In 1997, NLNAC added critical thinking as a required outcome for accreditation of associate degree nursing (ADN) programs. Until recently general critical thinking tests were the only available standardized critical thinking assessment tools. The emphasis has shifted to discipline specific tools. This concurrent validity study explored the correlation between two critical thinking tests, a general skills test, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and a discipline specific test, the Arnett Critical Thinking Outcome Evaluation (CTOE). Both tests are based on the same definition of critical thinking. The CCTST, developed in 1990, covers discipline neutral content in multiple choice items. The CTOE, a free entry, written response test developed in 1998, assesses critical thinking in nursing situations using a partial credit model. A convenience sample of 434 sophomore ADN students from 9 programs in Texas completed the demographic survey and critical thinking tests in 1999. The sample was 87.9% female and 74.2% Caucasian, with a mean age of 31, mean GPA of 3.13, mean 3.7 years healthcare employment experience, mean CCTST score of 15.0023 and mean CTOE of 82.69. The sample also included 22.4% current LVNs, 15.7% with prior degrees and 53.5% in the first generation of their family to go to college. With Pearson correlation, three of four hypotheses concerning correlation between CCTST and CTOE scores were accepted, showing weak but significant correlation. GPA positively correlated but healthcare employment experience, first generation and minority status negatively correlated with CCTST scores. GPA correlated positively with CTOE scores. Stepwise multiple linear regression with CCTST scores retained GPA, healthcare employment experience, prior degree, and first generation in college status. The significant, positive correlation between CCTST and CTOE scores was weaker than expected. This may be due to the different formats of the tools, or a fundamental difference between a general critical thinking skills test and a discipline specific tool. Critical thinking is highly contextually sensitive and disciplines emphasize skills differently. Both tests may be useful in a critical thinking assessment program since they measure different aspects and contribute to a composite picture of critical thinking. Research should continue on discipline specific tools.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Information Science) / The project involved the design of a multimedia study package for distance teaching in computerised information retrieval. This included external online and CD-ROM informa- tion retrieval, as well as specialized systems such as in-house databases, videotex, teletext and Internet. The target group was information specialists. The findings may also apply to other target groups, provided a thorough situation analysis serves as point of departure. The project was initiated by the growing importance of distance education, the constant developments in the online industry and the need for didactically grounded study packages for teaching computerised information retrieval skills. Such packages should focus on technological knowledge and skills on the higher cognitive, affective and psychomotor levels. A literature study was conducted on four subproblems: the nature of distance education; the characteristics of multimedia study packages; the didactical grounding of such packages (including curriculum development, instructional design and media selection); and the state of the art regarding the 'teaching of computerised information retrieval. This led to the conclusion that the theory of distance education should serve as focal point in the design of a multimedia package, while special attention is also given to Keegan's theory which focuses on the reintegration of the teaching and learning acts. Study packages should be the result of instructional design, which is dependent on curriculum development. The latter includes decisions made on the macro and meso levels of the curriculum and the consideration of technological infrastructures available in the wider society. Provision should also be made for the typical characteristics of multimedia packages for distance teaching, including individual study, irregular contact teaching sessions, active student involvement, opportunities for self-evaluation, enriching and remedial learning events, student support and the recognition of the needs of adult learners (andragogical needs), as well as those of young adults. The mastering of higher order skills should be supported by opportunities for active student involvement including self-evaluation of lower order skills. Provision should also be made 1I1 for the practical application of knowledge and skills, as welI as evaluation skills, by fully exploiting the possibilities offered by interactive teaching. Students should, however, attend interactive sessions welI prepared. This could be ensured by making use of prior self- evaluation as well as tutor evaluation of both subject matter and media literacy. A variety of media and teaching methods can be applied in the mediated teaching of computerised information retrieval. Media selection should be based on media character- istics, performance objectives, subject nature and logistical factors. An eclectic model for instructional design is proposed. A concept design for a multimedia package for distance teaching of computerised information retrieval was developed by applying this eclectic model. The concept design was based on the didactical situation at the University of South Africa. Although the design has focused on the ideal situation, where students have access to computers and attend sporadic contact teaching sessions, suggestions are also made for a differentiated package. These suggestions include a basic study package, a learning contract with the student and his employee, and a package with enriched learning experience.

M.Cur. (Nursing) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / The purpose of this study is primarily to evaluate the curriculum of the subject Communication English with specific reference to the component of reading and spelling. The rationale is to determine whether or not the reading and spelling skills of college students comply with the requirements of the private sector and, if found to be inadequate, appropriate recommendations would be made. The detrimental effect of reading and spelling problems on a person's entire being and self-actualization is attested by the literature. A needs analysis was done by means of questionnaires to establish how the course makes provision for various aspects of a communicative language curriculum. The questionnaires were completed by three groups, these being the N2 and N3 students, the lecturers of Communication English and various members of the private sector. For purposes of this study only the relevant questions concerning reading and spelling from the questionnaires were highlighted. The results of the reading and spelling tests showed that there is a significant discrepancy between the students' reading and spelling ages and their chronological ages, it would appear as if they are below the required norm by approximately four years. From the responses of the questionnaires it was apparent that a high premium was attached to competence in reading and spelling skills.

The purpose of this study was to explain and describe the perspectives of student nurses at a private nursing education institution (NEI) in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, on the use of information technology (IT) in nursing education. A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive research design was selected to determine the respondents’ perspectives on IT and identify challenges that they encountered. The target population included all student nurses registered at the private NEI for the Bridging Programme for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General Nurse (R683) and the Advanced Diploma in Medical and Surgical Nursing Science with specialization in either Critical Care, Trauma and Emergency, or Perioperative Nursing (R212). The researcher developed and used a structured self-administered questionnaire for data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study highlighted that the respondents acknowledged the importance and benefits of IT in nursing education and the profession, but encountered challenges in using IT. The study found that the respondents owned at least one IT device, used IT frequently for study and work purposes, reported IT competence, and had positive attitudes to IT. The researcher made recommendations to improve the use of IT in nursing education and for further study. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the knowledge, skills, and experiences in the enameling arts and the attitudes and perceptions of in-service (n = 12) and pre-service Kuwaiti art teachers (n = 170), art supervisors at the Ministry of Education (MOE) (n = 3) and art education faculty members at the College of Basic Education (CBE) and Kuwait University (KU) (n = 8) about what they believed pre-service art teachers should know and be able to do in order to teach the enameling arts, and (2) to use this information to inform and guide the development of a content outline for an enameling course for pre-service Kuwaiti art teachers that is educationally (how to perform enameling arts skills and how to teach what they know), practically (safety issues, workshop management, etc), and culturally (its relation to Islamic culture) suitable. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Most of the respondents revealed limited knowledge and skills and modest experiences in the enameling arts. All interviewees in the study expressed positive perceptions and attitudes about the enameling arts. Most agreed that a revision to the current art education curriculum at the CBE was needed and made suggestions about how the curriculum should be revised. It was clear that there is a disconnection and miscommunication between the MOE and the CBE with regards to the information about enameling that should be covered and taught in the art education classes. All respondents expressed support for the inclusion of a course in enameling in the art education curriculum at the CBE. Because of the limited knowledge of the participants in the study, they were not able to provide guidance in shaping the content for a course in the enameling arts. The researcher had to rely on the literature review and his expertise as an enameling artist to develop a content outline that was educationally, practically, and culturally suitable for the pre-service Kuwaiti art teachers. Further study was recommended in regard to curriculum issues, especially those related to the inclusion of Islamic culture, and methods of delivering instruction in the enameling arts.

A research report submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements of the degree Master of Arts in Anthropology, March 2017 / In this research report I construct an intellectual history of anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand. Adopting a conjunctural approach, the report thinks through four moments in the genealogy of anthropology at Wits, from the establishment of the Bantu Studies Department in the 1920s, the neo-Marxist turn in the 1970s, the cultural turn in the 1990s, to the contemporary Department of Social Anthropology. At each moment, I trace the ways in which African thought and critique has been and is silenced to reproduce colonial unknowing in and the intellectual enclaving of anthropology in South Africa. / XL2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, August 2014. / The general poor performance in physical science in South Africa is a cause for concern. The reasons for this situation includes lack of basic content knowledge by science teachers, unprofessional attitudes, ineffective teaching approaches, lack of resources and failure to understand the language of science by the learners. This study investigated South African grade 12 learners’ meanings of everyday words when used in science context. The study focused on grade 12 physical science learners from four different government secondary schools in Johannesburg. These learners had different home languages and socio-economic background. Data was obtained through a questionnaire given to learners followed by group interviews with the learners. A face-to-face interview with each physical science teacher from each school was also conducted. This study reveals that learners face difficulties with meanings of everyday words when used in science context as was reflected by their response in the questionnaire. The physical science teachers from the four secondary schools were not aware that everyday words (nontechnical words) are misunderstood by the learners when they are teaching them. As such teachers were not explaining the meanings of these words to learners in their context of use. Also the teachers did not know the difference between technical words and non-technical words. The study seeks to make the science teachers aware of this problem so that they can take time to explain the meanings of these words when teaching and this might improve understanding of science concepts. It is hoped that if there is shared meaning of words used in the instructional language between the teacher and learners it would improve the general performance in physical science.

Thesis (MTech (Graphic Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Rapid advances in information technology and the Internet continue to create higher education learning solutions for the networked-world learner. Given the potential of these resources, opportunities and initiatives must be seized to promote the enhancement of student learning in higher education. The promise of faster communication networks and changes in students’ expectations have rendered urgent the understanding of technology and online learning for use in studio-based teaching and learning spaces in the networked global village of the 21st century. Paradoxically, however, the use of e-learning solutions in design-related education remains limited. In studio-based courses such as graphic and architectural design, for example, the facilitation of learning through electronic media at South African universities ranges from the minimal to the non-existent. A hands-on approach to studio-based teaching and learning is preferred, supported by the argument that it is hard to facilitate experiential learning through semi-synchronous online tools. The danger of this unsubstantiated model of thinking is that it is likely to lead to under-usage of Learning Management System (LMS) tools by educators in studio-based teaching and learning spaces. The problem is that no research has been done on this area in South Africa that is capable of providing conclusive evidence on which corrective measures can be based. Hence, the aim of this study is to understand the reasons for the limited adoption and use of LMSs in studio-based teaching and learning in South African higher education design-related disciplines. Within the interpretive epistemological paradigm, a qualitative research approach was adopted to source and analyse interview data from design students and lecturers at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). An Activity Theory (AT) analytical framework was employed. The findings suggest that reservations regarding the use of LMSs are more a function of prevailing perceptions than they are substantive. Unfounded negative assumptions about the functionality, relevance (usefulness), accessibility and ease of use of the systems emerged as the leading constructions of and explanations for the challenges faced. The study provides not only clarity on LMS usage patterns in studio-based educational spaces, but also useful comparative data on how an activity theory-grounded in ActAD framework can enhance the analysis of LMS activities in studio-based teaching and learning within the curricula for subjects like graphic design and architecture.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-03T18:35:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcelo_Rabelo_Henrique.pdf: 361025 bytes, checksum: 7e6971f725a340614aa4f1d12bacaffe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-10-24 / Forensic Accounting is an option of professional career for future Accountants. It was determined by the Brazilian Resolution CNE/ CES N. 1012004 that the accounting students should be able to interact with the real context. Therefore, the courses should offer qualified professors to teach all the disciplines from the Accounting Course, and Forensic Accounting is also included. Considering this context, the aim of this research was to identify and analyze the teaching conditions of how the discipline Forensic Accounting is taught in Accounting Courses in S??o Paulo city. It was analyzed the teaching conditions and obtained the perceptions from coordinators of the courses concerning Forensic Accounting in two different groups: the first grouped 7 out of the 10 best ranked Accounting courses, according to ENADE 2006 - a Brazilian test that aims to analyze the teaching conditions at Brazilian Universities - and the second grouped 10 random courses, chosen because of accessibility. Some research techniques were applied in this work, as the bibliographical, documental, the analysis of content to evaluate the obtained description of the disciplines, as well as the combination of descriptive statistics and multidimensional scaling for the data collected through questionnaires. The analysis of the descriptions showed that the best ranked courses give more attention to all the content in the description, to the variation in the teaching strategies, to specific blocks of content and to the range of evaluation criteria. The analysis of the coordinators from the other universities indicated that, in such universities, there is a more constant change of course coordinators and an agreement that the offered contents are related to the aims of the course. The results obtained from the questionnaires showed that, within each university, the subjects from 3 of the best ranked universities and from 3 of the other random universities have similar views relating the dimensions "general aspects of the disciplines" and "extra activities". However, there is no agreement between the 2 distinct groups and the dimensions. It was also verified that the subjects classified into the categories "professor" and "coordinator" have different views concerning the already mentioned "general aspects of the disciplines" and "extra activities". / A per??cia cont??bil ?? uma op????o de atua????o profissional para os futuros contadores. A resolu????o CNE/CES N. 10/2004, determinou que os cursos de Ci??ncias Cont??beis devem formar profissionais aptos a interagir com o contexto atual, o que requer boas condi????es de ensino e professores qualificados nas disciplinas e conte??dos, inclusive per??cia cont??bil. Assim, o objetivo geral desta pesquisa foi identificar e analisar as condi????es de ensino de per??cia cont??bil em cursos de Ci??ncias Cont??beis na grande S??o Paulo. Foram analisadas as condi????es de ensino e obtidas as percep????es de coordenadores de cursos e professores de Per??cia Cont??bil em dois grupos de cursos: o 1??. com 7 dos 10 melhores classificados pelo ENADE de 2006, e o 2??. com 10 cursos escolhidos por acessibilidade. Foram usadas t??cnicas de pesquisa bibliogr??fica, documental, an??lise de conte??do para avalia????o dos programas de disciplina obtidos, al??m de estat??stica descritiva combinada o escalonamento multidimensional para os dados coletados com os question??rios. A an??lise dos programas revelou maiores preocupa????es e cuidados do grupo das melhores IES em rela????o a: completude do programa, varia????o nas estrat??gias de ensino, ??nfase em determinados grupos de conte??dos, e variedade nos crit??rios de avalia????o. A an??lise das percep????es dos respondentes indicou para as demais IES: maior rotatividade dos coordenadores dos cursos, e maior concord??ncia de que os conte??dos oferecidos est??o relacionados aos objetivos do curso. Os resultados obtidos com as assertivas indicaram que os sujeitos de tr??s das melhores IES e de tr??s das demais IES t??m, ao n??vel de cada uma, opini??es semelhantes quanto ??s dimens??es denominadas "aspectos gerais da disciplina" e "atividades complementares", embora n??o haja concord??ncia ao n??vel dos grupos de IES e das dimens??es. Os sujeitos das IES restantes separados nas categorias "professor" e "coordenador" revelaram possuir opini??es distintas em rela????o aos mesmos "aspectos gerais da disciplina" e "atividades complementares".