The purpose of this audit is to determine the currentICT skills in the Department and to determine what the future skills needs towards the adoption and implementation of e-Learning and e-Government. This document will also attempt to highlight those critical and scarce ICT skills needed in the Department.

You are invited to participate in the above skills audit project. The information you give in response to this survey will provide the Department of Education with valuable information and insight to effectively plan for ICT skills development. The ultimate beneficiary of this information is the Department of Education and its officials, as the findings from this questionnaire will be consolidated into a comprehensive report that will inform the Department skills plan of interventions and initiatives needed to improve skills development.

Thank you for sharing your time and effort in completing this questionnaire!

GUIDELINES ON HOW TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE

1.Read the following before filling in the details on the questionnaire.

2.Where applicable, the questions should be answered with a cross (X) in the required space (refer to Example below).

SECTION ONE:DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Please answer the following questions as honestly and accurately as possible. Please note that this information is important for demographic and statistical purposes.

1.PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED

1.1What is the name of your District Office?

1

1.2Your position at the Department of Education:

Permanent position / 2
Part time position / 3
Contract position / 4

1.3Your role in the Department of Education:

5

1.4The number of years in your current position:

Less than one year / 6
Between 1- 5 years / 7
Between 6-10 years / 8
More than 10 years / 9

1.6Previous experience in the Department of Education:

Have only worked for the current Department of Education / 10
Has worked for another Department / 11
Has worked for more than two Departments in the Government / 12
Has worked for other organisations outside of the Government / 13

1.7Your age group:

Under 21 years / 14
21 – 29 years / 15
30 – 39 years / 16
40 – 49 years / 17
50 – 59 years / 18
60 years and older / 19

1.8Your gender:

Male / 20
Female / 21

1.9Your employment equity (EE) status:

African Black / 22
Coloured / 23
Indian / 24
White / 25
Other (please specify) / 26

1.10Do you have any expertise or experience in ICT? Please explain below

1.11 Do you have any formal qualification(s) in ICT? Please list.

SECTION TWO:CURRENT AND FUTURE ICT SKILLS NEEDS

Please grade each of the activities below using the following scale:

1. I have no knowledge of this area and am not confident at all

2. I know a little about this area but feel insecure and may need a lot of support and revision/preparation

3. I feel fairly secure about my skill in this area but might need a little support and revision/preparation

4. I am confident I have these ICT skills and may be able to use them in the classroom

GENERAL SKILLS / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you plug a computer and switch it on?
Can you plug in peripherals e.g. speakers, mouse, scanner, printer?
Can you load and run a USB flash, CD, DVD?
Can save information or data to a USB/CD?
Can you create folders with sensible names and save files in an organised way?
Can you format and copy disks?
Can you create ‘back ups’ and know the importance of doing this?
Can you carry out virus checks and know how viruses are spread & avoided?
Do you understand facilities provided by being on a computer network?
Can you cut and paste between applications?
Can you choose a printer from a list of printers?
Can you insert a paper into a printer?
TEXT/WORD PROCESSING e.g. MICROSOFT WORD, POWERPOINT, PUBLISHER / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you enter, edit, print and save documents?
Can you highlight, centre and justify text?
Can you change margins?
Can you spell check and proofread a document?
Can you insert graphics (pictures / clipart/ wordart)?
Can you use the search and replace?
Can you mail merge to ‘personalize’ forms or letters or pupil reports?
Can you prepare documents (e.g. worksheets) with a variety of layouts, sizes, styles and fonts?
Can you prepare documents including charts, graphics, and tables from other sources?
Can you create a sequence of computerised ‘slides’ for presentation on Microsoft PowerPoint
Can you create notes and audience hand-outs from your slide powerpoint presentation?
Can you manage large multi-part documents, including footnotes, page numbers, contents tables e.g. to help department write policies/handbooks?
Can you make use of special characters for mathematical or insert symbols?
Can you use desk-top publishing to produce a variety of documents?
Can you add ‘comments’ to word processed documents e.g. when marking?
INFORMATION HANDLING – DATABASES e.g. MICROSOFT ACCESS / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you use correct terminology (record, field, table, query etc.)?
Can you use an existing database programme to find relevant information entered by others?
Can you use an existing database programme to input and amend information?
Can you perform sorts and simple searches on a database?
Can you perform complex searches e.g. using AND, OR, NOT?
Can you design and create a database for a particular application and document its use for others e.g. a database on pupils for tracking?
INFORMATION HANDLING – SPREADSHEETS e.g. MICROSOFT EXCEL / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you use correct terminology (cell, label, column, formula, function)?
Can you use an existing spreadsheet programme to extract information entered by others?
Can you use an existing spreadsheet programme to input and amend information?
Can you perform sorts?
Can you generate charts?
Can you design and create a spreadsheet for a particular application e.g. electronic register?
Can you format cells, align, highlight?
Can you print a selected area/range?
GRAPHICS (IMAGES & PICTURES) e.g. MICROSOFT PAINT, PHOTOSHOP / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you use simple graphics packages to create designs
Can you capture images with scanners
Can you use digital cameras
COMMUNICATION / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you send, receive and print e-mail messages?
Can you use correct e-mail good manners and polite behaviour when communicating using emails?
Can you organize saved e-mail messages into ‘folders’?
Can you send e-mail messages to groups of users?
Can you send and receive attachments to e-mails?
Can you use internet ‘browsers’ effectively to select and save files, images and relevant information from remote web sites?
Can you use ‘search engines’ effectively to explore the internet and retrieve relevant information?
Can you search Departmental information and library catalogues etc. to find information from the internet?
SMARTPHONES (e.g. SAMSUNG GALAXY, BLACKBERRY) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you access the internet via a smart phone?
Can you create / edit a document on a smartphone and attach to an email?
Can you send and receive emails via a smartphone?
Can you use the GPS system to find directions/navigate to a place?
Can you record a video or take a picture from a smart phone?
INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS (e.g. SMARTBOARD) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you use video/DVD/sound system links?
Can you save work done on the board and print?
Do you know how to make the board ‘interactive’?
Can you use the pens/rubber and other basic functions?
Are you able to split screens to show more than one thing?
OTHER GENERAL SKILLS / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Can you use ICT tools to aid your administration for example video conferencing (camera and speakers) to communicate over the internet?
Can you create links between different programmes that share the same information e.g. a report that is linked to a spreadsheet chart so that it is updated as the spreadsheet changes?
Do you understand and can use the technical language needed to read reports and research on ICT or to report faults?

Identify 3 challenges in terms of ICT skills in the Department of Education

1.
2.
3.

Any other information or recommendations you would like to share with regard to ICT skills development in the Department of Education.

SURNAME: ………………………………………………………………………………

NAMES: ………………………………………………………………………………

SCHOOL: ………………………………………………………………………………

EMIS NO: ………………………………………………………………………………

Contact number: (Work)………………………………………………………………

(Cell)…………………………………………………………………………………………

Email:………………………………………………………………………………………

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!

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