In our constantly increasing digital society, the need for continuous learning is becoming increasingly crucial. Having an adaptable workforce is important for productivity in the long term. A solution that has seen increasing traction in recent times is so-called micro-learning. Micro-learning breaks down learning into smaller, more digestible units. Another trend that has also seen increasing relevance is gamification, a technique employing motivational incentives like video games. This Design Science thesis explores the intersection between micro-learning and gamification, trying to understand with an exploratory approach users’ hands-on experiences with two different micro-learning systems. One system integrating explicitly designed gamification features, the gamified micro-learning platform. The other system instead lacked these designed gamified features, the non-gamified micro-learning platform. Through a six-week study phase, participants explored the two different platforms and then shared their experiences. By understanding participants' hands-on experiences through the lens of Self Determination Theory, the aim of the study is to then derive a set of design principles for implementing gamification in a micro-learning system informed by the data gathered.

This study aims to analyse the impact of Social Media Marketing in Customer Brand Engagement and Brand Awareness micro-learning platforms. The sample consisted of 220 students from micro-learning platforms using social media in the educational institutions. Because social-media marketing and customer brand- engagement are second-order reflexive constructions, the two-stage approach of hierarchical models with mode-A was adopted. The results reveal that social media marketing influences both the building of customer brand engagement and brand awareness among students on micro-learning platforms. Furthermore, it was shown that customer brand engagement is an important mediator between social media marketing and brand awareness. Social-media marketing activities carried out by micro-learning platforms contribute to the generation of customer brand-engagement and brand awareness of these institutions. Furthermore, the results show that, although social-media marketing helps to generate brand-awareness, it is through customer brand-engagement that social-media marketing is most effective in generating brand-awareness. For micro-learning platforms, the results allow them to understand the importance of customer brand-engagement when using social-media marketing to generate brand-awareness.

Micro-learning is a concept of small units of focused and condensed learning activities that can be performed on various devices. Micro-learning has turned out to be an effective approach to strengthen the long-term memory. This master’s thesis project explores the concept of micro-learning, how thermography can be taught using micro-learning, and how a micro-learning application can be designed to encourage learning of thermography. This project was done in collaboration with FLIR Systems AB that wants to develop their current training offer and investigate micro-learning as an alternative. The goal of this master’s thesis project was to design and test an interactive prototype of a micro-learning application to learn thermography. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to define the target group for the application, and the prototype was tested and evaluated by test participants from the target group. The user testing and evaluation showed that all test participants would use a micro-learning application for learning thermography if it was available on the market. Three out of four test participants would feel more motivated to learn thermography using a micro-learning application compared with other ways of learning. / Mikroinlärning är ett koncept bestående av små delar av fokuserade och komprimerade lärandeaktiviteter som kan utföras på olika enheter. Mikroinlärning har visats sig vara ett effektivt sätt för att stärka långtidsminnet. Detta examensarbete utforskar mikroinlärning som koncept, hur termografi kan läras ut med hjälp av mikroinlärning samt hur en mikroinlärningsapplikation kan designas för att främja lärandet av termografi. Detta projekt genomfördes i samarbete med FLIR Systems AB som vill utveckla deras nuvarande utbildningserbjudande och undersöka mikroinlärning som ett alternativ. Målet med detta examensarbete var att designa och testa en interaktiv prototyp av en mikroinlärningsapplikation för att lära sig termografi. Semistrukturerade intervjuer gjordes för att definiera målgruppen för applikationen och prototypen testades och utvärderades av testpersoner från målgruppen. Användartestet och utvärderingen visade att alla testdeltagare skulle använda en mikroinlärningsapplikation för att lära sig termografi om det fanns tillgängligt på marknaden. Tre av fyra testdeltagare skulle känna sig mer motiverade att lära sig termografi med hjälp av en mikroinlärningsapplikation jämfört med andra sätt att lära sig.

Universities want to go where the learners are to share their rich scientific and intellectual knowledge beyond the walls of the academy and to expand the boundaries of the classroom. This desire has become a critical need, as the worldwide economy adjusts to globalization and the need for advanced education and training becomes ever more critical. Unfortunately, the work of creating, processing, distributing and using quality multimedia learning content is expensive and technically challenging. The work combines research results, lessons learned and usage findings in the presentation of a fully open source based scalable lecture capture solution, that is useful in the heterogenous computing landscape of today’s universities and learning institutes. Especially implemented user facing applications and components are being addressed, which enable lecturers, faculty and students to record, analyze and subsequently re-use the recorded multimedia learning material in multiple and attractive ways across devices and distribution platforms.

English text, with summaries in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study aims to propose an e-learning framework for mobile devices in Africa to help improve enrolment rates and education standards in the FET (Further Education and Training) phase. The study is qualitative in nature and employs document analysis as main research method. An overview of the South African education context with supporting statistical data to motivate why an e-learning alternative is crucial for improving South African and African education is provided. The literature review includes a descriptive analysis of 7 existing e- and m-learning frameworks, with key features highlighted for possible adaptation or incorporation into an e-learning framework for Africa. Behaviourism, Constructivism and Connectivism are discussed as applicable learning theories to pedagogically underpin this proposed e-learning framework. Thereafter, a critical evaluation of current South African education policy documents (White Papers, the Norms and Standards for Educators and the Draft Policy for the Provision and Management of Learning Teaching and Support Materials) is conducted to determine whether these policies support and enable e-learning effectively. Part 2 of Chapter 5 comprises a critical analysis and comparison of education systems and applicable legislation in the USA, Finland and Malawi to establish how education is structured and how e-learning is administered in these countries to make relevant recommendations for South Africa and to inform the design of an e-learning framework for Africa. Research findings are presented as answers to the research questions posed and the proposed e-learning framework with further recommendations are presented to the South African Department of Basic Education, teachers and researchers. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om ‘n e-onderrig-en-leer raamwerk vir mobiele toestelle vir Afrika voor te stel, sodat inskrywingsgetalle en onderrig- en leerstandaarde in die Verdere Onderrig en Opleidings (VOO) fase verbeter kan word. Dit is ‘n kwalitatiewe studie en dokumentanalise word as navorsingsmetode toegepas. ‘n Oorsig van die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel en konteks met ondersteunende statistiese bevindinge word verduidelik om e-onderrig-en-leer as noodsaaklike alternatief vir Suid-Afrika en Afrika te motiveer. Die literatuuroorsig sluit ‘n beskrywende analise van sewe bestaande e- en m-onderrig-en-leer (mobiele-onderrig-en-leer) raamwerke in. Hoofkenmerke van elke raamwerk word uitgelig vir moontlike aanpassing en inkorporering in ‘n e-onderrig-en-leer raamwerk vir die Afrika-konteks. Leerteorië, nl Behaviourisme, Konstruktivisme en Konnektivisme (Connectivism) word in diepte bespreek as pedagogies fundamenteel om die e-onderrig-en-leer raamwerk te onderbou en te ondersteun. ‘n Kritiese evaluasie van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysbeleid (d.w.s. Witskrifte, die Norme and Standaarde vir Onderwysers en die konsepdokument oor die Voorsiening en Bestuur van Onderrig-, Leer- en Ondersteuningsmateriaal) is gedoen om vas te stel of die beleid wel e-onderrig-en-leer effektief ondersteun en prakties moontlik maak. ‘n Krities analitiese en vergelykende studie van die VSA (Verenigde State van Amerika), Finland en Malawi se onderwysstelsels- en wetgewing is gedoen in hoofstuk 5 deel 2 om te bepaal hoe dié lande onderwys struktureer en hoe e-onderrig-en–leer geadministreer word, sodat relevante voorstelle vir Suid-Afrika gemaak kan word en om insae te lewer in die ontwerp van ‘n e-onderrig-en-leer raamwerk toepaslik vir die Afrika-kontinent. Navorsingsbevindinge word voorgelê aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Departement van Basiese Onderwys, onderwysers sowel as aan navorsers. / Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuphakamisa uhlaka lwe-e-learning lamadivaysi eselula e-Afrika ukusiza ukuthuthukisa izinga lokubhalisa nezindinganiso zemfundo kwiSigaba se-FET (Further Education and Training). Ucwaningo luyimfanelo enemvelo futhi lusebenzisa ukuhlaziywa kwedokhumenti njengendlela yokucwaninga eyinhloko. Ukuhlolisisa umongo wezemfundo waseNingizimu Afrika ngokusekela imniningwane yezibalo ukugqugquzela ukuthi kungani enye yokufunda email ibalulekile ekuthuthukiseni imfundo yaseNingizimu Afrika ne-Afrika. Ukubuyekezwa kwezincwadi kuhlanganisa ukuhlaziywa okuchazayo kwezinhlaka eziyisikhombisa ezisekhona ze-e- e-m-learning, nezici eziyinhloko eziqokonyiswe ukukhishwa kwe-adaption noma ukufakwa kwisakhiwo se-e-learning se-Afrika. Ukuzikhethela, Ukwakhiwa kwe-Constructivism (Kwe Zokwakha) kanye ne-Connectivism (Kwe Zokuxhumana) kuxoxwa njengezifundo ezifanele zokufunda ukusekela lolu hlelo oluhlongozwayo lwe-e-learning. Ngemuva kwaloko, ukuhlolwa okubalulekile kwemibhalo yamanje yemfundo yaseNingizimu Afrika (Amaphepha Asemhlophe, Imigomo Nemigomo Yabafundisi kanye neNqubomgomo Yohlaka Lokufundiswa Nezifundo Nokusekela) kwenziwa ukuze kutholakale ukuthi lezi zinqubomgomo zisekela futhi zikwazi yini ukufundisa nge-e-ephumelelayo. Ingxenye yesibili yeSahluko sesihlanu iqukethe ukuhlaziywa okubucayi kanye nokuqhathaniswa kwezinhlelo zemfundo kanye nemithetho esebenzayo eMelika, eFinland nase Malawi ukuqinisekisa ukuthi imfundo ihlelwe kanjani nokuthi i-e-learning inikezwa kanjani ukwenza izincomo ezifanele eNingizimu Afrika nokwazisa ukuklama uhlaka lwe-e-learning lwe-Afrika. Imiphumela yokucwaninga inikezwa njengezimpendulo zemibuzo yokucwaninga ephakanyisiwe kanye nohlaka oluhlongozwayo lwe-e-learning kanye nezincomo ezengeziwe ezethulwa eMnyangweni wezemfundo Eyisisekelo, othisha nabacwaningi baseNingizimu Afrika. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)