The evolution of technologies used for learning in open distance learning (ODL) has compelled academics to upgrade their teaching skills and competencies in order to teach in an ever-changing environment. While the earlier ODL generations were characterised by the use of written, printed texts, radio, television, print media and postal services, the current generations are characterised by the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance teaching and learning. This study explored the experiences of academics who participated in the staff development courses for innovative teaching and learning at the University of South Africa. To explore the experiences, a qualitative research design of a phenomenological genre was adopted. Using interviews, data was collected from six purposively selected academics and analysed following Giorgi’s phenomenological methods. The academics’ experiences and concerns provided some insight into their development needs and how they would have liked to have been developed for innovative teaching. It emerged that staff development provided valuable knowledge, skills and competencies, enabling and promoting innovative forms of e-teaching and learning. These experiences and concerns were synthesised into a staff development framework consisting of four phases: Orientation; Learning; Acquisition of skills and Competencies; and Performance indicating that effective staff development requires that participants are initially orientated to the training programme before exposure to authentic learning activities. Through this exposure they acquire the vital online teaching skills and competencies thereby enhancing their performance as online teachers. The staff development framework indicated further that for effective staff development to take place, the different phases should not only be supported by university management but also by an evaluation mechanism to establish whether the objectives in each phase have been achieved. It also emerged that time played an important role in staff development, as the duration of each phase and the development intervention as a whole affects how well academics are able to acquire and perfect their teaching skills. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The introduction of e-learning in teaching and learning has necessitated the training of staff members in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study focuses on the challenges that staff members, who are the facilitators of learning, experience when undergoing training in ICT. The research design employed a qualitative methodology which involved focus groups from a public university. Data was collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the challenges that staff members experienced during ICT training are related to a lack of computer competence, lack of time, an information overload, the non-involvement of staff in the planning of their training, facilitation limitations, lack of technical support and institutional challenges that involve infrastructure. The study further revealed that the principles of adult learning play a reciprocal role in the staff’s professional developmental challenges. In view of these findings, this study offers recommendations for improving the ICT training of staff members. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

AbstractProblemområdeFlertalet elever med diagnos utvecklingsstörning som är mottagna i grundsärskolan är i behov av stöd i lärande och kommunikationen med andra människor. Hjälpmedlen kan vara av olika slag bland annat i form av en lärplatta. Hur upplever elever, tolv till femton års ålder, i grundsärskolan interaktionen i mötet och sitt lärande vid teknikanvändning av lärplattor med mobila applikationer i klassrummet?SyfteStudiens syfte är att delge tankar och erfarenheter ur ett elevperspektiv gällande interaktionen i mötet samt elevens uppfattning om lärande vid användande av mobila applikationer i sin lärplatta. Frågeställningarna var följande:När används mobila applikationer av eleven i klassrummet?På vilket sätt upplever eleven mötet med klasskamrater vid användning av lärplattans mobila applikationer i klassrummet?På vilket sätt upplever eleven lärande i klassrummet i det digitala mötet vid användning av lärplattans mobila applikationer?Teoretisk ramStudien utgår från både Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv på social interaktion och Lev S. Vygotskys sociokulturella perspektiv på idéer om mänsklig utveckling. Inom den sociokulturella teoriramen diskuteras artefaktens betydelse för människans lärande. Utifrån Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv diskuteras intagande av roller och agerande i gruppen.MetodStudien bygger på en kvalitativ fallstudie med rötter i etnografi i vilken metodtriangulering används. Metoderna som används är en kombination av observationer, fältanteckningar och halvstrukturerade intervjuer inkluderat stimulated recall teknik.ResultatGenom ovan nämnda metoder framkommer det att studiens deltagande elever finner arbetet i skolan mer lustfyllt när de använder sin lärplatta. Det framkommer även att eleverna tycker att ett lärande infinner sig vid användandet av mobila applikationer. De har svårigheter i att sätta ord på sitt lärande och sin utveckling och har en tendens att jämföra lärande med görande. Eleverna som observeras och intervjuas använder sig av mobila applikationer för att underlätta mötet med andra elever. Dessa möten kan vara av olika karaktär men alla möten är av betydelse för eleverna.ImplikationerElever med diagnos utvecklingsstörning kan behöva stöd i såväl skolarbete som i mötet med andra människor. Lärare måste finna de sätt som individuellt fungerar bäst. För den aktuella undersökningsgruppen visar det sig att bland annat mobila applikationerna ger dem det stödet. Eleverna berättar i denna studie att användandet av mobila applikationerna gör lärandet mer lustfyllt och att möten i olika former underlättas.SlutsatsStudien visar att urvalet tycker skolarbetet är mer lustfyllt då de använder sig av lärplattans mobila applikationer. Andra synpunkter från eleverna är att de använder lärplattan som en artefakt både som hjälpmedel och i interaktionen med andra människor. I dessa påpekanden finns en samsyn hos eleverna.Nyckelordappropriering, artefakter, elevperspektiv, främre och bakre regioner, interaktion, mediering, performance (framträdande) och rollgestaltningar.

This research seeks to establish how e-learning may contribute towards knowledge construction for Management Accounting students at the University of South Africa. More specifically, the research is designed to investigate how educational technologies like e-learning may benefit and improve the teaching and learning of Management Accounting at Unisa. Educators need to understand how students learn so that they can establish suitable learning strategies. Studies have shown that generally, e-learning applications are little used, sometimes because of inappropriate content and technologies. Other prohibitive factors are costs, poor or inadequate technology infrastructure and a shortage of human resources. On the strength of a comprehensive literature survey, a framework to address and manage challenging aspects of teaching and e-learning were developed. Problem areas and critical success factors were considered. The said framework ought to assist with organising complex issues and reveal parts that need further work. The utility of the framework was evaluated through a staged process. First, it was tested and evaluated through the model of a lecture. Secondly, both qualitative and quantitative surveys among university lectures and students were conducted to further confirm the applicability of the framework. Though the outcome of the validations were satisfactory, more research needs to be carried out over a longer period of time in order to determine the scalability of the framework and to remove any inconsistencies. Aspects of the framework could be used to incorporate ICTs, e.g. the use of spreadsheets and the Learning Village into communities of practice. / Hierdie navorsing poog om vas te stel hoe e-leer kan bydra tot kenniskonstruksie vir Bestuursrekeningkunde-studente aan die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. Die navorsing is meer spesifiek ontwerp om vas te stel hoe opvoedkundetegnologieë soos e-leer die onderrig en leer van Bestuursrekeningkunde by Unisa kan bevorder en verbeter. Opvoeders moet verstaan hoe studente leer sodat hulle geskikte leerstrategieë kan ontwikkel. Studies toon dat e-leertoepassings normaalweg min gebruik word, soms omdat die inhoud en tegnologieë nie toepaslik is nie. Ander faktore wat dit belemmer, sluit in onkoste, swak of onvoldoende tegnologie-infrastruktuur en ’n tekort aan mensehulpbronne. ’n Raamwerk om die uitdagings van onderrig en e-leer te bestuur, is op grond van ’n omvattende literatuurstudie ontwikkel. Probleemareas en kritiese suksesfaktore is in gedagte gehou. Die genoemde raamwerk behoort van nut te wees vir die organisering van ingewikkelde kwessies en toon watter dele verdere werk vereis. Die bruikbaarheid van die raamwerk is deur middel van ’n stapsgewyse proses geëvalueer. Eerstens is dit getoets en geëvalueer op grond van ’n lesingsmodel. Tweedens is kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe meningspeilings geloods; sowel universiteitsdosente as -studente is versoek om die toepaslikheid van die raamwerk te bevestig. Alhoewel die uitkoms van die validasies bevredigend was, moet verdere navorsing oor ’n langer tydperk gedoen word om die skaleerbaarheid van die raamwerk te bepaal en enige teenstrydighede uit die weg te ruim. Aspekte van die raamwerk kan gebruik word om IKT’s, bv die gebruik van sigblaaie en die Learning Village, by praktyksgemeenskappe te inkorporeer. / Ucwaningo lufuna ukuthola ukuthi ngabe ukufunda nge-e-learning noma ngendlela yeelektroniki kungafaka kanjani esivivaneni ekwakheni ulwazi kubafundi be- Management Accounting eYunivesithi yeNingizimu Afrika noma i-University of South Africa. Ngokuqonde ngqo, ucwaningo ludizayinwe ukuthi luphenyisise ngkouthi amatheknoloji emfundo afana ne-e-learning angaba nenzuzo kanjani kanye nokuthuthukisa ukufunda nokufundisa kwi-Management Accounting eUnisa. Abafundisi kudingeke baqondisise ukuthi izitshudeni zifunda kanjani ukuze bakwazi ukuthola amasu afanele okufunda. Izinhlaka eziningi zocwaningo ezenziwe zibonise ukuthi ngokunabile, ama-application amaningi e-e-learning asetshenziswa kancane, kodwa ngesinye isikhathi lokhu kubangelwa wukuthi kusuke kunengqikithi engahambisani kahle ngokufanele kanye namatheknoloji angafanele. Ezinye izinto eziyizihibe, zindleko, ingqalasizinda ye-theknoloji yezinga eliphansi noma engenele kahle kanye nokusweleka kwabantu abawusizo. Ngokulandela imibhalo efundwe ngokujulile, kwenziwe uhlaka lokubhekana nokuphatha izinselele maqondana nokufunda nokufundisa kwase kwenziwa nge-e-learning. Kubonelelwe nemikhakhe enezinkinga kanye nokubhekana nezindawo ezinomphumela obambekayo nobalulekile. Uhlaka okukhulunywa ngalo kumele lusize ekuhleleni izinto eziyisixakaxaka kanye nokuveza izingxenye ezisadinga ukuthi kubhekwane nazo ukuzixazulula. Ukusetshenziswa kohlaka kuye kwahlolwa ngezinqubo ezinezigaba. Esokuqala isigaba, siye sathestwa kanye nokuhlolwa ngokusebenzisa imodela yesifundo. Esesibili isigaba, besingesokwenza ama-qualitative nama-quantitative survey kubafundisi baseyunivesithi kanye nabafundi, ukuqinisekisa ukusebenza kahle kohlaka. Ngisho noma ukubheka imiphumela yokuqinisekisa uhlolo ibiyenelisa, kusadingeka ukuthi kwenziwe olunye ucwaningo, esikhathini eside ukuze ukusetshenziswa kohlaka kuye ngokungezeleka ukubandakanya iningi (scalability), kanye nokuqeda izinto ezenza ukuthi kube nokwehluka-hluka nokungahambelani kahle ekusetshenzisweni (inconsistencies). Izingxenye zohlaka zingasetshenziswa ukwengamela ama-ICTs, isib. ukusetshenziswa kwama-spreadsheets kanye ne- Learning Village kulawo maqembu asebenzisa uhlaka. / Management Accounting / Ph. D. (Accounting Science)

Abstract in English, Tswana and Afrikaans / People who graduated from higher education, whether they attended classes on campus or studied via a distance mode of learning, have not only been educated but are also able to participate in and contribute positively to the political, social and economic forums in their immediate environments and within their country. Progressing through the higher education system successfully is not easy since there are many challenges to overcome. Students With Disabilities (SWD) face even greater challenges in making their way through the system to emerge triumphantly as graduates. Institutions of higher learning, including Open Distance eLearning (ODeL) facilities, must provide support to SWD in order to facilitate their learning experience so that they are better equipped to succeed. Therefore, it is vital to promote access to higher education for people with disabilities and to provide support, such as making assistive technologies and human services available, for SWD within ODeL institutions. This qualitative study was exploratory in nature and used a multiple case study research design in the chosen area to investigate the provision of support for SWD in the ODeL institution. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and a document analysis, and these two methods of data gathering assisted with triangulation. The research findings revealed differences between the findings that were obtained through the responses received from teacher and staff member participants. The research findings also revealed differences between the findings that were obtained through the responses received from the participants, in general, and those obtained through the document analysis. The findings obtained through responses received from teacher participants showed that support for SWD was more evident at the school level than at the ODeL institution, that is, at the tertiary level of education. The document analysis of the policies of the ODeL institution revealed that the policies were general and did not specifically relate to the needs of SWD. At the same time, the findings in this dissertation of limited scope showed that the use of technology and the availability of assistive devices were more prominent at the school level than at the ODeL institution. / Batho ba ba alogang go tswa mo ditheong tse kgolwane tsa Thuto, ba tswa ba ka bo ba rutilwe le go ithuta ka go tsenela dikamuso (attending lecturers) mo khemphaseng kgotsa ba rutilwe le go ithuta ka thutotlhaeletsano, ga ba rutega fela mme ba kgona gape le go nna le seabe le go abelana ka tshiamo mo diforamong tsa sepolotiki, tsa seloago le tsa seikonomi mo ditikologong tse ba iphitlhelang ba le mo go tsona naga ka bophara. Go tsweletsa dithuto mo setheong sa thuto e kgolwane ka katlego ga go bonolo ka gonne go na le dikgwetlho di le dintsi tse o tshwanelwang ke go di fenya. Baithuti ba ba tshelang-ka-bogole (Students with disabilities -SWD) ba lebagane le dikgwetlho tse dikgolo thata mo setheong sa thuto e kgolwane, go ka ipona kwa bofelelong e le dialogane tse di atlegileng. Ditheo tsa thuto e kgolwane, go akaretsa le tsa tlamelo ya thutotlhaeletsano ka mafarafatlha ntle le maparego (ODeL), di tshwanelwa ke go tshegetsa SWD mo dithutung tsa bone gore batle ba atlege. Ka jalo, go botlhokwa go rotlweetsa phitlhelelo ya thuto e kgolwane go batho ba ba tshelang ka bogole le go ba tshegetsa, jaaka go ka ba direla le go ba neela thekenoloji tsa thuso le ditirelo tsa thuso-ka-batho. Tshegetse fela jaaka e tshwanetse go SWD ba ba mo ODeL. Patlisiso e ya khwaletatifi, e tlhametswe go utulola mme ebile e dirisitse mefuta e le mentsi ya go batlisisa ka ga mokgwa wa go tshegetsa SWD mo ODeL. Tshedimosetso kgotsa dinewane di kokoantswe ka go dirisa seripa sa dipotsolotso le go sekaseka tokamana, mme mekgwa e mebedi e, e thusitse ka go netefatsa diphitlheleo tse di bonweng. Diphitlhelelo tsa patlisiso di bontshitse dipharologano magareng ga diphitlhelelo tse di bonweng go tswa go barutabana kwa sekolong le go tswa go badiri kwa ODeL. Diphitlhelelo tsa patlisiso, di tlhagisitse gape dipharologano magareng ga diphitlhelelo tse di bonweng go tswa go banna-le-seabe, ka kakaretso, le tse di bonweng go tswa mo go sekasekeng tokamana. Diphitlhelelo tse di bonweng go tswa go barutabana, di bontshitse gore tshegetso ya SWD e tlhomame kwa sekolong go na le kwa ODeL, e leng setheo sa thuto e e kgolwane. Tshekatsheko ya tokomana ya dipholisi tsa ODeL, e bontsitse fa dipholisi e le tsa kakaretso fela mme di sa tote ka tlhamalalo ditlhokego tsa SWD. Go ntse go le jalo, diphitlhelelo tsa tlhotlhomisi e e lekanyeditsweng mothamo, di bontshitse fa tiriso ya thekenoloji le go nna teng ga didiriswa-thuso, di tlhomame kwa sekolong go na le kwa ODeL. / Mense wat aan hoëronderwysinstellings gradueer, of hulle klasse op kampus bygewoon het of deur 'n afstandsmetode van leer studeer het, is nie slegs onderrig nie, maar hulle kan ook deelneem aan en positief bydra tot die politieke, sosiale en ekonomiese forums in hul onmiddellike omgewing en in hul land. Dit is nie maklik om suksesvol deur die hoëronderwysstelsel te vorder nie, omdat daar baie struikelblokke is om te oorkom. Studente met gestremdhede (SMG) het selfs meer uitdagings om hul weg deur die stelsel te baan en triomfantlik as graduandi te verrys. Hoëronderriginstellings, insluitende oop e-afstandsleer (ODeL) -fasiliteite, moet ondersteuning aan SMG bied om hul leerervarings te fasiliteer sodat hulle beter toegerus is om sukses te behaal. Dit is daarom noodsaaklik om toegang tot hoër onderwys en ondersteuning aan mense met gestremdhede te bied, soos om hulptegnologieë en menslike dienste aan SMG in ODeL-instellings beskikbaar te stel. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was verkennend van aard en het 'n veelvoudige gevallestudie-ontwerp in die gekose veld gebruik om die voorsiening van ondersteuning aan SMG in 'n ODeL-instelling te ondersoek. Data is versamel deur semigestruktureerde onderhoude en 'n dokumentonleding; hierdie twee metodes van dataversameling het met triangulasie gehelp. Navorsingsbevindings het verskille aangedui tussen die data wat verkry is van die onderwyser en die van deelnemende personeellede se reaksies. Navorsingsbevindings het ook verskille aangedui tussen die data wat verkry is van deelnemers se reaksies oor die algemeen en die wat deur dokumentontleding verkry is. Die bevindings wat deur die onderwyserdeelnemers verkry is, het aangedui dat ondersteuning aan SMG duideliker op skoolvlak was as by die ODeL-instelling; dit is op tersiêre vlak van onderwys. Die dokumentontleding van die ODeL-instelling se beleide het aangedui dat die beleide algemeen was nie spesifiek met SWD se behoeftes verband hou nie. Terselfdertyd het die bevindings van hierdie verhandeling van beperkte omvang getoon dat die gebruik van tegnologie en die beskikbaarheid van hulptoestelle meer prominent was op skoolvlak as by die ODeL-instelling. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Open Distance Learning)