Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Information and Communications Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are omnipresent in the world and that includes the worlds of sport, education and physical education (PE). However, there seems to be a scarcity of PE teachers who are well aware of the benefits of the use of ICTs in PE. The aim of this study is therefore to design a model of the factors affecting the perceived awareness of PE teachers of the benefits of the use of ICTs in PE. This aim is sub-divided into four research objectives: (a) to select relevant technology adoption theories for the design of a model of the factors affecting the perceived awareness of PE teachers of the benefits of the use of ICTs in PE; (b) to design a conceptual model of the factors affecting the perceived awareness of PE teachers of the benefits of the use of ICTs in PE; (c) to empirically test the above mentioned conceptual model; and, (d) to make appropriate recommendations from the knowledge of the factors affecting the perceived awareness of PE teachers of the benefits of the use of ICTs in PE. Objectives a, b, and d were accomplished through the review of existing literature on the factors affecting the adoption of e-learning by teachers. As for objective c, it was achieved through the survey of 73 teachers from Camperdown schools in the UMgungundlovu District Municipality of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Here is a summary of how these objectives have been met in this study: (a) The Technology Adoption Model (TAM) serves as the theoretical model behind the choice of the research variables of this study; (b) This study hypothesizes that PE teachers’ perceived awareness of the benefits of the use of ICTs is affected by the following variables: demographics, performance expectancy, social influence, and computer attitude; (c) The survey conducted by this study confirms that PE teachers’ perceived awareness of the benefits of the use of ICTs is affected by their performance expectancy, and by three teachers’ demographics (computer usage, gender, and age group); (d) This study calls for more research on the factors affecting teachers’ awareness of the benefits of ICTs, since the study failed to find enough literature on this topic. / M

This study investigated the access to learner support services by Unisa‟s ABET students in the Department of Adult Education in one of the rural provinces in South Africa. Specifically, a survey using questionnaire and focus group interview was carried out to determine the access gaps in to the learner support services by Unisa‟s adult students. A literature study preceded the empirical study to fully comprehend the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of the role of learner support in bridging the transactional distance between students on the one hand and the institution on the other hand. In the empirical study phase, a questionnaire was administered to 150 ABET Students in one province in South Africa through the stratified sampling technique and one focus group interview comprising 10 students who access support services at one of the regional offices to assess the importance they attach to the support services that are offered at the regional centres and the extent to which they are able to access them. The focus group interview comprised questions on the students‟ understanding of learner support services and their experiences in accessing them. Moore‟s theory of transactional distance was used as the theoretical base for the study. Out of a total of the 150 questionnaires that were distributed, 117 were the usable representing 78.0% response rate. One of the conclusions drawn from this study is that, although Unisa has most of the learner support services in place but for various reasons, a lot of the students are not able to access the support services as expected as the needs gap for almost all the support services were high. The chi-square tests found significant differences (p is less than 0.05) between the students on the extent to which they are able to access the support services. An integrated learner support framework was suggested for Unisa and other distance providing institutions to address the access gaps adult students‟ encounter in their studies.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Information and Communications Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Existing literature indicates that the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKSs) in the school curriculum have the potential to increase academic performance. However, formal education is still unable to integrate ICTs into the teaching and learning of school subjects, especially, those that are related to IKSs. This research therefore aims to construct a model of the factors shaping learners’ perceptions on the usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs. This aim is sub-divided into four research objectives: (a) to identify appropriate technology diffusion theories for the investigation of the factors shaping learners’ perceptions on the usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs, (b) to construct a theoretical model of the factors shaping learners’ perceptions on the usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs, (c) to perform an empirical confirmation of the above announced theoretical model of the factors shaping the perceptions of learners on the usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs, and (d) to suggest new ideas for future research on learners’ perceptions on the usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs. A review of existing literature on eLearning adoption by students and learners was conducted in order to achieve objectives a, b, and d. As for objective c, it was achieved through the survey of 115 Hospitality studies learners from the ILembe and UMgungundlovu municipality districts in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. The study’s findings can be summarized as follows: (a) The Technology Adoption Model (TAM) is the backbone of the model designed by this study on the factors affecting learners’ perceptions of the usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs; (b) Learners’ perceived usefulness of ICTs is hypothetically affected by the following factors: demographics, computer self-efficacy, trust in ICTs, and level of conscientiousness, (c) All these factors were empirically confirmed through a survey conducted by the current study, except that the only validated demographics were : school location, cell phone access, class grade and preferred subject; (d) This research recommends further investigation on the factors affecting learners’ perceived usefulness of ICTs for the teaching and learning of IKSs, mainly because of the insufficient literature on this subject. / M

Thesis (DEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Growing numbers of urban and rural South African classrooms are now occupied by learners accustomed to, or could easily learn how to use technology that they have been described as ‘digital natives’. In order to design lessons that facilitate knowledge acquisition in a way that is familiar and relevant to these digital natives in the 21st century classroom, teachers have to integrate technology into their daily practice. In response to this situation, the National Department of Higher Education (NDoHE) has drafted an e-Education policy to inform schools about the use of technology for innovative teaching and enhanced learning. Provincial education departments are expected to drive this policy. In the context of the historically entrenched socio-economic inequalities in South African schools, the use of technology could be a key instrument in closing the gap between privileged and underprivileged communities. Currently the Western Cape Education Department is involved in many initiatives to make technology more available and accessible. Although some public schools in the Western Cape have been provided with various forms of technology for teachers to use in their teaching, much more needs to be done to encourage newly qualified teachers (NQTs) to adopt, adapt and use technology effectively in the classroom. This study aims to answer the key research question: What factors influence NQTs’ ability to integrate technology into their pedagogical practice? In order to explore these factors, concepts from the TPACK and UTAUT2 models, which constitute the conceptual framework of the study, were used to collect, analyse and interpret data. From a review of the relevant literature, it emerged that although the factors that influence NQTs’ ability to integrate technology into their pedagogy have been extensively investigated internationally, few studies have been conducted in South Africa as a whole, and even fewer in the Western Cape; which makes this a pioneering local study. Because of the importance of technology in the 21st century classroom, factors that influence teachers’ use of technology need constantly to be monitored in order for school leaders to formulate programmes to encourage more teachers to integrate technology into their lessons effectively.

Cell phones have become a ubiquitous part of daily life for both teachers and learners alike. The educational potential afforded by cell phones is diverse. The challenge for teachers is to capitalise on this ubiquity and make use of cell phones for educational purposes. This study investigates how cell phones can be used in the teaching of Mathematics using VITALmaths video clips. Five VITALmaths video clips were uploaded onto cell phones which were used in the classroom to explore the Theorem of Pythagoras in a visually appealing way that supported a conceptual understanding of the basis of the theorem. The study was conducted in two high schools in Grahamstown, South Africa. It involved two teachers from each school and a total number of 47 Grade 10 Mathematics students. The participating teachers were chosen from a group of Mathematics teachers taking part in the Mathematics Teacher Enrichment Programme (MTEP) of the FirstRand Foundation Mathematics Education Chair hosted by Rhodes University. This study is framed as a case study and is grounded within the interpretive paradigm. The study captures teachers’ and learners’ experiences in using cell phones as instructional aids within the pedagogical context of the classroom. This research suggests that cell phones can be a useful resource to support teaching and learning in the classroom, particularly in under-resourced schools. The use of VITALmaths video clips as mathematical content, and cell phones as a vehicle of delivery, enhanced active participation and concentration, sped up lessons, encouraged collaboration as well as interaction and hands-on exploration, and promoted both student autonomy as well as teacher enrichment.

M.A. / This study aims to determine the role of technology-enhanced learning within the South African Police Service as a medium to bring about effective communication, training and education, and subsequently transformation and realignment of corporate culture. Accordingly, it explores the influence of technology in the modern organisation as well indications of how organisations can conform to the information age. The relation of technology to the South African Police Service is consequently examined with due consideration of the communication and training methods in use. The functioning and compilation of technology-enhanced learning present an understanding of how it relates to the study. Furthermore, based on the evidence of persisting cultures and behaviours, and a perception of ineffectiveness and insufficient training of police personnel, the study determines how such a medium would facilitate transformation in the South African Police Service. The transformation process concentrates mainly on the technical, political and cultural systems of transformation in organisations. The process of awakening, present and future states in the South African Police Service and the setting and attainment of a vision through re-architecturing are discussed. The study argues that related technology-enhanced learning abilities, such as boundarylessness, feedback, participation and networking are essential aspects for transformation. The study also provides the basis for determining the use of technology-enhanced learning as an effective medium in promoting a learning organisation in terms of learning cycles. Related barriers to organisation learning included the aspect of attitudes. The relevance of collectivity as a building block to organisation learning is emphasised. In order to support the effective implementation of such a medium an exposition is given of the management of technology-enhanced learning, including aspects such as innovative-decision processes, implementation, risk assessment and theoretical and technical applications. Mass media theories are studied as part of the teacher/communicator applications for the effective and efficient utilisation of such a medium by both the sender and receiver. Among the concepts covered in the study are needs gratification and the formulation of the content of messages. No communications medium can continue to exist in an organisation without the viewer, client or personnel having a need for it. This led the researcher to undertake a quantitative study of the internal environment of the organisation regarding the use of the current television network POL TV, which serves as a measuring instrument to the adoption and application of technologyenhanced learning, and the levels of training. The conclusion to the study is that the amalgamation and transition processes of the South African Police Service has not yet managed to transform the inherent behaviours of groups of individuals in the organisation. In addition, there is a dire need for the development of personnel skills. The study finds technology-enhanced learning to be a dynamic communications, training and education technology that would facilitate the resolution of many uncertainties amongst personnel and redefine attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. Most importantly, the study concludes that, by means of its interactive, integrated, collective, connective, and boundaryless capability, technology-enhanced learning would bring all structures and people of the organisation together in the collective attainment of organisational vision, mission, goals and objectives. Ultimately, it is argued, the resulting impact of technology-enhanced learning would facilitate the transformation of the South African Police Service and its inherent corporate culture, and enhance service delivery to the community through democratic policing.

This research was aimed at the optimisation of the usability of content-rich computer and mobile based e-learning material. The goal was to preserve the advantages of paper based material in designing optimised modules that were mobile and computer-based, but at the same time avoiding the pitfalls of converting traditional paper based learning material for use on screen. A mobile eye tracker was used to analyse how students studied similar course content on paper, and on mobile device. Screen based eye tracking was also used to analyse how participants studied corresponding content on a desktop screen. Eye movements which were recorded by an eye tracker revealed the sequences of fixations and saccades on the text that was read by each participant. By analysing and comparing the eye gaze patterns of students reading the same content on three different delivery platforms, the differences between these platforms were identified in terms of their delivery of content rich, text based study material. The results showed that more students read online content on a computer screen than on mobile devices. The inferential analysis revealed that the differences in reading duration, comprehension, linearity and fixation count on the three platforms were insignificant. There were significant differences in saccade length. This analysis was used to identify strong aspects of the respective platforms and consequently derive guidelines for using these aspects optimally to design content rich material for delivery on computer screen and mobile device. The limitations of each platform were revealed and guidelines for avoiding these were derived / Computing / M.A. (Computing)

MCom / Department of Business Management / See the attached abstract below

MEd / Department of Curriculum Studies / See the attached abstract below

This research was aimed at the optimisation of the usability of content-rich computer and mobile based e-learning material. The goal was to preserve the advantages of paper based material in designing optimised modules that were mobile and computer-based, but at the same time avoiding the pitfalls of converting traditional paper based learning material for use on screen. A mobile eye tracker was used to analyse how students studied similar course content on paper, and on mobile device. Screen based eye tracking was also used to analyse how participants studied corresponding content on a desktop screen. Eye movements which were recorded by an eye tracker revealed the sequences of fixations and saccades on the text that was read by each participant. By analysing and comparing the eye gaze patterns of students reading the same content on three different delivery platforms, the differences between these platforms were identified in terms of their delivery of content rich, text based study material. The results showed that more students read online content on a computer screen than on mobile devices. The inferential analysis revealed that the differences in reading duration, comprehension, linearity and fixation count on the three platforms were insignificant. There were significant differences in saccade length. This analysis was used to identify strong aspects of the respective platforms and consequently derive guidelines for using these aspects optimally to design content rich material for delivery on computer screen and mobile device. The limitations of each platform were revealed and guidelines for avoiding these were derived / Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)