scholarly journals UDUBSit. A location based mobile application for the University of the Western Cape a living lab approach in support of participatory ICT4D

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorien Baelden ◽  
Leo Vanaudenhove ◽  
Wouter Grove ◽  
James Njenga ◽  
Leona Craffert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
The University

scholarly journals Living Labs and designed serendipity: collaboratively discovering the UDUBSit & Mfunzi emerging platforms

Afrika Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-113
Author(s):  
Wouter Grove
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
African Context ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
The University

Recent investigations into the paradoxical notion of designed serendipity position the concept within the research fields of design science, creativity and to a lesser extent digital innovation. In this study we contribute to the work on designed serendipity by analysing the role of the Living Labs methodology in facilitating and enabling serendipity. We specifically investigate that role within the context of two Higher Education cases within an African context. The two cases describe the development of emerging digital platforms co-created within their respective contexts. The UDUBSit mobile application (developed at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa) and Mfunzi mobile application (developed at Mzumbe University, Tanzania) are analysed to determine the extent to which the Living Labs approach enabled observable instances of designed serendipity. This study presents a brief analysis of the causal mechanisms and contextual factors that combine to create designed serendipity within the context of the cases evaluated and within platform design. The study links these causes back to Living Labs as a design methodology.

scholarly journals Living Labs and designed serendipity: collaboratively discovering the UDUBSit & Mfunzi emerging platforms

Afrika Focus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter Grove
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
African Context ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
The University

Recent investigations into the paradoxical notion of designed serendipity position the concept within the research fields of design science, creativity and to a lesser extent digital innovation. In this study we contribute to the work on designed serendipity by analysing the role of the Living Labs methodology in facilitating and enabling serendipity. We specifically investigate that role within the context of two Higher Education cases within an African context. The two cases de- scribe the development of emerging digital platforms co-created within their respective contexts. The UDUBSit mobile application (developed at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa) and Mfunzi mobile application (developed at Mzumbe University, Tanzania) are analysed to de- termine the extent to which the Living Labs approach enabled observable instances of designed serendipity. This study presents a brief analysis of the causal mechanisms and contextual factors that combine to create designed serendipity within the context of the cases evaluated and within platform design. The study links these causes back to Living Labs as a design methodology. Key words: Living Labs, designed serendipity, emerging platforms

A Tracer Study of ICT Graduate Students at Mzuzu University, Malawi

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chimango Nyasulu ◽  
Winner Chawinga ◽  
George Chipeta
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
First Century ◽  
Application Development ◽  
Job Requirements ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Quantitative Design ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University

Governments the world over are increasingly challenging universities to produce human resources with the right skills sets and knowledge required to drive their economies in this twenty-first century. It therefore becomes important for universities to produce graduates that bring tangible and meaningful contributions to the economies. Graduate tracer studies are hailed to be one of the ways in which universities can respond and reposition themselves to the actual needs of the industry. It is against this background that this study was conducted to establish the relevance of the Department of Information and Communication Technology at Mzuzu University to the Malawian economy by systematically investigating occupations of its former students after graduating from the University. The study adopted a quantitative design by distributing an online-based questionnaire with predominantly closed-ended questions. The study focused on three key objectives: to identify key employing sectors of ICT graduates, to gauge the relevance of the ICT programme to its former students’ jobs and businesses, and to establish the level of satisfaction of the ICT curriculum from the perspectives of former ICT graduates. The key findings from the study are that the ICT programme is relevant to the industry. However, some respondents were of the view that the curriculum should be strengthened by revising it through an addition of courses such as Mobile Application Development, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Data Mining, and LINUX Administration to keep abreast with the ever-changing ICT trends and job requirements. The study strongly recommends the need for regular reviews of the curriculum so that it is continually responding to and matches the needs of the industry.

scholarly journals Evaluation and Lessons Learned from a Campus as a Living Lab Program to Promote Sustainable Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1739
Author(s):  
Paul Save ◽  
Belgin Terim Cavka ◽  
Thomas Froese
Keyword(s):  
Learning Curve ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Business Process Models ◽  
District Energy ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
The University

Any group that creates challenging goals also requires a strategy to achieve them and a process to review and improve this strategy over time. The University of British Columbia (UBC) set ambitious campus sustainability goals, including a reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions to 33% below the 2007 level by 2015, and 100% by 2050 (UBC, 2006). The University pursued these goals through a number of specific projects (such as major district energy upgrade and a bioenergy facility) and, more generally, through a “Campus as a Living Lab” (CLL) initiative to marry industry, campus operations, and research to drive innovative solutions. The CLL program has achieved significant successes while also demonstrating many opportunities for improvements and lessons learned. The aim of this study was to examine the UBC CLL program, to identify and formalize its operations, to extract key transferable characteristics, and to propose replicable processes that other universities and municipalities can follow to expand their sustainable practices in similar ways. There was a learning curve with implementing a CLL program at UBC; thus, the goal of this study was to potentially shorten this learning curve for others. The research involved an ethnographic approach in which researchers participated in the CLL process, conducted qualitative analysis, and captured the processes through a series of business process models. The research findings are shared in two parts: 1. generalized lessons learned through key transferrable characteristics; 2. a series of generic organizational charts and business process models (BPMs) culminated with learned strategies through defined processes that illustrate what was required to create a CLL program at UBC. A generalized future improvement plan for UBC CLL programs is defined, generic BPMs about CLL projects are evaluated, and the level of engagement of multiple stakeholders through phases of project life cycle given in the conclusion for future use of other Living Lab organizations.

University as a vehicle to achieve social innovation and development: repositioning the role of the university in the society

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lwando Mdleleni
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of university in promoting, generating and sustaining social innovation (SI). It aimed to understand how higher education institutions have extended their contribution beyond the traditional function of teaching and research to perform in socio-economic problem-solving. It looks at the kinds of contributions which universities potentially make to SI processes, and the effects that this has on the direction and magnitude of SI, and by implication social development. This was done by drawing lessons from a SI project that the University of the Western Cape has been involved in, i.e. Zenzeleni Networks Project. Design/methodology/approach To address the research question with this framework, the author adopted an exploratory research design using a case study. This research is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive, based on a case study built with secondary data. Findings This paper submits that universities can potentially function as key role players in promoting SI initiatives and fostering social transformations. Universities contribute with different kinds of resources and inputs to foster new SI ideas. Originality/value The paper suggests that socially innovative university projects may contribute to community social sustainability maintaining social cohesion by increasing social capital and providing resources for the empowerment of the marginalised communities. In so doing, they contribute to overcome social exclusion and promote more sustainable forms of development at community level. More research is needed on how universities can build community networks with local community partners, who can use the insights of academic research to replicate interventions and move to scale.

scholarly journals Delta Project, Towards a Sustainable Campus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Hugo ◽  
Felipe Espinoza ◽  
Ivetheyamel Morales ◽  
Elías Ortiz ◽  
Saúl Pérez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
City Council ◽  
Business Community ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
Area Of Influence ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The University ◽  
The City ◽  
The Town

The University of Guayaquil, which shares the same name as the city where it is located, faces the challenge of transforming its image for the XXI century. It was deemed necessary to identify details about the urban evolution of the historic link with the city, in relation to the changes produced by the project’s siting and its direct area of influence. The goal is to integrate the main university campus within a framework which guarantees sustainability and allows innovation in the living lab. To achieve this, the action research method was applied, focused on participation and the logic framework. For the diagnosis, proposal, and management model, integrated working groups were organized with internal users such as professors, students, and university authorities, and external actors such as residents, the local business community, Guayaquil city council, and the Governorate of Guayas. As result of the diagnosis, six different analysis dimensions were established which correspond to the new urban agenda for the future campus: compactness, inclusiveness, resilience, sustainability, safety and participation. As a proposal, the urban design integrates the analysis dimensions whose financing and execution are given by the Town Hall, at the same time the Governorate integrates the campus with its network of community police headquarters.

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