Lecturers’ utilisation of New Venture Creation assessment of learning strategies in a Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

My work is based on lecturers’ views regarding the utilisation of New Venture Creation (NVC) assessment of learning strategies. The NVC assessment of learning strategies plays major role in measuring the extent skills have been acquired during new venture creation learning. The new venture creation learning provides venues that offer opportunities to innovate ideas that can mobilise individual and human aspects towards entrepreneurship, i.e. starting up businesses. The mobilisation of individual aspect should be within studying the existence of business opportunities, and economic aspect shed lights on skills needed to sustain opportunities existing in business environment. The study derives alternative assessment of learning strategies that may benefit technical vocational education and training (TVET) college lecturers in ensuring students’ acquisition of relevant New Venture Creation skills. In order to assess the extent one has been equipped with innovating individual and human aspects during new venture creation learning, project-based assessment becomes pathway towards developing individual and human aspects needed to meet entrepreneurship acquisition expectation. The Tyler’s evaluation theory underpinned this study. The study was qualitative in nature and rooted within the interpretivist paradigm, and comprised checked literature and face-to-face open-ended interviews. Interpretive exploratory case study was opted to allow further insight on the utilisation of NVC assessment of learning strategies in TVET college. The sample included three NVC Level 2-4 lecturers. The study found that the standard of questioning, practical business setting and understanding of NVC Assessment Guidelines impacted the utilisation of NVC assessment of learning. Based on the findings, hands-on-activities contribute positively towards skills acquisition. However, the level of thinking may be negatively affected by applying knowledge and techniques. Lecturers’ level of thinking and alternative assessment of learning strategies were recommended to constructively address students’ skills acquisition expectation. Suggestions were made for future advanced competence-based assessment training research that may offer lecturers with ability to empower students’ readiness in labour market demands.