D. Tech. Business Administration / The purpose of this study is to increase the depth of understanding of university managers and programme facilitators of the management and process pertaining to students performance and how the process is used to empower first year students in the Faculty of Management Sciences.

This study investigates language varieties, non-verbal behaviour and language attitudes as cultural barriers which inhibit successful communication between Blacks and Indians at Durban Institute of Technology. The investigation reveals that Indians and Blacks often misunderstand each other. Sometimes these groups feel misunderstood because they use different varieties of English. To compensate for these differences, participants use non-verbal strategies. However, non-verbal behaviour is culturally determined and people tend to transfer it to intercultural situations. One finds that this transfer leads to miscommunication and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, non verbal behaviour which does not meet the politeness criteria leads to negative attitudes and strained relations amongst peers and supervisors. The study suggests these solutions: the introduction of intercultural awareness campaigns for all employees and Zulu conversational skills for all Indians. For the whole South African community, the spirit of ubuntu should be cultivated between all racial groups to foster mutual respect. / Sociolinguistics / M.A.

This study investigates language varieties, non-verbal behaviour and language attitudes as cultural barriers which inhibit successful communication between Blacks and Indians at Durban Institute of Technology. The investigation reveals that Indians and Blacks often misunderstand each other. Sometimes these groups feel misunderstood because they use different varieties of English. To compensate for these differences, participants use non-verbal strategies. However, non-verbal behaviour is culturally determined and people tend to transfer it to intercultural situations. One finds that this transfer leads to miscommunication and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, non verbal behaviour which does not meet the politeness criteria leads to negative attitudes and strained relations amongst peers and supervisors. The study suggests these solutions: the introduction of intercultural awareness campaigns for all employees and Zulu conversational skills for all Indians. For the whole South African community, the spirit of ubuntu should be cultivated between all racial groups to foster mutual respect. / Sociolinguistics / M.A.

Med bakgrund i hur samhällets digitalisering präglar utbildningsväsendet, som i sin tur påverkar skolans teknikundervisning, behandlar det här examensarbetet teknikelevers habitus och strategier som tar sig uttryck i deras möte med användning av digitala verktyg som tillämpas i teknikundervisningen. Inspiration tas från sociologen Pierre Bourdieus teorier om olika kapitalformer och strategier. Dessutom kommer digitalt kapital att tillämpas som ytterligare teoretiskt ramverk. Övergripande syfte med arbetet är att öka förståelse för identifiering av behov och styrkor hos elevmålgruppen i samband med deras användning av digitala verktyg i teknikundervisningen. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ analys via semi- samt strukturerade intervjuer med fyra teknikelever i årskurs 1 samt tre tekniklärare på gymnasiets teknikprogram. Där data bearbetas genom datainsamling via ljudinspelningar och vidare datatranskribering. Analysen presenteras som rekonstruktioner av olika elevhabitus i form av elevprofiler och praktikbeskrivningar utifrån lärarintervjuer. Studiens resultat och analys påvisar en tendens om tidigt utvecklat digitalt kapital sammanflätad med andra kapitalformer såsom socialt- och kulturellt kapital som kännetecknar samtliga elevprofiler oavsett kön. Dessa utifrån beskrivningar som tyder på bland annat elevprofilers stor samlade tillgångar i form av digital tillgänglighet, digitala verktyg, sociala nätverk, föräldrar och/ eller syskon med akademiska utbildningar. Dessutom framträder från praktikbeskrivningar en bild av att samtliga elevprofiler, förutom att vara positiv inställda till användning av digitala verktyg, är som modiga med självständighet i problemlösning oavsett lärarens digitala kompetens. Däremot framhåller samtliga elevprofiler vikten av lärarens kompetens i digitala verktyg för stöd i undervisningen. Enligt praktikbeskrivningar för högre årskurser, krävs det att elevprofilerna utvecklar andra förmågor såsom kommunikations- samt samarbetsförmåga på ett effektivt sätt. Vilket kan tyda på att digitalt kapital behöver utvecklas i relation till andra kapitalformer för framgång och för att tillskrivas av värde i sociala praktiken. Gällande resultat om elevprofilers tidigt förvärvade digitala kapital är det av vikt att undersöka vidare egenskaper såsom mindre tålamod och vana att ”knappa sig fram” ur ett habitusperspektiv. Eftersom enligt praktikbeskrivningar dessa egenskaper anses som negativa i möte med digitala verktyg i teknikundervisningen, vilket kräver att elever följer verktygets instruktioner noggrant. Detta förefaller utgöra att dessa habitus behöver förändras för att elevprofilerna ska kunna förränta dessa som digitalt kapital i skolan som en social praktik. Vidare tenderar faktorer såsom ålder och ekonomisk tillgång i denna studie främja det digitala kapitalet för samtliga elevprofiler. Dessutom påvisar studiens resultat en tendens om att elevprofilernas tillämpade utbildningsstrategier i teknikundervisningen, såsom problemlösnings- samt informationssökningsstrategier, återspeglar deras förvärvade kapitaltillgångar och familjers sociala reproduktionsstrategier. Vidare studier om elevers digitala kapital och dess olika beståndsdelar samt hur skolan och undervisningen kan påverka det digitala kapitalet vore intressant. Detta för att bland annat undersöka hur digitalt kapital kan formas i undervisningen. Med tanke på samspelet mellan digitalt kapital och andra kapitalformer vore det intressant att undersöka hur utfallet kan påverka undervisningskvalitet och elevers lärande. Om detta i sin tur kan påvisas som externa, observerbara sociala resurser såsom elevers framtida val av högre studier och yrkespositioner. Dessutom huruvida kompetensutvecklingsstrategier för lärare inom digitala verktyg är av vikt för huvudmän och skolans organisationer. Detta för att fylla gapet med digitala ojämlikheter som kan komma att utspela sig mellan generationer däribland mellan elever och lärare. Vilket i slutändan kan gynna undervisningen och elevers lärande. / With a background in how society's digitization characterizes the educational system, which in turn affects the school's technology education, this thesis deals with technology students' habitus and strategies that are expressed in their encounter with the use of digital tools applied in technology education. Inspiration is taken from sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's theories on different forms of capital and strategies. In addition, digital capital will apply as additional theoretical framework. The overall aim of the work is to increase understanding of the identification of needs and strengths of the student target group in connection with their use of digital tools in technology education. The study is based on a qualitative analysis via semi- and structured interviews with four technology students in year 1 and three technology teachers in the high school's technology program. Where data is processed through data collection via audio recordings and further data transcription. The analysis is presented as reconstructions of different student habits in the form of student profiles and practice descriptions based on teacher interviews. The study's results and analysis demonstrate a tendency of early developed digital capital intertwined with other forms of capital such as social- and cultural capital that characterizes all student profiles regardless of gender. These are based on descriptions that indicate, among other things, student profiles' large collective assets in the form of digital accessibility, digital tools, social networks, parents and/or siblings with academic educations. In addition, a picture emerges from practice descriptions that all student profiles, in addition to being positive towards the use of digital tools, are courageous with independence in problem solving regardless of the teacher's digital competence. On the other hand, all student profiles emphasize the importance of the teacher's competence in digital tools to support teaching. According to practice descriptions for higher grades, it is required that the student profiles develop other abilities such as communication and cooperation skills in an effective way. Which may indicate that digital capital needs to be developed in relation to other forms of capital for success and to be attributed value in social practice. Regarding student profiles' early acquired digital capital, it is important to investigate further characteristics such as less patience and the habit of typing their way in from a habitus perspective. Because, according to practice descriptions, these characteristics are considered negative when dealing with digital tools in technology education, which requires students to follow the tool's instructions carefully. This seems to mean that these habitus need to change in order for the student profiles to be able to profit from these as digital capital in the school as a social practice. Furthermore, factors such as age and financial access in this study tend to promote digital capital for all student profiles. In addition, the results of the study demonstrate a tendency that the student profiles' applied educational strategies in technology education, such as problem-solving and information-seeking strategies, reflect their acquired capital assets and families' social reproduction strategies. Further studies on students' digital capital and its various components, as well as how school and teaching can affect digital capital, would be interesting. This is to investigate, among other things, how digital capital can be shaped in teaching. Considering the interaction between digital capital and other forms of capital, it would be interesting to investigate how the outcome can affect teaching quality and student learning. And if this in turn can be demonstrated as external, observable social resources such as students' future choice of higher studies and professional positions. In addition, whether competence development strategies for teachers in digital tools are of importance to principals and the school's organizations. This is to fill the gap with digital inequalities that may occur between generations, including between students and teachers. Which can ultimately benefit teaching and student learning.

This study investigated the effective use of online Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) with immediate formative feedback, and the granting of partial credit for correct second or third chance answers when assessing and assisting students’ conceptual learning at higher cognitive levels. The research sample comprised first year engineering science students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria campus. The differences between using online MCQ-assessment for problem-solving calculations and using constructed written questions (CRQs)1 in the assessment of problem-solving calculations were explored. Furthermore, the differences between the assessment of problem-solving calculations using online MCQs without immediate formative feedback, and with immediate formative feedback and the granting of partial credit were analysed. The findings revealed that students’ marks were lower when answering problem-solving calculations using online MCQs without immediate formative feedback than when answering the same questions using CRQs. This clearly indicates that using online MCQs without immediate formative feedback is not effective in assessing scientific problem-solving calculations. Alternatively, online MCQs proved effective in assessing problem-solving calculations when immediate formative feedback and partial credit were employed. The statistical analysis showed that students performed significantly better when immediate formative feedback was given and partial credit was granted for correct second or third attempts. This was due to online MCQs utilising immediate formative feedback, which made it possible to grant partial credit when students chose the correct answers after feedback. This showed that online MCQs with immediate formative feedback and partial credit being granted can be an effective assessment tool for scientific problem-solving calculations. It increases performance and supports learning from assessment. Students can thus correct their calculations whilst in the process of doing them. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Science Education)