In its course of development, urban and regional planning has been greatly influenced by the modernist movement, which left human environments with various problematic ecological and social conditions. In reaction to these conditions, alternative planning approaches branched from the planning profession, one of these being the development approach known as place-making. Place-making is the physical designing of a place based on locational contexts. Place-making is offered as an alternative planning approach to current planning practice to ameliorate and possibly prevent continuation of the problematic ecological and social conditions. However, this implies that there has to come about a shift in the focus and aims of current planning practice. The main implications of place-making are that planning should become more contextually driven, holistic, multidisciplinary, as well as human and quality centred. Also, it is proposed to increase research on place in the South African context. In terms of current research in South Africa, a mixed-method research approach made it possible to include symbolic locational elements, like sense of place, in the planning process. Researching the Vredefort Dome's sense of place aimed to explore sense of place in a rural area and to concretise the area's sense of place for inclusion in spatial planning. Initial qualitative research informed the quantitative phase. This way symbolic experiences and meanings of participants were linked to spatial locations and three-dimensional features, which made it possible to create place-making guidelines based on both symbolic and material contexts of the Vredefort Dome. / Thesis (M.Art. et Scien. (Town and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

In its course of development, urban and regional planning has been greatly influenced by the modernist movement, which left human environments with various problematic ecological and social conditions. In reaction to these conditions, alternative planning approaches branched from the planning profession, one of these being the development approach known as place-making. Place-making is the physical designing of a place based on locational contexts. Place-making is offered as an alternative planning approach to current planning practice to ameliorate and possibly prevent continuation of the problematic ecological and social conditions. However, this implies that there has to come about a shift in the focus and aims of current planning practice. The main implications of place-making are that planning should become more contextually driven, holistic, multidisciplinary, as well as human and quality centred. Also, it is proposed to increase research on place in the South African context. In terms of current research in South Africa, a mixed-method research approach made it possible to include symbolic locational elements, like sense of place, in the planning process. Researching the Vredefort Dome's sense of place aimed to explore sense of place in a rural area and to concretise the area's sense of place for inclusion in spatial planning. Initial qualitative research informed the quantitative phase. This way symbolic experiences and meanings of participants were linked to spatial locations and three-dimensional features, which made it possible to create place-making guidelines based on both symbolic and material contexts of the Vredefort Dome. / Thesis (M.Art. et Scien. (Town and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in higher education institutions is not a new tendency. Although this is an innovative way of implementing e-learning in the educational process, there are a few problems concerning these systems. Educators tend to apply traditional classroom ideas and pedagogy in computer-supported e-learning environments, assuming that because these environments allow the interaction that we see in the classroom, traditional pedagogy can be used. Although most of the pedagogical principles that apply to the traditional classroom-delivery method also apply to e-learning, the e-environment supports such interactions in a different manner. Traditional pedagogical principles should be adapted to accommodate the e-learning environment and should form the very basis for inclusion of features in LMSs. These principles should be integrated into the LMS where every feature included is accompanied by explicit guidelines on how to use the feature in such a way that it will effect pedagogically sound instruction. The aim of this study is to determine how an LMS could be used in order to enhance self-directed learning. In order to reach this aim a brief history of SDL was given and a number of SDL models were discussed. These models were analyzed in order to compile a list of guidelines to foster SDL. The first set of guidelines didn’t focus on any specific learning environment and it was necessary to refine these guidelines for an online environment. To be able to refine the guidelines for an online environment, LMSs in general were discussed and a few models for SDL in an online environment were reviewed. The SDL guidelines were further refined for implementation in eFundiTM. eFundiTM is the LMS used at the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South Africa. The nature of the AGLE 121 module (a literacy module for all first year students) and the specific functionalities of eFundiTM were discussed and taken in consideration when the final set of guidelines was compiled. The researcher did an empirical study to gather valid and reliable data. A mixed methods inquiry approach was used to obtain reliable evidence. The population consisted of all the students that were enrolled for the AGLE modules over 2 years. These students were divided into 2 groups, the AGLE 121 in 2010 (237 students) and the AGLE 121 (287 students) in 2011. The questionnaire that was used for the quantitative research in this study was based on the Fisher, King and Taque (2001) SDL readiness scale for nursing education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants from each group in order get a better understanding of the data collected from the quantitative research, and to elaborate further on the students’ development of SDL. Findings indicated that the students from the second year of the study did not necessarily improve their SDL-skills. Most of the results from the quantitative data showed small practical significant differences. However, the qualitative data indicated that the SDL skills of the students improved in two of the three factors after they used the newly developed eFundiTM site, in the second year of the study and therefore the researcher is of opinion that the intervention had a positive impact on the students’ SDL skills. / Thesis (MEd (Computer Science Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in higher education institutions is not a new tendency. Although this is an innovative way of implementing e-learning in the educational process, there are a few problems concerning these systems. Educators tend to apply traditional classroom ideas and pedagogy in computer-supported e-learning environments, assuming that because these environments allow the interaction that we see in the classroom, traditional pedagogy can be used. Although most of the pedagogical principles that apply to the traditional classroom-delivery method also apply to e-learning, the e-environment supports such interactions in a different manner. Traditional pedagogical principles should be adapted to accommodate the e-learning environment and should form the very basis for inclusion of features in LMSs. These principles should be integrated into the LMS where every feature included is accompanied by explicit guidelines on how to use the feature in such a way that it will effect pedagogically sound instruction. The aim of this study is to determine how an LMS could be used in order to enhance self-directed learning. In order to reach this aim a brief history of SDL was given and a number of SDL models were discussed. These models were analyzed in order to compile a list of guidelines to foster SDL. The first set of guidelines didn’t focus on any specific learning environment and it was necessary to refine these guidelines for an online environment. To be able to refine the guidelines for an online environment, LMSs in general were discussed and a few models for SDL in an online environment were reviewed. The SDL guidelines were further refined for implementation in eFundiTM. eFundiTM is the LMS used at the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, South Africa. The nature of the AGLE 121 module (a literacy module for all first year students) and the specific functionalities of eFundiTM were discussed and taken in consideration when the final set of guidelines was compiled. The researcher did an empirical study to gather valid and reliable data. A mixed methods inquiry approach was used to obtain reliable evidence. The population consisted of all the students that were enrolled for the AGLE modules over 2 years. These students were divided into 2 groups, the AGLE 121 in 2010 (237 students) and the AGLE 121 (287 students) in 2011. The questionnaire that was used for the quantitative research in this study was based on the Fisher, King and Taque (2001) SDL readiness scale for nursing education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants from each group in order get a better understanding of the data collected from the quantitative research, and to elaborate further on the students’ development of SDL. Findings indicated that the students from the second year of the study did not necessarily improve their SDL-skills. Most of the results from the quantitative data showed small practical significant differences. However, the qualitative data indicated that the SDL skills of the students improved in two of the three factors after they used the newly developed eFundiTM site, in the second year of the study and therefore the researcher is of opinion that the intervention had a positive impact on the students’ SDL skills. / Thesis (MEd (Computer Science Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of using animated computer 3-D figures illustration (ACTDFI) in the learning of polyhedron in geometry. By random sampling, intact group of four grade 9 classes in four different schools from a cluster of four educational district schools of Limpopo province in South Africa were selected. The study involved quasi-experimental and inquiry research approaches, the quasi-experimental approach involved pre and posttest design while the inquiry research approach involve classroom observation. There were three experimental groups and a control group with a total of 174 study participants. ACTDFI was used as an intervention for two weeks in the three experimental groups while in the control group, chalk-talk traditional teaching approach was used. Pre-test and post-test was used to collect quantitative data while classroom observation was used to collect qualitative data. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of using animated computer 3-D figures illustration (ACTDFI) in the learning of polyhedron in geometry. By random sampling, intact group of four grade 9 classes in four different schools from a cluster of four educational district schools of Limpopo province in South Africa were selected. The study involved quasi-experimental and inquiry research approaches, the quasi-experimental approach involved pre and posttest design while the inquiry research approach involve classroom observation. There were three experimental groups and a control group with a total of 174 study participants. ACTDFI was used as an intervention for two weeks in the three experimental groups while in the control group, chalk-talk traditional teaching approach was used. Pre-test and post-test was used to collect quantitative data while classroom observation was used to collect qualitative data. The findings from the quantitative Classroom observations were carried out to collect relevant data on how the study participants were taught stationary points in differential calculus, especially with the use of the constructivist pedagogical approach. A suitable observation checklist was developed for this purpose (Appendix 6 refers). Classroom observation checklist is a list of factors to be considered while observing a class. It gives a structure and framework for the observation. suggested that the use of ACTDFI might have improved academic achievement in learning of polyhedron during the intervention, while the qualitative data analysis indicated that the use of ACTDFI in the experimental groups might have facilitated the learning of the concepts of polyhedron. It is therefore recommended that further research is necessary on the application of ACTDFI in the teaching of 3-dimensional shapes at the primary schools / Mathematics Education / M. Sc. (Mathematics Education)