This study of Academic Development in KwaZulu-Natal is exploratory and seeks to answer 3 questions. What is Academic Development? Is any model or approach to Academic Development applicable or transferable to all Higher Education Institutions? What factors can be identified that facilitate the progress (or development) of Academic Development? These questions are answered on the basis of contextual analysis and locate Academic Development as a contextually influenced change process. It is argued that although Academic Development is not uniquely South African, in South Africa Academic Development has arisen from an historical context largely as a result of, and in response to, the impact of apartheid on education and the movement to counteract that impact within higher education. The position of Academic Development within in a wider context is indicated through the literature survey. In particular, attention is paid to the United States of America where cultural and racial diversity have impacted on higher education, and, because the South African higher education system is modelled on the United Kingdom, material from that country is also examined. In order to place the South African context in relation to these the development and consequent fragmentation of the tertiary sector through the apartheid era is outlined. At the time of embarking on the research very little work had been done on the broader perspectives of Academic Development. In view of this a grounded theory approach has been adopted and the research examines Academic Development in the tertiary institutions in a specific region in South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal. This research was undertaken through a combination of survey and case study analysis. Within the case studies the data used included institutional documents, some in-house publications, group interviews in the form of report-back meetings and individual interviews. From the data analysis certain themes are identified and presented in a diagrammatic form. The first of these highlights the impact of the diversity in the tertiary context on the approach to issues of equity and quality which seem to have been the catalysts for the establishment of Academic Development. Another theme that emerged was an organic process of development evident with Academic Development that seems to be moving towards holistic notions of curriculum development and transformation of teaching and learning in higher education in South Africa. In drawing these themes together the role of change in higher education became the central focus. In view of the exploratory nature of the present study the, findings are offered as a way of opening up debate. In the conclusion Academic Development is defined as a process of innovation, stimulated by calls for equity, that points to a new line of enquiry in education. It is argued that it is not replicable and 9 guiding principles that contribute to the development of Academic Development are outlined. These principles include the role of various stakeholders in the process of change and emphasise the importance of a reflective, research-based holistic approach to the curriculum in higher education. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

In this study the challenges faced by a rural Further Education and Training (FET) college to deliver education are investigated. The FET sector uses the same curricula for colleges in both rural and urban settings but conditions in rural areas are very different. For example, few industries are situated in these areas, resulting in unemployment and/or the migration of youth to the urban areas. Long distances between campuses and a lack of employment opportunities in the rural areas suggest that it is difficult to manage rural colleges in the same manner as urban colleges. The education and training sector in South Africa has experienced significant changes during the last 11 years. Since 1998, the FET sector has faced mergers, the introduction of new governance structures, curriculum changes, relationship changes with both communities and the business sector and the introduction of new funding formulae. The FET College studied is situated in the Northern Region of KwaZulu-Natal and covers a vast area served by 11 municipalities. The campuses of this College are spread over a wide geographical area. This particular FET College is historically a state-funded merged institution of former Technical Colleges and Skills Centres. The merger was intended to deliver a better service by avoiding duplication of programmes at the colleges. Data gained from interviews with relevant role players identified challenges such as lack of infrastructure, poverty, poorly resourced campuses, high turnover of staff, limited course offerings, lack of policies and lack of financial assistance for disadvantaged students as key challenges faced in the rural areas. Most of the challenges faced by staff at campuses are related to the centralisation of services. Poor management is blamed for most of the challenges experienced by central office staff. Challenges faced by students are poverty, lack of infrastructure, unemployment and transport. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations are made relating to the challenges faced by the various role players. / Thesis (M.Ed)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree has seen a steady rise in popularity and proliferation in the past four decades. Critics have had plenty to say as well, sometimes from within the ranks of the MBA programme itself. The degree is widely publicized in the media, by way of advertisements, criticisms and featured press in business magazines and other such correspondence. Numerous studies have been conducted, globally and nationally to ascertain the benefits of such a qualification to the graduate and the extent of such benefit, if at all any exists. In this study, research was conducted to assess the extrinsic and intrinsic benefits of the MBA degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) post merger, and to identify any significant demographic relationships between these perceived benefits. To obtain this information, the researcher utilised a questionnaire, which was completed by 44 UKZN MBA alumni. The study had identified the weaknesses in previous studies on the perceived benefits of the MBA degree, in that the focus was solely on extrinsic benefits – clearly, in a changing economic landscape, the intrinsic benefits need to be considered as equally. The researcher introduced the viewpoints of critics of the MBA degree, and also looked at gender issues relevant to the UKZN MBA. The study also looked into the South African perspective of the MBA market, and the extent of benchmarking based on those MBA degrees with a history of excellence – hence the need to study the newer UKZN MBA degree benefits and identify the views of these specific graduates. Several recommendations were made through the course of this study, including guidelines for future research on the topic. The implications of this study are widespread, as the potential exists for the UKZN GSB to consider some of the findings in future curriculum development. Further, the study can also assist in either dispelling or supporting the constant media tendency (Furlonger, 2008) to quote pre merger graduates, in the context of a newer, updated degree. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.

CONTEXT: The aim of the Emergency Care Practitioner (Basic), ECP (B), Course enables students to acquire knowledge and skills in basic life support, obtain a certificate and register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as an Emergency Care Practitioner. The ECP (B) Course became a compulsory component of the Curriculum in 1996. During 1996 to 1999, the Course was conducted by Ambulance and Emergency Services - College of Emergency Care. In January 1999, the researcher was appointed to the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine and integrated the Course into the Traditional Curriculum. The Course was run as a three-week stand-alone module in the traditional didactic format In 2001, a Problem-based learning Curriculum was introduced into which the ECP (B) Course was integrated. The Course was thus integrated into the entire first year of the Curriculum in the PBL format. OBJECTIVES: Since the Course was taught in both the Traditional and PBL Curricula, the study was aimed at exploring the impact of the ECP (B) Course on both categories of students' ability. In the Traditional Curriculum, the Course was taught in the first year of study, although the students were only exposed to clinical practice in their fourth year. With the PBL students, the ECP (B) Course runs through their first year, they are also taught clinical skills during their first and second year in the Skills Lab by the Labbased Clinical Tutors. During their third year, they undertake a Clinical Methods Course that exposed them to patient care in the Wards. This is supervised by Registrars and Consultants - Ward Tutors. The study also explored the perceptions of both the Skills Lab Tutors and the Ward Tutors regarding the impact of the ECP (B) Course on the students' clinical ability. DESIGN: The study involved students and staff presently working with the MBChB Curriculum at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine. The subjects were selected from a convenience sample as follows: • 30 3rd year students in the PBL Curriculum • 30 5th year students in the Traditional Curriculum • 5 Clinical Skills Tutors in the Skills Lab • 5 Clinical Tutors at King Edward Hospital. A questionnaire containing both a rating scale and open-ended questions was designed. The purpose of the questionnaire was to ascertain whether the students were able to perform the various emergency skills in the Lab (pre-clinical) setting and then to ascertain whether they were able to perform these emergency skills on real patients in the clinical situation. It was also used to determine the answer to the first key question of the study: What are the Traditional versus PBL students' perceptions on the role of the ECP (B) Course in the MBChB Curriculum and its effects on their clinical ability? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Clinical Tutors. These interviews were conducted individually lasting 30 minutes. All the interviewees were posed the same questions according to an interview schedule. The purpose of the interviews was to answer the second key question of the study: What are the staffs' perceptions on the role of the ECP (B) Course in the MBChB Curriculum and its effects on the clinical abilities of the Traditional students versus that of the PBL students? MAIN OUTCOMES: Both groups of students felt that the ECP (B) Course was a rewarding learning experience. In general, most of the skills were learnt during the Course on models and/ or simulated patients by both the 3rd and 5th year students, except for the simulated foetal and placental delivery. The 3rd years have not been exposed sufficiently to real patients and were thus not given the opportunity of performing all the skills learnt during the ECP (B) Course on real patients in the clinical setting whereas all the skills except for CPR on an adult and infant patient have been performed by the 5th years on real patients. Both groups of students were satisfied with the Tutor's ability to teach the ECP (B) Course in both the PBL and Traditional formats. Both the Lab and Ward Tutors were familiar with the ECP (B) Course. They were of the opinion that the skills were relevant and extremely beneficial to all medical students. They said that the skills training had a positive impact on the students' clinical ability. It gave them confidence to deal with real patients and competence with the procedures and the relevant equipment. The Tutors were able to differentiate between the PBL students and the Traditional students' clinical ability to perform skills both in the simulated and real environments. The 5th years lacked the confidence and approach that the 3rd years had achieved with the models and patients. They expressed a concern that some basic sciences should be taught before clinical skills training and there should not be too long a delay between when the skills are taught in the Lab, to when the students are placed in the real situation. Finally, all interviewees felt that the ECP (B) Course should be a compulsory first year module. CONCLUSION: The evidence collected from the research tools was insufficient to conclusively find a marked difference in the learning of the Traditional versus PBL students. The Lab Tutors and the Ward Tutors were, however, able to differentiate between the two groups of students based on their clinical skills ability. The students in the Traditional Curriculum, although being able to perform the clinical skills on real patients, seemed less confident and did not have a structured approach to patient care, whereas the PBL students seemed very confident and had a systematic approach to patient care. These differences may be attributed to the teaching and learning styles of the students and Tutors involved. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 1960.

The accounting higher education sector is becoming increasing competitive, with institutions jostling for position in the eyes of prospective students. Without adequate attention to the quality of education provided, little headway will be possible, and the institution will have to settle for second, or even third, place in the student's mind. Institutions cannot rely on past successes to attract top students, and a new approach is needed. This research presents a possible answer to the quality problem faced at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus) in the School of Accounting. It involves the use of SERVQUAL to measure students' satisfaction levels with the quality of service and education received. The approach involves gathering students' perceptions, analyzing them, and making suggestions about the correct path to follow in a bid to enhance the institution's standing in the accounting community. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The study focuses on the service quality of Damelin College in Pietermaritzburg. Damelin College strives to ensure that students extract every promising benefit their courses. Damelin College aims at being a provider of quality, learner -focused education. The various opinions and attitudes of students regarding the service quality at Damelin College is investigated using questionnaires. This study covers the service quality aspects of private tertiary institutions. Data for the study was collected at Damelin College using a random sample of two hundred participants. The service quality of Damelin is discussed in detail as well as the theory of quality dimensions. The significance of service quality for tertiary institutions is a major aspect and all students need to receive the most appropriate form of respect and understanding. The high commercialized fees that students pay needs to be equate to the standard of the education that they receive. In relation to the problem statement, the research objectives are as follows: 1. To measure the impact of the service quality in private tertiary institutions. 2. To undertake an empirical analysis of the linkage between private tertiary institutions. 3. To investigate what aspects contribute to the choice of a private institution in which to study. 4. To determine how service quality influences where to study. Private institutions, who want to gain a competitive edge, may need to begin searching for effective ways to attract, retain and foster strong relationships with students. The service quality dimensions are tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, assurance, empathy, overall service quality and student satisfaction. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

The aim of the study was to establish the visually impaired students' information seeking behaviours, which comprises information needs, seeking and use. Identifying the students' information seeking behaviour helped to determine whether the services that are provided by the University of KwaZulu-Natal on the Pietermaritzburg (UKZN-PMB) campus met their information needs or not. The population of the study comprised three units of analysis which were nine students with visual impairments, seven Subject Librarians of the UKZN-PMB Cecil Renaud main library and the Disability Unit Coordinator. The students were surveyed by means of a semi-structured interview where they were asked what their information needs were, how they met those needs and whether the information they found from the institution's information system met their needs or not. The student' information seeking behaviour was plotted using Wilson's (1999) Information Behaviour model and the model was assessed for use with this group. The Subject Librarians and the DUC were surveyed by means of self-administered questionnaires where they were asked to specify their length of services, the frequency with which they assisted students with visual impairments and the students with visual impairments' preferences in information sources and formats, which the researcher consequently collected. The response rate was 100% from all the units of analysis. The results of the study indicated that most of the students preferred electronic compared to print information formats, depending on their level of sightedness for those who were partially sighted. Results from the three units of analysis were integrated into an overall consideration of the dynamics of information seeking behaviour exhibited by the students and modifications were suggested on Wilson's (1999) Information Behaviour model which suited the group under study. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This thesis is based on a study examining the concept of African scholarship through the contributions of foreign African academics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on the Howard College and Pietermaritzburg campuses. Being branded “The Premier University of African Scholarship” the study principally set out to investigate the role played by these academics as possible conduits in the expansion of African scholarship within the knowledge production circuit. The concept of African scholarship, though not a novel term, remains an elusive category that still needs to be defined within the global knowledge economy. A cursory look at written literature around African scholarship reveals a general tendency that presents „the debate‟ much more as a theoretical engagement and less at empirical engagements that could help advance the practicalities of this concept within the different intellectual debates. Among the different pockets of intellectuals concerned with the vision of African scholarship, the African diaspora outside the continent has always played a leading role in the need to address the African knowledge paradigms within the global intellectual production of knowledge. This study is of significance because it engages with an emerging African diaspora within the South African space and attempts to highlight how their experiences as migrants help in broadening the understanding of the African experience as a knowledge site. Using in-depth interviews within a qualitative research framework in combination with the technique of observation, the findings of this study reveal that as an emerging diaspora, foreign African academics at UKZN, are actively taking advantage of the university‟s slogan to meaningfully (re)insert „Africanness‟ in the kind of knowledge that is produced in the institution. Their contributions are measured in terms of postgraduate supervision, new research agendas, pedagogic and curricular development and networks of collaborations with other universities in Africa. Using an anthropological approach the study equally examines the implications of the attempt to position African scholarship within the global knowledge production map. The study further highlights the role that social identities such as gender, language, nationality, and race can play as epistemic spaces in the advancement of African scholarship. By engaging with these markers, the debate advances beyond the current ad hoc manner of presenting African scholarship simplistically within political rhetoric to a more nuanced incorporation of other markers which should occupy epistemic spaces within the discourse of African scholarship. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.