African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
6-8 Melrose Road
Muizenberg 7945
South Africa
Tel: +27 (21) 787 9320
Fax: +27 (21) 787 9321
Closing Date: Sunday, 31 March 2013
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The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) was founded in Cape
Town, South Africa in 2003 as a pan-African center for post-graduate training,
outreach and research providing advanced, broadly applicable mathematical
skills to talented students recruited from all over Africa. Since 2003,
AIMS-Senegal opened its doors in August 2011, and AIMS-Ghana in August 2012.
The Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI) is a core program of AIMS and
specifically involves the establishment and operation of a network of fifteen
centres of excellence across Africa that is focused on the teaching of
mathematical sciences to African university graduates. The centres are
coordinated through the AIMS-NEI Secretariat, based in Cape Town, South Africa.
There is evidence that the AIMS model, and the context in which it exists,
could better assist in the acquisition and subsequent development of the career
management skills and qualities that define a professional employee. A cohesive
strategy is needed to provide students with skills, knowledge, resources and
experiences that open a wide range of career pathways. To reach this goal, an
integrated approach to the career development strategy is proposed, leveraging
the learning moments out of current activities, and new real and simulated
experiences. The guiding idea is that the more the classroom reflects the
outside world, the more students will be prepared to succeed there. The key
results will be:
1. Transformation of students' professional skills in a gradual process
that occurs throughout all phases of the program, and beyond, and results in
the development of a new professional identity.
2. An altered learning environment that is more outwardly focused and
perceived as linked with varied sectors dedicated to the development of Africa.
THE POSITION:
An experienced consultant is sought to help design a curriculum and
assessment tools for an integrated career learning program. The deliverables
should be developed as part of the whole course of study with academic staff
and other relevant staff such as alumni services, rather than as a stand-alone
component, to ensure non-technical competencies are supported and reinforced
throughout the program.course of study with academic staff and other relevant
staff such as alumni services, rather than as a stand-alone component, to
ensure non-technical competencies are supported and reinforced throughout the
program.
PURPOSE AND RESULTS:
The purpose of the consultancy is three-fold, namely:
1. To review and revise the current curriculum to include course-based
workshops on employability, professional skills and entrepreneurship;
2. To produce an integrated learning curriculum for regular classwork, and;
3. To provide a curriculum review framework that will gauge quality and
relevance of the current academic curriculum
KEY OUTPUTS OF CONSULTANT'S WORK:
1. Increase in capacity of the AIMS network in integrated learning
2. Revised curricula and guidelines for its delivery
3. Network-wide standards and tools for quality assurance
KEY OUTCOMES OF CONSULTANT'S WORK;
1. Students will be well equipped with the tools, skills and knowledge to
pursue the careers of their choice
2. Faculty will be equipped with the tools, skills and knowledge to deliver
and assess career learning in the classroom
3. The Network will be provided with support, based on the annual review,
to improve curriculum delivery to set quality standards
DESCRIPTION OF DELIVERABLES:
Working closely with Centre staff (Academic Directors, Career Development
Staff, and tutors), Secretariat staff, and strategic partners from the business
community, the Career Development Consultant will perform the following tasks:
1. Curriculum mapping of courses with faculty - determine where the course
currently has links to career education and scoping for potential further links
to build career education into the curriculum.
2. Integrated Curriculum development - present and facilitate discussions
about integrated approaches to curricula and lead the design team (with
academic staff) in the development of integrated career learning into regular
coursework. This could include writing guidebook and/or tutorial content,
linked to assessment. Note the challenge of working with international
volunteer lecturers.
3. Employability and Entrepreneurship curriculum - provide detailed
experiential lesson plans with clear learning outcomes on a variety of career
development topics to assist with job applications, preparation for fieldwork
placements, introduction to self-employment/entrepreneurship, applications for
postgraduate courses, and career development. Ensure content is relevant to
current industry needs.
4. Faculty teaching and learning - provide input towards faculty teaching
and learning in integrated strategies and activities
5. Assessment - work with faculty to build career education assessment
pieces into the curriculum. Work with faculty to develop the assessment
requirements and marking criteria, which could include assignment marking.
Perform annual review.
6. Technical advice - provided remotely (via skype/ phone) to Centre teams
focusing on ensuring that processes followed, innovative components piloted and
final products developed aim at improving alignment to industry and student
needs.
WORK LOCATION:
The Consultant will be based in Cape Town with travel to Ghana and Senegal
for an initial period of 6 months. Thereafter, the Consultant could provide
home-based remote assistance as needed, and will return to each centre to
perform an annual review and quality assurance evaluation in June 2014 (end of
academic year).
COMPETENCIES:
·
Proven ability to demonstrate
innovative thinking and stimulate an environment that fosters innovation and
openness to change;
·
Proven experience of providing
technical advice to teams based in different countries from a distance;
·
Ability to contribute to and
comfortably work in a multidisciplinary setting;
·
Ability to work independently to
strict timelines;
·
Excellent planning and
facilitation skills;
·
Cultural awareness and
sensitivity;
·
Ability to research, analyze and
present complex information;
·
Strong interpersonal, teamwork
and communication skills; and,
·
Excellent written and spoken English skills
and sound report writing skills; French language skills are an advantage.
QUALIFICATION:
·
Advanced educational background
in one of the areas of: Business, Human Resources, Curriculum Development,
Education, or related field;
·
Proven track record of training
curricula (and manual) development;
·
Six to ten years of experience in
development, assessment and evaluation of curriculum, teaching and learning
resources required;
·
Experience with experiential
learning, action learning, work integrated curricula;
·
Professional experience working
in Africa, and:
·
Thorough understanding of the
issues surrounding employment challenges in developing and transitional
countries.
How to apply:
Interested applicants should forward salary expectations, a curriculum
vitae, letter of interest and names of 3 referees to jstaples@nexteinstein.org
