Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa experience one of the highest failure rates in the world with 75% to 80% of SMEs failing in their first ten years. This data suggests that few small organisations in South Africa are sustainable entities and this in turn impacts on employment and the GDP of South Africa. In order to be sustainable, organisations should be learning ones (Garvin, 1993; Marquardt in Hattingh & Smit, 2004, p2). Senge’s (1990) ground-breaking model of a learning organisation identifies the disciplines companies should practice in order to contribute to their sustainability. This model, previously researched in large global companies, is used as the basis of researching a small company in a local, South African context. This study explores whether by being a learning organisation, a small company is able to sustain itself. Senge’s concept of a learning organisation includes five disciplines. These disciplines have adult and workplace learning theories embedded in them. The study attempted to identify whether the small company drew on these learning theories in day-to-day operations and practise, and if this contributed to its development as a learning organisation. In addition to learning theories, literature reviewed included factors that impact on small business sustainability in the South African context. The study reveals an interesting blend of a business management concept (“the learning organisation”) with adult education principles that give insight into developing a small company as a learning organisation. A qualitative, ethnographic case study approach was used for this study, using an interactive model to accommodate the dynamic nature of the workplace with its variety of events and activities. Data collection took place during two intensive research periods in 2008 and 2012, in a single Johannesburg-based company. A multi-method approach was used and included observations, document analysis, questionnaires, transect walks, auto-photography, focus groups and interviews. The study revealed that a small company can ensure its sustainability by being a learning organisation, even though the company did not hold the same understanding of a learning organisation that Senge (1990) did. By practising various adult and workplace learning theories, especially the theory of communities of practice, a small company can develop the disciplines of a learning organisation. Furthermore, organisations may practise the disciplines of a learning organisation organically, without specific intent, and this may assist in their sustainability.

A Educação a Distância tem como característica principal a separação temporal e espacial entre professor e aprendiz. Visando a aplicação de um ensino mais individualizado, esta pesquisa permitiu desenvolver um curso online de matemática financeira usando HP-12c, o qual contemplou o desenvolvimento, a implementação e a avaliação de um feedback personalizado, tempestivo e com qualidade. O curso foi baseado no modelo de design instrucional ILDF (Integrative Learning Design Framework) online, na avaliação formativa, nas teorias de aprendizagem (behaviourism, cognitivism e socio-constructivism) e no communal knowledge, que defende o fato de que os alunos novos podem aprender com as experiências dos alunos anteriores. O modelo ILDF online contempla três aspectos importantes para a elaboração de cursos a distância: modelo pedagógico, estratégias instrucionais e tecnologias instrucionais. A fim de facilitar a implantação das tecnologias instrucionais selecionadas, o Moodle© foi o ambiente virtual de aprendizagem escolhido. A metodologia utilizada neste estudo foi desenvolvida em duas fases: desenvolvimento e implementação do feedback e avaliação do feedback, na qual foi feito um acompanhamento dos alunos pertencentes à amostra pesquisada (grupo de alunos graduandos, pós-graduandos e profissionais da área financeira) através da coleta dos respectivos dados gerados acerca das atividades disponíveis no ambiente. O feedback também foi avaliado de acordo com as respostas dos alunos em uma entrevista realizada. A Educação a Distância mostrou um potencial significativo para que os cursos online sejam planejados e desenvolvidos de forma a alcançarem o objetivo do processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Para o exemplo utilizado neste estudo, 66% dos estudantes foram ajudados pelo feedback e, entre todos eles, 84% obtiveram evolução na avaliação somativa em relação à avaliação diagnóstica. Segundo os números demonstrados e os depoimentos dos alunos, este trabalho permitiu concluir que a aplicação do feedback demonstrou um grande potencial para a efetivação do aprendizado. / Distance Education has as main feature a temporal and a spatial separation between teacher and learner. Aim to achieve a more individualized education, this research allowed develop an online course of financial math using HP-12c. The course contemplated development, implementation and evaluation of a customized, tempestive and quality feedback. The course was based on instructional design model called ILDF (Integrative Learning Design Framework)online, on formative assessment, on learning theories (behaviourism, cognitivism and socio-constructivism) and on communal knowledge, which believe that the new students maybe learn more with experiences from old students. The ILDF online model covers three important issues to elaborate a distance course: pedagogic model, instructional strategies and instructional technologies. The Moodle© was used as a learning management system to make easier to apply the instructional technologies chosen. The methodology used in this research was developed in two stagies: development and implementation of feedback and evaluation of feedback. On this last stage was done a monitoring of students who were included in the students group used in this research (undergraduate and post-graduate students and financial professionals). The monitoring was done by data collect generated by the activities available on the LMS. The feedback was also evaluated by data collected in interviews with the students. The Distance Education showed an important potential to ensure that the online courses to be planned and developed in the way to achieve the teaching-learning process goal. On the study case shown in this research, 66% of students was supported by feedback and, between all of them, 84% obtained improvement on the somative evaluation in comparison with diagnostic evaluation. In accordance with the result shown and the testimony of students, this research allowed to conclude that the use of feedback showed great potential to ensure that learning can be effective.

At a dental hygiene program within a community college in New York State, clinical instructors are hired based on their expertise as practitioners. Most clinical instructors lack a background in adult learning theory and practice, which is an issue because their students are adult learners whose average age is 26. The instructors' lack of knowledge in this area challenges their effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore dental hygiene instructors' views about what kind of professional development offerings related to adult learning might help improve their teaching effectiveness. The conceptual framework for this project study was Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 part-time clinical instructors from the same academic department. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from data analysis: participants' commitment to teaching, experience with students' attitudes, desire for communication, satisfaction with students' successes, and need for professional development. These findings led to the design of a professional development program that includes content on behaviorism, humanism, social cognitive theory, cognitivism, constructivism, and experiential learning theory. The goals of the program include providing clinical instructors with a background in adult learning theory and identifying ways to implement adult learning theory into clinical instruction. In potentially improving the teaching effectiveness of clinical instructors, this study may result in the better preparation of dental hygiene students and, ultimately, lead to improved patient care.

La presente ricerca desidera investigare il pensiero didattico del professor Renzo Titone, studioso di levatura internazionale che operò più assiduamente negli Stati Uniti e in Italia. Il discorso maggiormente noto di Titone si articola nel vasto campo della linguistica, intesa nell’accezione più ampia che è possibile attribuirle. Ma l’originalità del nostro trascende questa disciplina, pur applicandosi ad essa, in quanto egli cercò un modello che potesse funzionare universalmente nel processo di insegnamento-apprendimento, un modello universale che spiegasse il processo di apprendimento di ogni individuo e fondasse così il procedere dell’insegnamento, un modello matetico che fondasse la didattica, un modello sia analitico di tipo diagnostico sia operativo applicabile alla didassi. / The objective of this research is to investigate Renzo Titone’s didactic theory. Titone was a famous international professor for a long time, from 1960 to 2000. One of Titone’s foundamental points, that this research would like to illuminate, is a general didactic theme; actually at present Titone is more famous for his psycholinguistic studies, but he worked a lot in the field of general didactic and education. The results could illuminate a man who innovated the didactic view in the past and who can also innovate it in the present.

Den nya läroplanen för grundskolan 2011 uppmanar alla lärare i den svenska skolan att stärka ett entreprenöriellt förhållningssätt hos eleverna. Enligt regeringens Strategi för entreprenörskap inom utbildningsområdet ska entreprenörskap löpa som en röd tråd genom hela skolan. Medan en del forskning är gjord på gymnasienivå och utifrån ett elevperspektiv så finns det dock i dagsläget relativt få undersökningar angående grundskolan och lärarnas perspektiv. Förutsättningarna för införandet av entreprenöriellt lärande är oklara. En viktig förutsättning är dock att lärarna är bekanta med begrepp som entreprenörskap och entreprenöriellt lärande. Studien syftar till att undersöka hur lärare i moderna språk uppfattar begreppet entreprenöriellt lärande, och vilka möjligheter och hinder de ser med att tillämpa entreprenöriella arbetsformer i språkundervisningen. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer undersöks hur sju lärare i moderna språk med olika uppfattningar resonerar kring entreprenöriellt lärande i sina ämnen. Lärarna finner det viktigt att utveckla egenskaper hos elever såsom att våga, förmågan att ta initiativ och omsätta idéer till handlingar men de ser sig också ställda inför en del svårigheter med att tillämpa de nya metoderna. Ett intressant utfall var att lärarnas uppfattning av sina förutsättningar hänger ihop väldigt starkt med deras uppfattning av och förhållningssätt till EL. Studien visar att det krävs större satsningar och framförallt mer forskning och beprövad erfarenhet inom fältet. / The new curriculum for primary education 2011 calls on all teachers in Swedish schools to strengthen an entrepreneurial attitude in students. According to the government's Strategy for entrepreneurship in education, entrepreneurship should permeate the whole school system. While some research has been done at secondary level and from a student perspective, relatively few studies have investigated the issue from a teachers' perspective and at primary level. The prerequisites for the introduction of entrepreneurial learning are somewhat unclear. An important condition is, however, that teachers are familiar with concepts such as entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial learning. This study aims to examine how teachers of modern languages perceive the concept of entrepreneurial learning, and what opportunities and obstacles they see to the application of entrepreneurial work in language teaching. By using qualitative interviews, the study investigates how seven teachers of modern languages with different experiences of the methods reason about enterprise learning in their subjects. The teachers find it important to help their students develop such characteristics as daring, the ability to take initiatives and turn their ideas into actions, but they also find themselves facing some difficulties in applying the new methods. An interesting outcome was that the teachers’ perceptions of their conditions are closely connected to their perceptions of and attitudes towards enterprise learning. The study shows that greater efforts and most importantly, more research and documented experience is needed in the field.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the beliefs of 5 experienced instructors about the ways adults learn in online professional development (OPD) courses, beliefs about creating online learning environments, and beliefs about instructional strategies for facilitating adult learning. The following questions guided this study: 1. What are the instructor’s beliefs about the ways that adults learn in online professional development courses? 2. What are the instructor’s beliefs about creating an online learning environment for adult learners? 3. What are the instructor’s beliefs about the use of instructional strategies to facilitate online learning with adults? The setting for the study was the professional development program of a large metropolitan school district in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through interviews, discussion board postings, and instructor journals and analyzed using a constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Strauss & Corbin, 1998). The following themes emerged from the data: • Adult learning in OPD courses is an active process of making connections and applying knowledge and skills. • Learning for adults in OPD courses must be useful, meaningful, relevant, practical, adaptable, and applicable to the work setting. • Learning for adults in an OPD course requires more effort and commitment than learning in face-to-face professional development settings. • Adult learners in OPD courses need a comfort zone where they can feel “safe” communicating and interacting with learners and the instructor. • Adult learners need varying amounts of encouragement, support, guidance, and nurturing within a positive online learning environment(OLE)that supports and sustains them. • Instructors believe that collaboration is an effective strategy for facilitating learning with adults in OPD courses, yet existing barriers limit collaboration. • The OPD instructor is a flexible facilitator of learning who uses different types of feedback to confirm, correct, and inform learning with adults.

This research was conducted to determine what the nature of teachers’ educational beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning are, whether there is a relation between their educational beliefs and the way in which they instruct, and if a relation exists, what the nature of such a relation is. Teachers’ educational beliefs about the way in which learners learn and what they are supposed to learn, have a major influence on how the teacher instructs and on how the learners achieve. Educational beliefs are a comprehensive phenomenon and include beliefs about everything. Educational beliefs generally refer to beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning. The construct epistemological beliefs are actually also used in the literature and can be seen as the more restricted construct that only includes beliefs about knowledge and learning. Both constructs are used in this study. The phenomenon of educational beliefs is used concerning the beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning, whilst the phenomenon of epistemological beliefs are used when concerned with the beliefs about knowledge and learning. Educational beliefs vary from naïve to sophisticated. Teachers are characterised according to their educational beliefs about teaching as more teacher–centered or more learner–centered. Teachers who are more teacher–centered have more naïve epistemological beliefs and promote superficial learning, which leads to lower academic performances. Conversely, teachers who are more learner–centered have more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that promote an in depth approach to learning, which leads to higher academic performances. The implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) requires inter alia a learner–centered teaching approach and more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. These requirements of OBE poses a major challenge to teachers with more naive epistemological beliefs, because beliefs develop over years and are deeply rooted and difficult to change. With this study it was found that the participants’ epistemological beliefs could be typified as a system including more and less sophisticated epistemological beliefs, thus they did not only have naïve or sophisticated epistemological beliefs. It was also found that the participants of this study were more learner–centered than teacher–centered. Participants with more naïve epistemological beliefs were more teacher–centered compared to participants who had less naïve, thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that were more learner–centered. A relation was found between teachers with more naïve epistemological beliefs and a teacher–centered approach and teachers with less naïve epistemological beliefs (thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs) and a learner–centered approach. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This research was conducted to determine what the nature of teachers’ educational beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning are, whether there is a relation between their educational beliefs and the way in which they instruct, and if a relation exists, what the nature of such a relation is. Teachers’ educational beliefs about the way in which learners learn and what they are supposed to learn, have a major influence on how the teacher instructs and on how the learners achieve. Educational beliefs are a comprehensive phenomenon and include beliefs about everything. Educational beliefs generally refer to beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning. The construct epistemological beliefs are actually also used in the literature and can be seen as the more restricted construct that only includes beliefs about knowledge and learning. Both constructs are used in this study. The phenomenon of educational beliefs is used concerning the beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning, whilst the phenomenon of epistemological beliefs are used when concerned with the beliefs about knowledge and learning. Educational beliefs vary from naïve to sophisticated. Teachers are characterised according to their educational beliefs about teaching as more teacher–centered or more learner–centered. Teachers who are more teacher–centered have more naïve epistemological beliefs and promote superficial learning, which leads to lower academic performances. Conversely, teachers who are more learner–centered have more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that promote an in depth approach to learning, which leads to higher academic performances. The implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) requires inter alia a learner–centered teaching approach and more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. These requirements of OBE poses a major challenge to teachers with more naive epistemological beliefs, because beliefs develop over years and are deeply rooted and difficult to change. With this study it was found that the participants’ epistemological beliefs could be typified as a system including more and less sophisticated epistemological beliefs, thus they did not only have naïve or sophisticated epistemological beliefs. It was also found that the participants of this study were more learner–centered than teacher–centered. Participants with more naïve epistemological beliefs were more teacher–centered compared to participants who had less naïve, thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that were more learner–centered. A relation was found between teachers with more naïve epistemological beliefs and a teacher–centered approach and teachers with less naïve epistemological beliefs (thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs) and a learner–centered approach. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The learnability principle relates to improving usability of software, performance and productivity. It was formulated mainly for the adult user group. Children represent an important user group, but fewer guidelines exist for their educational and entertainment applications. This study compares these groups, addressing the question: “Does learnability of software interfaces have a different meaning for children and adults?”. A literature survey conducted on learnability and learning processes considered the meaning of learnability across generations. Users learning software systems were observed in a usability laboratory where eye tracking data could also be recorded. Insights emerged, from data analysis, showing different tactics when children and adults approached unfamiliar software and revealing aspects of interfaces they approached differently. The findings will help designers distinguish varying needs of users and improve learnability. An additional subprinciple of learnability, „engageability‟, is proposed. Factors that make products engaging for children are different from those engaging adults. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

A Educação a Distância tem como característica principal a separação temporal e espacial entre professor e aprendiz. Visando a aplicação de um ensino mais individualizado, esta pesquisa permitiu desenvolver um curso online de matemática financeira usando HP-12c, o qual contemplou o desenvolvimento, a implementação e a avaliação de um feedback personalizado, tempestivo e com qualidade. O curso foi baseado no modelo de design instrucional ILDF (Integrative Learning Design Framework) online, na avaliação formativa, nas teorias de aprendizagem (behaviourism, cognitivism e socio-constructivism) e no communal knowledge, que defende o fato de que os alunos novos podem aprender com as experiências dos alunos anteriores. O modelo ILDF online contempla três aspectos importantes para a elaboração de cursos a distância: modelo pedagógico, estratégias instrucionais e tecnologias instrucionais. A fim de facilitar a implantação das tecnologias instrucionais selecionadas, o Moodle© foi o ambiente virtual de aprendizagem escolhido. A metodologia utilizada neste estudo foi desenvolvida em duas fases: desenvolvimento e implementação do feedback e avaliação do feedback, na qual foi feito um acompanhamento dos alunos pertencentes à amostra pesquisada (grupo de alunos graduandos, pós-graduandos e profissionais da área financeira) através da coleta dos respectivos dados gerados acerca das atividades disponíveis no ambiente. O feedback também foi avaliado de acordo com as respostas dos alunos em uma entrevista realizada. A Educação a Distância mostrou um potencial significativo para que os cursos online sejam planejados e desenvolvidos de forma a alcançarem o objetivo do processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Para o exemplo utilizado neste estudo, 66% dos estudantes foram ajudados pelo feedback e, entre todos eles, 84% obtiveram evolução na avaliação somativa em relação à avaliação diagnóstica. Segundo os números demonstrados e os depoimentos dos alunos, este trabalho permitiu concluir que a aplicação do feedback demonstrou um grande potencial para a efetivação do aprendizado. / Distance Education has as main feature a temporal and a spatial separation between teacher and learner. Aim to achieve a more individualized education, this research allowed develop an online course of financial math using HP-12c. The course contemplated development, implementation and evaluation of a customized, tempestive and quality feedback. The course was based on instructional design model called ILDF (Integrative Learning Design Framework)online, on formative assessment, on learning theories (behaviourism, cognitivism and socio-constructivism) and on communal knowledge, which believe that the new students maybe learn more with experiences from old students. The ILDF online model covers three important issues to elaborate a distance course: pedagogic model, instructional strategies and instructional technologies. The Moodle© was used as a learning management system to make easier to apply the instructional technologies chosen. The methodology used in this research was developed in two stagies: development and implementation of feedback and evaluation of feedback. On this last stage was done a monitoring of students who were included in the students group used in this research (undergraduate and post-graduate students and financial professionals). The monitoring was done by data collect generated by the activities available on the LMS. The feedback was also evaluated by data collected in interviews with the students. The Distance Education showed an important potential to ensure that the online courses to be planned and developed in the way to achieve the teaching-learning process goal. On the study case shown in this research, 66% of students was supported by feedback and, between all of them, 84% obtained improvement on the somative evaluation in comparison with diagnostic evaluation. In accordance with the result shown and the testimony of students, this research allowed to conclude that the use of feedback showed great potential to ensure that learning can be effective.