published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The introduction of e-learning made way for advancements in learning and technology with individuals being exposed to electronic learning and teaching environments. At first, the introduction of e-learning into the educational sphere was intended to simply enhance traditional teaching and learning; however, technology then took the lead as a tool to materially enhance the concept of e-learning in education. Inevitably, technology’s impact on learning drove the delivery of electronic educational content but it also caused widespread debate about best practice in the design of e-learning systems. Since then, the phenomenal influx of technology enhancements that has been created has led most learners into a digital education era that cannot now function without it. At first, e-learning systems were forced to adapt to change as a result of e-learning trends and as a symbolic move from traditional learning to more innovative methods of learning and teaching. As such, e-learning remained affected by pedagogy, technology and curriculum changes outside of a structured, guided framework. Varying definitions exist as a result of the diverse understanding of the contributions and role of pedagogy and technology toward e-learning. There is a misconception and confusion of elearning attributed to the lack of a formally accepted definition which would identify with the need for pedagogy principles and guide researchers to apply models and frameworks to implement and improve the provision of e-learning systems. Although the effects of technology on learning are conclusive, the current dilemma is the lack of effective alignment of the pedagogy principles to suitable technology – an issue which has now become detrimental to learning. This study explores the various interpretations of e-learning definitions that allude to the incorporation of learning, technology and knowledge gained during e-learning interventions. However, as the research revealed a lack of any cohesive e-learning definition, this motivated the creation of a specific definition derived particularly for this study. In considering the role of technology in the e-learning environment, similar themes began to emerge that needed to be addressed holistically through e-learning. One of these themes was a need to focus on the formulation of a structured approach and pedagogical framework for the design and development of e-learning systems. The findings of the research identified e-learning frameworks and models that were in use. The outcome of an e-learning system framework drew on the research of extant models and frameworks and investigated the critical elements, particularly that of pedagogy in an e-learning environment. The proposed pedagogical framework for elearning was evaluated by means of a survey of organisations that produce e-learning systems. The findings of the survey were analysed to assess the alignment and relevance of the dimensions and elements in the framework to the design and development of e-learning systems. The proposed pedagogical e-learning framework is intended to add value to the design and development of e-learning systems with the core focus on pedagogy. In years to come, current and existing technologies and tools may become outdated, yet learning opportunities continue to evolve based on pedagogy, technology and curriculum requirements. By harmonising the synergy between pedagogy and technology, a pedagogically aligned e-learning framework can resolve the lack of pedagogy in elearning system design and development. / Information Science / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-04-29T19:34:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Cristina Vendrameto.pdf: 2389244 bytes, checksum: b74e36b8e7c43c5eddb066dfb78da670 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-29T19:34:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Cristina Vendrameto.pdf: 2389244 bytes, checksum: b74e36b8e7c43c5eddb066dfb78da670 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / In addition to contributing to the discussion of technological education in Brazil, the present study aimed to focus on the analysis of technological education, specifically the technological education offered in three courses of Fatec Carapicuíba administered by the Paula Souza Center (CPS). In the writings of Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse, he sought in the Critical Theory of Society the concepts that made up his theoretical elements, namely: Ideology, Technological Rationality, Ideology of Technological Rationality (IRT), Work and Formation. The problem from originated is related to the understanding of the purposes of the technological education offered by the PHC and its condition as an instrument of Technological Rationality in the maintenance of the existing contradictions between the productive forces and the relations of production. As a result of the research problem, the general objective was to analyze the role of Technological Rationality in the determination of this type of teaching. It was assumed that the level of adherence of a given social group - in the case of this study, students from three technology courses - to the IRT is one of the indicators that reveals more or less control of this ideology on all levels of society. In this way the specific objectives were: to identify in the constitutional historical process of technological education how Technological Rationality influences the relation between education and work; Identify whether students from three technology courses join the IRT; To measure students' levels of adherence to IRT; To identify in technological education the characteristics that circumscribe it as one of the instruments of Technological Rationality. The technological education offered by the SPC was constituted as the object of this study and, due to the complexity inherent to it and in respect to its primacy, the integrated method was adopted and the following instruments were used: 1) Scale of Adherence to the Ideology of Technological Rationality, Elaborated by José Leon Crochík (1999); 2) Socioeconomic Stratification Questionnaire; 3) Sociocultural questionnaire and 4) Political Positioning Scale. The participants of the survey were 91 - men and women aged 18-53 years - incoming and graduating students, enrolled in the second half of 2015, in the Logistics, Secretariat and Systems Analysis and Development Courses. The following hypotheses were accepted: 1) the education-work relationship is one of the characteristics of technological education; 2) the students of the technology courses join the IRT. The discussion of the data was made possible by the descriptive statistics and the obtained results revealed that the students adhere to the IRT and one of the factors that corroborates with this adhesion is the institutional situation, it was confirmed by means of the documentary and bibliographic analysis that in fact the relationship education -work, characteristic of technological education, is determined by Technological Rationality. It was concluded that the results showed that the IRT, besides being present in higher education (it is known that it is not only in this type of education), has also determined its configuration as the possible alternative, reserved for the majority of students from the working class Which envisions economic-social mobility. Finally, it is noted that the PHC community - teachers / researchers and students - participates, as well as the society in which it is inserted, in the one-dimensional perception of the administered society, which in turn fosters and values the principles contained and defended by Rationality Technological. It is recommended that new critical investigations be developed regarding technological education, once the literature review has proven this scarcity / O presente estudo pretendeu, além de contribuir para o fomento da discussão sobre a educação tecnológica no Brasil, ocupar-se da análise da educação tecnológica oferecida em três cursos do Centro Paula Souza. Buscou na Teoria Crítica da Sociedade, principalmente nos escritos de Adorno, Horkheimer e Marcuse os conceitos que compuseram seus elementos teóricos, a saber: a Ideologia, a Racionalidade Tecnológica, a Ideologia da Racionalidade Tecnológica, o Trabalho e a Formação. O problema que originou a investigação relaciona-se com a compreensão dos propósitos da educação tecnológica oferecida pelo Centro Paula Souza e sua condição de expressão da Racionalidade Tecnológica na manutenção das contradições existentes entre as forças produtivas e as relações de produção. Configurou-se como objetivo geral da pesquisa à análise do papel da Racionalidade Tecnológica na determinação desta modalidade de ensino. Tomou-se por pressuposto que o nível de adesão de determinado grupo social - no caso deste estudo, alunos de três cursos de tecnologia - a Ideologia da Racionalidade Tecnológica é um dos indicadores que revela maior ou menor controle desta ideologia sobre as instâncias da sociais. A educação tecnológica oferecida pelo Centro constituiu-se como objeto deste estudo e pela complexidade que lhe é inerente e em respeito à sua primazia adotou-se o método integrado e os seguintes instrumentos foram utilizados: 1) Escala de Adesão à Ideologia da Racionalidade Tecnológica, elaborada por José Leon Crochík (1999); 2) Questionário de Estratificação Socioeconômica; 3) Questionário sociocultural e 4) Escala de Posicionamento Político. Os participantes da pesquisa foram 91 - homens e mulheres com idade entre 18-53 anos - discentes ingressantes e concluintes, matriculados no segundo semestre de 2015, nos Cursos de Logística, Secretariado e Análise e Desenvolvimento de Sistemas. Foram admitidas como hipóteses: 1) a relação educação-trabalho na educação tecnológica é determinada pela racionalidade tecnológica e, ao mesmo tempo, é uma expressão desta lógica; 2) os discentes dos cursos de tecnologia aderem em maior ou menor grau à Ideologia da Racionalidade Tecnológica de acordo com seu curso e sua situação institucional. A discussão dos dados quantitativos foi possibilitada pelas estatísticas descritivas e os resultados obtidos confirmaram a hipótese 2. A análise documental e bibliográfica revelou que relação educação-trabalho, verificada na educação tecnológica, é determinada pela Racionalidade Tecnológica, confirmando assim a hipótese 1. Concluiu-se que a Racionalidade Tecnológica além de determinar a concepção de educação presente nos cursos de tecnologia do Centro Paula Souza, define esses cursos como sendo a alternativa de formação possível, reservada, quase que exclusivamente, para os alunos oriundos da classe trabalhadora que anseiam pela propagada mobilidade econômico-social. Por fim, adverte-se que a comunidade do Centro Paula Souza - docentes/pesquisadores e discentes - participa, bem como a sociedade na qual está inserida, da percepção unidimensional da sociedade administrada, que por sua vez fomenta e valoriza os princípios contidos e defendidos pela Racionalidade Tecnológica

Content analyses of research in the literature of gifted education (Coleman, 2006; Rogers, 1999, 2006) has shown a consistent absence of research investigating methodology for instructing gifted students and for the development of expertise using new technologies. In this study, utilising electronic instructional delivery, an investigation was undertaken of the differential effects and appropriateness of matching the prior knowledge of the learner to the instructional method. Underpinned with a theoretical understanding of gifted education and cognitive load theory, a series of three experiments was designed and implemented to determine whether gifted students learn more effectively under guided discovery design than with example based instruction, while not identified as gifted ability students perform significantly better under direct example based instruction than with guided discovery. Data were collected and analysed in three stages. Experiment 1 was conducted in the novel domain of Boolean switching equations. Experiments 2 and 3 used identical test instruments with novel tasks in the semi-familiar domain of geometry. A total of 155 Years 7, 8 and 9 students at three metropolitan secondary schools participated. The study explored whether the presence of schemas, that facilitated greater problem-solving ability in gifted students, would generate clear evidence of instructional efficiency and preference for either mode of instruction. As students advanced from novice state to expert in particular domains of learning, it was anticipated that gifted students would progress from benefiting from worked example instruction to more efficient learning in guided discovery mode. This hypothesis was rejected as the results from each of the experiments did not confirm the hypothesised outcomes. There was no manifested expertise-reversal effect. The absence of any clear delineation of enhanced learning proficiency mode of instruction for gifted students does, however, contribute to the advancement and understanding of cognitive load theory and the complexity of learning strategies necessary for gifted learners.

Since the close of WWII, higher education has been central to the growth of U.S. science, but the role of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)has been under-explored within this narrative. The nation s 105 HBCUs constitute less than one percent of the U.S. higher education community, but consistently have served as a major conduit for the production of African Americans in the sciences, technology, mathematics and engineering. National Science Foundation data reflect an average 29 percent share for the period 1994-2001. The output is even more striking when examined by degrees awarded in disciplinary clusters 50 percent in the agricultural sciences, 45 percent in the physical sciences and mathematics, and 42 percent in the biological sciences. This research explores the role of HBCUs in educating African Americans in science from the boosterism period shortly following World War II, through affirmative action legislation of the 1960s and 1970s, and concluding with current federal policies. A particular analysis is undertaken of Spelman College, a private liberal arts college founded by New England missionaries in the South during the late 19th century as a seminary for former slave women and girls. Spelman presents a unique case to analyze the particularistic characteristics of race, gender and institutional setting within the context of a so-called normative structure of science. Over a 25-year period, Spelman was able to rise beyond the structural limitations of its position as a Black college, a women's college, and a southern college to become one of the single most productive undergraduate institution for African American women earning the baccalaureate degree in science. What new perspectives might the Spelman story specifically and the history of HBCUs generally offer about the history of U.S. science, the notion that careers be open to talent, and current public policy discourse regarding efforts to increase the participation of under-represented racial minorities and women in science, engineering and mathematics? My thesis is that it is the politics of particularlism, not an ideal of universalism, that has fundamentally determined who participates in science and has had a significant impact on HBCUs. Despite these constraints, the contributions that these institutions have made to the U.S. scientific workforce have been enormous.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The English language is not used by the majority of people in their daily and normal conversations at King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) district. It is not even encouraged in many homes and townships because it is associated with an oppressive regime. Hence, it is difficult for children to experience the English language before they start formal education. This study investigated the challenges posed by the English language in the teaching and learning of Technology in Grade 9 at King Sabata Dalindyebo educational district. The first section of the study focused on the language policy in schools, and the second part investigated language practice in schools and classrooms. Structured interviews were conducted with 5 learning areas specialists of the General Education and Training (GET) Band in the district. Closed questionnaires were administered to sampled technology teachers, and a literature review of previous studies on the topic was also conducted. The study revealed that the English language poses a challenge in the teaching and learning at KSD schools, not in the Technology learning area only, but in all the other learning areas. The study also found that, though schools have written language policies that are in line with that of the Department of Education (DoE), there are no implementation and monitoring strategies in place. From the findings, the study recommends that the Department of Education should develop implementation and monitoring strategies to enforce the language policy. The researcher further recommends that language teachers should be re-trained and equipped with the right books and resources which will improve their methods of teaching. Furthermore, it is recommended that schools should be provided with libraries. Reading, speed writing and debating should form part of the GET curriculum.

As the political milieu in South Africa changed in 1990, a new curriculum framework guided by the principles of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) emerged. The paradigm shift from a traditional to an OBE curriculum was difficult for many teachers, especially the shift away from the traditional paper and pencil methods of assessment to using formative assessments methods. The issues of assessment are further compounded in Technology Education because of its unique methodology. Within the South African context, Technology Education must include conceptual knowledge of technology products as well as procedural knowledge on the designing and manufacturing of such products. Technology Education is thus concerned with developing learners’ capability. As a result, assessment in Technology becomes complex because we are looking for more than just a display of knowledge, understanding and manual skills. It is against this backdrop that this study aims to explore Grade 7 teacher assessment practices in Technology Education within the Pinetown District and to gain a better understanding of what teachers assess in Technology Education. This was done by examining how they carried out their assessments and by exploring the reasons for such practices. The research questions addressed in this study were: What are Grade 7 teachers assessing in Technology Education? ; How do Grade 7 teachers carry out these assessments? ; Why are Grade 7 teachers employing particular assessment strategies? Middleton’s revised concept of problem space, as well as the influence of social constructive influence on learning and assessment that forms the theoretical framework of this study. Guided by the interpretive paradigm, this research was qualitative in nature and a case study approach was used to explore it aims. The case study approach allowed the researcher an opportunity to study the participants’ common and unique features in depth within a limited time scale. Participants for this study were selected by purposive sampling by virtue of their professional experience in teaching Grade 7 Technology Education within the senior phase. Data collection methods used to obtain data relevant to the research questions were observation of Technology lessons, document analysis of learners’ books and educators’ portfolios, as well as semi-structured interviews. It has emerged from the findings that although Technology Education has gained momentum over the years in South Africa. Greater attention needs to be paid towards assessment of the learning area because no proper guidelines regarding assessments have been provided for teachers. Teachers are assessing aspects of Technology Education that they feel are relevant and which they are comfortable with. Greater emphasis is placed on completed tangible products rather than the designing and the learning process that the learner engages in. Emphasis is placed on assessment for attainment of marks and not for life-long learning. Lack of pedagogical knowledge in the field of Technology Education and limited knowledge of appropriate assessment strategies in Technology Education have also emerged as major contributing factors for Grade 7 teachers for assessing Technology Education in the manner that they are. It is recommended that appropriate and adequate professional development workshops be held for teachers of Technology Education so that these short coming are addressed. Subject advisors need to play a more active role in the development of Technology Educations and meet on a regular basis with the teachers to keep abreast of new trends and to tackle challenges. This is necessary so that Technology Education in South Africa can reach its true potential in developing enterprising, creative problem solvers as envisaged in the constitution. / Thesis (M. Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

The United States are facing a critical workforce challenge, even though current unemployment is around 6.7%, employers find it difficult to find applicants that can satisfy all job requirements. This problem is especially pronounced in the manufacturing sector where a critical skills gap has developed, a problem that is exasperated by workforce demographics. A large number of employees across the various manufacturing sub-disciplines are eligible to retire now or in the near future. This gray tsunami requires swift action as well as long lasting change resulting in a workforce pipeline that can provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors in sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy not only the needs of STEM industries, but also of those companies outside of the STEM sector that hire STEM graduates. The research shown here will identify overt symptoms describing the capability gap, will identify specific skills describing the gap, educational causes why the gaps has not yet been addressed or is difficult to address, and lastly educational remedies that can contribute to closing the capability gap. A significant body of literature focusing on engineering in higher education has been evaluated and findings will be presented here. A multidisciplinary, collaborative capstone program will be described which implements some of the findings from this study in an active learning environment for students working on distributed teams across the US. Preliminary findings regarding the impact of these measures on the quantity of engineers to the US economy will be evaluated.

Content analyses of research in the literature of gifted education (Coleman, 2006; Rogers, 1999, 2006) has shown a consistent absence of research investigating methodology for instructing gifted students and for the development of expertise using new technologies. In this study, utilising electronic instructional delivery, an investigation was undertaken of the differential effects and appropriateness of matching the prior knowledge of the learner to the instructional method. Underpinned with a theoretical understanding of gifted education and cognitive load theory, a series of three experiments was designed and implemented to determine whether gifted students learn more effectively under guided discovery design than with example based instruction, while not identified as gifted ability students perform significantly better under direct example based instruction than with guided discovery. Data were collected and analysed in three stages. Experiment 1 was conducted in the novel domain of Boolean switching equations. Experiments 2 and 3 used identical test instruments with novel tasks in the semi-familiar domain of geometry. A total of 155 Years 7, 8 and 9 students at three metropolitan secondary schools participated. The study explored whether the presence of schemas, that facilitated greater problem-solving ability in gifted students, would generate clear evidence of instructional efficiency and preference for either mode of instruction. As students advanced from novice state to expert in particular domains of learning, it was anticipated that gifted students would progress from benefiting from worked example instruction to more efficient learning in guided discovery mode. This hypothesis was rejected as the results from each of the experiments did not confirm the hypothesised outcomes. There was no manifested expertise-reversal effect. The absence of any clear delineation of enhanced learning proficiency mode of instruction for gifted students does, however, contribute to the advancement and understanding of cognitive load theory and the complexity of learning strategies necessary for gifted learners.

Submitted in fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Masters of Technology: Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Nursing education has entered a new era as educators are tasked with ensuring that student nurses are adequately prepared with knowledge and skill to care for an increased number of patients, that are being brought on by the escalating burden of disease in South Africa. This preparation requires developing critical thinking nurses who can work amidst a milieu of a shortage of staff and a lack of resources in the South African context. Despite there being a rapid advance in technology and that the type of student nurse has evolved, little is known about the types of teaching methodologies being used by nurse educators to prepare students for real life practice situations. Globally there has been a call for a paradigm shift, from a teacher to a learner centered approach in nursing education. This study evolved to explore what current teaching strategies are being used to teach nursing students and their views on the use of more contemporary creative methodologies. Nurse educators at the Kwazulu Natal College of Nursing campuses were involved in the study through the use of a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research design. Data was collected by means of a survey questionnaire from a census sample of lecturers, working at the ten campuses of KZNCN offering the R. 425 curriculum. The study found that respondents were still predominantly using didactic teaching methods such as the lecture method and demonstration to teach across all subject areas. They however supported the use of more creative methodologies and requested a need for further training and development to better empower them to utilize web based teaching, portfolios, case studies and a range of other creative teaching strategies in teaching. Recommendations to interweave specific strategies with specific teaching areas were provided as part of the conclusions.