scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on psychometric assessment across industry and academia in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy Wigdorowitz ◽  
Pakeezah Rajab ◽  
Tasneem Hassem ◽  
Neziswa Titi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Psychometric Assessment ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Remote Testing ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had changed the world in unexpected ways and psychometric assessment was no exception. Despite the advancements made in online psychometric assessment implementation, the authors of this commentary reflected on their own experiences in the context of the psychology profession in South Africa, where psychology professionals had been faced with the dilemma of halting, postponing or adapting assessments for remote implementation. Remote implementation had many challenges, notably shifting the logistics, financial burden and accountability onto the test-taker. In addition, when implementing remote testing, considerations of supervised and unsupervised testing need to be considered in terms of flexibility, control, test-taker comfort, standardisation, costs, ethical concerns and crisis management. Whilst in the private sector, remote psychometric assessment had been met with resilience and innovation, in academia, remote psychometric research was faced with unique challenges which affect all aspects of the research process and access to participation. Across both industry and academia where psychometric assessments were conducted, the scores and results need to be interpreted with reflection and caution as the pandemic had led to an increase in psychological distress in addition to the unique contextual challenges that South Africa already faced.

An Econometric Analysis on the Relationship between Globalisation and Inequality in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-89
Author(s):  
Jacques de Jongh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Causality Analysis ◽  
Global Integration ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The World ◽  
Distribution Of Resources ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Impact

Globalisation has had an unprecedented impact on the development and well-being of societies across the globe. Whilst the process has been lauded for bringing about greater trade specialisation and factor mobility many have also come to raise concerns on its impact in the distribution of resources. For South Africa in particular this has been somewhat of a contentious issue given the country's controversial past and idiosyncratic socio-economic structure. Since 1994 though, considerable progress towards its global integration has been made, however this has largely coincided with the establishment of, arguably, the highest levels of income inequality the world has ever seen. This all has raised several questions as to whether a more financially open and technologically integrated economy has induced greater within-country inequality (WCI). This study therefore has the objective to analyse the impact of the various dimensions of globalisation (economic, social and political) on inequality in South Africa. Secondary annual time series from 1990 to 2018 were used sourced from the World Bank Development indicators database, KOF Swiss Economic Institute and the World Inequality database. By using different measures of inequality (Palma ratios and distribution figures), the study employed two ARDL models to test the long-run relationships with the purpose to ensure the robustness of the results. Likewise, two error correction models (ECM) were used to analyse the short-run dynamics between the variables. As a means of identifying the casual effects between the variables, a Toda-Yamamoto granger causality analysis was utilised. Keywords: ARDL, Inequality, Economic Globalisation; Social Globalisation; South Africa

A Report on COVID-19 Variants, COVID-19 Vaccines and the Impact of the Variants on the Efficacy of the Vaccines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Halim
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Systemic Review ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
The Impact

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused negative effects across the globe; mortality and morbidity being the main impact. After WHO, termed the disease a pandemic in March 2020, they gave in health guidelines to follow to control the spread of the disease. The health industry, academia, and different governments are united to develop and test various vaccines at an unprecedented speed to combat the pandemic fully and bring the world back to its feet. Some of the vaccines developed include Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. However, just like other viruses, the SAR-CoV-2 virus keeps changing through mutation, as various variants, different from the first one are emerging. Evidence shows that the three new variants; UK, Brazil, and South Africa are more severe in terms of transmissibility, disease severity, evading of the immune response, and reducing the ability to neutralized antibodies, compared to the original coronavirus. With such knowledge of the existence of different strains, the arises concerns on whether the already available vaccines are effective enough in preventing the new COVID-19 strains. Studies are still underdeveloped to learn more on the virologic, epidemiologic, and clinical characteristics of the ever-emerging variants. This research, through a systemic review of literature, seeks to find out whether the variants of SAR-CoV-2 have an impact on the efficacy of various vaccines developed in fighting the disease and the entire body’s immune response.

scholarly journals Children coping with COVID-19: Intersectional understandings of film and media access in a crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Atkinson ◽  
Firdoze Bulbulia
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Media Access ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Film Education ◽  
The World ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact

As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns across the world, digital access has become paramount, as most aspects of education have moved online. Drawing together five case studies located in South Africa, Argentina, the Netherlands, India and Ethiopia, this article assesses the role of film education during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on the impacts of digital access. We examine multimodal forms of film education, and how these were used to inform, entertain and educate children during the crisis by the varying work undertaken by the organizations. Applying theories of intersectionality, we address the need for context-specific approaches to film education, focusing upon the impact that the societal and individual contexts had on the dissemination of film education in each country.

scholarly journals Sciences and audiences along the last century: the impact of Astronomy Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (S349) ◽  
pp. 474-478
Author(s):  
Rosa M. Ros ◽  
Beatriz Garca
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Teachers ◽  
Astronomy Education ◽  
Interest In Science ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In ◽  
Science Activities

AbstractJust as in the past, the development of the natural sciences and in particular of astronomy has changed the history of humanity. If we think about the role of our discipline into the future, it shows its enormous power in the field of education, owing to the possibility of awakening interest in science in very varied audiences. Within the framework of the enormous progress made in the technologies related to astronomy, many of them of daily use, the role of the astronomer in the era of Communications acquires fundamental importance.In this presentation, we will try to make a journey through the different ways of presenting astronomical topics for different audiences over the last 100 years. In turn, we will show some specific achievements, associated with education programmes of the discipline. We discuss the impact produced by proposals that are both rigorous in terms of content, and also appeal to the development of the human being in an integral manner, within the framework of citizen science activities.For this research, we have taken into account the uninterrupted development of the NASE programme, which has performed 112 courses in 24 countries throughout the world and in different languages. NASE has involved 4966 secondary teachers in the last eight years.

scholarly journals A qualitative study of old patients’ experiences of the quality of the health services in hospital and 30 days after hospitalization

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingvild Lilleheie ◽  
Jonas Debesay ◽  
Asta Bye ◽  
Astrid Bergland
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Healthcare Quality ◽  
World Health ◽  
Old Patients ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: The number of people aged 80 years and above is projected to triple over the next 30 years. People in this age group normally have at least two chronic conditions. The impact of multimorbidity is often significantly greater than expected from the sum of the effects of each condition. The World Health Organization has indicated that healthcare systems must prepare for a change in the focus of clinical care for older people. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthcare quality as care that is effective, efficient, integrated, patient centered, equitable and safe. The degree to which healthcare quality can be defined as acceptable is determined by services’ ability to meet the needs of users and adapt to patients’ expectations and perceptions.Method: We took a phenomenological perspective to explore older patients’ subjective experiences and conducted semistructured individual interviews. Eighteen patients (aged from 82 to 100 years) were interviewed twice after discharge from hospital. The interview transcriptions were analyzed thematically.Results: The patients found their meetings with the health service to be complex and demanding. They reported attempting to restore a sense of security and meaning in everyday life, balancing their own needs against external requirements. Five overarching themes emerged from the interviews: hospital stay and the person behind the diagnosis, poor communication and coordination, life after discharge, relationship with their next of kin, and organizational and systemic determinants.Conclusion: According to the WHO, to deliver quality healthcare, services must include all six of the dimensions listed above. Our findings show that they do not. Healthcare focused on measurable values and biomedical inquiries. Few opportunities for participation, scant information and suboptimal care coordination left the patients with a feeling of being in limbo, where they struggled to find balance in their everyday life. Further work must be done to ensure that integrated services are provided without a financial burden, centered on the needs and rights of older people.

scholarly journals Economic impact of the world summit on sustainable development

2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 492-503
Author(s):  
JH Martins ◽  
C Van Aardt
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Input Data ◽  
World Summit ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Private Investments ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

South Africa hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002.  This event is regarded as the single biggest conference to be held anywhere in the world. The aim of this paper is to set out the estimated economic impact of the WSSD and its parallel events on South Africa.  This impact can be expressed in monetary terms as well as employment figures.  The impact is calculated by using an input-output model and employment spin-offs determined from the IO table by using partial multipliers.  The input data were derived from a survey amongst WSSD delegates as well as information on government and private investments made.  

scholarly journals Cannabis policing in mid-twentieth century South Africa

Historia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phumla Innocent Nkosi ◽  
Richard Devey ◽  
Thembisa Waetjen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
United Nations ◽  
South African ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
Policing Strategy ◽  
Police Records ◽  
Report Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In

From 1922, cannabis was policed in South Africa as a "dangerous drug". At mid-century, the United Nations recorded South African cannabis seizures as accounting for more than half of the world's annual recorded totals. This article outlines some main trends in South African cannabis policing between the late 1920s and 1970. It uses quantitative data derived from historical police records to document the impact of a shift in policing strategy - from a focus on possession to a directed targeting of supply - following recommendations made in a 1952 governmental report. Analysis demonstrates how this policy change, along with other factors, impacted arrests and amounts of cannabis seized, by division and district. We situate statistical findings within South Africa's political landscape.

scholarly journals Is invasion science moving towards agreed standards? The influence of selected frameworks

NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 62 ◽  
pp. 569-590
Author(s):  
John R. U. Wilson ◽  
Arunava Datta ◽  
Heidi Hirsch ◽  
Jan-Hendrik Keet ◽  
Tumeka Mbobo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Eu Legislation ◽  
Classification Framework ◽  
The World ◽  
Clear Cases ◽  
Number Of Citations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Citation Classics ◽  
Over Time

The need to understand and manage biological invasions has driven the development of frameworks to circumscribe, classify, and elucidate aspects of the phenomenon. But how influential have these frameworks really been? To test this, we evaluated the impact of a pathway classification framework, a framework focussing on the introduction-naturalisation-invasion continuum, and two papers that outline an impact classification framework. We analysed how these framework papers are cited and by whom, conducted a survey to determine why people have cited the frameworks, and explored the degree to which the frameworks are implemented. The four papers outlining these frameworks are amongst the most-cited in their respective journals, are highly regarded in the field, and are already seen as citation classics (although citations are overwhelmingly within the field of invasion science). The number of citations to the frameworks has increased over time, and, while a significant proportion of these are self-citations (20–40%), this rate is decreasing. The frameworks were cited by studies conducted and authored by researchers from across the world. However, relative to a previous citation analysis of invasion science as a whole, the frameworks are particularly used in Europe and South Africa and less so in North America. There is an increasing number of examples of uptake into invasion policy and management (e.g., the pathway classification framework has been adapted and adopted into EU legislation and CBD targets, and the impact classification framework has been adopted by the IUCN). However, we found that few of the citing papers (6–8%) specifically implemented or interrogated the frameworks; roughly half of all citations might be viewed as frivolous (“citation fluff”); there were several clear cases of erroneous citation; and some survey respondents felt that they have not been rigorously tested yet. Although our analyses suggest that invasion science is moving towards a more systematic and standardised approach to recording invasions and their impacts, it appears that the proposed standards are still not applied consistently. For this to be achieved, we argue that frameworks in invasion science need to be revised or adapted to particular contexts in response to the needs and experiences of users (e.g., so they are relevant to pathologists, plant ecologists, and practitioners), the standards should be easier to apply in practice (e.g., through the development of guidelines for management), and there should be incentives for their usage (e.g., recognition for completing an EICAT assessment).

scholarly journals The Cyber Threat Landscape in South Africa: A 10-Year Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Heloise Pieterse
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Incident Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Cyber Threat ◽  
Attack Surface ◽  
The Impact

The world is witnessing a rise in cyber-related incidents. As information technology improves and the reliance on technology increases, the frequency and severity of cyber incidents escalate. The impact is felt globally, and South Africa is not immune to the effects. The country’s fast-paced technological evolution continues to increase the attack surface within the cyber domain. The increased attack surface is confirmed by recent cyberattacks affecting well-known and established South African organisations. This article reviews findings from an evaluation of South Africa’s cyber threat landscape that analysed 74 cyber incidents identified as occurring between 2010 and 2020. The 74 incidents are categorised according to incident type, affected sector, perpetrator type, and motivation. It is found that the most common incident type is data exposure, the most-affected sector is the public sector, the most prevalent perpetrators are hackers, and the most common motivation is criminal. The article makes recommendations about how South Africa can reduce the risk factors in its cyber threat landscape.

scholarly journals Legal Research in a Changing Information Environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
T Du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Constitutional Law ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Legal Research ◽  
Technology Applications ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Since the advent of the latest constitutional dispensation in South Africa, legal researchers have been presented with new opportunities for research into constitutional issues, development and the relationship between constitutional law and other fields. This article investigates how information technology applications can support the legal research process and what the benefits of technology are likely to be to legal research. Furthermore, it investigates the changes and the impact that electronic resources and the digital information environment might have on legal research. This entails a study of the unique characteristics of digital legal research and of the challenges that legal researchers face in a changing information environment.

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