Dear Portfolio Committee on Higher Education,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to propose an adjustment to the current weighting of ENGD301(Engineering Graphic and Design) assessments. At present, the module allocates 75% to traditional drawing (manual drafting) and 25% to CAD Computor Aided Drawing) drawing. While the tasks themselves are well designed, this distribution poses a few challenges for both students and lecturers in the current South African TVET context.

Rationale for Change:

Industry Relevance:
CAD is the dominant tool used in industry today, while traditional drawing has become less practical and is no longer the standard in most engineering environments.
Increasing the CAD weighting better aligns our students’ skills with what employers expect.

Student Learning Challenges:
Traditional drawing is more time consuming and often presents difficulties for students who are unfamiliar with manual drafting tools.
With blended learning approaches, it becomes even harder to effectively teach and monitor traditional drawing practices.

Proposed Adjustment:
Swap the current weighting to 75% CAD and 25% traditional drawing.
The tasks will remain the same, but the adjusted weighting will ensure students are fairly assessed on the skills most relevant to modern industry.
This change will enhance curriculum relevance, improve student performance, and strengthen the employability of our graduates.

I kindly request that the Curriculum Office consider this proposal for ENGD301. I am available to discuss this further or provide any additional motivation if needed.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,
Mniki T
West Coast College,
Atlantis Campus,
Cape Town