scholarly journals Analysing the preparedness of Office Management & Technology graduates for multitasking in the workplace

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kubheka Phumelele Precious
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Technology Students ◽  
Office Management ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

A number of studies have been conducted in relation to the preparedness of students for the workplace and particularly the role of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in this preparation. However, fewer have specifically investigated the Office Management and Technology (OMT) student’s preparedness for multitasking in the workplace, and none have been found to investigate this within a South African University of Technology. The literature indicates that there are major causes for the increased use of multitasking1 in the business workplace: the nature of work, working environment and skills required from employees by organisations have now developed and expanded. The office administrator in today’s electronic office has to cope with a wide variety of electronic devices which often need to be used simultaneously and their work covers many more skills than were required in the past. Students with Office Management and Technology qualifications are now employed as office administrators, senior secretaries, and even as assistant managers. They are expected to have the ability to execute all duties that are within their job description and sometimes beyond their job description, and to be able to handle them within a limited time. Administrators who have multitasking skills are therefore preferred by employers and the literature shows that the multitasking skill is regarded as one of the most sought-after skills in the workplace. The purpose of this case study was therefore to investigate the preparedness of Office Management and Technology students for multitasking in the workplace. To achieve a complete analysis the study used a mixed methods approach involving three questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions, administered to 3rd year students who have had WIL experience; B Tech students /recent employees to provide Multitasking has been defined as the ability to undertake competently more than one task at the same time and multitasking success as ‘the ability to draw on a wide range of cognitive functions when acting to achieve multiple goals’ (Peterson, 2014:22). A different perspective of experience gained; as well as WIL Supervisors who have supervised OMT students while on WIL. Analysis of data revealed that students require additional knowledge before they go on WIL training to prepare them for multitasking, with a better understanding of the office environment. The study concluded that a curriculum upgrade is required involving increased use of practicals at undergraduate level, and that the universities need to work more closely with companies to determine what skills they require from Office Management and Technology students when they reach employment. The study recommends that the identified gaps should be addressed in order to improve students’ knowledge and to upgrade their skills in multitasking and in time management in order to improve their performance in the workplace.

scholarly journals Investigating the effectiveness of mentorship in Work Integrated Learning : a case study of Office Management and Technology students at DUT and MUT

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sinokholo Victor Mtiki
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Policy Statement ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technology Students ◽  
Office Management ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
The University

Internationally, work Integrated Learning (WIL) is a required component of the National Diploma in Office Management and Technology. WIL is undertaken by undergraduate students with the participation of the academic coordinator from the university and a workplace mentor. Issues around mentorship appear to be one of the main challenges. Mentorship, in this study, is understood to involve an interaction or agreement between student, workplace mentor and university WIL coordinator. The problem identified was that this system is known to lack coordination and focus. The study was conducted at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). This research employed mixed methods. The quantitative method involved a questionnaire designed to gather the experiences of a sample size of 90 students in all. Semi-structured interviews were also held with the WIL academic assessors from the two Universities, in order to allow them to open up about some sensitive issues. Online open-ended questions were designed and sent to workplace mentors. Similar questions were asked of all the stakeholders. The study concludes that WIL generally lacks sufficient interaction between stakeholders and that therefore the desired outcomes of mentorship are not fully met. While students were satisfied on the whole with the organizations they worked for, they were less happy with the support the universities were providing. The statistics from the students’ questionnaire indicate that not all students were visited while on WIL, while workplace mentors indicated that they are not provided with appropriate guidance from the universities. Electronic communicative support by the universities also proved to be insufficient, with many students indicated that they are not happy with this personal contact they experienced. Manpower and workload were found to be the main challenges faced by the universities in providing sufficient support. There is only one WIL academic assessor responsible for all the students on WIL in each of the universities. The research suggests that the university’s WIL coordinators should undertake a round of visits to companies before the WIL period and, if they have facilities appropriate for offering experiential learning tasks, then they could be formally accredited for this purpose. It is also suggested that the universities offer workplace mentors more formal guidance and an induction programme. There could also be a policy statement as to how many contacts should be made with the students while on WIL. A suggestion is also made that WIL should take place in the second year as well as the third and, if possible, that the WIL period should be extended. All stakeholders confirmed that mentorship plays a huge role in the effectiveness of WIL and that closer interaction between stakeholders would be beneficial.

scholarly journals Intercultural Communication and Work Integrated Learning: A South African Perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Ramlutchman
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
South African ◽  
Intercultural Sensitivity ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
South African Society ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

Over the past decade, higher education institutions in South Africa have begun the shift towards a more structured work integrated learning framework, merging an academic component with specific industry requirements. Stemming from an ethnically diverse South African society, the South African corporate sector is made up of a group of varied individuals who bring with them specific cultural dynamics to the working environment. This paper investigates the intercultural communication sensitivity of students during their work integrated learning training, resulting in a discussion on the value for integrating intercultural education at a tertiary curricula level. The study is located at the Durban University of Technology. The study was quantitative and descriptive in nature. A total of 189 questionnaires were completed and returned by students who completed their work integrated learning (WIL) training during 2010. The intercultural sensitivity scale developed by Chen and Starosta was used in the questionnaire to measure the intercultural sensitivity level of these students during their WIL training. The results showed that the students were comfortable engaging with different cultural groups during their WIL training, students also attached a high value to the respect for cultural differences and they found the experience of interacting with people from different cultures uplifting

scholarly journals A preliminary inquiry on the association between pre-admission assessments and academic performance of first year dental technology students’ within a South African university of technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (04) ◽  
pp. 187-193
Author(s):  
Anisa Vahed ◽  
Subhadranalene Naidoo ◽  
Deepak Singh
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
South African ◽  
First Year ◽  
Technology Curriculum ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Technology Students ◽  
Admission Tests ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Dental Technology

The use of selection, diagnostic, proficiency, placement, admission, manual dexterity and aptitude tests can reportedly predict students’ academic success. Predictive admission procedures help to reduce dropout rates, improve academic performance, increase success rates, and selectively exclude applicants who are unlikely to be successful in the course. There is an absence of research, however, in this area of work in Dental Technology. To examine the association between pre-admission assessments and Dental Technology students’ academic performance in a South African University of Technology. A quantitative and cross-sectional study design was used. The target populations were the 2018 and 2019 first-year Dental Technology students. Retrospective data extracted from academic records and programme files were statistically analysed to measure the correlations against students’academic performance. Despite there being no significant differences between pre-admission tests and students’ academic performance, there were significant positive correlations between first year university subjects. There are indications of horizontal coherence between the discipline-specific subjects in the first-year Dental Technology curriculum. Examining the association between pre-admission tests and students’ academic results through to graduation, together with the horizontal and vertical alignments of all subjects in the undergraduate Dental Technology curriculum, can facilitate the learning pathways for students to succeed academically at universities.

scholarly journals Modelling pedagogy for work-integrated learning in a South African tertiary graphic design programme

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Frank Bisaba Kalala
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Graphic Design ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Learning Transfer ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Effective Transfer ◽  
Client Relations

This research case study investigates the efficacy of a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pedagogy that simulates a professional design studio in a graphic design programme at a South African tertiary institution. The overall aim is to develop a model for future pedagogical development of the WIL approach under study. The researcher is one of a team of third-year level WIL teachers, so the study is positioned as educational practitioner research. The review of literature establishes three learning theory links with the WIL pedagogical approach under study. These are: a) learning integration, b) learning transformation, and c) learning transfer. Integrative and transformative learning in WIL study needs to be transferred to graphic design graduates’ design agency working roles as integrative and transformative capability, if WIL pedagogy is to be considered effective. The effective transfer of student learning to the workplace is also considered to be affected the fact that some aspects of pedagogical practice are implicit rather than explicit. Fourteen graphic design graduates currently employed in graphic design agencies were each interviewed twice regarding their working experience. The first round of initial unstructured interviews found that integrative and transformative capability in design agencies was connected with problematic issues of design agency professional capability: collaboration with colleagues, client relations and time management. The second round of semi-structured interviews established these themes as both confirming and disconfirming WIL learning transfer. Upon reflection on the account of WIL pedagogy given in the literature review, design agency collaboration, client relations and time management are implicitly connected to the integrative and transformative intentions of WIL pedagogy. This may compromise learning transfer. An analytical model of these pedagogical concerns was then constructed, to allow for development of the WIL pedagogical approach. Recommendations for such development are offered, and indications made for future research.

A Multimedia Aeroengine Design Course With Industry Support

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Hourmouziadis ◽  
Norbert Schroeder ◽  
Klaus Biegi ◽  
Klaus-Juergen Schmidt ◽  
Stephan Servaty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Fixed Number ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Jet Propulsion ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Set Up ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Given

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the Berlin University of Technology has recently introduced a multimedia aeroengine design project under the working title “Project Jet Propulsion”. The seminar, in which the German aeroengine industry is actively involved, is directed at students who have successfully finished their basic engineering training course. The objective of the course is to provide experience of all stages of the complete design process of an engine component in a genuine industrial working environment. The component is selected to ensure that a wide range of design requirements, including customer requirements, aero-thermodynamic and mechanical design, costing and certification, have to be taken into consideration. An experiment supporting the design completes the course. The course is attended by a fixed number of students and lasts for one year. It involves fortnightly working sessions, which are organized the same way as they would be in the industry, with minutes being kept and action lists checked. The students are encouraged to work on their own initiative, identify the necessary tasks and set up a schedule to accomplish the work within the given time limit of the course duration. Industry participates in a variety of ways. At the end of each working session experts from the companies involved join in a telephone conference, giving their comments on the work of the group and answering questions. A video conference supported by one of the industrial partners is also on the agenda. During the course, both companies involved are visited and progress is reviewed in an intermediate and a final design review respectively. No scripts are handed out during the course. Communication is done by e-mail and progress reports, memoranda and minutes of the meetings are made available on the internet.

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