Abstract
The chapter assesses the role of institutions of higher learning in designing education curriculum in collaboration with the library, museum, and archives (LAMs) of the Stevenson Hamilton Knowledge Resource (SHKR) center based at the National Park. This research is based on a qualitative research method. The finding of the NP case study underpins concepts and outcomes described in academic discourse on the relationship between institutions of higher learning and LAMs. LAMs may serve as lifelong learning in South Africa. The results of empirical research allow the researcher to conclude that designing educational materials requires the collaboration of the Ministry of Basic and Higher Education, Training, Science, and Technology and LAMs.
TopBackground
South Africa government established two departments responsible for education. The first department is responsible for primary and secondary education. This education covers elementary school until grade 12 in South Africa. Another department is responsible for higher education and Training. Higher Education in the context of South Africa includes twenty-six public universities and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. Both departments develop curriculums to be followed by both educational institutions. Experts in the field of education are responsible to design curriculum. South Africa education curriculum for both primary and secondary is not designed through a collaboration of universities and LAMs. LAMs in South Africa worked in silence without consulting the department of education. This is maybe because LAMs report to the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture. The fact that there is a lack of consultation between LAMs and the department of Education shows a lack of professional interaction. The key strategic objective of the department of education is to engage with key stakeholders to assist in reviewing the education curriculum. The South African National Park is one of the key strategic partners in South Africa to offer education.
The role of the National Park resource center after the transition from the apartheid system to democracy was to offer lifelong learning (Netshakhuma 2019). National Park has a historical resource center that offers a library, archives, and museums functions. The center plays a role to offer educational activities. It is the view of the author that the center may also play a role to assist the department of education in designing education curriculum. The LAMs at National Park may play a role to transform education in South Africa. This statement is alluded to by Semali (2015) who states that LAMs inherited from the apartheid system can be reformed rather than overhauled to design education curriculum (Semali, 2015).
South Africa provides context to design educational materials as a form of service-learning and civic engagement in higher education (Bringle and Hatcher, 2005). Educational materials design requires the collaboration of institutions of higher and library, archives, museums.
To assess the role of LAMs, the researcher chooses the National Park resource center as a case study to conduct this research. The reason the researcher choose the Kruger National Park is that LAMs functions are integrated into the Knowledge resource center. This research is limited to selected staff from the SHKR center based in Skukuza.. The researcher recognizes that this was a small study, set in one national park known as the Kruger National Park. However, participants varied and were drawn from LAMs and communities. Participants in the study were voluntarily taking part in the study.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Knowledge Resource (KR): It is the resource center consists of a library, archives, and museum.
Resources: These are materials preserved by neither libraries, archives, and museums.
Curriculum: This is course design for community or studies as a form of learning outcomes.
Public Universities: These are twenty-six public universities of South Africa.
National Park: It is the largest game reserve in Africa.
Developed Countries: These are countries that advance in economy and information communication technology.
Library, Museum, and Archives Collaboration: The cooperation between a library and a museum possibly involve other partners.
Heritages: These are objects with cultural, historical, and social significance.
Recognition of Prior Learning: This is a process of recognizing non-formal learning and informal skills. Skills and experiences are recognized as part of receiving credit and recognized qualifications.
Archives: This is a record with a historical, cultural, and scientific value that needs to be preserved for permanent preservation.