The recent global growth and popularity of open and distance learning (ODL) has been attributed to its advantages, such as flexibility for students who wish to study while working. Moreover, ODL is an effective tool in extending participation to students from less privileged social groups who are unreachable due to geographic location or cannot access higher education due to diverse factors, such as financial constraints or domestic arrangements. In the light of this, this study investigated learner support in the Department of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the University of South Africa (Unisa), the largest, dedicated ODL institution in South Africa. A review of literature identified the Community of Inquiry model proposed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2001) as useful in this context and I used it as a conceptual framework for the empirical inquiry that I undertook. A mixed method approach comprising two consecutive phases was employed to investigate the research questions. A self-designed questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from a random sample of 400 students registered for the ABET Diploma module (Phase One) followed by face to face interviews with selected lecturers and students (Phase Two). The scope of the study was limited to ABET lecturers, ABET diploma students and to selected Unisa learner support systems, such as myUnisa which includes a web-based discussion forum. The findings of the inquiry were presented and discussed under three main headings: the findings of Phase One, the findings of Phase Two and a summary in which the findings of the two phases were integrated where appropriate. The themes that emerged from the questionnaire and the interviews demonstrate clearly that learner support in the ABET Department is crucial in ensuring learner success. Interlinking themes are as follows: the context of the students, levels of computer literacy, accessibility of Unisa learner support systems, student motivation and time management. Many ABET students live in remote areas of the country and have little or no access to internet facilities. However, the majority of students agreed that they would like to interact more with other students through myUnisa in future. Lecturers and students agreed that myUnisa was a vital tool in teaching the students online; yet both students and lecturers still regarded contact discussion classes as the most important form of learner support. The findings suggested that the distance between the university and the student still has to be reduced more to ensure that student support reaches all students equitably. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Reading difficulties are of concern worldwide, as evidenced by a number of studies, including the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA), and Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS). In South Africa’s, Gauteng Province, in which this study was conducted, the Department of Education (DoE) launched campaigns, such as Foundations for Learning (FFL) and Annual National Assessment (ANA) to address this problem. The purpose of this study was to explore, explain and describe the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support learners experiencing reading difficulties in two public primary schools. The study was influenced by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory of human learning that describes it as a social process and the origination of human intelligence in society or culture. It comprised skills, assumptions and practices that the researcher used when moving from paradigm to the empirical world. A qualitative approach was used to gain first-hand holistic understanding of the use of ICTs to support learners experiencing reading difficulties, with data collected using focus group interviews, individual interviews and observations. Participants were 18 members of the School Based Support Team (SBST) and two Learning Support Educators (LSEs) of the two selected primary schools. The use of ICTs as a support mechanism was explored, with a detailed view presented on the use of ICTs by the teachers during teaching and learning activities and how they supported learners experiencing reading difficulties. From the research findings, factors affecting learners experiencing reading difficulties were identified, including lack of resources (specifically ICTS) and lack of guidelines on identifying and providing support to the learners experiencing reading difficulties. Based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations were made and the researcher developed guidelines which could be used by teachers to provide ICTs support for learners with reading difficulties. / Educational Studies

Knowledge-sharing practices are all the actions aimed at improving the internal flow and use of knowledge within a virtual team. The collective knowledge of team members only becomes powerful if it is shared among those who possess common goals. The main purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge-sharing practices of Hogan Lovells’ virtual team of legal information professionals and establish how these practices could be enhanced in order to provide a superior information service to the firm’s lawyers. Hogan Lovells is a multinational law firm with offices in South Africa and England, and its virtual team of legal information professionals were experiencing challenges in sharing knowledge. The study adopted a qualitative methodology and a case-study research design. Interview guides were used to collect qualitative data from study Participants. Out of the 23 potential interviewees from the London and Johannesburg team who were purposively selected as the target population for the study, the researcher interviewed 14 on reaching the point of saturation. The Participants interviewed were in possession of suitable information related to the objectives of the study. Qualitative data collected were analysed using content analysis; findings were then made from the completed analysis. From the findings, it emerged that there were several gaps in the knowledge-sharing practices. Several enablers to the knowledge-sharing practices by legal information professionals were identified. The study recommended several ways by which the knowledge-sharing practices at Hogan Lovells’ virtual team of legal information professionals may be enhanced, amongst which are: formalising team meetings as a virtual community of practice, stimulating informal peer mentoring, valuing storytelling and regularly conducting After-Action Reviews. In addition to this, the virtual team should use other knowledge-sharing practices, such as brainstorming, subject-matter experts, and face-to-face virtual meetings. The study suggested that additional studies, particularly surveys and quantitative studies, be conducted on other virtual teams of legal information professionals in South Africa in order to explore their knowledge-sharing practices. / Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

Reading is an important skill that forms part of acquiring knowledge. It improves literacy levels, social skills, personal wellbeing and provides a sense of purpose. However, there are majority of learners experiencing reading difficulties around the world. The purpose of this study revolves around recent trends in academic underperformance that have led to a proliferation of studies which suggest that one of the greatest causes is reading difficulties. The Full-Service Schools (FSS) being part of the support strategy as denoted by Education White Paper 6 are primary schools that are equipped with most resources including Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). For this reason, they were selected so that the perceptions and experiences of their School-Based Support Team (SBST) members and Learning Support Educators (LSEs) can be explored, described and be explained when supporting learners experiencing reading difficulties. Through the concurrent triangulation mixed methods design data was collected using both quantitative and qualitative methods (that is the structured questionnaire, focus group interviews and official documents). The collected data was analysed through mixed analysis and merged to corroborate the findings from quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicated that there was a small statistically significant difference in the reading performance of participants who were exposed to ICTs as a support mechanism for learners experiencing reading difficulties in the FSS. The slight improvement can be attributed to lack of ICTs guidelines for supporting learners experiencing reading difficulties, limited teacher training on ICTs and the limited use of the ICTs. In conclusion, the ICTs scaffolding guideline for teachers to support leaners experiencing reading difficulties was developed. The guideline incorporated the three theories that unpinned this study namely the social interaction part of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the readers-response theory and e-reading theory. Throughout the ICTs scaffolding guideline, electronic text feature as part of the e-reading theory. It is the eradication of reading difficulties that can improve the learners’ confidence which in turn will have a positive effect on their academic performance on some or all of the subjects. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This research report captures a detailed exposition of an investigation on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in public and private sector entities in three industries (health, education and business loans) of Limpopo province – a proxy of the rural areas of South Africa. The investigation was necessitated by a need to understand KM in organisational context experiencing constraints in terms of resources that enable KM. It was found through an intensive literature review that there were very few empirical studies on KM practices of organisations operating in the rural areas, particularly in Africa. The theoretical framework of the study emanates from the knowledge-based view which has been popularised by the seminal work of Peter Drucker and Nonaka in the early half of the 90s. The knowledge-based view as presented in chapter 2 recognises the strategic role of knowledge in organisations. Its genesis is traced from the theories of classical scholars such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Various empirical studies of entities which have adopted the knowledge-based view are presented in chapter 2 of this report. The researcher observes from an intensive KM literature study that the average modern organisation could be categorised as knowledge-intensive considering that knowledge workers constitute the majority of its workforce. The definitions of a knowledge-based organisation and knowledge workers are presented in the operational definitions of key concepts. Arising from the identified gaps in KM literature as presented towards the end of chapter 2, this study was conducted as a comparative study between public and private sector entities in three research industries focusing on their extent of ICT application and degree of knowledge-oriented social factors for information and knowledge sharing. The investigation was guided by three research objectives as discussed in chapter 1 of this research report. The main purpose of the study was to answer two fundamental research questions as reflected in chapter 1. In answering the two research questions, the researcher identified four research hypotheses in line with the findings established from KM literature. These hypotheses are discussed in chapter 2 of this report.The underlying hypothesised statement guiding the study was to determine whether there were any significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the three research industries in terms of four research constructs. These are: application of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, degree of achievement of knowledge-based outcomes, tacit knowledge acquisition and the degree of knowledge-oriented social factors. Organisational culture, organisational structures, human resource practices and leadership comprised the social factors tested in the study. The research data were collected through a mixed research design approach combining the advantages of a survey instrument and interviews (this is fully reflected in chapter 3 of this research report). The research results (as presented in chapter 4) pointed to some form of significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the education and business loans industry, but there were no significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the health industry. Arising from the findings of the study, a model for improved KM implementation is presented in chapter 4 (figure 4.16). It was found during the investigation that all the research entities approached KM implicitly through KM related practices. KM related practices were found to be far more entrenched in the health industry (both public and private sector entities), the private sector entities in the education and business loans industries than was the case with the public sector entities in the education and business loans industries. In the entities where KM related practices were found to be entrenched, there were concerted efforts towards improved organisational processes. The study has managed to unravel the importance of KM related practices in laying the foundation for a formalised KM approach. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

The application of information communication technologies (ICTs) in records management in many organisations underscores the need for the assessment of e-records readiness. This provides a useful guide in benchmarking, gauging progress and comprehending e-records management. This study examined e-record readiness in labour organisations with a view to proposing a framework for labour organisations in Botswana. The study was largely guided by a quantitative paradigm and used a survey research strategy. This was complemented by methodological triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. All the 50 registered labour organisations in Botswana were surveyed, 45 of which responded, representing a response rate of 90%. Data was obtained through structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document review and observations. The study established that e-records readiness in labour organisations in Botswana was evident, low and evolving, evidenced by the slow adoption of ICTs; inadequate records management standards and practices; and low integration in the national e-readiness framework. The study confirmed that most labour organisations had embraced the utilisation of ICTs in their work; exhibited some form of records management function and acknowledged the existence of national policy directives and strategies on e-readiness. However, traditional ICTs mainly the fax and telephone, were more prevalently adopted and used than newer ones such as e-mail and the Internet. The use of social media technology (Web 2.0 - Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter) was yet to be explored. The management of both paper-based and electronic records was not satisfactory and fell short of best recognised records management standards and practice. The integration of labour organisations into national e-readiness initiatives as espoused in key policy proclamations within the context of the pursuance of a holistic knowledge and information society was slow and remained challenging. In order to foster successful e-records readiness in labour organisations, several recommendations were advanced that underscored effective ICT adoption and use, implementation of best records management practices and rigorous integration of labour organisations into the information and knowledge society in Botswana. In addition, an integrated framework for examining and understanding e-records readiness in labour organisations was proposed and documented. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

The recent global growth and popularity of open and distance learning (ODL) has been attributed to its advantages, such as flexibility for students who wish to study while working. Moreover, ODL is an effective tool in extending participation to students from less privileged social groups who are unreachable due to geographic location or cannot access higher education due to diverse factors, such as financial constraints or domestic arrangements. In the light of this, this study investigated learner support in the Department of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the University of South Africa (Unisa), the largest, dedicated ODL institution in South Africa. A review of literature identified the Community of Inquiry model proposed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2001) as useful in this context and I used it as a conceptual framework for the empirical inquiry that I undertook. A mixed method approach comprising two consecutive phases was employed to investigate the research questions. A self-designed questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from a random sample of 400 students registered for the ABET Diploma module (Phase One) followed by face to face interviews with selected lecturers and students (Phase Two). The scope of the study was limited to ABET lecturers, ABET diploma students and to selected Unisa learner support systems, such as myUnisa which includes a web-based discussion forum. The findings of the inquiry were presented and discussed under three main headings: the findings of Phase One, the findings of Phase Two and a summary in which the findings of the two phases were integrated where appropriate. The themes that emerged from the questionnaire and the interviews demonstrate clearly that learner support in the ABET Department is crucial in ensuring learner success. Interlinking themes are as follows: the context of the students, levels of computer literacy, accessibility of Unisa learner support systems, student motivation and time management. Many ABET students live in remote areas of the country and have little or no access to internet facilities. However, the majority of students agreed that they would like to interact more with other students through myUnisa in future. Lecturers and students agreed that myUnisa was a vital tool in teaching the students online; yet both students and lecturers still regarded contact discussion classes as the most important form of learner support. The findings suggested that the distance between the university and the student still has to be reduced more to ensure that student support reaches all students equitably. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Reading difficulties are of concern worldwide, as evidenced by a number of studies, including the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA), and Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS). In South Africa’s, Gauteng Province, in which this study was conducted, the Department of Education (DoE) launched campaigns, such as Foundations for Learning (FFL) and Annual National Assessment (ANA) to address this problem. The purpose of this study was to explore, explain and describe the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support learners experiencing reading difficulties in two public primary schools. The study was influenced by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory of human learning that describes it as a social process and the origination of human intelligence in society or culture. It comprised skills, assumptions and practices that the researcher used when moving from paradigm to the empirical world. A qualitative approach was used to gain first-hand holistic understanding of the use of ICTs to support learners experiencing reading difficulties, with data collected using focus group interviews, individual interviews and observations. Participants were 18 members of the School Based Support Team (SBST) and two Learning Support Educators (LSEs) of the two selected primary schools. The use of ICTs as a support mechanism was explored, with a detailed view presented on the use of ICTs by the teachers during teaching and learning activities and how they supported learners experiencing reading difficulties. From the research findings, factors affecting learners experiencing reading difficulties were identified, including lack of resources (specifically ICTS) and lack of guidelines on identifying and providing support to the learners experiencing reading difficulties. Based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations were made and the researcher developed guidelines which could be used by teachers to provide ICTs support for learners with reading difficulties. / Educational Studies

This study was conceptualised within a social-constructivist ontological orientation and, further, uses an interpretive epistemological lens to extract information from the participants who are coming from different life worlds. This thesis, Effective assessment in open distance and e-learning: using the Signature Courses at the University of South Africa as a model for future practice, investigated how emerging information communication technologies (ICTs) can be used to transform, enhance and influence student assessment practices in Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) contexts. The ultimate objective of the study was to establish assessment guidelines for effective student assessment in distance education using technology as an enabler. To achieve the objectives of this study, a mixed methods research methodology was adopted in which Unisa lecturers’ and first-year students’ experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding the use of ICT as a tool to enhance and influence student assessment were sought. Despite some limitations, the study was able to reveal that technology has the potential to influence student-lecturer, and student-peer interaction thereby bridging the isolation gap that normally exists between them. Further, these potential benefits also include the identification of teaching strengths and weaknesses, the indication of areas where instructional change or modification is needed, and the application of more effective means of interacting with students. A key function of this study, therefore, is to help the lecturers involved in higher learning assessment to use technology effectively and efficiently to enhance assessment practices as a means of maintaining both the academic standards and enhancing the quality of the student learning experience. In addition, the study has shown that technology has the potential to enhance and influence student learning and motivation. Furthermore, this study made theoretical and practical contributions to the literature on information communication technology implementation on lecturers’ and students’ pedagogical and technological readiness to online learning and assessment in open distance and e-learning. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)