Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Technology: Language Practice, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / The innovative application of an online educational portal in everyday teaching and learning is proposed to meet the needs of the new generation of students entering Universities of Technology (UoTs). The setting is against a background of educationally under-prepared but multimedia-literate students, and the university vision of integrating eLearning into the curriculum. The emergence of the Academic Commons Attribution has facilitated the channelling of free-to-use/open source educational information through the dedicated artefact. The investigation combined the challenges of artefact design with the necessity of authenticating subject content so that it was geared to the needs of the students in the Photography Programme. This study highlights the importance of managing knowledge so that it can be passed down to current and future generations in ways which keep pace with their exponential development of digital expertise. This research was carried out within Bhaskar’s critical realist philosophy, which argues that there is a real world which exists independently of one’s perception of it. It must be stressed that the artefact contained in the multimedia portal did not follow a linear, logical development but was a process of transformational iterative change, very similar to the developmental consistency described by Bhaskar. Bhaskar’s philosophical overview was complemented by Archer’s morphogenetic approach. The latter showed that the application of technology in teaching and learning is not just about use of “better tools” but signals a shift in social structure. The main technical challenge was for the researcher to standardise the multimedia resources so that they could be used on most personal computers, with the option of downloading short tutorials on mobile phones for later use. The resulting multimedia portal provides strong support in guiding inexperienced students and novice academics to choose resources appropriate to both the Photography curriculum and rapidly changing Industry requirements. The portal can also reduce the number of time consuming searches on various themes or topics, as it directs users to specific hyperlinked online resources in any given syllabus item. The curated educational portal is, therefore, currently being introduced as an enhancement to the traditional teaching and learning methods hitherto used in the Photography Programme. While the traditional methods have the strong humanist leanings essential for personal development, they are not geared to tackle the cutting edge technological advances required by industry. Moreover, in promoting the Durban University of Technology (DUT) as a centre using cutting-edge multimedia tuition, the portal might better establish influences with Industry (one of the core functions of a UoT) as well as attract international academics and students. The end result is to offer a blended learning model of tertiary programme delivery which is supported by the literature as currently being one of the most effective options. / D

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the impact that use of a microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL), in this case the TRAC PAC and associated software, had on student understanding in relation to common 'alternative learner ideas' and difficulties related to kinematics and kinematic graphs. It was carried out in the South African context, and focussed on subject matter that learners are expected to work with in preparation for the Senior Certificate South African examination. Twenty Grade 12 learners from four different schools participated in the study. Three key questions were investigated: 1. What conceptual difficulties do learners in this context experience in relation to kinematics and kinematic graphs? 2. Does use of the TRAC PAC as a microcomputer-based laboratory contribute to learner understanding of graphs of motion and related concepts? 3. If learning is enhanced using the TRAC PAC, what are some of the 'ways of learning' evident as learners participated in the MBL programme? To answer these questions, the study employed both an empirical quantitative dimension and an ethnographic qualitative dimension. The empirical study involved the use of pre- and post-questionnaires which were administered before and after learners participated in a TRAC PACbased learning programme comprising of six 3-hour learning activities conducted over three days. Overall learner performance on the questionnaires, as well as responses to individual questions, were analysed statistically, as well as through use of an 'item and matrix' analysis technique described by Svec (1999). Chapter 8 of this document reports on this component of the study. The ethnographic component of the study made use of observational data, and transcripts of video and audio recordings of learners as they participated in the learning activities. The data gathered using these techniques was analysed largely through use of a 'verbal analysis' technique described by Chi (1997). Chapter 9 of this document reports on this component of the study. In relation to Research Question 1, the main findings of the study were: • A literature review highlighted common 'alternative learner ideas' identified by other researchers, and these allowed me to group them into four main areas. These are described in Chapter 4 of this report. • The analysis of the questionnaires highlighted 'alternative learner ideas' that the group of learners who participated in this project held. These are described in Chapter 8 of this report. • The analysis of the video and audio transcripts also allowed for the identification of 'alternative learner ideas' held by this group of learners. These are described in Chapter 9 of this report. There was a high degree of commonality between the 'alternative learner ideas' identified through use of these three different sources. Research Question 2 was answered mainly through the empirical study described in Chapter 8 of this report. It was found that the MBL experience generally resulted in an improvement in learner understanding in this area of kinematics and kinematic graphs. More detailed statistical and 'item and matrix' analyses showed that the impact on learner understanding was better in certain areas than in others. The ethnographic study described in Chapter 9 contributed to answeri The degree of learner involvement in learning activities seemed to impact on the effectiveness of the programme. Possible factors impacting on involvement were identified . • 'Alternative learner ideas' were made visible in the context of 'argumentation episodes' and 'discussion and explanation episodes'. Consequently, these formed the contexts in which shifts in understanding were most likely to take place. Key learner behaviours and skills necessary for participation in these episodes are identified, and linked to success and non-success on the programme. Recommendations arrsmg from findings m the study are described m Chapters 8, 9 and 10of this report. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek bestudeer gebaseerde laboratorium, III gepaardgaande sagteware, op kinematikagrafieke het. die uitwerking wat 'n hierdie geval die TRAC studente se begrip van mikro-rekenaar PAC en die kinematika en Die ondersoek is III 'n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks uitgevoer en is toegespits op die vakmateriaal wat leerders behoort te beheers ter voorbereiding vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Senior Sertifikaat. Twintig Graad 12' s van vier verskillende skole het aan die ondersoek deelgeneem. Drie sleutelvrae is ondersoek: 1. Watter begripsprobleme ondervind leerders in hierdie verband met betrekking tot kinematika en kinematikagrafieke? 2. Dra die gebruik van die TRAC PAC as 'n mikro-rekenaar gebaseerde laboratorium by tot die leerder se begrip van kinematikagrafieke en verwante begrippe? 3. Indien "leer" deur die gebruik van die TRAC PAC bevorder word, watter "vorme van leer" is waarneembaar as leerders deelneem aan die MBL-program? Beide 'n empiries-kwantitatiewe dimensie en 'n etnografiese kwalitatiewe dimensie is in die navorsing gebruik. Die empiriese ondersoek maak van beide 'n voortoets en 'n na-toets gebruik. Hierdie vrae is aan die leerders voorsien voordat asook nadat hulle aan die TRAC PAC gebaseerde leerprogram deelgeneem het. Die leerprogram het bestaan uit ses leeraktiwiteite, elk drie uur lank, wat oor 'n tydperk van drie dae gedoen is. Die leerders se prestasie/uitslae met betrekking tot die vrae asook hul reaksie op individuele vrae is statisties ontleed, asook met behulp van die 'item en matriks' analitiese tegniek soos deur Svec (1999) beskryf. Hoofstuk 8 van hierdie verslag verwys na hierdie deel van die ondersoek. Die etnografiese komponent van die die ondersoek maak gebruik van waarnemingsdata en transkripsies van band- en video-opnames van leerders verkry tydens hul deelname aan die leeraktiwiteite. Die data so verkry, IS hoofsaaklik geanaliseer deur van die 'n verbale analise-tegniek gebruik te maak soos deur Chi (1999) voorgestel. Hoofstuk 9 van hierdie dokument doen verslag oor hierdie komponent van die ondersoek. Wat Navorsingsvraag 1 betref, IS die hoofbevindings van die studie die volgende: • 'n literatuur-oorsig beklemtoon die algemene alternatiewe leerderopvattings wat deur ander navorsers geidentifiseer is. Dit het my in staat gestelom hulle in 4 hoofareas te groepeer wat ek in hoofstuk 4 van die verslag bespreek. • Die analise van die vraelyste beklemtoon die alternatiewe leerderopvattings van die groep leerders wat aan hierdie proj ek deelgeneem het. Dit word in hoofstuk 8 van hierdie verslag bespreek. • Die analise van die band- en video-opnames het ook bygedra tot die identifikasie van' alternatiewe leerder-idees' wat by hierdie groep leerders voorkom. Dit word in hoofstuk 9 van hierdie verslag bespreek. Daar is 'n groot mate van ooreenkoms ten opsigte van die alternatiewe leerderopvattings wat by hierdie drie verskillende groepe voorkom. Navorsingsvraag 2 is hoofsaaklik beantwoord deur die emprrrese studie wat in hoofstuk 8 van hierdie verslag bespreek word. Daar is bevind dat die MBLondervinding oor die algemeen 'n vebetering in die leerders se begrip ten opsigte van kinematika en kinematikagrafieke tot gevolg gehad het. 'n Meer gedetailleerde statistiese 'item en matriks' -analise het getoon dat die uitwerking op die leerders se begrip in sommige areas beter was as in ander. Die etnografiese studie wat in hoofstuk 9 van hierdie verslag beskryf word, dra by tot die beantwoording van Navorsingsvraag 3. Sleutelbevindings met betrekking tot hierdie vraag sluit onder andere in: • Leerderdeelname aan leeraktiwiteite hou skynbaar verband met die sukses wat hulle in die program behaal. Moontlike faktore wat 'n invloed op deelname kon hê, is geidentifiseer. • Alternatiewe leerderopvattings is In die konteks van 'beredeneringsepisodes ' en 'besprekings- en verduidelikings-episodes' uitgelig. Hierdie "episodes" het die waarskynlikste verband uitgewys waarbinne veranderings van insig/begrip kan plaasvind. Kernleerdergedrag en vaardighede wat noodsaaklik IS vir die deelname aan hierdie episodes is geidentifiseer, en is gekoppel aan 'n leerder se sukses en mislukking tydens deelname aan die program. Aanbevelings wat voortspruit uit die bevindings van die ondersoek word In hoofstukke 8, 9 en 10 van hierdie verslag, bespreek.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

Educational institutions throughout the world are increasingly facing classes of educationally, culturally and linguistically diverse student groups. At the same time economic constraints require these institutions to expand their student base and they are therefore looking to distance education and continuing education modules to meet these challenges. Simultaneously rapid advances in desktop computing capabilities and Internet delivered information have revived interest in Computer Assisted Education (CAE). The University of Natal is no exception to these trends; schools, departments and individual members of staff are increasingly exploring the possibility of using the University's computer infrastructure to assist in delivering quality education, maintaining current standards, and addressing the multiple needs of the students. To investigate these issues a CAE program was developed for use in the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine to investigate how students would make use 'of the technology, and to report on the development and evaluation processes of such a development. In doing so various lessons could be learnt which could inform the further development of such software at the University. In order to support the development of the CAE program an extensive literature survey into current educational theory was conducted. Its objectives were to explore and understand all the factors affecting the development and use of computer based systems as an educational tool. Particular aspects considered were • the debate between constructivist and instructivist theory in their applicability to both the medium and the subject material. • instructional styles, and with them the learning styles, that could be used to support the educational goals of the diverse student population. • instructional design methodologies that are currently used as well as media production methodologies. The goal of this aspect of the research was to advise both the development of the case study and to gain a broader understanding of the methodology that could be used for other developments. Included in this phase of the research are methods and criteria for selection of authoring systems and interface design issues in a multi-cultural multi-lingual environment. • the review of different evaluation strategies in order to incorporate appropriate evaluation in the CAE case study. • the investigation of broader sociological and historical factors that may influence the way in which CAE can be used effectively in a South African context. The presumption was that students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds and those with English as a second language would be less willing to use technological interventions than those who were more likely to have had access to computers earlier in their education. The case study set out to investigate if this presumption was valid, and if so what elements of design and delivery could facilitate these students' usage of such systems. However, these presumptions were not validated by the case study, showing the exact opposite of expectations, with more historically disadvantaged students showing a willingness to use the module. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 2001.

The perceptions of administrators and teachers of a computer-assisted instructional program in literacy skills were collected by a survey. The survey participants were kindergarten teachers and administrators from four elementary schools in the same, fast-growing, suburban school district in Texas. Literacy assessments were given to all kindergarten students in the district in the fall, winter, and spring of the 2005-2006 school year. This study included a quasi-experimental research design to determine if students using the computer-assisted instructional program improved more on the district literacy assessments than students who did not use the program. The treatment group members were the 449 kindergarten students of the survey participants. The treatment group worked in The Imagination Station program for a nine-week trial period. The control group members were 1385 kindergarten students from thirteen other schools in the same school district. The study found that teachers and administrators perceived that their students' improvement in literacy skills after using the program was good. The quasi-experimental portion of the study found that there was a statistical difference between the treatment and control groups on the composite literacy assessment score. The group membership variable could explain 1.4% of the variance in the students' literacy assessment scores. Based on the small effect size, there was no practical difference between the groups.

In this study, a computerized marriage enrichment program that gave couples instruction on communication skills and problem-solving was developed and tested. Couples completed the marriage enrichment courseware together on a computer. Forty couples from a metropolitan area in North Texas volunteered to complete the marriage enrichment courseware. Ten couples were randomly assigned to each of the following four groups: an experimental group that received the pretest followed by treatment and a post-test, a control-wait group that completed pre- and post-tests, an experimental group that received treatment followed by a post-test, and a post-test only control-wait: group. Three hypotheses were generated predicting that experimental subjects would significantly increase their marital communication skills following the treatment and that wives in the pre-test and experimental groups would achieve higher marital communication scores than would husbands. The dependent variable was the score on the Marital Communication Inventory (Bienvenu, 1970). Analyses of variance did not reveal any differences between husbands, wives, and couples at the pre- or post-tests. A three way analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for treatment (p < .04), but no interaction effects were found. In related findings, a t-test on the post-test minus pre-test difference for wife's scores was significant beyond the .005 level of confidence. Pearson product-moment correlations between the amount of time spent on the marriage enrichment courseware and posttest scores suggested that couples who spent more time completing the program were more likely to achieve higher scores. A regression analysis confirmed the significance of time spent on increased post-test scores (p < .0085). Based on these findings, it seems appropriate to conclude that computerized marriage enrichment courseware is a promising approach for couples who spend at least two hours completing the material.

The problem investigated in this study was whether students who received computer-assisted reading instruction would display positive attitudes toward reading six or more months after the instruction was completed. A Likert attitude scale was administered to thirteen pre-adolescent and adolescent subjects to assess their attitudes toward reading six or more months after they had received computer-assisted instruction (CAI). In addition, a questionnaire was administered to the subjects' parents to determine their perception of the subjects' attitudes toward reading. Data obtained from the Likert scale indicated that the subjects' attitudes toward reading were neutral. An analysis of responses to the parent questionnaire revealed that the students' attitudes toward school-related reading were positive as a result of CAI. This study concluded that CAI had no apparent positive impact on the subjects' attitudes toward recreational reading.