scholarly journals The development of a framework for blended learning in the delivery of Library and Information Science curricula at South African universities

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mogiveny Rajkoomar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Learning Interventions ◽  
And Training

The core interest in blended learning lies in the need to provide more engaged learning experiences while recognizing the potential of ICTs which has a profound impact on all aspects of life including the Library and Information Service (LIS) field. This doctoral study was undertaken with the objective of exploring the educational and pedagogical issues in blended learning for the development of a framework for designing and implementing blended learning in the delivery of LIS curricula in South African universities. The target populations for this study included, LIS educators from higher education institutions in South Africa offering LIS education, LIS students from these institutions exposed to blended learning interventions and facilitators of blended learning (individuals in institutional teaching and learning units) from the various institutions offering LIS education and using blended learning. The study adopted a mixed method research approach using a fully mixed dominant status design to explore and understand the phenomenon of blended learning at a more detailed level by using qualitative follow-up data (for example, interviews with LIS educators and institutional facilitators of blended learning and focus group discussions with LIS students) to explain and explore the results of a largely quantitative Web survey. The theoretical framework that underpinned the study involved various learning theories, learning styles as well as blended learning models relating to the higher education environment. The key findings of the study reveal that blended learning remains a complex concept with no clear consensus on the key components that need to be blended, how much of each component to blend and the criteria that are needed for the interventions to be regarded as blended learning. This flexibility, to an extent, allows for institutions to tailor the concept and maximise the potential of blended learning while still being responsive to the diverse student populations at South African higher institutions. The framework for blended learning in the delivery of LIS curricula at South African universities proposed by this study is generated from the theories informing this study; the literature reviewed; existing frameworks for blended learning such as Khan’s octagonal framework and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework; the findings of this study; the researcher’s own educational experiences; and, is grounded in the larger field of higher education. The use of blended learning has the potential to transform LIS education and training by encouraging LIS educators to reflect on their teaching and learning practices and to use the proposed framework as a guideline to design and implement pedagogically sound blended learning interventions for LIS education and training.

Assessing South African University Adoption of Online Teaching During COVID 19

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
South African ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
And Training

This study aims to assess South African universities' adoption of online teaching and learning during COVID-19. The literature review and document analysis were used to analyze the data. The study found that the Department of Higher Education and Training worked with universities to develop a plan to implement online teaching and learning. Various stakeholders such as media and mobile companies supported the online teaching and learning through financial resources in the form of data subsidizing, media airtime, and campaign for the initiative.

scholarly journals South African universities in a time of increasing disruption

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Coetzee ◽  
Brownhilder Neneh ◽  
Karlien Stemmet ◽  
Jana Lamprecht ◽  
Constance Motsitsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
African Students ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
The Impact

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have disrupted the higher education environment in unprecedented ways.Aim: This article identifies the impact of increasing disruption driven by the 4IR and COVID-19 on the content and curriculum design of degree programmes in economic and management sciences offered by South African universities.Setting: Six South African and five top-tier US and UK universities.Methods: The study used a non-positivist qualitative research design and specifically the case-study approach. A document analysis of the information in university yearbooks and prospectuses was conducted, using a purposive sampling design.Results: An online presence will become more important due to increased disruption, and will not only ensure an additional revenue stream, but also promote continuity in operations and mitigate threats from competitors. COVID-19 has accelerated the extent of this disruption and expedited the migration to online teaching and learning platforms.Conclusion: Since science, technology, engineering and mathematics are integral to the majority of 4IR-related modules, South African universities must not shy away from degree programmes that ignore inter- and multi-disciplinary curriculum designs. Coupled with the challenges facing the majority of South African students to access electronic devices, data and the internet, COVID-19 has thrust this challenge to the forefront in the South African higher education landscape. By comparing the developments in South African universities with those in trendsetting, top-tier, global universities, management can assess the extent to which they are internationally competitive and adapting to the demands of the 4IR.

scholarly journals Submitting and tracking SADJ manuscripts to be facilitated by manuscript management systems - A professional development bulletin

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 475-477
Author(s):  
Nthabiseng Metsing
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Online Publication ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Political Information ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
And Training

The South African Dental Journal (SADJ) keeps you abreast of the latest developments in dentistry, and is the only Department of Higher Education and Training accredited scientific dental journal in South Africa for publication of scientific papers, clinical articles, current dento-political information and opinion, and trade information. Members are also able to attain their CDP points by completing the online questionnaires. All SADJ online CPD Questionnaires are valid for a two-year period from the date of online publication. If you are not able to load the questionnaire to your courses it may be as a result of expiry.

scholarly journals Acknowledgements

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. v
Author(s):  
Joy Papier
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Editorial Committee ◽  
Development Capacity ◽  
Seed Funding ◽  
And Training

The Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training could not have become a reality without the commitment of a number of individuals and organisations who provided support at critical stages of its development.   We are grateful for the vision of the University of the Western Cape Faculty of Education, especially that of the former Dean of Education, Prof. Zubeida Desai, for her enthusiasm for this venture.   We thank the Education Policy Consortium (EPC) for its initial seed funding grant which enabled the scoping research and the journal development workshop in 2016.   The encouragement of members of the Department of Higher Education and Training in the early phase of conceptualisation of the journal is gratefully acknowledged.   Our appreciation also goes to the MerSETA for their strategic partnership in this initiative and for making a consistent contributution towards developing TVET scholarship.   The publication of this issue of the journal has been made possible by the Teaching and Learning Development Capacity Improvement Programme which is being implemented through a partnership between the Department of Higher Education and Training and the European Union.   We are enormously grateful to our colleagues across the spectrum of post-school provision, who offered helpful advice as the journal processes unfolded.   Thank you to the authors who allowed us to subject their work to scrutiny and for being willing to publish in the JOVACET.   Our reviewers, who gave so generously of their time and talent, deserve a special word of thanks.   Thank you to our Editorial Committee and Advisory Board – we look forward to your continued participation and support.

scholarly journals Pedagogical and decolonial affordances of group portfolio assessments for learning in South African universities

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (SI) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilse Fouche ◽  
◽  
Laura Dison ◽  
Grant Andrews ◽  
Maria Prozesky
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
South African ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Learning Principles

Our paper discusses our recent experiences with designing effective assessments for challenging local contexts by using group work portfolio projects. South African universities are experiencing ever-increasing student numbers, diverse student bodies which have different language and literacy skill levels, and limited resources. Simultaneously, the need to decolonise university curricula and teaching and learning practices is being actively investigated across South Africa. In this paper, we discuss preliminary steps we have taken towards achieving this broader transformative agenda in the context of the massification of education, namely designing effective and decolonial assessments that support epistemological access and academic success, while at the same time challenging what counts as ‘powerful knowledge’ (Young and Muller, 2013) in the classroom. We argue that effective decolonial knowledge practices and deep critical engagement can be achieved by using group work portfolio tasks that align with assessment for learning principles (Carless, 2015). Using a design- based research approach, we describe three courses across two universities which have implemented portfolio-type group assessments. The preliminary findings suggest that group projects can yield rich and productive assessment for learning outcomes in large classes. In addition, portfolio projects that purposely interrogate diverse perspectives, knowledges and experiences can harness the diversity of groups to work towards decolonising the classroom.

scholarly journals Unveiling the professional attributes of university teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (SI) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubby Dunpath ◽  
◽  
Hesta Friedrich-Nel ◽  
Hanlie Dippenaar ◽  
Lynn Biggs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Leverage Points ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Professional Attributes ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
National Framework

This article derives from a collaborative higher education project, conceptualised, and implemented by academics from seven South African universities. These academics are members of the South African Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowship. The project has its roots in the Department of Higher Education’s National Framework for Enhancing Academics as University Teachers, which identifies six leverage points or ‘imperatives for action’, one of which is the imperative to develop expectations (attributes) of academics in their role as university teachers. TAU Fellows engaged in the collaborative enquiry over a period of three years, appropriating a conceptual framework posited by Henry Giroux, of teachers as transformative intellectuals. In this article, each author reflects on his/her own scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) endeavours, which provided the conceptual tools to illuminate what for them and the group, are valuable professional attributes. The metaphor of the Baobab tree is appropriated to signify ‘rhizomatic thinking’, which portrays teaching as subconscious, subversive, non-linear, multi-directional, serendipitous, esoteric, dynamic, unbounded, unpredictable, adaptive, and non-hierarchical. This SoTL enquiry enabled the TAU group to unveil and declare their professional attributes as they made public their praxis. The attributes include academics as imbued with the capacity for critical thinking and actively promoting critical thinking amongst their students; as active learning mediators; as responsive, innovative, and relevant curriculum designers; and as engaged professionals. Appreciation of the article is enhanced when the reader first views this video https://youtu.be/yoA9guMut-8.

scholarly journals Influence of Leadership on Creativity In Business Academics/ Higher Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 2215-2221
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
Creative Leadership ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
And Training

Business academics/ higher education and training must continuously strive to cope up with the evolving demands of the corporate world. Proactive approach towards adaptability to the environmental changes may be mastered through creative leadership and mentoring of the academic institutes. It has been found that few research studies have focused on the cases of influence of leadership on creativity in higher education. This study addresses the challenges faced in the sector of business academics/higher education and empirically explores how leadership influences creativity among the academics to enable more advanced and appropriate education and training in management or business education sector/ higher education, in the mid-tier institutes, in particular. A qualitative, case research approach has been used to understand the relationship between leadership style and academic creativity and its role in enhancing the effectiveness of business academics/ higher education. The findings of the study have established a positive influence of creative leadership on the effectiveness of business academics/ higher education. It has led to the identification of three critical aspects that are essential for inducing creativity in business academics/ higher education, i.e., appropriate leadership style, organization structure that balances between hierarchy and heterarchy to facilitate communication, and creative interaction leading to learning and growth.

Variables en el Blended Learning y la Educación

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jairit Garavit
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
International Perspective ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Distance Learners ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
And Training

The in-depth purpose of this research expressed as a chapter is to show a specific and very current description of the existing pedagogical practices and the forms of distribution for blended or distance education, also called Blended Learning in e-learning platforms with a focus on lifelong learning. In such a way that, the concepts of distance education and training and mixed learning of the student in the same training are clarified. The chapter also outlines the most important challenges for future and current distance learners and provides suggestions for possible measures for states and governmental and non-governmental entities in charge of higher education and training to address these challenges. However, they also present examples based on experience and research of working methods and measures that work well for qualitative distance education. This part is followed by an international perspective, from a more visionary perspective, there are discussions of how to find ways and alternatives to organize higher education and how they could potentially offer new paths to higher education throughout the country. Finally, a series of conclusions and recommendations.

Pedagogical Factors That Affect Technology Integration at Two Universities of Technology in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Xakaza-Kumalo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Technology Integration ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Integration Of Technology ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Educational Factors ◽  
Technology In Higher Education

This paper reports on a case study that was conducted at two South African universities of technology to explore the integration of technology in higher education institutions. Fourteen participants from these two institutions provided their perspectives about the pedagogical considerations that were important educational factors in the integration of technology in higher education institutions. The framework proposed by Tedre, Apiola, and Cronjé was used as a measuring tool to determine pedagogical elements that were essential in the adoption of technology. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the said framework as an analytical tool, and to contribute to its refinement. The central research question concerned the extent to which this framework was useful for a situational analysis at the relevant two South African universities. Although the universities’ educational strategies and policies were found to be analogous, differences were identified in the manner of and approach to the implementation of educational technology. The pedagogical considerations for e-learning uptake in both universities were similar to a certain extent. The findings further showed that most of the educational factors that affected technology integration resonated with pedagogical issues experienced in other developing countries. It was concluded that students could determine the future of learning as they persistently engaged in potentially rhizomatic learning environments. This paper offers recommendations that address dramatic transformation in higher education institutions due to emerging technologies and radical changes that are experienced. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also highlighted.

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