There is a need for information regarding the relationship of phonological awareness to reading and spelling in the multilingual learner in South Africa. The speech-language therapist has a role to play as part of the collaborative team assessing and treating the learner with reading and spelling difficulties. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships that exist between phonological awareness, written spelling and oral reading abilities in four groups of school-aged learners. A quantitative research design was employed in the form of a descriptive survey. Twenty test subjects were selected randomly from Grade 2 classes at an English-medium inclusive school in Pretoria, South Africa. Their class teachers on their final school report of the year had rated the learners as having good or poor literacy ability. They were organized into four research groups which differed with respect to their home language (English or English as Additional Language) and with respect to their literacy ability as judged by their teachers (Good or Poor literacy ability). A questionnaire was designed to ascertain parental perspectives pertaining to the learners’ case history and literacy development. A test battery composed of the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (Goldman&Fristoe, 1986), the Phonological Assessment Battery (Frederickson, Reason&Frith, 1997), the ESSI Reading and the ESSI Spelling Test (Esterhuyse&Beukes, 1997), and the TOLD-P: 2 (Newcomer&Hammill, 1991), as well as a Class Spelling List and a Reading Comprehension Task developed by the researcher, was administered to all test subjects. Findings of subjects’ performance in this study supported international findings regarding the strong relationship between phonological awareness ability and performance on reading and spelling measures. In addition, multilingual learners in this study were found to have delays in language development that negatively impacted on their literacy rating. The language development of the English-speakers with poor literacy ability in this study also negatively affected their reading and spelling performance. The test battery used in this study, with the exception of the Reading Comprehension Task, proved useful in differentiating subjects with good and poor literacy abilities and appears to be applicable for use in the South African situation. The results provide useful insights for the assessment and treatment of these learners. Furthermore, relevant research topics in the field of literacy development in an inclusive education setting were presented. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

Multilingualism in classrooms is currently prompting debate and has significantly impacted on schooling in South Africa over the last decade. At present South African educators face the challenge of coping with and finding solutions to culturally and linguistically diverse urban school contexts that did not exist before. In many South African communities young learners, without any prior knowledge of English, are placed in English preschools. Preschool teachers have the demanding task of preparing these multilingual preschoolers for formal schooling in English, and, in addition, are pressurised by parents or caregivers who expect their children to be fluent in English by the time they enter primary school. A group of preschool teachers in a specific urban, multilingual preschool context expressed concern about multilingual preschool learners’ academic performances and their future, and requested advice and support. Consequently a need was identified for speech-language therapists to make their expertise available to multilingual preschool learners, as well as to their preschool teachers. To address this need, an exploratory, descriptive, contextual research design, incorporating the quantitative perspective, was selected to describe the specific educational context of multilingual preschools in the Pretoria Central Business District (CBD) and Sunnyside area. A descriptive survey was conducted and two survey techniques were employed to collect the data, namely a questionnaire and a test battery. The questionnaire was used to collect information from 32 teacher participants to investigate the needs and strengths of preschool teachers and multilingual preschool learners. The test battery was utilised to collect data on the language and communication proficiency in English of 30 learner participants. Results indicated that the teacher participants perceived certain personal challenges while supporting the preschool learners acquiring English as Language of Learning and Teaching (ELoLT). These teachers expressed a need for knowledge and support. They also reported that the multilingual preschool learners in the research context had to communicate in ELoLT despite it being an unfamiliar language. Some of the multilingual preschool learners displayed behaviours that could be indicative of negative influences on their self-esteem. The language and communication assessment revealed that many learner participants’ comprehension and expression in ELoLT were insufficient for learning and that they required support for academic success. In addition, the results support the claim that an integrated view of the multilingual learners’ communication abilities need to be established across contexts, by combining assessment strategies, such as naturalistic and structured assessment, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives. The results of the empirical research was used to propose a service delivery model for the acquisition of ELoLT in the research context. This proposed model may be an effective approach to provide supportive intervention to multilingual preschool learners with linguistic barriers to learning. In addition, initial stage intervention guidelines for the basic level ELoLT learner were offered in response to the needs of the specific community. These guidelines may provide a basis for the planning of intervention strategies to preschool teachers who were concerned about the education and future of multilingual preschool learners. / Thesis (DPhil (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

Rationale: The importance of well developed phonological awareness and the effect of poor phonological awareness skills on reading and spelling have long been recognised. However, a dearth of research exists regarding populations in multi-cultural, multi-lingual contexts both nationally and internationally. This issue is of particular importance in the South African context where many Black learners in the school setting have no other choice than English as the Language of Learning and Teaching (ELoLT). Aim: The purpose of the study was to explore the effect of a multi-cultural, multi-lingual context on the English phonological awareness skills of a group of Black Grade 4 learners in a primary school setting in South Africa. Method: An exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was implemented, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative paradigms. An assessment battery consisting of formal and informal assessments was used to determine levels of development. The researcher endeavoured to find statistical correlations between the participants' phonological awareness skills on the one hand, and their phonological abilities, their expressive and receptive language abilities, and their reading and spelling abilities in ELoLT on the other. Participants: Fifteen Black Grade 4 learners, each with a Black language as mother tongue, who attended a mainstream school where English was the language of learning and teaching (ELoLT), participated in the study. The participants' ages ranged between 9 years 11 months, and 10 years 11 months. Results: The participants’ phonological abilities in English as LoLT showed that 47% of the participants produced the target consonants with a consonant approximation, and vowel approximations were produced by all of the participants in single words. All fifteen the participants’ expressive and receptive language abilities in English as their LoLT, were on a below-average level and their expressive language abilities were more advanced than their receptive language abilities. All the participants evidenced problems in terms of their phonological awareness skills. Based on the results obtained for reading decoding abilities, only one third of the participants could be considered to be readers of an average standard. The reading comprehension abilities of all the participants were on a lower level than those of first language speakers of Standard South African English. Furthermore, the participants’ spelling abilities in English as LoLT were not age-appropriate. Even though no significant correlation could be determined between the participants’ reading comprehension and phonological awareness skills (due to the fact that memory probably played a role in their reading comprehension), it was statistically determined that their poor phonological awareness skills could be associated with their below-average phonological, receptive and expressive language, reading decoding, and spelling abilities. Conclusions: The results of this research have implications for the role of speech-language therapists in terms of collaboration, prevention, assessment, and intervention where the development of these learners' phonological awareness skills is concerned. Clinical implications focus on the dissemination of information, therapy planning, and EAL learner support. The need for further research in this field is emphasised. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / M (Communication Pathology) / Unrestricted

Die Herausgeber, die zugleich Ausrichter der 16. Europäischen Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medien in der Wissenschaft „GMW 2011“ sind, freuen sich, den E-Learning-Akteuren aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum und den Nachbarländern im 20. Jahr des Bestehens der GMW als Fortsetzung eines bisher sehr fruchtbaren Dialoges diesen Sammelband, der in der Reihe „Medien in der Wissenschaft“ beim Waxmann Verlag erscheint, vorzulegen. Unter dem Motto „WissensGemeinschaften in Forschung und Lehre“ liegt ein besonderer Schwerpunkt auf der Verzahnung von E-Learning-Angeboten in der Ausbildung an der Universität mit solchen für allgemein- und berufsbildende Schulen. Dabei soll auch der didaktische Aspekt Beachtung finden. (... aus dem Vorwort)

Im Masterkurs „Sustainable Supply Chain Management“ wurde ein innovatives und vielschichtiges Seminar entwickelt. Es bietet Studierenden die besondere Herausforderung, Wissen durch eigene Forschung sowie in Teams und durch die Kooperation mit Partnern aus der Wirtschaft/der Industrie zu erlangen und dabei dieses Wissen mit kreativen Methoden zu systematisieren und weiter zu entwickeln, um am Ende eigene Ideen, Lösungen und Konzepte zu kreieren. Die Studierenden sind von Anfang an aktive Gestalter_innen der Unterrichtsinhalte, verfolgen das klare Lernziel, Resultate und Erkenntnisse aus der Forschung kreativ für Industriepartner aufzubereiten, und tragen dadurch zum Wissenstransfer bei.

This report begins with the presentation of "the state of the art" as well as the foreseen trend in the education system in Mozambique and analyses the present situation in the area utilizing media opportunities for teaching and/or learning. Basing on this analysis, the prevailing problems and the aims (this might need research) of the study shall then be identified and formulated (chapter 1 and 2). The necessity to carry out the study is grounded by the worldwide stormy developments utilizing modern information technology. These developments do also apply to Mozambique as the pre-studies show. A flashback on the history of teaching-/learning system as well as on present solutions utilizing new media and new information as well as communication technology shall be discussed in the third chapter. To this end, the study shall contribute to identify the lacking of previous concepts as well as to introduce an orientation as to the current world sustainable system. The software for training on the market at present show (without doubt) that they reflect developers' imaginations (knowingly or unknowingly) as to what learning and teaching actually is and how this process take place. Basing on this knowledge, it is worth to work out the starting point as to teaching-/learning methodology before working out a conception. In addition, it shall be made clear (in the course of analysis) that the dominating criterion for customizing a teaching-/learning system is that system or its form that has been realised. The contribution of this report, further, is to make the definition of the media more precise by adding new terminology that shall be discussed and viewed from different viewpoints. This shall in turn contribute to a clear and sound understanding of the media. In the past years, a series of different teaching and methodologies concepts on the design of computer-based teaching-/learning environment were developed and discussed. Among them is the so called "anchored instruction" of the cognition and Technology Group based at Vanderbilt University and the Cognitive Apprenticeship developed by Collins, Brown and their co-workers. This shall be dealt with in the fourth chapter. On that basis, and taking other factors into consideration, such as design, functionality, applications scenarios, boundary conditions as well as user backgrounds, a more effective teaching-/learning environment can be predicted and consequently a concrete design proposal can be derived. The guidelines strived as to the design of context-sensitive multimedia teaching and learning environment shall not only be treated intuitive, but implemented technically in a prototype. In so doing they can then be evaluated and adopted. The so evaluated guidelines and other relevant design proposals that can find use in other areas with respect to the demand of the study as a whole shall make the results of this report. The fifth chapter shall describe the development and evaluation of prototype-art "e-Aula" solutions basing on the developed and grounded conception. The conception constitutes of a hybrid solution in the form of training software that supports both freelance as well as classroom learning. This training technology solution is called teaching-/learning environment and it is being characterised through its feature that it embodies two system interfaces having functions (learning environment and teaching arrangement) that basically refer to the same data collection (media) that can be accessed by the in different ways. This function rates "e-Aula" at a relatively higher position in comparison with a number of learning systems. The sixth chapter shall then summarise the important findings of the report and recommend areas for further research. Appendix: e-Aula Suite 1.0 (1,26 MB) Usage: Referat Informationsvermittlung der SLUB / Mit der Arbeit wurde Ein Konzept für eine Hybridlösung in Form von Bildungssoftware entwickelt begründet und evaluiert, mit der sich einmal erzeugte digitale didaktische Medien sowohl für selbstständiges und unterrichtliches Lernen in sog. "Multimedia Learning Environments" als auch für das Lehren über sog. "Teaching Arrangements" nutzen lassen. Anlage: e-Aula Suite 1.0 (1,26 MB) Nutzung: Referat Informationsvermittlung der SLUB

This dissertation examines a university faculty (n = 41) and diverse students (n = 93) including students with disability (n = 44), students without disability (n = 21), and international students (n = 28) regarding their attitudes toward and actions associated with inclusive instruction based on the universal design for learning (UDL) principles and practices. Two online surveys, the Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory (ITSI) and the Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory-Student (ITSI-S), were administered at a large, public Southwest university (N = 134). The ITSI and ITSI-S contain seven subscales representing the following constructs: (a) accommodations, (b) accessible course materials, (c) course modifications, (d) inclusive lecture strategies, (e) inclusive classroom, (f) inclusive assessment, and (g) disability laws and concepts. A series of multivariate analyses of variances (MANOVAs) measured the overall of attitude subscales and overall action subscales, and an independent-samples test (t-test) compared mean scores on the seven Attitude subscales and seven Action subscales to identify predictors of these attitudes and actions among faculty and students. The main findings were (a) significant differences among diverse students, where students with disability responded negatively on the Action subscales and (b) significant differences between faculty and diverse students where international students had a positive attitude on the Attitude subscales, whereas students with disability had a negative attitude on the Action subscales toward the actual practices of their faculty. Results of the current study respond to the gap in the literature by examining the inclusive instruction environment based on UDL in a university environment. The implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

In the increasingly diverse context of North American schools, cross-cultural understanding is of fundamental importance. Most teachers are mono-cultural – typically white, middle class women. To inform teaching practice, these educators draw primarily from personal cultural backgrounds often to the exclusion or detriment of other cultural ways of knowing brought to the classroom by students. Teacher education programs are challenged to interrupt the norms of their conventional practices in order to help dominant culture teachers become more sensitive and insightful towards issues of cross-cultural pedagogy. In particular, the needs of Canadian Aboriginal students require close attention. Indigenous ways of learning and teaching are rarely included in school curricula. This dissertation argues that not only is an indigenous pedagogy useful for Aboriginal students, it also serves to support learning for all students in a multicultural classroom. This phenomenological narrative study looked at the experience of non-Aboriginal preservice teachers enrolled in a university course taught by instructors from several First Nations of Canada. The course took place on Lkwungen Coast Salish territory and provided direct access to indigenous knowledge as the participants worked with earth fibre textiles. The wisdom keepers created a place for the preservice teachers to participate extensively in a cultural approach to learning that was quite different from their previous educational experiences. While engaging in the indigenous handwork, the preservice teachers carefully observed both their own processes as learners and the ways in which the wisdom keepers in the course acted as teachers. The insight gained through this reflexive work troubled the participants’ deep-seated Eurocentric perspectives. Reflecting on personal shifts in attitudes, values and beliefs about the twinned processes of learning and teaching, the participants reported changes in their teaching practice with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Significant themes in the data revolve around issues of personal and social intent, reflective and reflexive practice, spirituality, the endogenous processes of the learner, learning in community, and teachers’ faith in the learner. The data suggest that implementing an eco/social/spiritual framework is useful in cross-cultural learning and teaching environments as well as in the context of educational research.

Born into a visual culture, today’s generation of learners generally prefer a visually-rich multimodal learning environment. Tapping into the potential of visuals in language pedagogy, this study was aimed at discovering the impact of a visual presentation of grammatical concepts related to sentence structure on student writing. The study used a mixed methods design to analyse the impact of the visual approach first by statistically measuring sentence variety and syntactic complexity of student pre and post intervention texts and then using interviews to explain the nature of the impact of visuals on student conceptual understanding and its effect on their writing development. Statistical findings reveal that the experimental groups of Chinese students who were taught grammatical concepts in the context of writing instruction using a visual approach outperformed the students in the control groups who were given similar lessons in the context of writing instruction but using traditional printed hand-outs. Qualitative findings suggest that the visuals seems to have increased these students’ conceptual understanding of grammatical items that were taught, and this resulted in more sophisticated and syntactically complex texts after the intervention. The study supports the theory of contextualized teaching of grammar and proposes the use of external visuals that lead to internal visualization based on the cognitive theory of multimodal learning. In so doing, it extends the use of visual learning to grammar pedagogy. However, the findings also suggest that the visual approach would not work effectively in cultures that promote rote learning and decontextualized exercises in grammar with the sole aim of passing the exams. A shift in attitude towards grammar pedagogy in China is deemed necessary.

The researcher has observed and noted that out of the four regions of Swaziland, Shiselweni is the leading region with high schools that manifest a poor culture of learning and teaching. The summary of 2009 Junior Certificate results revealed that it is not only that Shiselweni had the lowest pass rate, but also that it recorded the highest number of failures when compared with the other three regions. The purpose of the study was to determine strategies that could be used by principals in promoting a culture of learning and teaching in Shiselweni high schools in Swaziland. The study pursued a qualitative research design which was explorative and descriptive. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was collected by means of focus group interviews with learners and teachers, and then through one-onone interviews with principals and parents. The sample was drawn from six high schools in the Shiselweni region that differed in their academic performance. Purposive sampling was used when selecting the schools and those who were to participate in the study. Data was constantly compared and analyzed using the coding method. Participants signed letters of consent and they were assured of the anonymity and confidentiality of the study. They were also made aware that they were not forced to participate in the study and that they were free to withdraw if they were so persuaded. Triangulation and the Guba’s trustworthiness model were used to enhance the reliability and validity of the study. Findings helped the researcher to arrive at recommendations on the role that principals should play in promoting a culture of learning and teaching in Shiselweni high schools in Swaziland. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)