This study is an evaluation of the remedial and diagnostic components of a microcomputer program on speed. The program is based on a conceptual change model developed within the field of cognitive science research. The influence of research in cognitive science on the current research in science education is discussed as well as recent research in the field of kinematics in the context of science education. The literature relevant to the study is reviewed, and the design of the study and the evaluation procedures are described. The results of the investigation are presented and analysed and finally conclusions from these findings are presented.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Improving throughput rates is a key challenge facing South African higher education. Throughput rate is the number of students that can be produced over a period of time such as a semester or a year. Low throughput rates have a huge impact in funding higher education, because it determines how much funding organisations should invest in sponsoring students. Problems caused by low throughput rates include overcrowding of students in class, withdrawal of funding by funding organisations, reduction in the workforce of the country and poverty. The major objective of this study was to investigate the Business Intelligence (BI) components of the Integrated Tertiary Software (ITS), how it is used by universities to improve throughput rate.

Text in Afrikaans / A national databank of skills for the South African labour market becomes a necessity when manpower management acquires a strategic perspective. It provides a base from which an enterprise can determine necessary training and development of human resources to achieve its strategy. The necessity for a national training and development strategy is addressed; and a proposed strategy is recommended. To develope a databank of skills existing manpower needs for achieving national goals and existing manpower supply will have to be ascertained. This will indicate what skills must be acquired through the manpower management function. From the inquiry into construction and industrial industries, it appears that the need exists for a national skills databank. The need for general guidance in the field of manpower planning is also clearly visible. Strategic manpower management and planning also appears to be a very real item in the present business and political arena. / 'n Nasionale databank van vaardighede vir die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark word 'n noodsaaklikheid wanneer mannekragbestuur 'n strategiese perspektief kry. Dit verskaf 'n basis waarvandaan ondernemings kan bepaal watter opleiding en ontwikkeling vir mens like hulpbronne vereis word ten einde die ondernemingstrategie te kan bereik. Die noodsaaklikheid van 'n nasionale opleidings- en ontwikkelingstrategie is aangespreek, asook 'n voorstel vir 'n strategie gemotiveer. Deur 'n databank van vaardighede te ontwikkel, sal bepaal moet word watter mannekragbehoeftes bestaan om nasionale doelwitte te bereik asook watter mannekragaanbod bestaan. Di t sal aandui watter vaardighede verkry moet word deur middel van die mannekragbestuursfunksie. Uit die ondersoek waarin konstruksie en nywerheidsondernemings deelgeneem het, blyk di t dat 'n behoefte aan 'n nasionale databank van vaardighede bestaan. 'n Behoefte na algemene leiding op mannekragbeplanningsgebied kom oak duidelik na vore. Strategiese mannekragbestuur en -beplanning blyk oak 'n baie aktuele onderwerp in die huidige sake en politieke arena te wees. / M.Com (Business Economics)

Text in Afrikaans / A national databank of skills for the South African labour market becomes a necessity when manpower management acquires a strategic perspective. It provides a base from which an enterprise can determine necessary training and development of human resources to achieve its strategy. The necessity for a national training and development strategy is addressed; and a proposed strategy is recommended. To develope a databank of skills existing manpower needs for achieving national goals and existing manpower supply will have to be ascertained. This will indicate what skills must be acquired through the manpower management function. From the inquiry into construction and industrial industries, it appears that the need exists for a national skills databank. The need for general guidance in the field of manpower planning is also clearly visible. Strategic manpower management and planning also appears to be a very real item in the present business and political arena. / 'n Nasionale databank van vaardighede vir die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark word 'n noodsaaklikheid wanneer mannekragbestuur 'n strategiese perspektief kry. Dit verskaf 'n basis waarvandaan ondernemings kan bepaal watter opleiding en ontwikkeling vir mens like hulpbronne vereis word ten einde die ondernemingstrategie te kan bereik. Die noodsaaklikheid van 'n nasionale opleidings- en ontwikkelingstrategie is aangespreek, asook 'n voorstel vir 'n strategie gemotiveer. Deur 'n databank van vaardighede te ontwikkel, sal bepaal moet word watter mannekragbehoeftes bestaan om nasionale doelwitte te bereik asook watter mannekragaanbod bestaan. Di t sal aandui watter vaardighede verkry moet word deur middel van die mannekragbestuursfunksie. Uit die ondersoek waarin konstruksie en nywerheidsondernemings deelgeneem het, blyk di t dat 'n behoefte aan 'n nasionale databank van vaardighede bestaan. 'n Behoefte na algemene leiding op mannekragbeplanningsgebied kom oak duidelik na vore. Strategiese mannekragbestuur en -beplanning blyk oak 'n baie aktuele onderwerp in die huidige sake en politieke arena te wees. / M.Com (Business Economics)

It is generally accepted that a business operates more efficiently when it is able to consolidate information from a variety of sources. This principle applies as much in the healthcare environment. Although limited in the South African context, the use of electronic systems to access information is advancing rapidly. Many aspects have to be considered in regards to such a high availability of information, for example, training people how to access and protect information, motivating them to use the systems and information extensively and effectively, ensuring adequate levels of security, confronting ethical issues and maintaining the availability of information at crucial times. This is especially true in the healthcare sector, where access to critical data is often vital. This data must be accessed by different kinds of people with different levels of access. However, accessibility often leads to vulnerabilities. The healthcare sector deals with very sensitive data. People’s medical records need to be kept confidential; hence, security is very important. Information of a very sensitive nature is exposed to human intervention on various levels (e.g. nurses, administrative staff, general practitioners and specialists). In this scenario, it is important for each person to be aware of the requirements in terms of security and privacy, especially from a legal perspective. Because of the large dependence on the human factor in maintaining information security, organisations must employ mechanisms that address this at the staff level. One such mechanism is information security education, training and awareness programmes. As the learner is the recipient of information in such a programme, it is increasingly important that it targets the audience that it is intended for. This will maximize the benefits achieved from such a programme. This can be achieved through following a role-based approach in the design and development of the SETA programme. This research therefore proposes a model for a role-based SETA programme, with the area of application being in the South African healthcare environment.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The acceptance of E-health in South African Hospitals and other developing countries is slow and confusing. Healthcare professionals must be fully engaged in the E-health decision making since they are the main users of E-health systems. It is important to note that using E-health to support the daily work of healthcare professionals can improve healthcare provision and so improve citizens' health. However, investing in affordable E-health applications that can help in realising the benefits of technology and minimizing health costs is not easy. Literature shows that much as there are several studies that have been conducted in respect of technology acceptance, adoption and use, little attention has been given to E-health acceptance in South Africa. Therefore, this study sought to design a model for E-health acceptance for South African hospitals.

D. Tech. Informatics / In the world of information and communications technology (ICT), collaboration plays a central and significant role towards development and economic growth. Collaboration is relevant for all spheres, starting with individuals, organizations, private businesses, governments, and specifically research institutions which focus on research and innovation. In the academia, e-collaboration has become part of the survival strategy and is also essential to ensure continuity, competitiveness, growth and maturity. ARIs (Academic and Research Institutions) must plan on how e-collaboration is applied and improved in organizations. The main research objective for this study was to propose an e-Collaboration Maturity Model for ARIs. In support of this four secondary objectives were listed as follows: To investigate collaboration initiatives and technology amongst ARIs; To understand the driving forces and challenges towards Collaboration amongst ARIs; To explore the themes of e-Collaboration; To review maturity and assessment models.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Saving the life of another person cannot be measured in monetary terms. It is also impossible to describe the satisfactiori of carrying out a successful rescue to anybody. However, the disappointment and sense of failure when a rescue mission fails and a life is lost, is devastating. Many rescue workers, including those of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), have experienced this overwhelming sense of failure. Rescue workers often dwell on failed rescue attempts, wishing that they could have arrived on the scene earlier or knew where to start looking for people. The fact that lives are still lost, despite the best efforts of rescue workers, points to the need to improve on life saving techniques, procedures, equipment and technology. Providing the NSRI with a workable tool to help them manage and allocate resources, plan a rescue, determine drift speed and distance or create search patterns, may one day be just enough to save one more life. With this goal in mind, a search and rescue application, called RescueView, was developed utilising ArcView 3.2a. This application was specifically designed for use by the NSRI, and it will be used as a command centre in all NRSI control rooms and for all rescue efforts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om die lewe van 'n ander persoon te red, kan nie in geldwaarde gemeet word nie. Dit is ook onmoontlik om aan enige iemand die bevrediging van 'n suksesvolle redding te beskryf. Die terleurstelling en gevoel van verlies is egter baie groot wanneer 'n reddingspoging misluk en 'n lewe verloor word. Menige reddingswerkers, insluitend dié van die Nasional Seereddingsinstituut (NSRI), het al hierdie oorweldigende gevoel van mislukking ervaar. Reddingswerkers tob dikwels oor onsuksesvolle reddingspogings en wens dat hulle vroeër op die toneel aangekom het of geweet het waar om vir mense te begin soek. Die feit dat lewensverlies steeds plaasvind, ten spyte van reddingswerkers se beste pogings, dui op die behoefte om lewensreddingstegnieke, -prosedures, -toerusting en -tegnologie te verbeter. ( Deur die NSRI met 'n werkbare instrument te voorsien, wat hulle kan help om hulpbronne te bestuur en toe te wys, 'n redding te beplan, dryfspoed en -afstand te bepaal of soekpatrone te skep, mag eendag dalk net genoeg wees om nog 'n lewe te red. Met hierdie doel in gedagte is RescueView, 'n soek- en reddingsapplikasie, deur middel van ArcView 3.2a ontwikkel. Hierdie applikasie is spesifiek ontwerp vir gebruik deur die NSRI en dit sal as beheersentrurn in alle NSRI kontrolekamers en vir alle reddingspogings gebruik word.

Sound IT governance is becoming increasingly important for any public or private organisation. However, based on previous research, it can be argued that local municipalities in South Africa are seemingly struggling to implement sound IT governance practices. As a result, very few municipalities perform strategic IT planning and as many as 80percent of municipalities do not have a Master System Plan (MSP) in place, which is required by law. IT governance and corporate governance are lately viewed as one and no longer as two separate governance disciplines, because computer systems and electronic communication are more important now than ever for the survival of any organisation. Therefore, it is important for municipalities to streamline their efforts towards sound IT governance. There are limitations which are faced by municipalities that limit these efforts. Possibly the biggest contributing factor towards this current municipal IT governance predicament, among others, is the fact that there are very few, if any, guidelines and resources available to municipalities to aid them in implementing proper IT infrastructures, systems and governance procedures. To improve the current state of IT governance in municipalities, better guidelines and procedures are required. This dissertation presents an IT governance framework to meet this aforementioned requirement. It is tailored to the requirements of local municipalities and is based on the international best practice, the Control Objectives for Information and related Technologies (COBIT) and the ISO/IEC 17799 code of practice for information security management. This proposed framework takes into account the Municipal Systems Act (nr 32 of 2000), Municipal Structures Act (nr 117 of 1998) and annual municipal IT audit reports’ requirements. Research was conducted at a district and its underlying, local municipalities to determine the proper IT governance criteria for municipalities. Case studies were performed at the municipalities and consisted of performing literature studies on the available municipal legislation and annual, municipal IT audit reports, conducting COBIT gap analyses, an ISO 17799 analysis, conducting interviews and developing questionnaires and data capturing and presentation tools. The resultant, proposed IT governance framework, titled the IT strategic objective plan (IT-SOP), when implemented by a municipality, should provide a solid governance foundation on which to base its business processes on.

Includes bibliography. / The area of interest in which this Study is set is the linking of a company's business strategies with its strategic planning for IT (information technology). The objectives of the Study are: to investigate how the IT planning environment is changing for business enterprises in South Africa; to establish how successfully South African companies are managing IT strategically; to propose a new approach to strategic IT decision making that will help South African management deal with the major issues; to propose a way of implementing the approach. In Chapter 2, conclusions are drawn from an examination of the key strategic IT planning literature. It appears that fundamental changes are indeed taking place, and are producing significant shifts in the way researchers, consultants and managers think about IT. The survey of South African management opinion is described in Chapter 3. The opinions analyzed range over environmental trends, strategic decision making practices, and what an acceptable strategic IT decision making framework would look like. The need for a new, comprehensive approach to strategic IT decision making in South Africa is clearly established. In Chapter 4, a theoretical Framework is proposed as a new, comprehensive approach to strategic IT decision making. The Framework covers five strategic tasks: analysing the key environmental issues; determining the purposes and uses of IT in competitive strategy and organizational designs; developing the IT infrastructure, human systems, information systems, and human resources to achieve these purposes and uses; implementing the strategic IT decisions; and learning to make better strategic IT decisions. In Chapter 5, ways of implementing the Framework in practice are .identified. A means of evaluating its acceptability in a specific company is also proposed. The general conclusions of the Study are presented in Chapter 6. The Framework developed in this Study is intended for use, not directly by the IT decision makers themselves, but by the persons responsible for designing the IT decision making processes of the company. It is not, however, offered as a theory or a methodology. The aim is· simply to provide a conceptual "filing system", to help designers uncover and classify the IT strategy problems of their own company, to identify the tools their decision makers need, and to put appropriate problem solving processes in place.