scholarly journals Reflecting on dilemmas in digital resource design as a response to COVID-19 for learners in under-resourced contexts

Pythagoras ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Vale ◽  
Mellony H. Graven
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Digital Resource ◽  
Major Shift ◽  
Ecology Of Learning ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Document Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting school closures in South Africa necessitated a major shift in how to support learners’ ongoing mathematics learning. For 10 weeks learners were strictly confined to their homes with restrictions that prohibited seeing any person outside of their household. The only means to access learners and parents in their homes was to reimagine our South African Numeracy Chair Project work and transform it from predominantly face-to-face interventions to digital modalities. As a result, we initiated a project of digital resource development and distribution, particularly focused on our local community in the Eastern Cape. Twenty-two existing resources and 36 purpose-designed resources were shared via Facebook. Through in-depth post hoc reflection of the rapid digitalisation of our materials and ways of working we address these questions: (1) In relation to learners’ new ‘ecology of learning’ during lockdown what digital access modality and platforms were most fit-for-purpose in sharing mathematics learning resources? (2) What principles informed resource design and adaptation for digital distribution and use? (3) What dilemmas were confronted in making decisions about resource design and distribution?. These questions are answered through a document review and post hoc reflections on the noted dilemmas. We share some feedback received and discuss implications of our work and the dilemmas confronted for the provision of quality digital resources for supporting mathematics learning in historically disadvantaged and under-resourced communities in a post pandemic world.

scholarly journals Projectification of the European Union and its implications for public labour market organisations in Poland

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Jałocha
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Work ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Grant Applications ◽  
Organisational Structures ◽  
Public Organisations ◽  
The Eu

This article contributes to the understanding of the changes that projectification — strongly reinforced by the European Union (EU) — causes in public labour market organisations in Poland. The introduction of project work to the hitherto hierarchical organisational structures found in public organisations influences them. There is, however, a research gap on how changes at the macro level affect individual public organisations and how these organisations change due to the introduction of project work into their structures. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate changes in Polish public labour market organisations caused by projectification. The author draws on a set of quantitative and qualitative data that include a survey conducted in 57 public local organisations as well as interviews conducted at 10 public offices at local and regional levels. A sequential mixed methods approach was used. The results indicate that projectification due to the EU caused changes in organisational structures of public organisations and influenced the selection of the projects. In particular, the findings relating to projectification of the EU and its impact on public labour market institutions in Poland deepen previous research by identifying the specific changes occurring at the level of individual public organisations. These changes are diverse in nature, yet the most important of these relate to the adaptation of organisational goals to the objectives of the grant applications as well as to the changes in organisational structures. The study also illustrates that while EU-funded projects are almost always completed on time, do not exceed their budgets, and achieve the indicators of the EU programs, such projects do not always provide the value that a local community would expect. Therefore, there is a need for the EU to not only assess project success on time, cost and quality measures, but also to assess project success on local impact and value created for stakeholders. 

scholarly journals Towards Metaphors for Cascading AI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Oppenlaender ◽  
Jesse Josua Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
System Dynamics ◽  
Integrative View ◽  
The Future ◽  
Major Shift ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Blind Spots

In the future, more and more systems will be powered by AI. This may exacerbate existing blind spots in explainability research, such as focusing on outputs of an individual AI pipeline as opposed to a holistic and integrative view on the system dynamics of data, algorithms, stakeholders, context and their respective interactions. AI systems will increasingly rely on patterns and models of other AI systems. This will likely introduce a major shift in the desiderata of interpretability, explainability and transparency. In this world of Cascading AI (CAI), AI systems will use the output of other AI systems as their inputs. The typical formulations of desiderata for explaining AI decision-making, such as post-hoc interpretability or model-agnostic explanations, may simply not hold in a world of cascading AI.In this paper, we propose two metaphors which may help designers to frame their efforts when designing Cascading AI systems.

EIA Practices in the Natural Gas Extraction Sector in Tanzania: Does Local Community Contribution Matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (03) ◽  
pp. 1950015
Author(s):  
Iddi Mwanyoka ◽  
Will-Elimina Selestine ◽  
Said Nuhu
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Gas Extraction ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Community Contribution ◽  
Effective Community ◽  
Natural Gas Extraction ◽  
Document Review

Community participation is an important element for implementation of various development projects including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. However, involvement of the local community in contributing to the EIA processes is minimal. This paper sought to explore local community contribution in the EIA practices in the natural gas extraction sector in Tanzania. Household survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document review were employed in this study. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents have inadequate understanding of the EIA process and therefore undermine its significance, their role and contribution towards the exercise. Procedures for engaging the community were also lacking according to standard measure practices. Various factors emanating from policy implementers, EIA consultants and the community were attributed to low participation. Views and opinions of participants were not considered during implementation of the gas exploration and extraction project which left communities dissatisfied with implementers and practitioners. Therefore, implementation of the EIA policy in regard to procedures should be emphasised to ensure adherence for smooth and effective community participation in the EIA processes. This will guarantee respect for community contribution and mainstreaming of suggestions in the implementation of natural gas exploration and extraction projects to avoid adverse effects and reduce on mitigation consequences.

scholarly journals Strengthening maths learning dispositions through ‘math clubs’

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mellony Graven
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
After School ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Project Lead ◽  
Learning Dispositions

In this paper, I argue that the establishment of after-school mathematics clubs in early grades holds rich potential for supporting the development of increasingly participatory and sensemaking maths learning dispositions. Within the South African Numeracy Chair project, lead by the author, multiple after-school mathematics clubs have been set up for learners in Grades 3–6 across Eastern Cape schools. These clubs are a complementary initiative to teacher development, aimed at improving low levels of numeracy learning across the majority of schools in the province. Two sources of data, learner interviews and teacher questionnaires, from one case study club, are shared in this article to illuminate the potential such clubs hold in developing increasingly participatory mathematics learning dispositions.

scholarly journals Understanding Islamic Dialectics in The Relationship with Local Culture in Buton Architecture Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-254
Author(s):  
Muhammad Alifuddin ◽  
Alhamuddin Alhamuddin ◽  
Andri Rosadi ◽  
Ulil Amri
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Right ◽  
Document Review ◽  
House Building

This study aimed to describe the shape and meaning of the architectural design of the Buton house both from an emic and ethical perspective. The focus of the problem was: (1). What was the shape and pattern of the house layout of the Butonese people? (2). What was the meaning of the traditional house architecture of the Butonese people? The data were obtained through a series of interviews, non-participant observation, and document review. All data were analyzed through some stages: formulation of questions, making descriptive narratives, data reduction, application, and interpretation, then concluding. Based on an analysis of the research problem, the following conclusions were obtained: (1). The shape of the Buton house had an aesthetic meaning related to belief or the dimension of religiosity, in this case, Islam; (2). The patron or pattern of the Butonese house building had become part of their system of thinking, so that eventually it became something standards, such as the standard of spatial structure, shape, structure, and ornamentation. In subsequent developments, there appeared to be an internal effort by the Butonese to provide a new perspective on the meaning of the Buton house, leading to interpretations oriented to Islamic values. The form of houses on stilts as depicted in malige and kamali by the local community was interpreted as a replica of a Muslim performing the prayer ritual. The model of a tiled roof was analogous to the composition or position when he was praying, where the place of the right hand was above the left hand. Whereas in the perspective of political power, the tiled roof was a symbol of political and religious unity. Pineapple ornaments played a role as a symbol of monotheism. This symbol also is a manifestation of the religious ethics Butonese, who always direct their life to the values ​​of monotheism.

scholarly journals Manajemen Persampahan di Kecamatan Rimbo Tengah Kabupaten Bungo

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-210
Author(s):  
Zepa Anggraini ◽  
Joko Susanto
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Prime Mover ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
The Government ◽  
Document Review ◽  
Descriptive Method ◽  
Environmental Agency

The Bungo District Environmental Agency as the prime mover in responsible waste management and encourages the community to be involved in waste management, that waste problems in Rimbo Tengah Subdistrict Bungo Regency will not be solved if it only depends on the government alone, and therefore needs support and community participation in waste management. The purpose of this study was to determine waste management in the Rimbo Tengah District of Bungo Regency. The method used in this research is descriptive method with a qualitative approach. As for the informants in this study amounted to eight people consisting of five informants from the Bungo Regency Environmental Agency and three informants from the local community who are in Central Rimbo District. The data collection techniques are through observation, interviews and document review. The results showed that waste management in Rimbo Tengah Subdistrict, Bungo District, by the Bungo Regency Environmental Agency was well implemented. This can be seen from the application of management perspective which plays an important role in the whole process of waste management starting from planning, organizing, implementing / mobilizing and controlling. However, in the process of waste management by the Bungo Regency Environmental Agency, there are still some problems and shortcomings in the management process, namely the implementation or mobilization and supervision processes.

Towards Alleviating the Post-Apartheid Education Crisis in South Africa

2011 ◽  
pp. 112-131
Author(s):  
Pragashni Padayachee ◽  
Ansie Harding
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Mathematics Performance ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Learner Performance ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
Education Crisis ◽  
Before And After

Post-apartheid South Africa is witnessing an education crisis of significant proportions. The new outcomes-based education system has failed to deliver, and universities are suffering the consequences of under-preparation of learners for tertiary studies. The educator corps is lacking, and it has become common practice for universities to deploy augmented programmes in mathematics for secondary school learners in the surrounding area. This chapter describes a particular model of blended learning, devised for the Incubator School Project (ISP), an initiative of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The defining feature of this blended model is that it incorporates DVD technology, which offers an affordable and accessible option for the particular group of learners. DVD technology was used as an ingredient in this blended learning approach since it is easily available to the majority of learners and to the schools they attend. This chapter describes the particular blended model and reports both qualitatively and quantitatively on its success: qualitatively, based firstly on a questionnaire completed by learners and secondly on interviews of educators; quantitatively, based thirdly on learner performance before and after the intervention and fourthly on a single school case study where the mathematics performance of the learners who participated in the ISP is compared to those who did not participate in the ISP. Finally, the scope of blending of this model is evaluated by means of a radar chart, adapted from an existing radar measure. The findings of the study suggest that the use of DVD technology in the blended learning approach impacted favourably on the mathematics learning and enhanced the mathematics performance of these learners.

scholarly journals The Influence of Project-Based Learning Model on Creativity and Cognitive Learning Outcomes of the Students of SMAN 1 Amarasi Timur, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-186
Author(s):  
Rosalinda Stheylani Sakbana ◽  
Widha Sunarno ◽  
Sri Budiawanti
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Parametric Data ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Cognitive Learning Outcomes

Creativity is one of four crucial competencies for students in the 21st century. It has an important role in forming a superior generation to face challenges 4.0. This research is set to determine the difference of the influence of using the project-based-learning model on the students' creativity and cognitive learning outcomes. It is experimental research by using non-parametric data analysis techniques. Kruskal Wallis test is employed to test hypothesis then a post hoc follow-up test (Mann-Whitney U) is carried out. The sample is the entire population of the students of class X SMAN 1 Amarasi Timur, Indonesia. Creativity and cognitive learning outcomes are measured by using material momentum and impulse. Student’s creativity is measured by using a closed questionnaire that consists of positive, negative statements, and project work results. Meanwhile students’ cognitive learning outcomes are measured using a multiple-choice test with 22 questions. The results research inform that there is a significant influence of using the project-based-learning model on students' creativity and cognitive learning outcomes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document