2011 budget allocates 21% to improving education, a total of R189bn for 2011/12: R9.5bn to
expansion of further education, R8.3bn to school infrastructure (South Africa Government, www.gov.za)
2
Challenges: school infrastructure, low levels in literacy, numeracy, maths and science, insufficient
qualified teachers
3
A Lead SA and Department of Basic Education initiative, supported by the National Interfaith Movement.

6. results are the norm; that all students reach and complete grade 12 (matric), and
qualified for further studies at a tertiary institution of their choosing4.
Furthermore, the teachers in such a system will be qualified, passionate and
enthusiastic, serving their community with unwavering dedication, supported by a
government that places the appropriate commitment behind this essential
profession. The ‘new learner’ will enter an academic environment that allows
them to develop into cognitive beings, who can become active members of their
communities with an emphasis on individual success within a communal setting,
supported from primary level all the way to tertiary.
Students are no longer naïve minds in a grown-up world; they are active beings,
and at times knowing more of the modern world than their adult counterparts. It is
therefore important to remember that the old stereotypes of children have
become obsolete, and that for any education system to succeed, it needs to take
this into consideration. Children are dynamically engaging with the global
community, with information at their finger tips through various outlets, with social
media and networking sites keeping them in the loop. Children are experiencing
learning beyond the class room; internet and cell phones give them instant
access to unlimited information at anytime. Ideas of space and place need to be
address in our current information and technology age as life no longer exists in
static locations but rather on the move.
I therefore see the ‘new learner’ as having a travellers minds, not content with
settling down in one place for too long, rather their minds attempt to explore and
discover new and exciting avenues of learning, that are engaging and thought
provoking. It is therefore important for teachers to open themselves up to the
possibilities to new and appropriate ways of instruction, basing their PCK
(pedagogical content knowledge – Shulman 1986, 1987) on the current trends in
4
SASCO was begun a campaign at many universities across the country to make tertiary studies free to all
students (South African Student Congress, www.sasco.org.za)

7. the world, incorporating technology and media into teaching, making learning
available outside the classroom, while keeping the class room relevant5.
I do however want to stress that the ‘new learner’ is not without problems; many
face real challenge that need to be address before successful learning can begin.
Many are based in the inequalities of the past, as well as issues related current
situations; child-head families, teen pregnancies, Aid orphans, etc. For the
education system of the future to best serve the new learner, it must accept the
past, embrace the present and foresee and plan for the future.
5
I find this a fascinating issue, the idea of schools and class rooms becoming redundant, that learning
becomes an activity existing in a fast paced, active world, void of location or time, rather existing within a
flexible and constantly moving realm, taking school into the virtual world, cyber academics.

8. 3. Reflection
I have no real teaching experience, but I have been actively learning for almost
19 years non-stop, since grade 1 up to my current tertiary level. I have
experienced the education system solely from a student perspective. Why do I
want to be a teacher? I ponder this question each and every time I enter a PGCE
class. I have a passion for academics, I love learning, discovering new things
and improving my general knowledge. I try not to see learning as work, rather a
hobby, activities I do for enjoyment. I feel it takes the bitterness out of learning.
We were asked earlier the year to say what we though were qualities of a good
or bad teacher based on our experiences, and a memory came to mind.
In my second year of varsity I was accused of plagiarism by my then Psychology
lecture, on the basis that I had elements in my assignment that were similar to
another students, an accusation brought against me by a tutor, who had marked
my work. I attempted to appeal this with my lecture. I remember entering into his
office, which was filled with photos of him smiling, frozen moments of happy
times, however then man sitting on the opposite side of the table was nothing like
the person in the pictures; angry, disgruntled, misinformed, tired, stereotypical. I
was told I would not win, even if I was innocent, that the system favoured the
lecturer, and that I could risk more trying to fight the system than I would by just
accepting a fail. I was so angry, I had viewed my lecturers as mentors, people I
aspire to be like once I leave varsity and start working. I thought to myself that if I
was destined to be like my lectures, especially anything like this one, I would see
my life as a failure.
In retrospect, I think I learned a valuable lesson from this experience. I realised
that if I ever had to teach students, at any level, I would not see them as objects,
as numbers, or as results. Rather I would try to discover what it is that makes
them unique; embrace their talents and support them to achieve greatness.

9. Besides being a keeper of knowledge (Subject methodology: English), I am also
a custodian of the future of our country. What I teach and how I teach it affects
the learners in my class. Children are a lot smarter than we adults give them
credit for, and we forget that though we can teach them something, we can learn
a lot from them as well.
I am excited for the future and my first experience with the ‘new [school] learner’.
I am excited to develop styles of instruction that embrace new and creative tools
and techniques; to work with my students to discover the joys of learning, to
stimulate their enthusiasm of life and become active members of society. The
future of learners and learning is exciting; all that is required is dedication and the
realisation that teaching is a noble act, treat it as such, and treat each learner as
a jewel:
om mani padme hum – hail the jewel in the lotus