M.Ed. (Media Science) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Media Science) / In 1981 the Human Sciences Research Council published the findings of its comprehensive investigation into all aspects of education in the Republic of South Africa. The work committee on educational technology made, inter alia, two recommendations that are pertinent to this study, namely: "Educational technology should be accepted as a fundamental factor in the planning, development and implementation of the educational system at all levels (1981:36). " and "In order to expedite the extension of educational technology in solving problems confronting education, the concepts of educational technology should form part of the pre- and continuing training of all categories of personnel involved with teaching, training and extension services (1981: 37) " Aspects of these two recommendations were also taken up in the White Paper on the Provision of Education in RSA. "The Government accepts the importance of educational technology as one of the modern and potentially extremely valuable aids in education.

M.Ed. (Media Studies) / The subject mathematics is for one reason or another regarded as a necessary prerequisite for various job directions by many countries (Del;we, 1988:1). This subject is also valuable as preparation for the contingency that the child in future may take up an occupation requiring knowledge of the subject in question (Young, 1927:14). What matters most is that·a large number of pupils fail mathematics every year in their examination in primary and secondary schools. This is a clear indication that there are problems in the teaching and learning of mathematics which need special attention. Mathematics is a sequential learning subject (Larcombe, 1985:12). By this is meant that new learning content cannot be grasped unless there is insight into and understanding of the previous learning content. This is true because the growth of mathematical understanding develops step by· step with each forward move depending upon the consolidation of previous experience. In the light of the evidence that primary school children are in the concrete reasoning state, most mathematics educators believe that it is desirable to use large amounts of manipulative materials with young children. The understanding of the nature of mathematics is more important in teaching, as the teaching of the subject is influenced and determined by the teacher's understanding of the nature of the subject. The theory, most prevalent among teachers is that mathematics affords the best training for the reasoning powers, and this is its traditional form (Young, 1927:15).

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of visual images in print texts produced for language teaching and learning. It tested the manner in which learners from different cultural contexts relate to selected visual images in language textbooks prepared for use in secondary schools. More specifically it aimed to gain clarity on how certain visual elements, relevant to the illustration of people, contribute to encouraging students to access their learning material. The research aimed to gain insight into the way in which visuals can be bridges or barriers to reading and thus also to learning in learner-centred language education in a multilingual/multicultural South African context.

Education is considered as an essential tool for the long-term development of most countries. The provision of education to only part of a community or part of the world reinforces relative deprivation. To counteract such an effect, South Africa, a geographically large country, in which the population is scattered, where economic disparities are aligned to race, where qualified teachers and specialists in certain subject areas are scarce, and where there is an illiteracy rate of 29 percent, hope has been expressed that television broadcast based distance education may be a viable alternative to expanding formal education provision extensively and quickly. This study investigates the role of television broadcast-based distance education in South Africa as a possibility for extending the provision of formal education to large numbers of learners and how the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the country 's Department of Education fulfils the promise of extending education. This objective was addressed by first giving a critique of conventional education systems and why distance education is an alternative option for provision of education. Further, the study traces a general picture of education in Africa and the educational situation in South Africa, highlighting the distance education scenario in South Africa , and investigates why distance education and particularly television broadcast-based distance education is crucial in the provision of education in developing countries in the face of the globalisation of mass communication and new information technologies. The study also investigates the complex issues involved in the production, distribution and consumption of Liberty Learning Channel Programme (a television programme which offers remedial support for matric (grade 12) and grade 10 to 11 students) by examining whether the producers and partners of the programme created a text which connects with the multi-cultural reality of teachers, learners and other viewers in South Africa; the role of the programme in the service of growth, reconstruction and development; why the programme is not popular among the youth; and what can be done to make it effective in enhancing teaching and learning; and the intertextuality, production and distribution of the programme. Information on the above aspects was gathered through the scannmg of relevant literature and by the use of ethnographic research procedures which included focus group interviews, in-depth interviews and participant observation. The study established that conventional systems of education and current educational practices have fallen short ofpreparing citizens with a strong foundation of general education. The study therefore offers distance education not only as an alternative to conventional education delivery at secondary and higher levels of education, but also as a low-cost alternative to expanding education. Constructivism is suggested as an alternative set of values that may significantly influence learning and that can help develop the kind of citizens who can be able to function successfully in real-word contexts. With regard to effectiveness of television broadcast-based distance education in teaching and learning, the study established that television is an effective means of achieving traditional educational goals, and that television broadcast-based distance education remains important especially in the developing countries in light of the need to increase access to education, redress the disparities caused by globalisation of mass communication and by lack of information and communication technologies. With regard to distance education in South Africa, the study found that there is both significant policy commitment and actual use of broadcast-based distance education in solving many of the country's education problems, but that there is an urgent need to improve the quality of that provision, particularly in formal education. On the complex issues involved in the production, distribution and the consumption of Liberty Learning Channel programme, the study found that the programme (aired live since 1993), is a production of Liberty Learning Channel, an independent company based in Johannesburg, in partnership with the Liberty Life Foundation, and that the SABC is not involved in the production but provided the airwaves. Each subject presenter prepares his or her own lessons, and therefore no services of producers, scriptwriters, or editors are employed in the production of the programme. The programme is then distributed through television, newspapers (the Sowetan), videocassettes, the Internet and in future through CD-ROMs. Additionally, the study found that Liberty Learning Channel relies on audience feedback from audience rating and occasional feedback from comments down the streets or letters from viewers thanking the presenters. This study argues that this kind of monitoring is not sufficient as rating only tells advertisers how many viewers were exposed to a specific programme content on a particular television channel in a certain time slot. Regarding the consumption of the programme, the great majority of the focus group participants liked the programme and used it during revision and in dealing with large numbers of students with different abilities and difficulties. A great majority of the students liked the programme because of the way the presenters explained clearly. However, a great majority of the participants watched the programme sparingly partly because the time slot was ' inappropriate ' and due to a lack of awareness about the programme. Several suggestions for the improvement of the programme were put forward, amongst them: to change the time slot; to have multi-racial presenters ; to give detailed timetables to schools in advance, and to advertise the programme more directly to schools. However, a reluctance or unwillingness to consider some of the audiences ' suggestions for the improvement of the programme, was shown by the manager of Liberty Learning Channel, William Smith. The above results are reported and discussed in detail in chapters 2 to 3, and general conclusions and recommendations presented in chapter 4. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of visual images in print texts produced for language teaching and learning. It tested the manner in which learners from different cultural contexts relate to selected visual images in language textbooks prepared for use in secondary schools. More specifically it aimed to gain clarity on how certain visual elements, relevant to the illustration of people, contribute to encouraging students to access their learning material. The research aimed to gain insight into the way in which visuals can be bridges or barriers to reading and thus also to learning in learner-centred language education in a multilingual/multicultural South African context.

Magister Artium - MA / The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of visual images in print texts produced for language teaching and learning. It tested the manner in which learners from different cultural contexts relate to selected visual images in language textbooks prepared for use in secondary schools. More specifically it aimed to gain clarity on how certain visual elements, relevant to the illustration of people, contribute to encouraging students to access their learning material. The research aimed to gain insight into the way in which visuals can be bridges or barriers to reading and thus also to learning in learner-centred language education in a multilingual/multicultural South African context. / South Africa

Visual perception is a psychological construct that describes the awareness of visual sensations and arise from the interactions of the individual or observer in the external environment together with the physiology of the observer’s visual system. A variety of theories of the development of visual perception have led to the development of different psychometric measures aimed at quantifying the cognitive construct. The Visual Perceptual Aspects Test was developed by Clutten (2009) to measure nine different constructs of visual perception. The original VPAT was validated using content and construct validity based on a Western Cape sample. However, to the researcher’s knowledge, a factor analysis had not yet been conducted on the VPAT to determine the factor validity of the test. Furthermore, no measures of validity or reliability had been conducted on the VPAT using a sample outside of the Western Cape. The aim of this research is to validate the hypothesised nine factor structure of the Visual Perceptual Aspects Test, using a confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation model, a bifactor confirmatory factor analysis and a bifactor exploratory structural equation model. The results of the analysis showed marginal model fit of the VPAT with the sample data, with sufficient levels of reliability for certain sub-tests. However, the VPAT did not meet significant levels of validity or reliability of the proposed model structure of the VPAT for the sample group of learners based in the Eastern Cape. / Psychology / M.A. (Research Psychology)

MCom (Business Information Systems) / Department of Business Information Systems / The aim of this research study is to propose an e-learning framework to deliver a guideline for the adoption of e-learning considering all major determinants such as technical, operational, organisational, cultural and socio-economical domains, in the setting of rural-based higher educational institutions. E-learning is a process which has arisen from ICT advancement, and it is coordinated together with the education programs at many universities. In South African tertiary institutions, the adoption rate for e-learning is higher in urban-based higher education institutions and colleges and lower in rural-based higher education institutions. Even though with the supposed capacity that e-learning provides, the bigger part of the e-learning approach in rural-based higher education institutions does not achieve their potential. This study focuses on identifying factors which impact the adoption of e-learning at rural-based, higher education institutions and its challenges. A case study approach is undertaken, using mixed methods for collection of data from the respondents based on e-learning adoption at student, educator and institutional level. The study identified the factors which influence the adoption of e-learning in rural-based HEIs. Eventually, the researcher proposed an e-learning framework which contributes to the e-learning adoption in rural-based HEIs, by establishing a guide for these institutions for enhanced planning, development and implementation tool for e-learning adoption using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model. The study identified that the e-learning usage and perception was lower in rural-based HEIs as compared to urban-based HEIs, and performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions are all major factors which influence the adoption of e-learning. / NRF