Instructional design is a science that has received little attention from residential universities and educational practices. Instructional design is regarded as a prerequisite for designing, delivering and optimising flexi-learning programmes and should be part of the curricularising processes of universities. There is furthermore an increasing awareness, both internationally and nationally, of the need for distance education. The paradigm shift towards more learner centred study, independent of time and place, necessitates the redesigning and development of learning material at tertiary institutions. This study applies the parameters of instructional design and distance teaching to the field of hearing aid acoustics. The stages utilised in the instructional design of a distance teaching program for hearing aid acousticians were the following: planning through an analysis of the situation, design and development of the program, implementing the postgraduate Diploma in Hearing Aid Acoustics and the utilisation and management of the program through continuous assessment of the program. In the planning phase an analysis of the situation was conducted by means of questionnaires to the major role players, viz. hearing aid dispensers in practice and their adult and geriatric clients with a hearing loss. A total of 144 respondents were included in the study. In the planning document the expected outcomes and main traits of the potential learners were identified. The best system for the delivery of the program was also selected. The results of the analysis phase were used to develop and implement a two year post-graduate distance teaching diploma in hearing aid acoustics. A major challenge was to effectively facilitate the practical skills required of hearing aid acousticians within a distance teaching program. Selected contact periods are therefore used for practising practical skills. In the final phase of instructional design, the program was evaluated. It was indicated that instructional design is indeed a prerequisite for specifying conditions for learning, based on sound teaching principles. / Thesis (DPhil (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

In hierdie studie is psigoterapeutiese uitkoms navorsing gedoen (Lindegger, 1999). Die navorser het as intern opvoedkundige sielkundige ‘n groepgebaseerde gestalt-dramaterapie program van 12 sessies ontwikkel ten einde selfagting-ontwikkeling by die kind met leerhindernisse aan te spreek. Gebrekkige motivering, ongunstige selfagting, sowel as problematiese sosiale vaardighede word geassosieer met leerhindernisse (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). Die Self-Esteem Index (SEI) is as meetinstrument gebruik en met aanvang en terminering van die intervensie afgeneem. Sekere strategieë is toegepas ten einde leerhindernisse te akkommodeer tydens die afneem van die meetinstrument. Na afloop van die intervensie, wat hoofsaaklik bestaan het uit dramatisering en rollespelle in kleingroep-verband, is die versamelde data statisties geanaliseer ten einde te bepaal of die intervensie moontlik tot die ontwikkeling van gunstige selfagting by die betrokke leerdergroep bygedra het. Die steekproef (n=17) is vanuit die SEI-vraelysdata van die Afrikaanssprekende Graad 4-leerders (tussen die ouderdomme van 10 tot 12 jaar) verbonde aan die betrokke remediërende skool, wie aan die LOD-program deelgeneem het, op sistematiese wyse getrek. Gepaarde t-toetse is gedoen ten einde te bepaal of daar enige statisties betekenisvolle verskille tussen die voortoets-/natoets-data bestaan. Die terapeutiese proses waartydens die data gegenereer is vir hierdie studie, was soortgelyk aan die pre-eksperimentele een groep voortoets-/natoets ontwerp. Die navorsingsresultate het aangedui dat die nulhipotese nie verwerp kan word nie. Die alternatiewe hipotese moet dus verder ondersoek word en vele moontlikhede vir toekomstige navorsing het vanuit die studie ontwikkel. ENGLISH : In this study psychotherapy outcome research was conducted (Lindegger, 1999). The researcher developed a group based gestalt drama therapy program during her internship as educational psychologist in a remedial school. The main therapeutic aim was to develop the self-esteem of the child with barriers to learning. Demoralization, low self-esteem, and deficits in social skills may be associated with barriers to learning (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). The intervention was facilitated over 12 sessions and all the Grade 4 pupils of the specific school participated in the intervention. The Self-Esteem Index (SEI) was administered during the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Certain strategies were used to accommodate barriers to learning during the administration of the SEI. After termination of the intervention the data were statistically analysed. The pretest/posttest results were compared in order to determine if the intervention contributed to self-esteem development of the participants. A data-sample (n=17) was systematically drawn from the Afrikaans speaking Grade 4 learner participants’ (between the ages of 10 to 12 years) SEI questionnaires. The therapeutic process during which the data was generated resembled a pre-experimental one group pretest/posttest design. Paired t-tests were used and the research results indicated no statistical significance which means that the null hypothesis could not be rejected. This resulted in the formulation of further hypothesis. The aim of this study therefore was to explore the possible effect of the intervention on the self-esteem development of the child with barriers to learning. Possibilities for further research emerged from this research study. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted