This research project reports on an empirical study on the suitability and feasibility of audio cassette lectures in solving the study problems of adult distance education students. Having reviewed relevant literature on the subject the researcher collected data through: (a) Empirical investigation by contituting a two-group (experimental/control) design. (b) Questionnaires to find out opinions of students on audio cassettes. The study reveals that there is a significnt difference between the academic achievement of students who study via audio cassette lectures in addition to textbooks and face-to-face lectures and those who study through textbooks and face-to-face lectures only. The study therefore validates audio cassette lectures in an integrated study package. Other outcomes of the study are: (a) Suggestions to l.E.M.S. authorities to introduce audio cassette lectures on l.E.M.S. part-time courses. (b) Suggestions to course organisers at 1.E.M.S. to liaise with distance education institutions to adopt their instructional strategies. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)

This research project reports on an empirical study on the suitability and feasibility of audio cassette lectures in solving the study problems of adult distance education students. Having reviewed relevant literature on the subject the researcher collected data through: (a) Empirical investigation by contituting a two-group (experimental/control) design. (b) Questionnaires to find out opinions of students on audio cassettes. The study reveals that there is a significnt difference between the academic achievement of students who study via audio cassette lectures in addition to textbooks and face-to-face lectures and those who study through textbooks and face-to-face lectures only. The study therefore validates audio cassette lectures in an integrated study package. Other outcomes of the study are: (a) Suggestions to l.E.M.S. authorities to introduce audio cassette lectures on l.E.M.S. part-time courses. (b) Suggestions to course organisers at 1.E.M.S. to liaise with distance education institutions to adopt their instructional strategies. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)

This thesis describes a research project aimed at improving the tracing skills of first-year programming students enrolled for an introductory C++ course at an open distance learning institution by means of a tutorial in the form of a program visualization tool to teach the students to draw variable diagrams. The research was based on the findings from the BRACElet project (Clear, Whalley, Robbins, Philpott, Eckerdal, Laakso & Lister, 2011). A design-based research methodology was followed. To guide the process of developing the tutorial, a framework of 26 guidelines for developing and using visualization tools to teach programming was synthesized from the literature on computing education research CER, educational psychology and computer graphics. Guidelines were supplemented with reasons or explanations for their recommendation and considerations to be taken into account when using a guideline. The framework was enhanced by lessons learnt during the development and testing of the tutorial. The tutorial was tested and refined during two implementation cycles. Both cycles included quantitative and qualitative investigations. All students registered for the introductory module received the tool with their study material. For the quantitative investigations, students completed a questionnaire after using the tutorial. Through the questionnaire biographical data was acquired, the manner in which students used the tutorial and how they experienced using it. The responses to the questionnaires were statistically analysed in combination with respondents’ final marks. The statistical modelling indicated that the students’ biographical properties (a combination of level of programming experience, marks obtained for Mathematics and English in matric and first-time registration for COS1511 or not), had the biggest impact on their final marks by far. During the qualitative investigations students were eye tracked in a Human-Computer Interaction laboratory. The gaze replays in both cycles revealed that students’ reading skills impacted largely on their success, connecting with the findings from the quantitative investigations. Reflections on why the tutorial did not achieve its purpose; and why poor reading skills may have such a strong effect on learning to program, contribute some theoretical understanding as to how novices learn to program. / Computer Science / D. Phil. (Computer Science)