This study was designed to investigate the effects of two different learning environments on the achievement of children who were suspected of having auditory figure-ground perception problems. Comparison of the noise levels in the three open area and three self-contained classrooms used in the study revealed that the open areas were consistently louder than the self-contained classes but the differences were only statistically significant in the mornings. Because of these expected differences in noise level, it was hypothesized that the more difficulty grade one children in open areas had with auditory figure-ground perception as measured by the noise subtest of the Goldman-Fristoe-Woodcock Test of Auditory Discrimination, the lower their achievement scores would be on the Cooperative Primary Tests. This relationship was not expected to be found in grade one children who received their first year of formal instruction in self-contained classrooms. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to test this hypothesis with Wide Range Achievement Test scores (administered in the Fall) as covariates and three subtests of the Cooperative Primary Test scores (administered in the Spring) as dependent variables. Although a trend in the expected direction was found, the results were not statistically significant (⍺ = .05). Therefore, it could not be concluded that children with auditory figure-ground perception problems were more appropriately placed in self-contained classrooms. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

Despite the existence of many successful initiatives to promote the sharing and use of Open Educational Resources (OER), sharing and use of OER is not a widely accepted practice in higher education. The reasons for lecturers' choices on whether or not to contribute OER are poorly understood. This thesis develops a theoretically-based explanation of both why lecturers contribute and why they do not. The thesis addresses the question: How do the relations between culture, structure and agency influence lecturers' contribution and non-contribution of OER in a higher education institution? A mixed methods approach was used to gather quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (interviews) data. Fourteen lecturers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) were interviewed (two from each of its seven faculties), seven who had contributed OER and seven who had not. The analysis adopted an Activity Theory framework to highlight the enablers and barriers to contribution present in the institutional system. The Social Realism of Margaret Archer (1995, 2003, 2007a, 2012) was used to explore the power of academics' agency and their internal conversations arising from their personal concerns in deciding on their courses of action. This study illustrates how capturing lecturers' internal conversations and analysing how they think about their social contexts is valuable not only in the context of OER but also as a way of understanding their role as social actors more generally. Analysing the relations between culture, structure and agency in institutions explains why some institutions are slow to change and/or prefer to maintain current practices. At UCT, where institutional culture allows academic freedom of choice and structure supports that choice, it is the academic agents themselves who hold the power of action to contribute or not to contribute OER. Academics have the power to change their practice if it makes sense in terms of their projects, the activities that they are involved in and their concerns. Thus in this context, the long term sustainability of the OER movement rests firmly on the willingness of individual lecturers to share and use OER. By understanding the institutional context in which the individual is placed, OER can be encouraged appropriately

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University

Over the last four years Potgietersrust Platinums (PPRust) has successfully implemented new geotechnical strategy and tactics to reduce risk, improving safety but also maximising profitability. A large database of core logging, face mapping and rock testing has been assembled and used in the slope design process. The data has also been used for optimising blast designs on a daily basis through the use of a geotechnical block model. This greatly improves blast fragmentation and therefore loading and milling efficiencies. Slope management includes a limit blasting programme, daily visual inspections, and state-of-the-art slope monitoring equipment, namely GroundProbe radar, Riegl lasers and GeoMoS automated prism monitoring. Slope optimisation incorporates all the field data, operational controls, cost of failure, full economic analysis of various slope angles and fault tree analysis. Savings on waste stripping of hundreds of millions of Rands were gained from the optimisation as slope angles could be increased due to improved geotechnical knowledge and management. PPRust’s geotechnical work is considered the benchmark for Anglo American open pit operations.

Purpose Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) is an important cause of irreversible visual loss in South Africa. POAG is asymptomatic, yet early detection and treatment can prevent visual loss. POAG has a genetic component, and identifying genetic risk factors could facilitate early detection as well as elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of the disease. POAG is more common in populations of African descent, but has been understudied in the context of POAG genetic risk factors in these populations. The purpose of this research was to identify genetic risk factors for POAG in black South Africans. Methods Self-identified black South African POAG patients and unaffected control participants were enrolled at St John Eye Hospital in Soweto. The study population was evaluated in case-control association studies for genetic risk factors in the following genomic regions: CDKN2B/CDKN2BAS-1, MYOC, TMCO1, CAV1/CAV2, CYP1B1, WDR36, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A1, COL8A2, ZNF469, SIX1/SIX6, ATOH7 and the chromosome 2p16 locus. The study was powered to detect moderate-sized genetic effects. Family members of participants identified with potentially pathogenic mutations in MYOC were counselled, screened for the mutations and clinically screened for glaucoma. Genotyping data from SNPs in TMCO1, CAV1/CAV2, CDKN2BAS-1 and SIX1/SIX6 that had also been genotyped in a West African and an African American population were compared with the South African data and the three datasets were combined to create a larger sample of individuals of African descent for association analyses. Results There were 247 POAG patients and 255 control participants enrolled in the study that were representative of the black population of South Africa. The POAG participants had advanced disease with more than half having severe visual impairment from the disease. Potentially pathogenic mutations in MYOC were identified in 4.2% of the POAG patients (Lys500Arg in 1.2%, Gly374Val in 0.9% and Tyr453del in 2.3%) and in 20% of the family members screened. The screening successfully identified individuals at high risk for future visual loss and enabled them to receive counselling and follow-up. Lys500Arg is a benign variant, whereas Gly374Val and Tyr453del are pathogenic. Tyr453del is incompletely penetrant. In the association studies, single SNPs in the COL1A1, ZNF469 and MYOC regions showed marginal associations with POAG, but the identified associations did not withstand correction for multiple testing. Ocular quantitative trait association analyses also yielded no significant associations after correction but a significant association was identified with type 2 diabetes mellitus and rs12522383 in WDR36. There was also a significant association identified with SNP rs10120688 in CDKN2BAS-1 and visual impairment in the African American dataset. Combining the three datasets of individuals of African descent increased the power to detect small genetic effects and identified suggestive associations with SNPs in TMCO1 and CAV1/CAV2. Conclusions Black South Africans with POAG may have a MYOC mutation that either causes or contributes to their risk for developing POAG in approximately 3.3%. MYOC mutation screening in affected families successfully demonstrated the value of genetic information in identifying and protecting individuals at risk for visual loss from glaucoma. The genetic risk associated with the candidate genes evaluated in this study and POAG in black South Africans, if such a risk exists, is a small risk. There is therefore a critical need for further genetic association studies in POAG in this significantly affected population to identify other genetic risk factors. This study has important implications for the management and counselling of black South African patients with POAG and their families.

No description available.

Open government data, concerned with the opening and publishing of government data in a free, accessible, and machine-readable format, aims to encourage public participation in government affairs, increasing government transparency and accountability. It is also posited that open government data will inspire businesses, the public and government agencies to use it and contribute to economic growth and value creation. The Canadian federal, provincial, and local governments have been actively opening and releasing open datasets about multiple subjects of interest to the public. However, evidence of the benefits of using open government datasets by Canadian businesses is scant, with no empirical research undertaken in Canada to understand how the data are used and what value is being created. Based on a qualitative approach, this thesis focuses on the works and experiences of 17 professed open data intermediary firms in Canada. It aims to discover patterns and themes that provide insights into how open government data were used, the challenges facing open data intermediaries, the state of open government data, and the economic value created. The data collection is based on semi-structured interviews conducted virtually with the founder or company's executives. In addition, the findings highlight the key similarities and differences in the activities open data intermediaries performed and the importance of resources and capabilities in developing products/services that contribute to economic value creation. Finally, five critical challenges impacting the use of open government data are identified: awareness, quality of open government data, competencies of users, data standards, and value creation.

Die derzeitigen Strukturen der überregionalen Informationsservices sind geprägt von Bündniszwängen, die eine technologische Erneuerung der Dateninfrastrukturen blockieren. Ein Lösungsweg liegt in der Rückbesinnung auf die Idee der Offenheit, des freien Zugangs zu Information und Wissen, für die Bibliotheken mit dem Ziel der Bildung und Selbstaufklärung gegründet wurden. Im Idealfall fügen sich durch gemeinsame Wertvorstellungen und damit verbundene technologische Prinzipien die dezentralen Aktivitäten der Bibliotheken in einer Netzwerkstruktur zusammen. Die emanzipatorische Qualität des Semantic Web ist bislang weithin unterschätzt und könnte helfen, Grabenkämpfe zwischen Protagonisten und Antagonisten der Digitalisierung zu beenden. Die Autoren plädieren für Bibliotheken als Sachwalter der Offenheit, die sich für einen freien, uneingeschränkten und globalen Zugang zu wissenschaftlicher Information und für die Weiterverarbeitbarkeit dieser Information stark machen. Am Beispiel von Dateninfrastrukturen werden konkrete Handlungsschritte diskutiert. Die Autoren fordern mit ihrem Beitrag eine breite Debatte und plädieren grundsätzlich für mehr Offenheit, Wahlfreiheit und Konsequenz im eigenen Handeln. / The current national information service structures are characterized by alliance constraints and lock-in phenomena that effectively block the development of state-of-the-art data infrastructures. A possible solution could be the return to the principle of openness that used to be at the heart of the concept of libraries as institutions of education and enlightenment. Ideally, shared values imply similar technological frameworks and lead to a complementary network of individual activities and services. Up to now the emancipatory quality of the Semantic Web has largely been underestimated. It could help, however, put an end to the trench warfare raging between proponents and detractors of the principle of digitisation. The authors suggest that libraries assume the role of stewards of openness and fight for free, unrestricted and global access to processable scientific information. Taking the example of data infrastructures, they discuss concrete further steps on the way to Open Science. In their article the authors put the case for a broad-based debate and demand greater openness, freedom of choice and consistency in each institution’s actions.

Mit dem Ziel, den Open-Science-Gedanken zu unterstützen und die Forschungsleistungen der Freiberger Wissenschaftler:innen besser sichtbar und zugänglicher zu machen, hat die TU Bergakademie Freiberg seit 2022 verschiedene Policies und Leitlinien verabschiedet. Diese Ausgabe des Open-Science-Snacks fasst deren Zweck und Nutzen noch einmal zusammen und ordnet sie in den wissenschaftspolitischen Kontext ein.

Published Article / The aims of this article are to describe the findings of the author over the last decade regarding traditional distance education which eventually became Open and Distance E-Learning (ODEL) at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) and secondly, the integration of Open Education Resources (OER) within ODEL. Up for debate in Perspectives in Education is the question whether ODEL and OER have not already stimulated a new constellation for higher education? After attending several international conferences of the International Organization for Open and Distance Education (lODE), the National Association for Open Distance Education of South Africa (NADEOSA), Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) as well as the South African Association for Research Development in Higher Education (SMRDHE), it became evident to the author that global trends forced a number of changes onto the South African higher education system. Subsequently, the CUT also had to reconsider the role of distance education within the Free State and Northern Cape provinces where it operates. In 2004 for example, students enrolled for distance education countrywide already constituted between 4% and 32% at traditional face-to-face universities while for universities of technology the figure was only 4,74% (CHE, 2004:185-186). However, universities of technology since expanded tremendously in using ODEL.