M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies) / According to Jansen van Rensburg (1987:62) the watchword in the present-day world is productivity and this necessitates that, that which the student learns must be relevant to particularly the needs of the practice for functional skills. As a result of the above-mentioned, the following questions were posed: * Does the existing Strength of Materials and Structures N5 curriculum conform to scientific justifiable criteria for curriculum development? * Does the contents of strength of Materials and Structures N5 conform to the needs of the Industry? * Is the purpose with the contents clear? To answer the above-mentioned questions a questionnaire was used. R.A. Kruger's evaluation model was used to evaluate the present Strength of Materials and Structures N5 syllabus. The following conclusions, inter alia, were arrived at: * Students who study at Technical Colleges, work mainly with maintenance aspects. A very small percentage indicated that design and drawing aspects are regarded as important in practice. However, the present Strength of Materials and Structures N5 syllabus makes very 1ittle provision for the maintenance of such contents. * Furthermore it was found that there is a particularly great need for practical elucidation of the theory. * The present document (syllabus) does not conform to scientific justifiable criteria. No objectives or aims are reflected in the document. The contents are listed point by point without any order.

This qualitative dissertation explored the digital literacy practices of adolescent Black girls who actively engaged on social media in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory school shutdowns, and the aftermath of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. I employ the Black Girls’ Literacies (BGL) framework (Haddix & Muhammad, 2016) to analyze the TikTok accounts of two adolescent Black girl influencers, as well as six qualitative interviews I conducted with adolescent Black girls who avidly used video sharing social media apps during that time. The data analysis aligned with the following components of the BGL Framework: Black girls’ literacies are multiple; Black girls’ literacies are tied to identities; and Black girls’ literacies are intellectual, political, and critical. Moreover, the data analysis also revealed that Black girls espoused three different identities while using social media to address the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Black violence. These themes were: Crafting Digital Narratives of the Self as Educators, Crafting Digital Narratives of the Self as Nurturers, and Crafting Digital Narratives of the Self as Digital Activists. My findings suggested that for English educators, prioritizing racial literacy in the English classroom, creating learning experiences that are informed by critical media literacy, and creating a space that honors and supports Black girls’ desires to be activists within their communities are critical for their success within and outside of the English classroom.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Library and Information Studies in the Department of Information and Corporate Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2008. / This study investigated the job functions of university and university of technology graduates and diplomates in the staff structures of special libraries and engineering firms in KwaZulu-Natal. The objective of the study was to draw on possible trends and best practices in the latter for the Library and Information Services (LIS) work environment, as engineering like LIS draws its personnel from both traditional universities and universities of technology (UoT). Hence, the main target population for the study was university and UoT graduates and diplomates in special libraries and engineering firms in KZN. Graduates and diplomates were chosen for inclusion in the study using a census because of the smallness of the staff complements in these organizations. Two sets of self-administered questionnaires were distributed, one to graduates/diplomates and the other to employers in the selected organizations. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings of the study revealed inconsistencies with the National Diploma: Library and Information Studies (ND: LIS) where these diplomates occupy paraprofessional as well as professional positions in special libraries whilst engineering graduates and diplomates tend to occupy job titles according to their highest academic qualifications. In both special libraries as well as in the engineering environment there is much task overlap and downshifting of job functions between paraprofessional and professional university and UoT graduates and diplomates. This study has revealed a valuable best practice from the engineering discipline for the LIS profession, which is that of professional registration. Professional registration of engineering staff with the Engineering Council of South Africa is a statutory requirement in the engineering profession and allows for the growth and development of those in the profession. It is recommended that the LIS profession, and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) specifically, investigate a mechanism for professional registration of library and information workers.

Since the advent of democracy in 1994 South Africa has been faced with the shortage of skilled people and this is caused, amongst other things, by the inadequacy of the outdated National Education Programmes for Technical Colleges (NATED) and later referred to as the N-programmes. To address the problem, the former Department of Education (DoE) developed new programmes called the National Certificate Vocational NC (V) for the students of the Further Education and Training colleges (FETs), which were renamed the Technical Vocational Educational and Training Colleges (TVET). The TVET programmes were implemented with the collaboration of industry and other stakeholders who were involved when the NC (V) programmes were developed to ensure their buy-in. Despite all these efforts, Magnus et al. (2013) are of the view that the vocationally-oriented NC (V) programmes offered at colleges are not useful, work-focused and flexible, as a result some leading employers reject the products of the programmes. Returning to the global debate, Lewis (2009) contends that failure of vocational programmes anywhere ought not to be taken as an indictment of vocationalism. Based on the above scenario, this study surveyed and traced TVET graduates who graduated from 2009 to 2012, to determine the impact of the NC (V) programme on those who decided to either further their studies or be employed. Although the programmes offered by the FET’s are rolled out in various study fields throughout the country, the research was limited to graduates who were enrolled in the following three programmes in the North West Province: building construction, electrical, and engineering related studies. The three mega FET Colleges, composed of more than ten campuses as listed in point 1.2.1, are spread throughout the province, which is regarded to be predominantly rural even though it boasts the biggest hub of mines, especially platinum mines. There is also high concentration of tourism industry as well as agricultural businesses that require a skilled labour force to drive economic activities. An extensive literature review was conducted to appropriately inform the study and to provide a firm basis for the arguments. The NC (V) programmes by their nature and design are closely related to the work of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) with respect to the apprenticeships and the learnerships. Factors relating to the research scope, context and the geographical environment were analysed to ensure proper delineation and delimitation of the study since it covered only the North West Province of South Africa. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for the collection of data. An interview schedule was used for the collection of the qualitative data from the Colleges, Department of Higher Education and Training, the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the Universities of Technologies (UoTs), and the various employer organizations. The questionnaire was applied to collect quantitative data from the graduates because of their large numbers. The use of both methods, the qualitative and quantitative, enhanced the quality of the verification and the validation of the data. The correlational relationship and connection between the NC (V) graduates and their post college destinations was determined. This refers to the correlation between NC (V) graduates and the opportunities seized after their college studies. Charles (1998:11) attests that “although in most cases data for correlation studies are obtained through measurement, at times they come from judgments made by researchers, teachers, or other qualified persons”. In line with this, the researcher presented the findings from the qualitative method in a manner that outlines the opinions and the post college status of the graduates. The findings of the qualitative method provided background knowledge into the NC (V) programmes, the graduates and their destinations, thereby validating the quantitative findings. A work integrated learning framework model is proposed for the enhancement of the FET College curriculum, for the improvement of quality work-placement and for the promotion of partnership amongst the beneficiaries; graduates, employers, colleges and the intermediaries. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-06-21T12:36:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Walter Pichi Junior.pdf: 4132122 bytes, checksum: fb86468f13e878f9ea8613f3fad265a6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-21T12:36:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Walter Pichi Junior.pdf: 4132122 bytes, checksum: fb86468f13e878f9ea8613f3fad265a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-07 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective of this work was the development of a teaching kit using simple, mockups, but miniaturized models of chromatographic columns, whether heated or not. Development utilized low-cost material and the do-it-yourself approach. The performance tests of the speakers and their kit demonstrated that the system is reproducible and can be used to teach concepts about fluid manipulation, diffusion and desorption, among others. The purpose of the kit is to facilitate the easy manipulation of its components and their interconnection, proposing new innovations as well as advantages for learning the concepts of ABP and STEM / Este trabalho teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um kit de ensino utilizando modelos simples (mockups), mas miniaturizados, de colunas cromatográficas, aquecidas ou não. O desenvolvimento utilizou material de baixo custo e a abordagem do “faça você mesmo”. Os testes de desempenho das colunas e respectivo kit demonstraram que o sistema é reprodutível e que pode ser utilizado para o ensino de conceitos sobre manipulação de fluidos, difusão e dessorção, entre outros. O kit tem por finalidade favorecer a fácil manipulação, dos componentes que o compõe e a interligação dos mesmos, propondo novas inovações além de vantagens para a aprendizagem dos conceitos de ABP e STEM

M. Tech. Education / Investigates the status of Civil Technology practical activities in three South African schools in the Eastern Cape Province. The Civil Technology policy advocates that the integration of theory to practical, where learners should be capacitated with practical skills to enable them to amongst other things, enter the job market upon completion of Grade 12,or apprenticeships that will prepare them for a trade test should they not be willing to further their academic studies.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Library and Information Studies in the Department of Information and Corporate Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2008. / This study investigated the job functions of university and university of technology graduates and diplomates in the staff structures of special libraries and engineering firms in KwaZulu-Natal. The objective of the study was to draw on possible trends and best practices in the latter for the Library and Information Services (LIS) work environment, as engineering like LIS draws its personnel from both traditional universities and universities of technology (UoT). Hence, the main target population for the study was university and UoT graduates and diplomates in special libraries and engineering firms in KZN. Graduates and diplomates were chosen for inclusion in the study using a census because of the smallness of the staff complements in these organizations. Two sets of self-administered questionnaires were distributed, one to graduates/diplomates and the other to employers in the selected organizations. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings of the study revealed inconsistencies with the National Diploma: Library and Information Studies (ND: LIS) where these diplomates occupy paraprofessional as well as professional positions in special libraries whilst engineering graduates and diplomates tend to occupy job titles according to their highest academic qualifications. In both special libraries as well as in the engineering environment there is much task overlap and downshifting of job functions between paraprofessional and professional university and UoT graduates and diplomates. This study has revealed a valuable best practice from the engineering discipline for the LIS profession, which is that of professional registration. Professional registration of engineering staff with the Engineering Council of South Africa is a statutory requirement in the engineering profession and allows for the growth and development of those in the profession. It is recommended that the LIS profession, and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) specifically, investigate a mechanism for professional registration of library and information workers.

The United States are facing a critical workforce challenge, even though current unemployment is around 6.7%, employers find it difficult to find applicants that can satisfy all job requirements. This problem is especially pronounced in the manufacturing sector where a critical skills gap has developed, a problem that is exasperated by workforce demographics. A large number of employees across the various manufacturing sub-disciplines are eligible to retire now or in the near future. This gray tsunami requires swift action as well as long lasting change resulting in a workforce pipeline that can provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors in sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy not only the needs of STEM industries, but also of those companies outside of the STEM sector that hire STEM graduates. The research shown here will identify overt symptoms describing the capability gap, will identify specific skills describing the gap, educational causes why the gaps has not yet been addressed or is difficult to address, and lastly educational remedies that can contribute to closing the capability gap. A significant body of literature focusing on engineering in higher education has been evaluated and findings will be presented here. A multidisciplinary, collaborative capstone program will be described which implements some of the findings from this study in an active learning environment for students working on distributed teams across the US. Preliminary findings regarding the impact of these measures on the quantity of engineers to the US economy will be evaluated.

Since the advent of democracy in 1994 South Africa has been faced with the shortage of skilled people and this is caused, amongst other things, by the inadequacy of the outdated National Education Programmes for Technical Colleges (NATED) and later referred to as the N-programmes. To address the problem, the former Department of Education (DoE) developed new programmes called the National Certificate Vocational NC (V) for the students of the Further Education and Training colleges (FETs), which were renamed the Technical Vocational Educational and Training Colleges (TVET). The TVET programmes were implemented with the collaboration of industry and other stakeholders who were involved when the NC (V) programmes were developed to ensure their buy-in. Despite all these efforts, Magnus et al. (2013) are of the view that the vocationally-oriented NC (V) programmes offered at colleges are not useful, work-focused and flexible, as a result some leading employers reject the products of the programmes. Returning to the global debate, Lewis (2009) contends that failure of vocational programmes anywhere ought not to be taken as an indictment of vocationalism. Based on the above scenario, this study surveyed and traced TVET graduates who graduated from 2009 to 2012, to determine the impact of the NC (V) programme on those who decided to either further their studies or be employed. Although the programmes offered by the FET’s are rolled out in various study fields throughout the country, the research was limited to graduates who were enrolled in the following three programmes in the North West Province: building construction, electrical, and engineering related studies. The three mega FET Colleges, composed of more than ten campuses as listed in point 1.2.1, are spread throughout the province, which is regarded to be predominantly rural even though it boasts the biggest hub of mines, especially platinum mines. There is also high concentration of tourism industry as well as agricultural businesses that require a skilled labour force to drive economic activities. An extensive literature review was conducted to appropriately inform the study and to provide a firm basis for the arguments. The NC (V) programmes by their nature and design are closely related to the work of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) with respect to the apprenticeships and the learnerships. Factors relating to the research scope, context and the geographical environment were analysed to ensure proper delineation and delimitation of the study since it covered only the North West Province of South Africa. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for the collection of data. An interview schedule was used for the collection of the qualitative data from the Colleges, Department of Higher Education and Training, the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the Universities of Technologies (UoTs), and the various employer organizations. The questionnaire was applied to collect quantitative data from the graduates because of their large numbers. The use of both methods, the qualitative and quantitative, enhanced the quality of the verification and the validation of the data. The correlational relationship and connection between the NC (V) graduates and their post college destinations was determined. This refers to the correlation between NC (V) graduates and the opportunities seized after their college studies. Charles (1998:11) attests that “although in most cases data for correlation studies are obtained through measurement, at times they come from judgments made by researchers, teachers, or other qualified persons”. In line with this, the researcher presented the findings from the qualitative method in a manner that outlines the opinions and the post college status of the graduates. The findings of the qualitative method provided background knowledge into the NC (V) programmes, the graduates and their destinations, thereby validating the quantitative findings. A work integrated learning framework model is proposed for the enhancement of the FET College curriculum, for the improvement of quality work-placement and for the promotion of partnership amongst the beneficiaries; graduates, employers, colleges and the intermediaries. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Orientador: Mauro Sergio Miskulin, Rosana G. S. Miskulin / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T03:31:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PivaJunior_Dilermando_D.pdf: 2474733 bytes, checksum: 6f2118117d2c8fc9a5f56f799d06aafe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta a arquitetura computacional AUXILIAR, que foi especificada com o objetivo de potencializar a ação docente em módulos de Ensino de Engenharia. Para tanto foi implementado um mecanismo que, além de facilitar o processo de avaliação, procura por casos similares ocorridos com outros alunos em situações passadas semelhantes. Esta busca permite que o sistema possa redefinir o conteúdo que o aluno deve ser submetido e eliminar as deficiências detectadas durante a avaliação formativa, sem a necessidade de uma maior intervenção do professor no processo educativo. Para atingir tais objetivos foram utilizados conceitos de Inteligência Artificial, especificamente Raciocínio Baseado em Casos aplicado à Educação, e conceitos de Avaliação Formativa, buscando, com essa abordagem e com a utilização de metodologia específica para construção de cursos Online (AUXILIARCONSTRUTOR), facilitar a organização dos conteúdos pedagógicos a serem disponibilizados em cursos Online. Ao final, são apresentados resultados preliminares da utilização da arquitetura computacional AUXILIAR, em uma primeira implementação, em dois momentos, 1º e 2º semestres de 2005, e envolvendo disciplinas e turmas distintas de cursos específicos de Engenharia da Computação, Ciência da Computação e Tecnologia em Informática. Com essas perspectivas esta pesquisa procura investigar o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta computacional inteligente utilizando a metodologia de Raciocínio Baseado em Casos (RBC) que potencializará a ação docente no gerenciamento, condução e redirecionamento dos alunos em módulos de ensino em cursos Online na área de Engenharia, proporcionando uma melhoria na aprendizagem / Abstract: This study presents the AUXILIAR computational architecture, which was specified with the objective of enhancing the professor action in the Engineering Teaching modules. To carry this out, it was implemented a mechanism that, besides facilitating the evaluation process, it looks for similar cases occurred with students on past similar situation. This search allows the system to redefine the content¿s student that must be submitted and eliminates the detected deficiencies during the formative evaluation without the professor¿s intervention in the educative process. To reach these proposals, have been used concepts on Artificial Intelligence, specifically Case-Based Reasoning applied to Education, and concepts of Formative Evaluation aiming with this focus and also with the usage of specific methodology applied to online courses assembling (called, AUXILIAR-CONTRUTOR), to facilitate the pedagogical contents organization to be available in online courses. At the end of the study, preliminary results of AUXILIAR computational architecture usage are presented, in a first implementation, in two moments (first and second half of 2005), involving distinct disciplines and classes of the Computing Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology courses. With these perspectives, this research looks to investigate the development of an intelligent computational tool using the methodology of Case Based Reasoning (CBR) that enhances the teaching action in the management, conduction and redirection of the students in modules of education in online courses of Engineering area, providing an improvement in the learning / Doutorado / Automação / Doutor em Engenharia Elétrica