| Abstract: | Abstract This paper describes the participatory development of a new curriculum for an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) (Inclusive and Special Needs Education) programme in the Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria. Several challenges in the existing programme necessitated curriculum re-design and development. These challenges included responding to policies regarding inclusive and special needs education; responding to revised higher education frameworks; revisiting the structure and content of modules in order to improve articulation; addressing an anticipated increase in student enrolment and a changing student profile; and incorporating current trends in distance education service delivery. Partners in this collaborative curriculum initiative included the Unit for Distance Education, the Department of Educational Psychology, the Department for Education Innovation and the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE). Insights derived from this paper could possibly inform similar curriculum development initiatives, as well as extend knowledge on open and distance learning service delivery, in particular for in-service teacher training. |
