Deep learning during the South African National Defence Force’s Joint Senior Command and Staff Programme

Abstract

Since 2002 the Joint Senior Command and Staff Programme was annually presented at the South African National War College (SANWC) in Pretoria. This qualification was from 2008 to 2018 accredited with the Safety and Security Seta (SASSETA) as an NQF level 7 diploma in Defence Studies. In 2019 the qualification migrated to the Council on Higher Education as an NQF level 8, postgraduate diploma in Defence Studies. The aim of the qualification is to enable graduates to function as commanders and staff officers on the operational level of war (the planning and conduct of major operations and campaigns) to be utilised within the African battle space. It is also an entry requirement for the highest National Defence Force qualification, the Security and Defence Study Programme, presented at the South African National Defence College in Thaba Tshwane. This programme is accredited on NQF level 9, a master’s degree in Defence Studies. The credibility of the academic subject disciplines presented on the programme is an important facet of education and the development of problem-solving skills. Deep learning also develops a critical mindset in students with the approach that the educator’s knowledge is but an expression of current scientific research results, something that can change. The main research question is, to what extent did deep learning take place in the academic subjects on the programme of 2018? Secondly, why did the learning process during 2018 take place the way that it did? The third question is, what can be done to improve the level of deep learning as it stands to reason that it will contribute to the credibility of the qualification in a postgraduate dispensation? The research focused on the phases of the learning process, curriculum design, facilitation and assessment of selected subjects and educational quality assurance. The research findings were that the curriculum design only partially complied with the tenets of deep learning and the adherence to deep learning during the facilitation, and assessment processes were incidental. In accordance with the third research question, it is recommended that the learning process can be improved if some aspects of the programme are redesigned.