Thesis (Ph. D. (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Many studies have been conducted on the application of Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., wikis) in educational environments. These studies have dealt with topics such as exploring the potential of their use, what effect they might have on student learning, and how effectively they can be used with appropriate instructional practice. However, whether these findings conducted on the tertiary and high school levels are applicable to young learners of English as the second language (L2) in primary levels have yet to been examined. This study investigated how wiki’s key affordances might help in scaffolding students during collaborative writing projects among primary five and six students (n=119) in a Chinese primary school in Hong Kong, where English is taught as the L2. Three classes of students and their English subject teachers participated in a three-month English language writing programme using a wiki. Data was collected and analyzed from both non-wiki collaborative writing prior to a wiki intervention and the other from wiki supported collaborative writing after the intervention. Employing a mixed methods design, both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed from student and teacher interviews, student and teacher questionnaires, and from activities recorded in the wiki system, including posted edits and comments and students’ group writings. To understand human activity in a complex classroom environment, activity theory was used as an analytical lens to help examine and compare the learning processes and their outcomes in the two different collaborative writing environments. The study found that the use of a wiki in three upper primary classes was perceived positively, with the wiki's technology affordances matching positively with the required tasks of collaborative writing. The key affordances from wiki collaborative writing supported and enhanced the learning tasks required of the nonwiki collaborative writing. These affordances, available in wiki collaborative writing, also helped overcome some of the constraints and limitations observed in non-wiki collaborative writing and helped to enhance writing and social skills necessary for collaborative writing tasks. When some of the key affordances -- temporal and access control applications which provided an online platform for peer comments and history pages to track student’s editing processes -- were combined together, they can become a powerful tool for peer feedback and peer editing leading to meaningful revision processes. The tracking functionality of the wiki gave in-depth information about the types of edits the students were making, mainly content meaning versus surface level, and it may have helped improve student group writing. Examining the two collaborative writing environments within the framework of activity theory revealed the dynamic changes and development of the activity system through tension and contradiction among the components of the activity structure. The tension and contradiction among the tools, the community of learners and the objective of their tasks – tension and contradiction which was caused by the need to implement group writing within the given curriculum time -- seemed to have decreased after the introduction of the wiki technology. Findings may shed light on how wikis can help provide necessary support for students’ collaborative writing and how peer-feedback can influence this process. It may help provide practical recommendations for primary school English language teachers and help researchers and educators understand the potential that Web 2.0, specifically wikis, can bring to scaffold primary-school L2 writers in collaborative learning. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

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This study describes common online facilitator strategies of seven expert online facilitators and compares these facilitators' decision-making processes to general strategies and characteristics of experts in other domains. Specifically, this study focuses on how expert online facilitators decide to communicate with discussion participants for the purposes of increasing participant knowledge and skills in college-level online courses. Seven expert online facilitators -- identified by authoritative figures -- detailed their decision-making and composition process. Common facilitation strategies emerged from the interview data and contextual information. These common strategies were compared with characteristics and strategies of experts in other domains. Analysis of the data indicates that the participating facilitators: (a) share common decision-making strategies, and (b) demonstrate characteristics that align to characteristics of experts in other domains. / text

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) within South African schools created new possibilities for learners and educators to engage in new ways of information selection, gathering, sorting and analysis. However, the implementation of ICT in schools has had an impact on curriculum development and delivery of education around the world. The main objective of this study was to develop a framework for acceptance and use of E-learning by educators in South African secondary schools. This study intended to address the lack of interest shown by educators in integrating ICT into teaching and learning.

<p>Since there was a need for an Educational Management Information System (EMIS) in the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan, we designed and implemented a prototype for use in the ministry and investigated the appropriateness of using Agile methods for producing the EMIS. The prototype consisted of a database containing data about schools and a Dari interface which was used by educational planners, managers and policy makers of the ministry for decision making and planning. Agile methods are relatively new in software engineering and have an approach and development guidelines which strive for user satisfaction and early incremental delivery of software. We adapt them to local conditions due to their collaborative client-developer approach. The interface, a key component, is easy to use and e cient. The key research result is an evaluation concerning the appropriateness of using Agile Methods for developing the EMIS. Focus groups and surveys were used to develop the prototype and accomplish the study.</p>

Curriculum experts, instructional technologists and teachers are looking at computer technology to address many of the inadequacies that plague traditional teaching. These inadequacies include practical limitations and outdated educational philosophies that encourage rote learning and passive transfer of information from teacher to student via the typical lecture-based classroom. Often educational technology is used as an add-on to make content available to students. However, technological tools should rather be used to facilitate productivity and communication in the modern classroom. In addition, the introduction of technology into the classroom can be used to completely transform the traditional lecture into interactive computer-based learning environments. Provided that innovation can be sustained and supported over a period of time, the creative use of technology should enhance sound pedagogical principles rather than replace it. This project reports on the development and evaluation of two, second year, Biology Internet-based software packages used by students in a computer-based constructivist environment that replaced the traditional lecture based model. The first part of the project involved the evaluation of a number of Internet-courses to identify appropriate design and development criteria. This information was then used to create an Educational Software Evaluation Tool (ESET). The courses on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism were then developed in conjunction with subject experts. Evaluations of these learning environments were conducted via paper-based questionnaires, student interviews and student evaluations using ESET. Additional quantitative data was obtained by comparing examination results with the previous year to measure the impact of the technology on learning outcomes. The results of the software evaluation indicated that students found the user interface of the software products easy to use and navigate. Students also rated construction of information from a searchable database highly. This project showed that student learning was improved by self-paced, user-controlled, non-linear software usage. The results also showed that personal information construction by students improved understanding of concepts and led to deeper learning and acquisition of specific skills such as problem solving, information navigation and self-management. Giving students responsibility for their own learning was also shown to be beneficial to them as a life-long learning skill. Evaluation of the learning environment by students indicated that they valued the permanent availability of Internet-based information highly and felt that having assistants (demonstrators and the subject expert) helped them to direct and guide their learning. The results also revealed that students learnt better in groups and that members of the group participated in communicating and constructing shared knowledge. The role of the teacher in this project was transformed from information provider to information facilitator, as the teacher became an additional resource and had more time to spend answering specific questions and problems. Evaluation of student behaviour via interviews revealed that student attitudes were improved and that they enjoyed working with the software. Students found the environment comfortable to work in, were motivational and thought the system was a highly effective way of preparing for the examinations. Students also regarded this active form of learning as far more effective than traditional lectures, although they felt that introductory lectures could still play a role in providing them with direction and focus. Quantitative analysis indicated that students understood key concepts in both the courses, and examination performances revealed that students performed better in both the computer-based courses than in the lecture-based courses for this particular year. Further analysis showed that students performed better than the previous year with respect to the Carbohydrate Metabolism course, but not for the Lipid Metabolism Course (no significant difference). Quantitative and qualitative comparisons between the Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism course identified that the Carbohydrate Metabolism course offered students with dynamic content that fostered knowledge construction from a searchable database with easy navigation tools, whereas the Lipid Metabolism course consisted of pre-structured static content that students found difficult to search. This result indicates that interactive components foster constructivist based learning skills are an essential part on on-line learning environments. The results of this study include a model for designing, developing and evaluating education software and concluded that technology based on sound pedagogy can be successfully and effectively integrated into the classroom and form the basis for future prolonged development and learning. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1999.

Research findings have shown that online learning has the potential to improve the quality of learning if it is designed effectively to embrace interactive, collaborative knowledge building among learners. Online learning has the capacity to facilitate efficient and enjoyable learning through skills acquisition in a context specific environment especially in Southern Africa but there are a number of challenges that designers of online learning need to factor in to the design of this pedagogy. This study explores how learner - learner; learner - course facilitator and learner - content interactions influenced and shaped learners' online learning experiences particularly satisfaction with a course facilitated from the University of Botswana for participants within the SADC region. These three forms of interactions were further explored through using 6 online learning evaluation dimensions to provide a guide to the analysis. The study employed a range of data collection methods that provided rich qualitative data including: Life world accounts, discussion forum entries, online surveys, expert reviews, and learners' grades. The findings suggest that the learners' level of interaction at the levels of the 6 dimensions could have influenced what they perceived to be valuable, effective and satisfactory. Other influencing variables were course design and community of learning presence. The findings also reveal that although the participants found the course to be very valuable to them, there were areas that could improve the learning experiences. Further longitudinal research and investigation into alternative technologies is also recommended. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.