Thesis (M. Tech. (Information Technology)) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2013 / The aim of this study was to create a dynamic software system that captures all information related to a student and delivers it to the educators, principal, higher authorities and parents. In order to achieve this aim, an investigation was launched as to the development of a cost-effective school management system for disadvantaged schools in the Free State Province using the Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model. Although a variety of other school management systems exist in the market, they are often expensive and difficult to maintain. Details such as previous academic performances, disciplinary actions taken against a student in the current school, ailments the student suffers from and parental details are some of the information that will help an educator to better understand a student. The software that is currently in use fails to deliver this information. Designing the software as a multitenant system, helps accommodate different schools under the same database, while the shared database, shared schema reduces back-end costs. Database design was carried out in such a way that tenant data is logically isolated and that data integrity is maintained throughout. What makes the software explained in this study cost effective is the method of delivery that was employed, which is SaaS. Here, software is not purchased, there is no upfront capital and the yearly license fee is eliminated, as schools need only pay a monthly rental fee for the services they use. Since all services are provided through the Internet, there is no need for system space; the only requirement is a high-speed Internet network.

Thesis (MPhil (Modern Foreign Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The decline in the Grade 12 pass rate in South Africa has been a cause for widespread concern. While this decline in is the result of the interplay of many factors, one of them is undoubtedly that teachers and pupils often find themselves in situations where they do not have access to adequate resources. This study is a formative evaluation of material that was created with the Moodle learning management system, in order to provide teachers and learners with resources that can be made readily available online. These resources are accessible from computers and cellular phones with internet connectivity. The resources not only provide content, but also learning activities that can be used either by individual learners, or with a teacher in a classroom environment. In the absence of a teacher, the activities could also provide meaningful feedback to aid learners in the learning process. Two courses were created in the Moodle Learning Management System that cover work prescribed for Grade 12, English First Additional Language for the period 2009 to 2010; namely the prescribed short stories and the play, Nothing But The Truth by John Kani. A number of activities are evaluated according to usage and feedback that they provide. The outcome of the study is that it is possible to provide learners with online learning materials which will enable them to prepare thoroughly for the final examinations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die daling in die Graad 12 slaagsyfer veroorsaak kommer in baie geledere. Alhoewel hierdie daling die gevolg kan wees van baie faktore, is een van die redes dat onderwysers en leerlinge hulle dikwels in 'n situasie bevind waar hulle nie die nodige toegang tot die nodige leermateriaal het nie. Hierdie studie doen ‘n formatiewe evaluering van die leerprogram wat ontwerp is met behulp van Moodle, 'n leerbeheerstelsel, om onderwysers en leerders van die nodige leermateriaal te voorsien. Die leermateriaal is toeganklik vanaf beide ‘n rekenaar en 'n selfoon met internet toegang. Hierdie leermateriaal verskaf nie net statiese inligting nie, maar bevat leeraktiwiteite wat deur leerders op hulle eie gebruik kan word, of saam met 'n onderwyser in 'n klaskamer. In die afwesigheid van 'n onderwyser kan die leermateriaal ook die nodige terugvoering verskaf, sodat dit leerders kan help in die leerproses. Twee kursusse is ontwerp as deel van 'n Moodle stelsel wat van die voorgeskrewe werk dek vir Graad 12, Engels Eerste Addisionele Taal vir die tydperk 2009 tot 2010; naamlik die voorgeskrewe kortverhale en die verhoogstuk, Nothing But The Truth, deur John Kani. 'n Aantal aktwiteite word evalueer ten opsigte van die gebruik en ook die terugvoering wat dit voorsien. Die resultate van die studie is dat dit wel moontlik is om voldoende studie materiaal aan Graad 12’s besikbaar te stel wat hulle kan gebruik om voor te berei vir die eindeksamen.

Thesis (M.Tech. (Information Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences))--Vaal University of Technology, 2006 / The sole purpose of a test is to make a measurement. Assessment is very much a process of measurement, whether the outcome is used for baseline, diagnostic, formative or summative purposes. When measurement is taken, in whatever form, a score is obtained. The score that is obtained forms the important part of assessment, because this score determines the outcome of the assessment, the decisions that are to be made regarding the student’s progress, curriculum changes and the evaluation of a course as a whole. Although a score is obtained from a test, the analysis thereof is frequently much neglected. The use of computers in education is not a new concept. The first computer application goes back a long way when computers were first used to do psychological testing. It then became clear that computers can be applied to more fields in education, especially in the field of testing. In the early days real progress was slow, since computers were expensive and were only used in large companies. However, the scenario has changed with the widespread availability of personal computers that has enabled educators to focus on the appropriate role of computerisation in the development, administration, scoring and interpretation of tests. The main objective of this study is to show the major advantage of using computers as a comprehensive assessment tool and to demonstrate the ability to construct and ‘bank’ test items to subsequently produce a standardised test. An added advantage was the computer’s ability to administer tests to students and manage student progress records. The research findings indicate that a Comprehensive Computer-Assisted Assessment Tool (CCAT) has the potential to contribute to the enhancement of assessment and that it can enable educators to prepare valid, reliable and fair test items which were more difficult and time-consuming without technology.

Thesis (MEd)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / This study investigates some of the factors affecting the adoption and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for curriculum delivery in selected private high schools in the Western Cape. In this 21st century, ICT has penetrated the society to the point that it is most likely to assume that the private high school in general, are effectively incorporating them (ICTs) in delivery of the curriculum. Regrettably, this assumption is not always true as revealed in most of the cases examined in this study. Instead, a lot of private high school teachers who were selected as participants or respondents in this study revealed that they are still facing critical challenges when they want to effectively adopt and use ICTs for curriculum delivery. While the previous studies have focused more on the ICT integration in pubic schools in disadvantaged communities, this study employed a mixed methods research design (that is both quantitative and qualitative research methods) to explore the factors affecting the adoption and use of ICTs in private high schools in the Western Cape Province. The two frameworks adopted in this study, the Teacher Development framework (DoE, 2007) and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided the researcher in the analysis of the research findings. The study also used both deductive and inductive reasoning in the interpretation of the results. The results of the study show that despite the high level of appreciating the importance of ICT adoption and use in teaching and learning by private high school teachers in the Western Cape Province, there are still critical factors that continue to militate against the effective integration of technology in the classroom. The study revealed the following factors as critical regarding the effective adoption and use of ICTs in curriculum delivery: lack of skills, limited access to ICT resources, lack of technical support, shortage of class time, and lack of teacher motivation.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organizations depend on the availability of reliable and credible information to make informed decisions and to plan effectively. The Education Management Information System (EMIS) is used by all provincial education departments including the Free State Department of Education for collecting, verifying, analysing, storing and disseminating reliable and credible data for decision making and planning purposes. Through its efforts to improve information management, the Department of Basic Education introduced the South African School Administration Management System (SA-SAMS) to improve the management of data at school level and allow for the uploading of this data onto provincial databases. This study focuses on an analysis of the Education Management Information System to determine whether this information system, utilised by the Free State Department of Education, is reliable and credible or not. In order to answer the research question under study, the dimensions/constructs of information systems success, such as information quality, system quality, individual and organizational impacts have been used to evaluate the information systems under investigation. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and outlines the background and the accountability chain of the Free State Department of Education. Chapter 2 deals with the theoretical grounding. It discusses the topic of Information Systems, in particular what the criteria used to determine the efficiency and reliability of an education management system in the Free State Province are. Chapter 3 draws on the theoretical base outlined in Chapter 2, focussing on the Free State Province to model the EMIS system and identifying the crucial elements where empirical observations are necessary. In Chapter 3 the focus is on the empirical data collection based on the model as set out in Chapter 4. In this chapter the methodological concerns in respect of the collection of data are dealt with in detail, and the findings are reported. In Chapter 4 the implications of the findings are weighed up against the criteria as identified in Chapter 2 and conclusions are drawn on that basis. Lastly Chapter 5, which draws on earlier findings, presents the lessons learnt in doing this research, conclusions drawn therefrom, as well as the recommendations presented as a way forward to improve the gaps identified in Free State EMIS. The researcher’s informed conclusion is that EMIS, through the use of SA-SAMS, has improved the capturing of data at school level and that this has contributed to an improvement in the quality of data contained in the provincial database. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasies is afhanklik van die beskikbaarheid van betroubare en geloofwaardige inligting ten einde ingeligte besluite te neem en effektief te beplan. Die Onderwysbestuursinligtingstelsel (EMIS) word deur al die provinsiale onderwysdepartemente gebruik, insluitend die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement, vir die versameling, verifiëring, analise, berging en disseminasie van betroubare en geloofwaardige data vir die doeleindes van besluitneming en beplanning. Deur sy pogings om inligtingbestuur te verbeter, het die Departement van Basiese Onderwys die Suid-Afrikaanse Skoolbestuurstelsel (SA-SAMS) ingestel om die bestuur van data op skoolvlak te verbeter en om voorsiening te maak vir die oordrag van hierdie data na provinsiale databasisse. Hierdie studie fokus op ‘n analise van die Onderwysbestuursinligtingstelsel om vas te stel of hierdie stelsel, wat deur die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement gebruik word, betroubaar en geloofwaardig is, al dan nie. Ten einde die navorsingsvraag van hierdie studie te beantwoord, is die dimensies/konstrukte van die sukses van inligtingstelsels, soos inligtingskwaliteit, stelselkwaliteit, individuele en organisatoriese impak, gebruik om die betrokke inligtingstelsels te evalueer. Hoofstuk 1 lei die onderwerp in en verstrek die agtergrond en aanspreeklikheidsketting van die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement. Hoofstuk 2 behandel die teoretiese begronding. Die onderwerp Inligtingstelsels word bespreek, veral die kriteria wat gebruik word om die doeltreffendheid en betroubaarheid van ‘n onderwysbestuurstelsel in die Vrystaatse Provinsie te bepaal. Met die teoretiese basis wat in Hoofstuk 2 uiteengesit is as vertrekpunt, fokus Hoofstuk 3 op die Vrystaatse Provinsie om die EMIS te modelleer en om die deurslaggewende elemente waar empiriese waarnemings nodig is, te identifiseer. In Hoofstuk 3 is die fokus op die versameling van empiriese data, gebaseer op die model wat in Hoofstuk 4 beskryf word. In hierdie hoofstuk word die metodologiese vraagstukke met betrekking tot die versameling van data in besonderhede behandel, en die bevindings word aangebied. In Hoofstuk 4 word die implikasies van die bevindings gestel teenoor die kriteria wat in Hoofstuk 2 geïdentifiseer is, en gevolgtrekkings word gemaak. Laastens word in Hoofstuk 5, gebaseer op vroeëre bevindings, die lesse wat uit hierdie navorsing geleer is, aangebied, gevolgtrekkings word gemaak, en aanbevelings word voorgehou as die pad vorentoe om leemtes wat in die Vrystaatse EMIS geïdentifiseer is, te verbeter. Dit is die navorser se ingeligte gevolgtrekking dat EMIS, deur die gebruik van SASAMS, die vaslegging van data op skoolvlak verbeter het, en dat dit bygedra het tot ’n verbetering van die kwaliteit van data in die provinsiale databasis.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-11-10T11:09:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-04-25Bitstream added on 2014-11-10T11:58:28Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000788673.pdf: 2038477 bytes, checksum: 1c03de2410d1f53582452ae039248542 (MD5) / Dentre as inúmeras alterações que ocorrem ao longo da infância, algumas delas levam a identificação da criança com algum tipo de deficiência. Entre essas deficiências encontramos a intelectual com repercussão no desempenho de tarefas relativamente simples da vida diária. Como consequência dessa deficiência, estas crianças apresentam diversos problemas no contexto educacional, com impacto negativo em diversos aspectos de suas atividades escolares. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito do uso do computador portátil e do tablet na execução de tarefas de destreza manual como jogar, desenhar, escrever e pintar, por crianças com deficiência intelectual leve. Esses recursos permitem às crianças criarem novas possibilidades de ação, através da interação com a máquina, auxiliando no desenvolvimento intelectual, motor, social, e emocional de forma diferenciada e estimulante. Foram selecionadas para o estudo 16 crianças com laudo de deficiência intelectual leve. As crianças foram submetidas a um programa individual de atividades desenvolvidas no computador portátil e no tablet. Elas foram divididas em dois grupos identificados como Grupo 1 e Grupo 2. O programa de intervenção foi realizado durante dez sessões, em dias alternados, com duração aproximada de 20 minutos cada. Nas cinco primeiras sessões do Grupo 1, as crianças fizeram atividades no tablet, enquanto que as do Grupo 2 realizaram atividades semelhantes no computador portátil. Tal procedimento permitiu verificar se a ordem de utilização dos equipamentos influencia o processo de aprendizagem. As atividades desenvolvidas na intervenção incluíram digitação, desenhos, pinturas de figuras e jogos da memória. Estas atividades estimulam principalmente a percepção visual, a integração viso-motora e a coordenação motora fina. O desenvolvimento do programa foi avaliado ao longo de três momentos da intervenção: antes da 1ª, após a 5ª e... / Among the many changes that occur during childhood some children run away from normality being identified with a disability. Among these we find intellectual disabilities which impact the performance of relatively simple tasks of daily life. As a result of this deficiency, these children have many problems in the educational context, with negative impact on various aspects of their school activities. In the present study, children performed manual activities using laptop and tablet. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the use of the laptop and the tablet by intellectually disabled children performing relatively simple tasks. These features allow children to create new possibilities for action, through theirs interactions with the machine, assisting in intellectual, motor, social, and emotional differentiated and stimulating way. Sixteen children with medical report from mild learning disabilities were selected for participation in the study. Children were submitted to daily program, developed in a laptop and a tablet. They were randomly divided into two groups identified as Group 1 and Group 2. The intervention program was conducted over 10 sessions on alternate days, lasting approximately 20 minutes each. In the 5 sessions of Group 1, children performed activities on the tablet, while Group 2 performed similar activities on the laptop. This procedure allowed us to verify whether the order of use of the equipment influences the learning process. The activities included in the intervention were typing, painting and a memory game. These activities primarily stimulate visual perception, visual-motor integration and fine motor coordination. The development of the program was assessed three times during the intervention: before the 1st, after the 5th and after the 10th session. In each of these assessments children were also submitted to a battery of tests the VMI Beery Visual Motor Integration (Beery,1997), evaluation of...

Orientador: Ana Maria Pellegrini / Banca: Maria Georgina Marques Tonello / Banca: Sara Agueda Fuenzalida Squella / Resumo: Dentre as inúmeras alterações que ocorrem ao longo da infância, algumas delas levam a identificação da criança com algum tipo de deficiência. Entre essas deficiências encontramos a intelectual com repercussão no desempenho de tarefas relativamente simples da vida diária. Como consequência dessa deficiência, estas crianças apresentam diversos problemas no contexto educacional, com impacto negativo em diversos aspectos de suas atividades escolares. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito do uso do computador portátil e do tablet na execução de tarefas de destreza manual como jogar, desenhar, escrever e pintar, por crianças com deficiência intelectual leve. Esses recursos permitem às crianças criarem novas possibilidades de ação, através da interação com a máquina, auxiliando no desenvolvimento intelectual, motor, social, e emocional de forma diferenciada e estimulante. Foram selecionadas para o estudo 16 crianças com laudo de deficiência intelectual leve. As crianças foram submetidas a um programa individual de atividades desenvolvidas no computador portátil e no tablet. Elas foram divididas em dois grupos identificados como Grupo 1 e Grupo 2. O programa de intervenção foi realizado durante dez sessões, em dias alternados, com duração aproximada de 20 minutos cada. Nas cinco primeiras sessões do Grupo 1, as crianças fizeram atividades no tablet, enquanto que as do Grupo 2 realizaram atividades semelhantes no computador portátil. Tal procedimento permitiu verificar se a ordem de utilização dos equipamentos influencia o processo de aprendizagem. As atividades desenvolvidas na intervenção incluíram digitação, desenhos, pinturas de figuras e jogos da memória. Estas atividades estimulam principalmente a percepção visual, a integração viso-motora e a coordenação motora fina. O desenvolvimento do programa foi avaliado ao longo de três momentos da intervenção: antes da 1ª, após a 5ª e... / Abstract: Among the many changes that occur during childhood some children run away from normality being identified with a disability. Among these we find intellectual disabilities which impact the performance of relatively simple tasks of daily life. As a result of this deficiency, these children have many problems in the educational context, with negative impact on various aspects of their school activities. In the present study, children performed manual activities using laptop and tablet. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the use of the laptop and the tablet by intellectually disabled children performing relatively simple tasks. These features allow children to create new possibilities for action, through theirs interactions with the machine, assisting in intellectual, motor, social, and emotional differentiated and stimulating way. Sixteen children with medical report from mild learning disabilities were selected for participation in the study. Children were submitted to daily program, developed in a laptop and a tablet. They were randomly divided into two groups identified as Group 1 and Group 2. The intervention program was conducted over 10 sessions on alternate days, lasting approximately 20 minutes each. In the 5 sessions of Group 1, children performed activities on the tablet, while Group 2 performed similar activities on the laptop. This procedure allowed us to verify whether the order of use of the equipment influences the learning process. The activities included in the intervention were typing, painting and a memory game. These activities primarily stimulate visual perception, visual-motor integration and fine motor coordination. The development of the program was assessed three times during the intervention: before the 1st, after the 5th and after the 10th session. In each of these assessments children were also submitted to a battery of tests the VMI Beery Visual Motor Integration (Beery,1997), evaluation of... / Mestre

Groupware packages are increasingly being used to support content delivery, class discussion, student to student and student to faculty interactions and group work on projects. This research focused on groupware packages that are used to support students who are located in different places, but who are assigned group projects as part of their coursework requirements. In many cases, students are being asked to use unfamiliar technologies that are very different from those that support personal productivity. For example, computer-assisted cooperative work (CSCW) technology is different from other more traditional, stand-alone software applications because it requires the user to interact with the computer as well as other users. However, familiarity with the technology is not the only requirement for successful completion of a group assigned project. For a group to be successful, it must also have a desire to work together on the project. If this pre-requisite is not present within the group, then the technology will only create additional communication and coordination barriers. How much of an impact does each of these factors have on the acceptance of CSCW technology? The significance of this study is threefold. First, this research contributed to how a user's predisposition toward group work affects their acceptance of CSCW technology. Second, it helped identify ways to overcome some of the obstacles associated with group work and the use of CSCW technology in an academic online environment. Finally, it helped identify early adopters of CSCW software and how these users can form the critical mass required to diffuse the technology. This dissertation reports the impact of predisposition toward group work and prior computer experience on the intention to use synchronous CSCW. It was found that predisposition toward group work was not only positively associated to perceived usefulness; it was also related to intention to use. It also found that perceived ease of use, at least in this study, had a direct and positive impact on intention, and was not mediated through perceived usefulness. These findings hold implications for academia and how it uses complex collaborative software. Avenues for further research are identified.

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