Research in second language acquisition has typically focused on classroom and laboratory settings. This study explores second language use in a non-classroom setting. It is based on research from divergent fields including theories of social interaction from sociology, theories of practice from anthropology, and nonlinear dynamics from the physical sciences. This study is a qualitative study, which employs both ethnographic and discourse analytic methods. The study examines native and non-native English speaker interactions on a MUD, a text-based online game. Data was collected for one year. The data for analysis consist primarily of logs of online interactions. The major conclusion of this study was that individuals acquire language appropriate to a particular environment by interacting with others in that environment. As individuals come to an environment and strive towards particular non-linguistic goals, they necessarily interact with others in the environment. As they do, they create shared ways of interacting. Through interaction, they refine the ways in which they speak. By employing multiple perspectives to guide the analysis, new insights into second language use and interaction can be obtained. This broadens our understanding of second language use in non-classroom settings. Implications for pedagogy in foreign language education are discussed.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The main objective of this study was to develop a framework for the utilization of Web 2.0 tools in teaching and learning in a university of technology. The study was informed by data that was collected quantitatively from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Extensive literature review was conducted and by using content analysis 36 factors were deduced.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

<p>Evaluating software is a universal and complex problem. The question is: how should software be selected and adopted, or rather, which of the software packages is the most suitable for a specific environment? Extensive research on the evaluation of software has been done, but only a few researchers have considered evaluation of e-learning systems based on three software quality characteristics (i.e. usability, maintainability and deployability) for implementation in third world countries. In this thesis, it will be considered how to use a mixed research methods for the evaluation of free and open source e-learning systems in a developing country. The scope of this investigation is the evaluation of two free and open source e-learning systems at the Open University of Tanzania using 33 stakeholders (some with more and others with less computer expertise).</p>

In 2004 the South African Department of Education released a White Paper on e-Education in which it outlined its intention to introduce Information Communication Technology (ICT) to deliver e-Education in South African schools by 2013. The White Paper prompted this study on the attitudes, perceptions and competencies of educators in rural schools of KwaZulu- Natal towards this policy with the aim to establish whether they would be willing to adopt e-Education and whether they would be ready to implement the policy in the classroom. A study of educators' perceptions about e- Education and their willingness to adopt this form of education delivery enables one to establish their level of e-Readiness. The researcher conducted a literature review and formulated e- Readiness as the theoretical framework of the study. This was followed by a quantitative research involving a suitably representative sample of educators in rural schools of KZN. It aimed at establishing educators' use of basic and advanced electronic communication technologies as indicative of e-Readiness. A follow-up survey was conducted which intended to establish educators' use of cell phones as an indication of e-Readiness. Both surveys were conducted by means of structured questionnaires. Data processing and analysis were done using analytical program SPSS 13. The major findings of this study are that educators in rural schools of KwaZulu-Natal are not ready for the rollout of e-Education. Among the factors limiting their e-Readiness are: a lack of exposure to advanced electronic communication technologies emanating from lack of technological infrastructure as well as resources in the majority of schools in the rural areas. Another factor is inadequate computer skills needed for effective teaching in an e- Education setting. Those with computer training have not been able to utilize their skills at the poorly equipped schools where they teach and would therefore require retraining. The study, however, revealed positive attitudes among educators and willingness to adopt and implement the e-Education policy should these problems be addressed. Finally comparison of the results of PC based e-Education survey and the cell phone survey indicate that while educators in rural communities are ill-equipped to use computers, they are sophisticated cell phone users, leading one to surmise that they would readily adopt emerging and converging technologies that are set to make available powerful multi-functional communication-computation devices. / Thesis (M.Admin.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.