published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This thesis presents a case study of one tutor in two tutoring sessions using electronic drafts in the Ball State Writing Center, focusing on the sessions' power dynamics. Writing centers have developed nondirective tutoring pedagogies in order to help tutors navigate the power dynamics of sessions with paper drafts. While these pedagogies have recently been adapted for tutoring online, attention has not yet been focused on face-to-face sessions using a computer. Using conversational, textual, and user interface analysis, this study provides thick descriptions of the power dynamics of each tutoring session, analyzing the interactions between tutor, student and computer. The descriptions of both sessions show them to be vastly unique and complex, undermining strict dichotomies between directive and nondirective tutoring. The use of the computer reflects the overall dynamics of each tutorial and raises questions about the ways in which tutors and students prefer to use computers in tutoring sessions. / Department of English

M.Ed. / The aim of this research is to develop guidelines for teachers with regard to parental involvement in order to facilitate the development of reading competence in children in the junior primary phase. In order to achieve this, the following sub-aims are formulated: To explore and describe the viewpoints of parents and teachers with regard to the causes of reading problems in the junior primary phase; To determine in what way teachers and parents of children in the junior primary phase perceive their role in the development and improvement of reading.

In this thesis, I attempt to develop the rudiments of a ’practice’ conception of scientific knowledge and activities as the basis for a suitable methodology for Science and Technology Studies. In order to do this, I examine the methodologies proposed by two sociologists who can be very broadly construed to be working within the tradition of the "Sociology of Scientific Knowledge’, Harry Collins and Steve Woolgar in the context of their application to a specific case, and attempt to develop an alternative conception by contrast. The thesis is structured as follows. I begin by describing Collins’ and Woolgar’s methodologies for the analysis of scientific knowledge development in some detail in Chapter One. In Chapter Two, I examine the application of these methodologies to the ’computer models of scientific discovery’ case (the case is of some interest because it is held to ’refute’ the possibility of the sort of analysis of scientific activities that Collins and Woolgar propose). I then use the material of the first two Chapters in Chapter Three to diagnose the shortcomings of Collins’ and Woolgar’s methodologies as illustrated by their application to the computer models of discovery case. This sets the stage for an alternative analysis of the computer models case which does not suffer from these shortcomings in Chapter Four. Finally, I develop a practice-based conception of scientific knowledge development in Chapter Five (which I derive from the material of Chapters One through Four), contrast it with the methodologies of Collins and Woolgar, and use it to illustrate and evaluate my alternative analysis. / Master of Science

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The political and social changes that occurred after 1994 in South Africa, inevitably led to the emergence of a new educational era. Life Orientation (LO) was introduced as a new learning area within the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) and seeks to preventatively empower learners to take up their legitimate place as citizens within the national and international society (DoE, 2003:2). LO cannot only be liable for the holistic development of individual learners. The community in which learners grow up are faced with unique challenges that will inescapably influence their development. I highlight the influence of “Ubuntu” and “Ukama” on the process of becoming of each individual and therefore use the ecosystemic perspective as a theoretical framework for this study. I reflect on my own experiences within the LO classroom that led to the creation of fictional characters and case studies as a teaching strategy. In this study I distinguish between case study as a teaching strategy and a research methodology. I determine the lived experiences of Grade 8 learners in a secondary school where this teaching strategy was used within the LO classroom. A case study as research methodology is used where qualitative data was produced through personal documentation. A random sample of ten participants from the case study is used to obtain a thorough understanding of their lived experiences. Qualitative data was further produced by twenty individual and two focus group interviews with the sample group. I used the constant comparative method to ensure that I identify the units of meaning and discuss the findings on the basis of three categories. First, the data indicated that the participants found guidance through the case studies of the characters. Secondly, it appeared that the experiences of the characters influenced the participants’ decision making processes. Thirdly, the data indicated that participants used this teaching strategy as a platform to voice their own personal emotions and experiences. On the basis of Gilles Deleuze (in Wallin, 2010) and Magdeleine Grumet (1981) this study emphasizes the potential role that an evolving, active form of curriculum can play in the becoming processes of each individual learner and teacher. I conclude by recommending that uniqueness and diversity must be encouraged within the classroom to ensure that curriculum will not be a homogeneous policy document, but that it will be active and developmental in nature. I use the work of Wallin (2010), Sutton and Martin-Jones (2008) and Grumet (1981) to offer new insights about the pedagogical making process within the South African context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die politiese en sosiale veranderinge wat na 1994 binne Suid-Afrika plaasgevind het, het onvermydelik gelei tot die ontstaan van ʼn nuwe opvoedkundige era. Lewensoriëntering (LO) was as ʼn nuwe leerarea binne die Hersiene Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring (HNKV) bekendgestel en poog om op ʼn voorkomende wyse leerders te bemagtig om hul geregmatige plek as burgers binne die nasionale, sowel as internasionale samelewing op te neem (DvO, 2003:2). LO kan nie alleen aanpreeklik gehou word vir die holistiese ontwikkeling van individuele leerders nie. Die gemeenskap waarbinne die individuele leerders groot word het sy unieke uitdagings en sal daarom onwillekeurig hierdie ontwikkelingsproses beïnvloed. Ek beklemtoon daarom “Ubuntu” en “Ukama” se invloed op die individu se wordingsproses en gebruik die ekosistemiese perspektief as ʼn teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie. Ek reflekteer oor my eie ervarings binne die LO-klaskamer wat aanleiding gegee het tot die ontstaan van fiktiewe karakters en gevallestudies as onderrigstrategie. In hierdie studie onderskei ek tussen gevallestudies as onderrigstrategie en navorsingsmetodologie. Ek bepaal die geleefde ervaring van graad 8-leerders in een sekondêre skool waar dié onderrigstrategie in die LO-klaskamer gebruik word. ʼn Gevallestudie word as navorsingsmetodologie gebruik waar kwalitatiewe data deur persoonlike dokumentasie geproduseer is. Ten einde ʼn deeglike begrip te verkry van die gevallestudie se geleefde ervaring is ʼn ewekansige steekproef van tien deelnemers gebruik. Kwalitatiewe data is verder deur twintig individuele en twee fokusgroeponderhoude met hierdie steekproef geproduseer. Ek het deurgaans die konstante vergelykende metode om eenhede van betekenis te identifiseer gebruik en bespreek my bevindinge aan die hand van drie kategorieë. Eerstens dui die data aan dat deelnemers leiding uit die gevallestudies van karakters ontvang het. Tweedens blyk dit of die ervarings van die karakters die deelnemers se besluitnemingsproses beïnvloed het. Derdens dui die data aan dat deelnemers hierdie onderrigstrategie as ʼn platform gebruik het wat hulle in staat gestel het om uiting aan hul persoonlike emosies en ervarings te gee. Ten slotte beklemtoon hierdie navorsingstudie aan die hand van Gilles Deleuze (in Wallin, 2010) en Magdeleine Grumet (1981) se werk die potensiële rol wat ʼn ontwikkelende, aktiewe vorm van kurrikulum in die wordingsproses van elke individuele leerder en opvoeder kan speel. Ek beveel daarom aan dat uniekhede en diversiteit binne die klaskamer aangemoedig moet word ten einde te verseker dat kurrikulum nie as ʼn homogene beleidsdokument aanvaar word nie, maar dat dit aktief en ontwikkelend van aard sal wees. Ek gebruik die werk van Wallin (2010), Sutton en Martin-Jones (2008) en Grumet (1981) om nuwe insigte rondom die pedagogiese wordingsproses binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks aan te bied.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The purpose of this study was to determine if leadership training, given to informal leaders, had a positive effect on manufacturing productivity. The leadership attributes of informal leaders were assessed using the Leader Attributes Inventory (LAI). Furthermore, the performance of informal leaders was measured using the Leader Effectiveness Index (LEI). Non-management employees from various departments in a manufacturing facility were placed in one of four experimental groups. A Solomon four-group experimental design was employed. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to control threats to internal validity. The one-way analysis of variance procedure (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were statistically significant increases in manufacturing productivity of informal leaders. Findings suggested that training increased the manufacturing productivity of informal leaders. The increased productivity indicated that leadership training could help manufacturing facilities increase their productivity without capital expenditures. Findings did not indicate a statistically significant difference in leadership attributes. Findings also suggested there were no significant differences in the manufacturing productivity between employees with high leader attributes and low leader attributes. Based on this study, leadership training, given to non-management employees, may yield gains in manufacturing productivity.

As altas exigências que impõe o mercado globalizado, a complexidade dos sistemas produtivos de manufatura atuais e os avanços na Tecnologia da Informação são fatos que resgatam a importância da Programação Detalhada da Produção para as empresas. A pesar de bastante consolidada e difundida, a abordagem clássica MRP / ERP não atende plenamente as necessidades em ambientes de produção intermitente. A Programação Detalhada da Produção com capacidade finita dos recursos, atualmente contemplada nos sistemas APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling), constitui uma alternativa interessante para melhor cumprir prazos de entrega em ambientes com roteiros de produção complexos e produção make-to-order (MTO). O problema de pesquisa ora estudado contempla o ensino de modelos de Planejamento e Controle da Produção (PCP) em um ambiente de produção intermitente, com foco na Programação Detalhada da Produção e nos sistemas MRP e APS. Propõe-se um plano de ensino que busca apresentar e diferenciar essas abordagens. O plano contempla o uso de um caso didático A Fábrica de Skates. De uma forma lúdica, porém realista, o caso apresenta, nas suas cinco etapas, duas situações hipotéticas de uso de sistemas de programação. O primeiro, um MRP para planejamento da fábrica de skates e, no segundo, um APS utilizado pelo fornecedor de eixos. O plano foi aplicado pela primeira vez em uma turma de graduação do curso de Engenharia de Produção. Nesta dissertação, é apresentada uma descrição detalhada do caso didático, junto ao plano de ensino. A pesquisa verificou, mediante análise das atividades do caso e de um questionário de avaliação, a utilidade dos recursos elaborados, como também que as estratégias aplicadas ajudaram na aprendizagem. Nesta primeira aplicação, constatou-se também que a alta carga de trabalho dos alunos no semestre e o pouco peso dado à nota final do caso didático foram fatores que inibiram melhores resultados. Para futuras aplicações, o caso didático pode ser aprimorado: novas etapas contemplando outros assuntos importantes para a disciplina PCP e análise de alternativas para substituição dos softwares empregados são exemplos de melhorias. / The high standard of competition in global market, the complexity of current manufacturing systems and the advances in Information Technology highlight the importance of the detailed production scheduling. Although classical approaches such as MRP perform this function quite well in different situations, these systems do not perform well in make-to-order (MTO) production systems. The finite capacity scheduling currently embedded within the software called APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling) is a more interesting approach to achieve better performance in meeting due dates in production environments with complex routings and MTO strategy. Thus, the problem addressed in this study concerns the teaching of Production Planning and Control (PPC) models for intermittent production, with focus on the detailed production scheduling using MRP and APS approaches. In order to that, a teaching plan is proposed to present and differentiate these approaches. It includes the use of an educational case study named \"The Skateboard Factory\". In a playful but realistic way, the case presents, in its five stages, two hypothetical situations of use of scheduling systems. First, an MRP approach for planning in the skateboard factory, and second, one APS approach used by the truck supplier. The teaching plan was first applied to an undergraduate degree Production Engineering program. In this dissertation, a detailed description of the educational case study, along with the teaching plan, is provided. The results achieved in the case study and the students evaluation attest to the usefulness of the resources designed, and also that the strategies applied really improved the learning process. In this first application, it was also observed that high workload and the little weight in the final grade of the case study inhibit better results. In future applications, the case can be enhanced to include new stages on other important issues of the PPC discipline and the replacement of the software used.

Continuing education advances society. For every student, our educational system should provide a seamless transition from one level to the next until a degree or certificate is earned that reflects a mastery of skills needed to secure employment. This helps prepare each individual for a successful life after exiting the educational system and greatly benefit our society. Today, however, many students graduating from high schools are not ready for a postsecondary education. Transitioning students from high school to college is a complex process that requires many different approaches. Students making this transition are finding it more difficult to enter and succeed at a higher level of education because of the complexity of this process. Preparing students for postsecondary options is critical for every student. Students from low-income families and some ethnic and racial minority groups are most dependent on the ability of their high school to prepare them properly for college success (Conley, 2010). In what ways can schools better prepare students for postsecondary success? This study focuses on the creation of a Postsecondary Readiness Guidebook (PRG) which provides a comprehensive approach to help educational leaders prepare students for postsecondary success. The guidebook uses a problem-based learning design and follows the research and development process. The guidebook was field tested by educational leaders in a K-12 public school though a workshop using a qualitative methodology. During the field-testing of the guidebook, data were collected through assessments, interviews with educators, and questionnaires completed by educational leaders at the school. Data were analyzed using inductive coding, facesheet coding, enumeration, and typology. The findings of the study reveal that using a guidebook with a comprehensive approach to postsecondary preparedness can help school leaders prepare students for postsecondary success. Educational leaders in the school collectively focused on best practices and programs aimed at preparing students for postsecondary options through the use and interaction of the PRG. The guidebook gave them a compass for which to navigate the complex process of preparing students for postsecondary success.