This thesis, Utilising Open Educational Resources in support of curriculum transformation at Africa Nazarene University: A participatory action research approach, derives from a multi-year project implemented by OER Africa, and funded by the Hewlett Foundation, to explore the potential of Open Educational Resources (OER) in support of pedagogic transformation in African universities. The project involves four institutions: Africa Nazarene University (ANU) in Kenya, the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), and the Universities of Pretoria and the Free State (UP and UFS) in South Africa. This study centred on ANU only in the period 2013 to 2016, with a focus on the period 2015-2016, and was timed to inform ANU’s new strategic planning process from 2017. The wider project adopted a participatory action research process in its engagement with the four core institutions. Within this over-arching project methodology, this study made use of an analytical autoethnographic approach to capture and analyse data and to make recommendations, to acknowledge the researcher’s dual role as both a co-participant and an institutional project lead. The approach was informed primarily by hermeneutics and systems thinking and involved multiple in-country engagements with ANU and the triangulation of information derived from document review, observation and iterative focus group discussions and individual interviews. An OER Maturity Index and Planning Tool was also developed and used to inform planning and reflection and to provide a barometer of changing attitudes and activities regarding engagement with OER. Initially the engagement focused on developing a supportive policy and capacity-building environment for individuals to integrate OER into specific Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) courses and to publish revised course materials under an open licence. However, as the initiative progressed, it became apparent that there was need to revisit the institution’s overall business model considering increased competition, new regulatory requirements and a growing demand from students for more flexible forms of provision. In fact, the key finding of this study is the suggestion that engagement with OER is unlikely to move from being an individual to an institutional focus unless such engagement is aligned with the overall vision, mission and business model of the university. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The use of the digital school library depends on many factors, including end-users‘ acceptance. The issue of designing information systems that will be used appropriately is growing and thus user acceptance of new technology is now receiving much attention by researchers. Without acceptance, discretionary users will seek alternatives, while even dedicated users will most likely manifest dissatisfaction, negating many, if not all, the presumed benefits of the digital library. Whereas the traditional focus of digital libraries has drawn research on technological developments, there is a call for user-focused research. This study sought to identify the dynamics of elementary children‘s (11- to 13- year olds) decision-making in the context of accepting or resisting making use of digital school libraries at Crawford Preparatory Pretoria School in Gauteng. To be accepted, the digital library must satisfy basic usability requirements and be perceived as useful by the children. The constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were used to generate an understanding of acceptance of the digital school libraries. The study adopted a quantitative case study research approach to compare the empirical data and the TAM theory. Data triangulation of a wide range of data collection methods, including observation, questionnaires, focus groups and tasks given to the children to work on using the International Children‘s Digital Library was analysed. The findings revealed that, just like adults, children make decisions regarding accepting and using the digital school library based on how easy it is to use and how relevant it is to their needs. The study recommends that software designers, teachers and librarians work with the children when designing digital school libraries to ensure that their acceptance factors are taken into consideration when designing for them. / Information Science / M. Inf.

The focus of this study is to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of the undergraduate art and design students of The Open Window School of Visual Communication. A qualitative approach with case study strategy is followed. For sampling purposes The Open Window School of Visual Communication was selected. Various qualitative research methods and literature on information-seeking behaviour are explored. The data were collected through one-on-one interviews. The findings show that various factors influence the information-seeking behaviour of undergraduate art and design students. Aspects in the users’ personal environment, such as meaning, experience, skills, preferences, and actions, have a significant influence on their information-seeking behaviour. Further factors deriving from the students’ context that influence their information-seeking behaviour are curricula, tasks, people (lecturers, artists, designers), sources, and technology applied to accomplish tasks. All these contributing factors have their own sets of requirements with which the art students have to comply. In addition, the findings show that the students’ digital literacy skills influence their information literacy skills. The findings also show that the factors that influence The Open Window students’ information-seeking behaviour influence the library as information service, in terms of the library sources and services the students use. Recommendations are made in order to appropriately address the information- seeking needs of this specific user group and to guide the students to best ways in information-seeking. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English, Zulu and Afrikaans / This qualitative study investigated the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of doctoral students who use smartphones or tablets for learning. Fifteen doctoral students who are registered at the University of Cape Coast were interviewed. Ellis’s (1989) model of information-seeking behaviour guided the study and supported the researcher in developing a model that could be used to acquire an understanding of how mobile technologies influence information needs and information-seeking behaviour. Two contexts influence the participants’ information needs and information-seeking behaviour, namely, the academic context and their everyday life contexts. The interplay between the elements of the context in which participants find themselves and their mental structures appear to influence their information needs and information-seeking behaviour. Most of the participating students do not seem to have the required information literacy skills to seek information in an online environment. The contextual elements that appear to influence the participants’ information needs and searching behaviour include situations in action, academic tasks and information resources. The ability to connect to the Internet and retrieve online sources of information proved to be important. The participants use the mobile devices to retrieve information from the Internet and in some instances from the university library’s resources. Certain device-related characteristics, such as small screens, limited memory space and short battery lifespan, seem to affect the usefulness of mobile devices for information-seeking purposes. The cost of data and an inability to connect to the Internet, due to disruptions in network signals and a lack of Wi-Fi infrastructure, also curb the use of mobile devices. WhatsApp not only provides the participants with the means to share information and discuss their academic tasks, but it also makes collaboration and group work possible. Some of the students lack the required information literacy skills to make optimal use of the library’s resources. Therefore, it would be prudent for the university to include information literacy skills training in the curricula for all levels of study. This requirement should also include doctoral students who have not previously completed an information literacy course. / Lolu cwaningo lohlelo olugxile kwingxoxo beluphenya izidingo zolwazi kanye nezenzo zokucinga ulwazi lwabafundi abakwiziqu zesibili abasebenzisa ama-smartphones noma ama-tablets ukufunda. Abafundi abayishumi nanhlanu abasezingeni leziqu zesibili abazibhalise kwi-University of Cape Coast bebehlolwa ngokwezimvo. Imodeli ka-Ellis (1989) yezenzo ezihlose ukufumana ulwazi ihole ucwaningo futhi yaxhasa umcwaningi ekuthuthukisweni kwemodeli engasetshenziswa ukuthola ulwazi olumayelana nokuthi ngabe izinhlelo zobuchwepheshe be-inthanethi yefowunu zithinta kanjani izidingo zolwazi kanye nezenzo ezihlose ukuthola ulwazi. Izizinda ezimbili zinomthelela phezu kolwazi lwabadlalindima kanye nokuziphatha okuhlose ukuthola ulwazi, zona yilezi yisizinda sezemfundo kanye nezizinda ezimayelana nempilo yabo yansuku zonke. Ukuhlangana phakathi kwezinhlaka ezimayelana nesizinda abadlalindima abazithola ngaphakathi kwaso kanye nokuhleleka kwemiqondo yabo kubonakala kunomthelela phezu kwezidingo zabo zolwazi kanye nokuziphatha okuhlose ukuthola ulwazi. Iningi labafundi abadlala indima alibonakali lifuna amakhono olwazi lokufunda ukuze bacinge ulwazi kwisizinda kwu-inthanethi. Izinhlaka zesizinda ezibonakala zithinta izidingo zolwazi lwabadlalindima kanye nezenzo zokusesha zifaka izimo kwimisebenzi yezenzo zemfundo kanye nemithombo yolwazi. Ikhono lokuxhumanisa i-inthanethi kanye nokuvumbulula imithombo ye-inthanethi kukhombisa kusemqoka kakhulu. Abadlalindima basebenzisa izixhobo zomakhalekhukhwini ukulandelela ulwazi ku Inthanethi, kanti kwezinye izimo, ukuthola ulwazi kwimithombo eyithala lezincwadi yasenyuvesi. Yize-kunjalo, izimpawu ezithile ezihlobene nezixhobo, ezingamasikirini amancane, isikhala esincane sokugcina ulwazi kanye nempilo emfushane yebhediri, kubonakala kuthinta izinga lokusebenziseka kwezixhobo ezingomakhalekhukhwini ngezinhloso zokucinga ulwazi. Izindleko zedatha kanye nokungakwazi ukuxhumana nge Inthanethi ngenxa yokuphazamiseka kwamasiginali obuxhakaxhaka benediweki kanye nokwentuleka kwengqalasizinda ye Wi-Fi kanti futhi nokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwezixhobo ezingomakhalekhukhwini. Uhlelo lwe-WhatsApp aluhlinzeka kuphela abadlalindima ngamasu okuphana ngolwazi kanye nokuxoxa ngemisebenzi yezemfundo, kanti futhi yenza ukuthi kube nokusebenzisana kanye nokuthi iqembu likwazi ukusebenza. Abanye babafundi baswela amakhono wokufunda adingekayo ukuze bakwazi ukusebenzisa ngokusezingeni eliphezulu kwemithombo yethala lezincwadi. Ngakho-ke, bekungaba kuhle kwinyuvesi ukuthi izinhlelo zokuqeqesha mayelana namakhono olwazi lokufunda kwikharikhulamu yawo wonke amazing ocwaningo. Lezi zinhlelo ezifunekayo kufanele futhi zisebenze kubafundi beziqu zesibili abangakaze esikahthini esedlule baphothule isifundo sokuthola ulwazi. / Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het ondersoek ingestel na die inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag van doktorale studente wat slimfone of tablette vir hul studie gebruik. Onderhoude is gevoer met vyftien doktorale studente wat by die University of Cape Coast geregistreer is. Ellis (1989) se model van inligtingsoekgedrag het die studie gerig en het die navorser ondersteun in die ontwikkeling van ’n model wat gebruik kan word om ’n begrip te vorm van hoe mobiele tegnologieë inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag beïnvloed. Twee kontekste affekteer die deelnemers se inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag, naamlik die akademiese konteks en die konteks van hul daaglikse lewe. Dit wil voorkom of die wisselwerking tussen die elemente van die konteks waarin deelnemers hulself bevind, asook hul verstandelike strukture, hul inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag beïnvloed. Die meeste van die deelnemende studente beskik klaarblyklik nie oor die nodige inligtingsgeletterdheidsvaardighede om in ’n aanlyn omgewing vir inligting te soek nie. Die kontekstuele elemente wat skynbaar die deelnemers se inligtingsbehoeftes en -soekgedrag beïnvloed, sluit situasies in aksie- akademiese take en inligtingshulpbronne in. Daar is bevind dat die vermoë om tot die internet te koppel en aanlyn inligtingsbronne te verkry, belangrik is. Die deelnemers gebruik die mobiele apparate om inligting van die internet, en in sommige gevalle, van die universiteit se biblioteekhulpbronne te verkry. Sommige apparaatkenmerke soos klein skerms, beperkte geheuespasie en kort batterylewe blyk ‘n uitwerking op die bruikbaarheid van mobiele apparate vir inligtingsoekdoeleindes te hê. Die koste van data en ’n onvermoë om tot die internet te koppel vanweë onderbrekings in netwerksein en ’n gebrek aan Wi-Fi infrastruktuur belemmer ook die gebruik van mobiele apparate. WhatsApp bied nie net aan die deelnemers ’n manier om inligting te deel en hul akademiese take te bespreek nie; dit maak ook samewerking en groepwerk moontlik. Sommige van die studente beskik nie oor die nodige inligtingsgeletterdheidvaardighede om die biblioteek se hulpbronne optimaal te kan benut nie. Daarom sal dit wys wees as die universiteit opleiding in inligtingsgeletterdheidvaardighede in die kurrikula vir alle studievlakke insluit. Hierdie vereiste moet ook geld vir nagraadse studente wat nie vantevore ’n kursus in inligtingsgeletterdheid voltooi het nie. / Information Science / D. Litt et Phil. (Information Science)