Integrating computers in a rural South African school.
- Authors: Selane, Lacton Maake
- Date: 2009-02-05T07:15:12Z
- Subjects: Limpopo ( South Africa ) , educational technology , computer-assisted instruction , secondary education
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8099 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2027
- Description: M.Ed. , The advent of computers and information technology in society has generally contributed to the rethinking of a range of the practices in the education system. Today’s students live in an increasingly complex technological world, and there has been an increase of the importance of technology in the world. The importance of computers in business and the society cannot be overemphasized and there is much need to incorporate them into the school curriculum to assist learners with expected skills. The effect of the global economy has influenced the importance of Information Technology in education. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the integration of computers in a selected rural South African secondary school in the Limpopo Province, situated in the Mopani District, one of the six in the province. Qualitative research approach is used in this study and the research method is a case study method. Data collection techniques for this study were done by means of interviews, observations, conversations and questionnaires. The research findings in this study indicated that learners and educators alike at the selected school are aware of the benefits of computers in education in general. Learners are aware that possessing computer skills might assist them one way or another when they search for employment after they finish their school. However it emerged that they are not provided with adequate opportunities to be able to acquire the necessary skills. Among the factors that emerged as obstacles to computer integration at the selected school were lack of teacher development, lack of government support, shortage of funds and skilled staff. Teacher training emerged as the most important aspect to be addressed because teachers play an important role in the education of learners. Continuous educator development should be a priority of the department of education. It is further recommended that there should be a way to look at the feasibility of policy frameworks.
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The impact of educator engagement with computers on their teaching practice and the way they think about their teaching.
- Authors: Pretorius, Erica Delores
- Date: 2009-01-28T09:41:48Z
- Subjects: computer managed instruction , computer-assisted instruction , teaching practice
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14838 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1961
- Description: M.Ed. , Teaching and learning is the main focus at any school, but this takes place within the framework of a national educational system. There have been numerous changes in education during the last decade in South Africa, including the advancement of computers. The focus of teaching and learning has moved towards the learner centered approach of Outcomes Based Education and integrating computers into schools has been more focused on learners. This study, however, focuses on educators and investigates whether using computers can encourage teachers to reflect on, and improve their current teaching and learning practices. This qualitative study investigated the impact of teachers using computers for teaching and learning purposes. A literature review was conducted, which included teaching and learning theories, approaches, strategies and styles, as well as educator engagement with computers. A description of natural occurring events within the practice of teaching and learning at a selected primary school was used. The data were collected from surveys, interviews, questionnaires and checklists, completed by educators and learners.
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Primary school teacher's perceptions of the influence of ICT on their educational practices.
- Authors: Phala, Sophy Thembani
- Date: 2008-10-27T06:35:31Z
- Subjects: primary school teachers , computer-assisted instruction , educational technology , teaching practice
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13148 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1316
- Description: M.Ed. , The focus of this practitioner's research inquiry is primary educators’ perceptions and conceptions, and thus their self-evaluation on the impact of the introduction of computers on their educational practice. Its main aim was to explore and capture the way primary school educators in Gauteng, South Africa, who participated in the study perceived the impact of the introduction of computers on their educational practice. The case study was conducted within the parameters of the relevant literature review to determine the impact of the introduction of computers on educational practice of educators worldwide. It looked at the way in which educators utilise both current and emerging computer technologies and how they express their perceptions and conceptions of the impact of the introduction of computers on their educational practice. A further aim was to identify trends in educational technologies in developing countries; to identify the benefits and limitations of computer technology in education around the world and to position this study within the South African context. This research also looked into educators as facilitators and creators of the learner and educator support material (LESM), producing a product of high quality. Educators through their personal research into technology could express, create and discover which in turn informed and impacted on their didactics and pedagogies which indirectly has a positive effect on the learners. Based on this research, the paper concludes that computer technology enables educators to find new ways of unlocking reality for learners to attribute meaning to it in a more comprehensive manner. , Dr. G.V. Lautenbach
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Rekenaargebruik vir die aanleer van Afrikaans.
- Authors: Lawrence, Donovan Charles
- Date: 2007-12-07T07:42:29Z
- Subjects: afrikaans language , language and languages , computer-assisted instruction
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14697 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/168
- Description: The 21st century is commonly referred to as the computer age. This term characterises the important place computers have in our everyday lives and the increasingly crucial role they will play in the future, determining the way we work, play, learn and teach. Computers are also slowly – but surely – finding their way into South African classrooms. In Gauteng, for example, the number of schools equipped with computers have grown from 24% in 1998 to 89% in 2003. This increase can be attributed directly to the concerted efforts of the National Education Department and other non-governmental organisations to close the digital divide between South Africa and the rest of the world. Apart from launching various projects to supply schools with computers, the National Education Department has further committed itself to the implementation of E-learning in a Draft White Paper on E-Learning in September 2003. The integration of computers in learning and teaching has, thus, now become a reality. This situation neccesitates much needed empirical research on how the use of computers can be effectively integrated into the teaching and learning of, inter alia, languages. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the use of computers in teaching Afrikaans as an Additional Language. To do this, an extensive literature study has been undertaken to investigate international best practices of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Subsequently, an empirical study – in the form of a quasi-experiment – was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of CALL in the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as an Additional Language, by comparing it with conventional language teaching methods. A longitudinal study was done with two groups of Grade 9 learners at the Bishops Diocesian College in Cape Town and the development of their language skills was assessed by using a standardised language proficiency test (EVAT – Evaluering van Afrikaans Taalvaardigheid) as pre and post tests. The literature review indicates that computers possess certain unique characteristics that can enhance the language learning process. The results of the empirical study, furthermore, indicates that computers can be used in the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as an Additional Language and in such a way that learners’ language skills can develop in a similar way to using conventional language teaching. It further shows that learners can improve certain language skills better when using computers. This study also suggests that these results could be used as guidelines for the integration of computers in the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as an Additional Language. , Prof. A.E. Coetzee
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Lecturers' changing epistemologies and pedagogies during engagement with information and communication technology in an education faculty.
- Authors: Lautenbach, Geoffrey Vaughan
- Date: 2008-08-26T06:35:16Z
- Subjects: computer network resources , higher education , college teaching , computer-assisted instruction , internet in education
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3938 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/929
- Description: A significant event of the last two decades has been the appearance and subsequent explosive growth of the World Wide Web and related technologies that have had a notable effect on higher education and learning in particular (Crossman, 1997:19; Hall & White, 1997:22; Alessi & Trollip, 2001:5: Oliver 2002). Information and communication technology (ICT) or ‘elearning’ as it is known in some countries, has emerged both locally and worldwide as a prominent phenomenon in education (Oliver & Herrington, 2001) and the ensuing scramble by educators to adopt the new technologies (compare Rogers, 1995) can be seen by looking at the number of courses that have recently evolved under the banner of e-learning, web-based education or online education. The rush to implement ICT is particularly evident in Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) where technology has come to be seen as a potentially valuable tool for educational reform in higher education (Poole, 1997:2; Surrey & Land, 2000:145; Bates, 2000:7; Rosenberg, 2001:10). Educational reform at Higher Education Institutions worldwide over the past two decades is often ascribed to trends such as increased competition, decreased enrolments, greater numbers of non-traditional students, changing societal expectations and decreased government funding (Simonson & Thompson, 1997:4; Surrey & Land, 2000:145). The dwindling student base and loss of university students to corporate training programmes in South Africa is in line with these trends and is seen as a major area of concern (McKenna, 1999:[online]). The use of ICT in higher education, which is also progressively taking root in emerging nations such as South Africa, adds another perspective to the issue of educational reform (Hilliard & Kemp, 2000:22). Van Buren-Schele and Odendaal (2001:[online]) put the local situation into perspective by affirming that the introduction of ICT at institutions in developing countries like South Africa can be far more challenging than it is for their counterparts in developed countries. Factors that impact on the implementation of ICT normally include financial, logistic, and technological aspects, but in many areas in South Africa, requirements on a basic level such as access to electricity, computers and the Internet place unique demands on some educational institutions. Local institutions are therefore hard-pressed to improve teaching practice in order, firstly, to live up to consumer expectations, then to show continual improvement and innovations in the changing field of education (Cronjé & Murdoch, 2001:online). , Prof. D. van der Westhuizen
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Virtual dissections in the teaching of practical biology in South African high schools.
- Authors: Kartal, Serdar
- Date: 2008-08-25T10:25:28Z
- Subjects: dissection , computer-assisted instruction , biology study and teaching (secondary) , South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:3818 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/918
- Description: Digital information technology has been defined as “changing how people learn, teach, work, and play. By the year 2005, the capabilities and the affordability of digital technology could catalyze and facilitate the wholesale transformation of education and the communities that support it” (Center for Technology in Learning, 1994[online]) Education as a professional field is also constantly changing, values shift, new curricula are introduced, and new technologies redefine how we teach and learn. The most interesting and important innovation in education in recent years is the widespread introduction of computers into schools. Computers represent powerful tools that can be used by both students and teachers for instructional purposes. Of particular interest is the Internet and more specifically, the World Wide Web (www), which is radically redefining how we obtain information and the way we teach and learn (Adams, 1995 [online]). Images and information from all around the world can be accessed easily in the classroom. Biology is one of the school subjects taught in South Africa. This demands sessions that may include dissections. Dissection can be defined as cutting and separating of constituent parts of an animal or a plant specimen for a scientific study and as observing or cutting into a dead animal for purposes of learning anatomy or physiology (Balcombe, 1997:34). It is thought that dissection enhances the knowledge and understanding of internal organs, their relationships and their functioning, and that maximum learning is most likely to be achieved by maximising the personal experience of the reality being taught (Wheeler, 1993:39). However, dissection has always been a controversial issue in biology teaching. In fact, when forced to use animals in ways to which the student objects, the student may even be traumatised and learn less (Adams, 1995: [online]). , Mr. G.V. Lautenbach
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An investigation into the positive and negative perceptions of e-learners in Afrox.
- Authors: Graham, Francis Gradwel
- Date: 2008-04-22T06:17:04Z
- Subjects: competency based education , training of employees , computer-assisted instruction , internet in education
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/368427 , uj:8491 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/264
- Description: Globalisation has taken root at all economic levels and has forced organisations to skill their employees in order for them to compete on unprecedented levels. Companies can no longer afford to see themselves in operation outside of the global village. Those that have not yet been absorbed into the global economy are moving faster than ever before towards the information age, focusing on people as the greatest competitive edge. Survival in a global economy is not only dependent on how quickly an organisation is able to respond to the changing economic environment but also on the ability of the business to learn. The concepts of a network organisation and a learning organisation have redefined how suppliers, employees and customers interact and how learning in organisations takes place. Traditional learning processes are no longer adequate for meeting the demand for faster just-intime learning. The benefits of anytime, anywhere access to learning and information offered by the Internet and the World Wide Web are fundamentally changing the way many companies operate and interact. In the field of mass education the Internet is changing instruction, research, and administration. The prospects of e-learning have far-reaching implications for business organisations by virtue of the enabling technologies that are removing distance and fostering collaborative on-demand learning. The business case for investing in e-learning is evident in the myriad new products, services, and providers that are entering the e-learning domain. Curriculum and content development through software learning environments, teleconferencing, and integrated learning delivery systems have a fundamental impact on the growth of the e-learning industry. Companies are not the only entities affected by the new economy. Governments across the world have become increasingly involved at a macro-economic level in fostering skills development as a means of competing in the global arena. South Africa has approximately 5 million economically active citizens, compared to the UK with 15 million and the USA with 25 ii million. In response to the skills shortage, South Africa has proposed a Human Resources Development (HRD) strategy, entrenched in an outcomes-based learning methodology and enacted through various pieces of legislation, including the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act 61 of 1995. The national HRD strategy, by virtue of this legislative element, has been cascaded to organisational level to ensure the requisite skills development across all sectors of the economy. Organisational training and development strategies are influenced by the national outcomesbased- learning methodology. The development of skilled individuals through interventions such as workplace skills programme and learnerships must conform to SAQA requirements in terms of unit standards, assessment, quality assurance, the National Qualification Framework, and registration as a training provider. African Oxygen Limited (Afrox) is one such South African Company that must conform to such legislation in developing its employees. Afrox is in the business of gases, welding products and healthcare. The Company was established in 1927 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (now referred to as JSE Securities Exchange) in 1964. It has a market capitalisation of over R5,5 billion and 343 million shares in issue. The group comprises of two focused listed companies: gases and welding, and healthcare. Afrox is South Africa’s 17th largest employer with over 16 000 employees in both lines of business. The company is part of the BOC group plc affording it the status of a global company. The BOC Group has operations in 50 countries on five continents and owns 55% of the shares of Afrox. Afrox can rely on its parent company to provide the latest in technology, research and development and other leading global business practices. A historical feature in Afrox (and the BOC Group) has been the regional basis on which the company was organised and structured, with some employees operating in fairly remotes sites. The geographical composition and proximity of the customers and markets, as well as transportation constraints has influenced the establishment of three regional centres from which to distribute product and service customers. The challenge in Afrox is to refine how learning systems that involve the use of technology take place. All employees in Afrox have a competency profile on the e-learning systems of the organisation. However, in recent focus group sessions perceptions of e-learning have been found to vary among e-learners. The study is therefore concerned with investigating the iii perceptions of e-learners in order to position the company to capitalise on the advantages that elearning offers the business world. A literature review of key aspects of e-learning systems will be presented relative to the learning systems within Afrox. An empirical exercise involving a telephonic survey is offered, based on a stratified sample of respondents in Afrox to determine their perceptions of key aspects of elearning. , Ms. H. Jacobs
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