GENERAL

INTRODUCTION
1. Creativity, critical thinking and problem solving
2. Problem analysis and diagnosis
3. Zimbabwe Strategic Studies
 INTRODUCTION- Unpacking the Module
The Module – Critical Consciousness and Life Skills (CC & LS)
• A University Wide Module
• Consists of 3 interdependent units;
1. Creativity, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
2. Problem Analysis, Problem Diagnosis
3. Zimbabwe Strategic Studies (ZSS) (National Development Strategy 1 –NDS1-12/2025)
However, our interface focuses on the first two segments , with the ZSS component better handled by
facilitators drawn from the Department of History, Heritage and Knowledge Systems (Arts and
Humanities)
Problem Analysis & Problem Diagnosis
UWM Faculty Identifiers Differ
CCLSBE201,CCLSED201, CCLSAH201, CCLSAE201, CCLSEB201, CCLSLA201,CCLSSB201, CCLSSC201,
CCLSMH201, CCLSVS201, CCLSCE202

The University Wide Module CCLS is made up of three interwoven

components viz; Critical Consciousness, Problem Solving and Life Skills,
complimented by systemic interrogation of the nation’s development agenda
(National Development Strategy 1 –NDS1)
The exigency to unpack the module is premised on the desire to
• provide a background to the module and
• show how, especially, the three elements of this module are related, and
seek to speak to all the module’s bodies of knowledge or overall content.
 Critical questions students ask
• WHY STUDY CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS & LIFE SKILLS
• WHAT ROLE DOES IT PLAY IN MY DEGREE PROGEAMME e.g., Business,
Ndebele, Theatre Arts, Law, Medicine, Science, Agriculture, Computer
engineering, Psychology, Engineering and the Built Environment, etc.
What is the relevance of;
 Zimbabwe Strategic Studies (ZSS)
 Creativity, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
 Problem Analysis, Problem Diagnosis to my studies?
 Misconceptions on CC
• Not relevant to my studies
• Not relevant to me
• CC & LS is a waste of time
• CC aims to indoctrinate students of ideology of the ruling party
• CC seems to create animosity with the Global North, especially the West.
 Main Purpose
PREMISED ON THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT LIFE IS A PROCESS OF PROBLEM
SOLVING
To empower / equip learners not only with employability or entrepreneurial skills but with critical life
skills such as
 Critical consciousness
 Critical thinking
 Critical design thinking
 Creativity
 Problem analysing & diagnosis
 Problem solving
 The context- Philosophy, Education 3.0 &
Education 5.0
The module is intended to;
• address the shortcomings of Education 3. 0 and to implement Education 5.0
Education 3.0 emphasized teaching and learning to make students;
• Pass examinations
• Be employable in commerce, industry, agriculture, education, engineering, medicine, pharmacy etc.
• Deliberately
 Ignored imparting the skills of critical consciousness, critical thinking into the learners so that they become creative,
innovative & problem solvers
 Did not empower learners with life-skills
NB: The major shortcoming of Education 3.0 is that it did not explicitly aim to equip learners with life skills but
with employability skills. In other words, it did not overtly prepare and equip students with out-of-employment skills
 Education 5.0
Education 5.0 on the other hand seeks to address the shortcomings of Education 3.0.
It emphasizes teaching & learning which equips learners with;
• Skills to be innovative and to industrialise the nation
• Knowledge and skills not to be exclusively employable but to create employment
• Life skills and not exclusively employment skills
• Out-of-employment skills
• Life skills to solve individual as well as collective life problems
• Creativity and problem-solving skills
 Aims of Education 5.0
To empower / equip learners with critical life skills such as
 Critical consciousness
 Critical thinking
 Critical design thinking
 Creativity
 Problem analysing & diagnosis
 Problem solving
 Independence
 Self-reliance
 Rationale for Critical Consciousness and
Critical Thinking
a. Think outside the box; Read between the lines
b. To question and interrogate assumptions, that is, taken for granted claims.
c. Develop and nurture students’ skills to be innovative and creative, in the face of life
challenges and problems
d. Skills to be innovative and creative in the national drive for industrialization
e. Citizens should be ‘ responsible actors or game changers’ and not to be mere
‘participators/adapters’ in life
f. They should deliberately deal with all forms of inequalities, marginalisation, oppression,
Of critical consciousness and critical thinking
 THE END

THANK YOU
Dr W. Banda wilsonbda@gmail.com