This study investigates the use of telecentres for educational purposes in telecommunications under-serviced regions of South Africa. The problem addressed by this research has both equity and efficiency aspects. In particular, the thesis examines the impact of telecentres on the formal and non-formal education outcomes of recipient communities - four telecentres, two in townships and two in rural areas. The urban telecentres are Siyabonga in Orange Farm near Johannesburg and Mamelodi Communication and Information Services (MACIS), in Mamelodi township, near Pretoria in Gauteng Province. The rural telecentres are Tombo near Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape Province and Hoxani near Bushbuckridge on the Mpumalanga-Limpopo Province border. The main aim of the research is to conduct a quantitative survey of the telecentre users’ use of telecentres in the above mentioned locations. On the basis of this, the thesis seeks to come to some conclusions about the use and effectiveness of the South African telecentre program. The quantitative analysis of users is supported by a qualitative report and analysis of data gathered through personal interviews of telecentre operators and employees. The thesis reports on the outputs of the centres, limitations in their function, inhibitors to their economic performance, and recommendations for improving their operations. Some of the findings are that telecentres established through public-private partnership (PPP) funding are more effective and successful, computer literacy is a major resource offered, Hoxani telecentre offers outcomes-based education management skills training for local teachers, while Tombo, MACIS and Siyabonga telecentres offer additional business and electronic courses. The thesis also reviews the South African telecentre program against the background of similar programs in selected Asian and Latin American countries, Australia, Canada, and Europe and against the background of an analysis of South African post-apartheid telecommunications sector reforms (1996 to 2007). Insights into the unique nature of challenges facing geographically located telecentres as well as a new model for understanding telecentre operations in South Africa are offered. / Communication Science / D.Litt. et Phil.(Communication Science)

The focus of this study is to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of the undergraduate art and design students of The Open Window School of Visual Communication. A qualitative approach with case study strategy is followed. For sampling purposes The Open Window School of Visual Communication was selected. Various qualitative research methods and literature on information-seeking behaviour are explored. The data were collected through one-on-one interviews. The findings show that various factors influence the information-seeking behaviour of undergraduate art and design students. Aspects in the users’ personal environment, such as meaning, experience, skills, preferences, and actions, have a significant influence on their information-seeking behaviour. Further factors deriving from the students’ context that influence their information-seeking behaviour are curricula, tasks, people (lecturers, artists, designers), sources, and technology applied to accomplish tasks. All these contributing factors have their own sets of requirements with which the art students have to comply. In addition, the findings show that the students’ digital literacy skills influence their information literacy skills. The findings also show that the factors that influence The Open Window students’ information-seeking behaviour influence the library as information service, in terms of the library sources and services the students use. Recommendations are made in order to appropriately address the information- seeking needs of this specific user group and to guide the students to best ways in information-seeking. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Policing in The United Kingdom is an intricate business, balancing the enforcement of statute and other laws while dealing with public safety and security. Policing engages a diverse and complicated set of organisational structures and processes relying heavily on the skill and expertise of officers on the ground. Their role in preventing and or intercepting crime before, during and after it occurs is integral to sustaining peace, security, law and order in communities. The police operational and logistics staff work day to day with information and communication technologies, ranging from conventional databases and information systems to ubiquitous and specialised tools.  Understanding the use of technology and its management in policing has formed the backbone of this research conducted through a qualitative approach. This study adopted an interpretive paradigmic analytical lens using ethnography situated in the workplace as a methodology. The qualitative study took the form of field immersion for nine months using interviewing, and shadowing/observation to suit the complexity of the socio-technical context. Analysis was conducted using thematic analytical methods. Understanding how the police force interact with and shape the way that information and communication technologies enable them to fight crime is, then, the subject of this thesis. The findings highlighted the complexities and  intricacies involved in the use of technology, identifying unique differentiations in the way technology is engaged and integrated into policing including comparative understanding relative to other sectors and industries.  On the whole the central features of this work highlight understanding of the role information and communication technologies; usefulness, usage in practice and operational activity, strategic business goals, knowledge management, business intelligence and intelligence led architecture, governance and performance models in policing the county of Bedfordshire, England.

The introduction of e-learning in teaching and learning has necessitated the training of staff members in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study focuses on the challenges that staff members, who are the facilitators of learning, experience when undergoing training in ICT. The research design employed a qualitative methodology which involved focus groups from a public university. Data was collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the challenges that staff members experienced during ICT training are related to a lack of computer competence, lack of time, an information overload, the non-involvement of staff in the planning of their training, facilitation limitations, lack of technical support and institutional challenges that involve infrastructure. The study further revealed that the principles of adult learning play a reciprocal role in the staff’s professional developmental challenges. In view of these findings, this study offers recommendations for improving the ICT training of staff members. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Abstracts in English, Sotho and Afrikaans / The impact of Information and Communication Technologies on all spheres of life, whether it is for educational, corporate, government or social purposes is undeniable. From an educational point of view, the South African Department of Basic Education acknowledged the impact that ICT has on teaching and learning in the classroom by introducing ICT in the education system. However, ICT integration in South African schools is still in its infancy especially in most rural schools. The phenomenological, qualitative research study employed a case study as its research design, employing the connectivism theory as the theoretical framework. The theory that underpinned this study was the connectivism theory. The research was performed with a sample of six purposively selected teacher-participants. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were the methods of data collection. The aim of conducting the semi-structured interviews was to determine the teachers’ perception on the integration of ICT as a tool to enhance teaching and learning. The non-participant observation assisted in corroborating the data collected from the interviews. The research data collected were studied, analysed, explained and validated. The findings indicated that the integration of ICT is still at its infancy and though the teachers viewed ICT as a valuable tool to enhance teaching and learning, they emphasised the enormous work that needs to be done by the Department of Basic Education in ensuring the full integration of ICT in the schools. Findings of the study highlighted the challenges that teacher’s experience that hindered the proper integration of ICT in schools. The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education provides adequate ICT tools in all the public schools, ensures that the teachers receive proper ICT training, continuous support and the regular update and maintenance of ICT tools as well as the regulation of ICT policy as a guide to teaching and learning in the schools. / Seabe sa Ditheknolotši tša Tshedimošo le Dikgokagano go makala ka moka a bophelo, se ka be se le go thuto, go khamphani, go mmušo goba mabakeng a leago se ka se ganetšwe. Go ya ka maikutlo a tša thuto Kgoro ya Thuto ya Motheo ya Afrika Borwa e amogetše seabe seo Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo le Dikgokagano (ICT) e nago le sona go go ruta le go ithuta ka phapošing ya thuto ka go tsebagatša ya ICT ka lenaneong la thuto. Le ge go le bjale, kopanyo ya ICT ka dikolong tša Afrika Borwa e sa le mathomong kudukudu ka dikolong tše ntši tša magaeng. Dinyakišišo tše tša maitemogelo le tša boleng di šomišitše dinyakišišo tša seemo bjalo ka tlhamo ya tšona ya go dira dinyakišišo, ka go šomiša teori ya thuto ya kgokagano ka inthanete bjalo ka tlhako ya teori. Teori yeo e thekgilego dinyakišišo tše e bile teori ya thuto ya kgokagano ka inthanete. Teori ye e phethagaditšwe ka sampole ya barutiši ba tshela bao ba kgethilwego go kgatha tema ka maikemišetšo. Dipotšišo tša dipoledišano tšeo di bego di nyaka gore baarabi ba fahlele ka mabaka le temogo ka bao ba sa kgathego tema di ile tša šomišwa bjalo ka mekgwa ya go kgoboketša tshedimošo. Maikemišetšo a go diriša dipotšišo tša dipoledišano tšeo di bego di nyaka gore baarabi ba fahlele ka mabaka ebile go tseba maikutlo a barutiši mabapi le kopanyo ya ICT bjalo ka setlabelo sa go thuša go ruta le go ithuta. Temogo ka bao ba sa kgathego tema go thušitše go kopanya tshedimošo yeo e kgobokeditšwego ka dipoledišanong. Tshedimošo ya dinyakišišo yeo e kgobokeditšwego e ile ya lekodišišwa, ya sekasekwa, ya hlalošwa le go tiišeletšwa. Dikutollo di laeditše gore kopanyo ya ICT ka dikolong e sa thoma gomme le ge e le gore barutiši ba bona ICT bjalo ka setlabelo se bohlokwa sa go thuša go ruta le go ithuta, ba gateletše taba ya mošomo o montši wo o swanetšego go dirwa ke Kgoro ya Thuto ya Motheo go netefatša gore go ba le kopanyo ka botlalo ya ICT ka dikolong. Dikutollo tša dinyakišišo di laeditše dithohlo tšeo baithuti ba itemogelago tšona tšeo di šitišitšego kopanyo ya maleba ya ICT ka dikolong. Dinyakišišo di šišinya gore Kgoro ya Thuto ya Motheo e fane ka ditlabelo tša maleba tša ICT ka dikolong tša mmušo ka moka, e netefatše gore barutiši ba hwetša tlhahlo ya maleba ya ICT le thekgo ye e tšwelago pele, le gore ditlabelo tša ICT di fele di mpshafatšwa kgafetšakgafetša le go hlokomelwa. Godimo ga fao, gore melawana ya ICT bjalo ka tlhahlo ya go ruta le go ithuta ka dikolong e laolwe. / Ons kan nie die invloed van Inligtings- en Kommunikasietegnologie (IKT) op alle terreine van die lewe – of dit vir opvoedkundige, korporatiewe, regerings- of sosiale gebruik is – ontken nie. Uit 'n opvoedkundige oogpunt, het die Suid-Afrikaanse Departement van Basiese Onderwys die invloed van IKT op onderrig en leer in die klaskamer erken deur IKT in die onderwysstelsel bekend te stel. IKT-integrasie in Suid-Afrikaanse skole is steeds in sy beginfase, veral in landelike skole. Hierdie fenomenologiese, kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie het 'n gevallestudie as navorsingsontwerp en die konnektivisme teorie as teoretiese raamwerk gebruik. Die teorie wat die studie onderskryf het, was die konnektivisme teorie. Die navorsing is met 'n steekproefneming van ses doelbewus gekose onderwyserdeelnemers uitgevoer. Semigestruktureerde onderhoude en niedeelnemerwaarneming is gebruik om data te versamel. Die doel van die semigestruktureerde onderhoude was om die onderwysers se persepsies te bepaal oor die integrasie van IKT as hulpmiddel om onderrig en leer te bevorder. Die niedeelnemerwaarneming het gehelp om die data uit die onderhoude te bevestig. Die navorsingsdata wat versamel is, is bestudeer, ontleed, verduidelik en geldig verklaar. Die bevindings het aangedui dat die integrasie van IKT nog in sy beginfase is en alhoewel die onderwysers IKT as 'n waardevolle hulpmiddel beskou om onderrig en leer te bevorder, het hulle die groot hoeveelheid werk wat die Departement van Basiese Onderwys nog moet doen om volledige integrasie van IKT in skole te verseker, beklemtoon. Die studie se bevinding het die onderwysers se uitdagings wat die behoorlike integrasie van IKT in skole verhinder, uitgelig. Die studie beveel aan dat die Departement van Basiese Onderwys genoegsame IKT-hulpmiddels in alle openbare skole voorsien, verseker dat die onderwyser behoorlike IKT-opleiding en deurlopende ondersteuning ontvang, en dat IKT-hulpmiddels gereeld opgradeer en onderhou word. Verder, dat die IKT-beleid as 'n riglyn vir onderrig en leer in skole gereguleer moet word. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

2017 became the beginning of the Childbirth Crisis of Sweden, as a result of underbudgeting and understaffing, creating an environment where patient safety and availability was questioned. Additionally, information and communication technology rapidly take a larger role in the field of healthcare, nourishing new solutions for old processes. This explorative research was conducted to answer how information and communication technologies, and communication techniques, are used and could be used to provide safe care for patients. This study was conducted with 10 participants working as medical staff at a Swedish neonatal care unit. The medical staff who participated consisted of registered nurses, certified pediatric nurses, pediatric nursing assistants, and one nursing assistant. The approach of this research was through system thinking in the tradition of soft systems thinking. The data collection was performed with a combination of semi-structured interviews and card sorting. The collected data were processed, organized, and interpreted with the three c’s of analysis and thematic analysis. The results of this study are complemented by rich pictures. The empirical findings of this study describe a neonatal care unit known at its hospital to be the one unit holding the largest number of different devices. The medical staff at the researched NCU are using information and communication technology in a combination together with specific communication techniques, to create an understanding of their patients’ conditions. The study connects a state of safe care to the training and knowledge of the information and communication technologies, and communication techniques used at the neonatal care unit. The combination of the information and communication technologies, and communication techniques used at the NCU are vital tools, conclusive to the medical staff when providing safe care for patients. This study provides an insight into one Swedish neonatal care unit, based on the interpretations of its medical staff.

Background: Policy initiatives to promote sustainable travel through the use of Internet based public information systems have increased during the last decade. Stockholm, in being one of the first cities in Europe to implement an Internet based service for facilitating sustainable travel is believed to be a good candidate for an analysis of key issues for developing sustainable travel planning services to the public. Aim: This thesis investigates the past development of two Stockholm based public information systems and their services in order to draw lessons on how to better provide for a public information service geared towards facilitating  environmentally sustainable travel planning through information and communications technology. The overall goal of the thesis is to contribute to an understanding on how to better design and manage current and future attempts at facilitating sustainable travel planning services based on historical case studies. Approach: The thesis draws ideas from the concept of organizational responsiveness – an organization’s ability to listen, understand and respond to demands put to it by its internal and external stakeholders – in order to depict how well or not the two public information systems and their owners have adapted to established norms and values of their surroundings. Results: Overall, the findings from the historical case studies suggest that organizations attempting to provide sustainable travel planning to the public need to design and manage their systems in such a way that it responds to shifting demands on how to provide for information. Implementing and embedding new technologies involves complex processes of change both at the micro level – for users and practitioners of the service – and at the meso level for the involved public service organizations themselves. This condition requires a contextualist framework to analyze and understand organizational, contextual and cultural issues involved in the adoption of new technologies and procedures. Conclusions: The thesis concludes with a discussion on how the findings from the historical case studies may provide lessons for both current and future attempts at providing public information systems geared towards facilitating environmentally sustainable travel planning to the public. Historical examples and issues concerning collective intelligence and peer to peer based forms of designing, producing and supervising public information services identified throughout the study are looked upon and discussed in terms of their possible role in increasing the potential for public information services to facilitate sustainable urban transport. / <p>QC 20140319</p> / TRACS, Travel Planner for Sustainable Cities

Online learning through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) features in institutions of higher education globally. If integrated successfully online learning holds many benefits. Research however has highlighted that the focus of online learning is often on the technology, while pedagogical considerations are neglected. As such online learning has not yielded significant changes from a pedagogical perspective. The impetus of this study was driven by the need to find approaches of integrating pedagogically sound online learning in distance education (DE). The study employed a case study research design, and was qualitative in nature. Questionnaires, interviews and documents informed the case study. The findings of the study reveal that online learning should be purposefully planned. In light of the findings, the study presents a framework for the integration of online learning in DE. The framework is built on the concept of awareness and argues that online learning should depart from three types of awareness, i.e. lecturer, student and institutional. The framework is entrenched in theory from both DE and online learning and offers direction for stakeholders at various levels of DE higher education institutions in terms of integrating online learning. / Boithuti ka inthanete ka tšhomišo ya theknolotši ya tshedimošo le kgokagano (ICT) bo hlaga ka go dihlongwa tša thuto ya godingwana lefaseng ka bophara. Ge e le gore di kopantšwe ka katlego, boithuti ka inthanete bo na le mehola ye mentši. Le ge go le bjalo, dinyakišišo, di bontšhitše gore nepišo ya boithuti ka inthanete gantši e ka go theknolotši, mola ditlhoko tša mokgwathuto di hlokomologilwe. Ka fao, boithuti ka inthanete ga se bo tšweletše diphetogo tša go bonagala go tšwa go kgopolo ya mokgwathuto. Tlhohleletšo ya dinyakišišo tše e laolwa ke nyakego ya go hwetša mekgwa ye e kopantšwego ye e kwagalago ya thuto ya boithuti ka inthanete le boithutikgole (DE). Dinyakišišo di šomišitše tlhamo ya dinyakišišo ya tshekatsheko ya maemo, gomme ka tlhago e be e le tša boleng. Mananeopotšišo, dipoledišano le dingwalwa di tsebagaditše tshekatsheko ya maemo . Diphihlelelo tša dinyakišišo di utolla gore boithuti ka inthanete bo swanetše go beakanywa ka maikemišetšo. Go ya ka diphihlelelo, tlhako e hlagišwa ke kopanyo ya boithuti ka inthanete ka go DE. Tlhako ye e theilwe godimo ga kgopolo ya temošo le go hlagiša gore boithuti ka inthanete bo swanetše go tšwa go mehuta ye meraro ya temošo, k.g.r. mofahloši, baithuti le dihlongwa. Tlhako ye e hlalošwa ka botlalo ka go teori go tšwa go DE le boithuti ka bobedi ka inthanete gomme e fa taetšo go baamegi maemong a go fapafapana a dihlongwa tša thuto ya godingwana ya kgole go ya ka boithuti ka inthanete. / Ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha ngokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bolwazi nokuxhumana (i-ICT) kuyinto ekhona ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme emhlabeni wonke. Uma kudidiyelwe ngempumelelo, ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kunemihlomulo eminingi. Kodwa-ke, ucwaningo luqhakambise ukuthi ukugxila ekufundeni ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kuvame ukuba mayelana nobuchwepheshe, bese kuthi okuphathelene nezindlela zokufundisa kunganakwa. Kanjalo, ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha akuzanga noshintsho oluningi maqondana nezindlela zokufundisa. Isisusa salolu cwaningo kwaba ngukukhuthazwa yisidingo sokuthola izindlela zokudidiyela izindlela zokufundisa ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha ezisebenzayo kwezemfundo yamabanga (i-DE). Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise uhlobo lokucwaninga olubheka izindawo ezithile okugxilwa kuzo kanti luwuhlobo olubheka imininingwane yezinto ezikhona ezingamaqiniso. Amaphephamibuzo, izingxoxiswano kanye nemiqulu yikona okwaholela ocwaningweni olugxila ezindaweni ezithile. Okwatholakala kulolu cwaningo kwaveza ukuthi ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kumele kuhlelwe ngendlela. Ngenxa yokutholakele, uhlaka luhlinzekelwa ukuba kudidiyelwe ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha kwezemfundo yamabanga. Uhlaka lwakhiwe ngomqondo wokuqwashisa futhi lubeka phambili ukuthi ukufunda ngokuxhumana kwekhompuyutha kufanele kusukele ezinhlobeni ezintathu zokuqwashisa, kuthisha wasenyuvesi, kumfundi nakwisikhungo. Uhlaka lugxile emqondweni wezinzululwazi wakona kokubili imfundo yamabanga nokufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha futhi luhlinzeka umhlahlandlela kwabathintekayo emazingeni ahlukahlukene ezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme yamabanga maqondana nokudidiyela ukufunda ngokuxhumana ngekhompuyutha. / Educational Studies / Ph. D. (Education)

Despite attempts by the South African government in partnership with private sector to equip schools with computers, research has shown that technology integration into teaching and learning is very low. Literature revealed that professional development or capacitation of teachers as the key element in enabling them to utilise technology and integrate it in their teaching practices. The main aim of this study was to design and develop Information Communication and Technology (ICT) instructional tools which were to be used to train teachers in primary schools on how to integrate ICT into teaching and learning. Design research and Instructional design theories were employed in guiding this study. The study used the ADDIE model of Instructional design as a guiding principle in the design and development of the tools. The study is located in the positivist paradigm of exploring reality and the methodology employed in this study was quantitative in nature. The participants were 28 teachers from three primary schools. The sample was purposely selected since the schools were awarded computers after taking part in a water management project. The quantitative data to determine the participants‟ prior knowledge, effectiveness of the solution and the teachers‟ satisfaction with the designed solution were collected by means of two questionnaires administered in two phases: pre- and post- workshop. The results of this study revealed that capacitation of teachers have to lay the foundation for ICT integration into teaching and learning. Giving computers to schools can lead to successful integration once the teachers feel competent to use them. Furthermore, it is crucial that other intervention strategies be explored, to empower teachers. It is recommended that this study be transferred to other similar situations. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The Information Technology (IT) as subject taught in South African secondary schools is considered to be a very perplexing subject. The IT as a subject has four learning outcomes which are E-Communication (weight 10%), Social and Ethical Issues (weight 10%), Hardware and Systems Software (weight 20%) and Programming and Software Development (weight 60%). The Programming and Software Development enjoys the highest weight as outcome of IT and it is believed to be the main cause of the difficulty of IT. The number of Grade 9 learners willing to offer IT as a subject in Grade 10 is decreasing and the number of learners pursuing IT until Grade 12 is declining in every school in South Africa annually. The aim of this research is to investigate methods that enhance teaching and learning Information Technology at a selected high school focusing on Grade12 learners. Although this work investigated many teaching and learning methods, it has come to be known that the hybrid system or method is the best to adopt and apply in teaching and learning of IT in high schools especially in the relevant target high school. Thirty (30) participants were sampled. Three (3) data collection instruments, which were questionnaires, interviews and observations were used. Results that were obtained from the use of these data collection instruments were recorded and analysed. Results from these instruments were compared and conclusions drawn. A major finding was that the hybrid system that combines both teacher-centered and learner-centered teaching approaches was able to enhance the teaching and learning of IT. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Natural Science Education)