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Time-to-degree: identifying factors for predicting completion of four year undergraduate degree programmes in the built environment at the University of WitwatersrandMamvura, Innocent 29 April 2013 (has links)
A research report submitted to Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, 2012. / The study aims to identify the variables which best predict completion of four year undergraduate degree programmes, in the Schools of Construction Economics and Management and Architecture and Planning, at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa. The research is important to the University and in particular the schools under investigation, because there are only a few studies done in South African universities on this topic and it will contribute to the knowledge on variables that positively influence Time-to-Degree. Selected demographic variables such as Gender, Race, and Home Language were analysed. Other variables considered include: University Courses, First Year Scores, Matric Aggregate, Financial Aid and Residence Status.
The Binary Logistic Models, a Multinomial Logistic Model and Classification Tree Model were developed to test for the significance of the predictor variables at 5% level of significance. The Statistical packages that were used in the analysis of data are Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Statistical Analysis System (SAS).
The logistic regression models indicated that Home Language is English and the first year university course Building Quantities 1 are the most important predictors of Time-to-Degree. The other variables that were significant are Gender is Female, Not Repeat, Theory & Practice of QS 1, Architectural Representation I, Building Quantities 1, Construction Planning and Design, Physics Building and Planning for Property Developers. Architectural Representation I, Building Quantities 1, Construction Planning and Design, Physics Building and Planning for Property Developers. Matric Aggregate is an important predictor of university first year success though it has no impact on TTD. The Classification Tree indicated that passing first year at university was significant as it increases the chances of completing the degree programme within the minimum time.
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Employee perceptions of affirmative action in the Faculty of Health Science (University of Witwatersrand)06 June 2008 (has links)
The South African government introduced Affirmative Action in 1998 to redress historical workplace discrimination. The South African moral imperative considers Affirmative Action to be a necessary instrument of change influencing social and economic equality, which impacts on the development of Blacks. Affirmative Action is being researched in academic circles for reasons other than moral concern, which calls for a new breed of scientist to take equitable academic demographics into consideration. The exploratory study in question aimed to identify employees’ perceptions on Affirmative Action within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand. The survey method was utilized in the study and opinions were elicited from 108 respondents in the Faculty. The results were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively in order to gain a comprehensive insight into the perceptions. The focus of the study included: profile of the respondents, staffing and standards, employee development and mentorship, attitudes, training and culture. The findings of the investigation indicated that progress achieved by Affirmative Action within the Faculty was generally perceived to be slow. However, there appeared to be no problems related to holistic practices established in support of Affirmative Action. / Prof. W. Backer
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Lives of Darwin in the evolution of biography.Cumming, Jonathan January 1998 (has links)
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy / This thesis focuses on a selection of biographical treatments of Charles Darwin dating
from 1887 to 1991, and through these explores certain shifts in the purposes and
assumptions of biography since the Victorian period.
An introductory discussion of problematic features in standard histories of
biography is followed by an overview of the biographical material that surrounds
Darwin. Four works are then analysed in detail. These are: The Life and Letters of
Charles Darwin edited by his son Francis Darwin. (1887); Charles Darwin: The
fragmentary man by Geoffrey West (1937); Darwin and the Beagle by Alan
Moorehead (1969); and Darwin by Adrian Desmond and James Moore (1991).
The disparities between these works - disparities in purpose, form, and the
image of Darwin that each presents - are so great that one must question whether
biography is a continuous, evolving family of texts. Is it not, rather, a
conglomeration of approaches to life-writing - approaches which critics have
grouped into a single genre much as the ancients grouped whales with fishes, on the
basis that "because certain of their structural features are analogous, they must be
generically-related"? The findings of this thesis do not supply a comprehensive
answer, but affirm that we need to re-evaluate concepts like "the evolution of
biography".
In an appendix I analyse The Life of Richard Owen by R.S. Owen (1894) and
thereby reconsider certain of my conclusions about Victorian biography. (Owen was
the most eminent naturalist of the era and is often supposed to have been Darwin's
greatest rival, hence my choice of this particular work.) / AC 2018
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Internationalisation of higher education at the University of the Witwatersrand : a phenomenographic study of students' perspectives.Ojo, Emmanuel Oluseun 01 March 2010 (has links)
This piece is an empirical study of how students experience and conceptualise
internationalisation of higher education at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits),
South Africa. The central question of this empirical study is, how do students experience
and conceptualise internationalisation of higher education at Wits? The conceptual
framework presents Wits within three domains, which are the Official, Pedagogical and
Social, as the context within which the university operates. Using a qualitative
methodology – phenomenography – that aims to explore the qualitatively different
ways in which a group of people experience a specific phenomenon, in this case
internationalisation of higher education, four main constructs about internationalisation
have emerged from students’ accounts:
(I) internationalisation as Wits is striving to be a top global university;
(II) internationalisation as the presence of international students;
(III) internationalisation as an issue of mutual respect and acceptance, and
(IV) internationalisation as enhancing the students’ learning experience.
The argument is that, though students converge on these conceptions, their differences
regarding the emphasis and significance points to a scenario of unbalanced institutional
mediation, with strong mediation within the logic of dominant pedagogical practice in
the university, constrained by forms of weak mediation in the social domain.
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First year social work students at the University of the WitwatersrandHilson, Freda Elaine 27 January 2015 (has links)
No description available.
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Advancing integrated research at the University of the Witwatersrand: an investigation using integral theoryFoss, Kanina January 2016 (has links)
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, University of the Witwatersrand. Johannesburg, 2016. / The challenges facing humanity are presenting at an unprecedented scale and complexity. Climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, ocean depletion, poverty, inequality, and failing health care and educational systems are among the problems that have come to be defined as "wicked" because of their spread and interconnectedness. At the same time, there has been an increasing realisation that multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary (MIT) research is critical to addressing these complex global challenges. This research identified some of the barriers and enablers to MIT research at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), based on interviews with researchers and research managers at the University who have been involved in conducting or facilitating MIT research. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / LG2017
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Educational data mining (EDM) in a South African University: a longitudinal study of factors that affect the academic performance of computer science I studentsMashiloane, Lebogang 22 January 2016 (has links)
Degree of Master of Science by research only:
A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of
the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Science.
Signed on September 10, 2015 in Johannesburg / The past few years have seen an increase in the number of first year students registering in the School
of Computer Science at Wits University. These students come from different backgrounds both academically
and socially. As do many other institutions, Wits University collects and stores vast amounts of
data about the students they enrol and teach. However this data is not always used after being stored. The
area of Educational Data Mining (EDM) focuses on using this stored data to find trends and patterns that
could enhance the knowledge about the student’s behavior, their academic performance and the learning
environment.
This longitudinal study focuses on the application of EDM techniques to obtain a better understanding
of some of the factors that influence the academic performance of first year computer science students
at the University of the Witwatersrand. Knowledge obtained using these techniques could assist in increasing
the number of students who complete their studies successfully and identifying students who
are at risk of failing and ensuring that early intervention processes can be put into place. A modified
version of the CRISP-DM (CRoss-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining) was used, with three data
mining techniques, namely: Classification, Clustering and Association Rule Mining. Three algorithms
were compared in the first two techniques while only one algorithm was used in the Association Rule
Mining. For the classification technique, the three algorithms that were compared were the J48 Classifier,
Decision Table and Na¨ıve Bayes algorithm. The clustering algorithms used included the Simple
K-means, Expectation Maximization (EM) and the Farthest First algorithm. Finally, the Predictive Apriori
algorithm was selected as the Association Rule Mining technique.
Historical Computer Science I data, from 2006 to 2011, was used as the training data. This set of data
was used to find relationships within the data that could assist with predictive modeling. For each of the
selected techniques a model was created using the training data set. These models were incorporated in
a tool, the Success or Failure Determiner (SOFD), that was created specifically as part of this research.
Thereafter, the test data set was put through the SOFD tool in the testing phase. Test data sets usually
contain a variable whose value is predicted using the models built during the training phase. The 2012
Computer Science I data instances were used during the testing phase. The investigations brought forth
both expected and interesting results. A good relationship was found between academic performance in
Computer Science and three of the factors investigated: Mathematics I, mid-year mark and the module
perceived to be the most difficult in the course. The relationship between Mathematics and Computer
Science was expected, However, the other two factors (mid-year mark and most difficult module) are
new, and may need to be further investigated in other courses or in future studies. An interesting finding
from the Mathematics investigation was the better relationship between Computer Science and Algebra
rather than Calculus. Using these three factors to predict Computer Science performance could assist
in improving throughput and retention rates by identifying students at risk of failing, before they write
their final examinations. The Association Rule Mining technique assisted in identifying the selection of
courses that could yield the best academic performance overall, in first year. This finding is important,
since the information obtained could be used during the registration process to assist students in making
the correct decisions when selecting the courses they would like to do. The overall results show that using
data mining techniques and historical data collected atWits University about first year Computer Science
(CS-1) students can assist in obtaining meaningful information and knowledge, from which a better unii
derstanding of present and future generations of CS-1 students can be derived, and solutions found to
some of the academic problems and challenges facing them. Additionally this can assist in obtaining a
better understanding of the students and factors that influence their academic performance. This study
can be extended to include more courses withinWits University and other higher educational institutions.
Keywords. Educational Data Mining, CRISP-DM, Classification, Clustering, Association Rule Mining,
J48 Classifier, Decision Table, Na¨ıve Bayes, Simple K-means, Expectation Maximization, Farthest
First, Predictive Apriori
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The shape of things : Male body image amongst South African University StudentsPicton, Jonathan Peter 22 October 2008 (has links)
This research explored trends in male body image amongst South African men aged 18 to
25 years. A questionnaire consisting of a demographic section, the Body Image Test, the
Behaviours Checklist and the Eating Disorders Inventory was administered to 50 male
students from the University of the Witwatersrand. Trends in body dissatisfaction, body
enhancing behaviour and eating disorder symptoms were examined. Correlation analyses
were used to infer relationships between these three variables.
The results showed that the sample group on average view themselves as overly muscular
and have a body image ideal that is less muscular than their perceived body image. This
trend is contrary to trends reported in international studies and is thought to represent the
cultural effects of using a South African population that is diverse in its composition as
compared to an American or European samples that are more homogenous in nature. The
results also showed that there were differences in body image trends between different
racial groupings, although the results did indicate that across the racial groupings there
was a similar societal body image ideal that represents a global trend towards a lean,
muscular male body image. The results showed that the sample did not engage in body
enhancing behaviours that are considered excessive or indicative of body image
dissatisfaction. This was also reflected by the results on the Eating Disorders Inventory
that showed considerably lower scores on the symptom scales when compared to a
clinical eating disordered population and a non-clinical female comparison group. The
results also showed that the sample had lower scores on the behavioural symptom scales
yet higher scores on the attitudinal symptom scales. This indicates that the sample did not
display any significant eating disorder behaviours yet did display personality traits that
are correlated to eating disordered behaviour.
There was no correlation between body dissatisfaction and body enhancing behaviour.
There was a positive correlation between body dissatisfaction and the symptom scale of
interpersonal distrust. A positive correlation also occurred between body enhancing
behaviour and the symptom scales for perfection and drive for thinness. Limitations of
the study and recommendations for future research are discussed.
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‘How open are our doors? A comparison of academic staff transformation at the University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand’.Lewins, Kezia 28 February 2007 (has links)
Student Number : 0314897V -
MA research report -
School of Social Science -
Faculty of Humanties / This research report asks ‘how effective has academic staff transformation been at the
University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)?’ This
question was examined from four angles: i) the historical engagement of UCT and Wits,
as employers, with race, class and gender, ii) the impact of government directive and the
legislative context on the transformation of higher education workplaces, iii) the
institutional role and response of UCT and Wits to the race, class and gender of their
academic staff and iv) academics’ experience of UCT and Wits as workplaces. The
findings are based on in-depth interviews with 50 academic and senior executive staff at
UCT and Wits. The results illustrate both continuity and change in the way in which
academic staff experience institutions. Whilst there are progressive elements identified,
there are also disconcerting expressions of prejudice, discrimination and harassment
which undermine the transformation process.
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A comparative case study of the academic development and student support initiatives and programmes in two schools at the University of the WitwatersrandNayager, Aneshree January 2017 (has links)
A research report submitted to the WITS School of Education, Faculty of Humanities; University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education by combination of coursework and research, Johannesburg, 2017 / Student success at university is dependent on various academic and non-academic factors.
Some students may face barriers to their success due to these factors. Academic
development for students and staff, as well as student support programmes can play an
important role in helping students to overcome the barriers they may be experiencing. This
study aims to differentiate between different forms of academic development and student
support, and their functions as well as to understand how these types of programmes or
initiatives were conceptualised and operationalized at WITS. An important aim was to
understand the provision of academic development and student support from the top-down,
through examining WITS‟s policies on these issues.
This was done through a comparative case study of two Schools in different Faculties at
WITS. A series of interviews was conducted with practitioners working within
programmes, at Faculty and School-level, and those who have had extensive experience
within the field. What emerges from this research is that there are different programmes or
initiatives in place in both Schools. These include teaching and learning development
initiatives, student academic development programmes and student support programmes.
However, without a policy or guidelines, the nature of academic development and student
support tends to be uneven and each of the practitioners had varied perspectives based on
their experiences in the field. There are various challenges faced by the programmes, but
these are navigated differently by the practitioners given their context and agency. This
unevenness and the varied experiences of the practitioners in this study tend to suggest the
need for a policy to guide the implementation of academic development and student
support. / XL2019
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