scholarly journals Visual technology for the autonomous learning of mathematics

Pythagoras ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 0 (72) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helmut Linneweber‐Lammerskitten ◽  
Marc Schäfer ◽  
Duncan Samson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Autonomous Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Visual Technology ◽  
Short Video ◽  
African Context ◽  
Design Production ◽  
The University

This paper describes a collaborative research and development project between the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and Rhodes University in South Africa. The project seeks to establish, disseminate and research the efficacy and use of short video clips designed specifically for the autonomous learning of mathematics. Specific to the South African context is our interest in capitalising on the ubiquity of cellphone technology and the autonomous affordances offered by mobile learning. This paper engages with a number of theoretical and pedagogical issues relating to the design, production and use of these video clips. Although the focus is specific to the contexts of South Africa and Switzerland, the discussion is of broad applicability.

Perspectives on Blended Open Distance Education Learning and Teaching in a South African Context

2010 ◽  
pp. 20-49
Author(s):  
Shawren Singh ◽  
Hsuan Lorraine Liang
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
South African ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
African Context ◽  
The University

In this chapter, we will discuss the blended learning approach that has been adopted by the University of South Africa (an open and distance learning tertiary education institute). We will discuss our perspectives on using these blended learning approaches and tools in order to facilitate our teaching. We will then provide a comparison on the advantages and disadvantages of some of the blended approaches we have used. We will also discuss the future trends of the use of blended approaches in the context of open distance education and learning. Lastly, we will conclude this chapter by providing our perspectives on the blended learning and teaching approaches adopted by the University of South Africa.

The effect of learner age on the interpretation of the nonverbal behaviors of teachers and other students in identifying questions in the L2 classroom

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhiro Kamiya
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
University Students ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Nonverbal Behaviors ◽  
Linguistic Information ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Short Video ◽  
The University ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Two Age Groups

This study investigated how learners’ ages affect their interpretation of the nonverbal behaviors (NVBs) of teachers and other students in distinguishing between questions and statements in the second language (L2) classroom. After watching 48 short video clips without sound in which three L2 teachers asked a question or made a statement with or without gesture, 36 elementary school pupils and 30 university students judged whether they thought the teachers asked a question or made a statement along with their reasons. The findings show that, regardless of learners’ ages, L2 teacher’s gestures were found to help learners better identify questions. Furthermore, the six major types of NVBs used for judgments most frequently were identical across the two age groups regardless of the accuracy of their judgments. Nevertheless, incorrect judgments were made as often and sometimes even more often than correct judgments by applying the same assumptions. The effect of age was evidenced in that the university students were able to use a larger number of NVBs for correct judgments, and better distinguish questions and statements without linguistic information than the elementary school pupils. The data suggest that it is the learners’ (L2) classroom experience that seems to be playing the major role in yielding this difference. The study indicates that adult L2 learners are better able than children to incorporate and interpret NVBs of teachers as well as other students quantitatively and qualitatively.

scholarly journals Using a VLE to enhance a Foundation Chemistry laboratory module

2006 ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Gareth J Price ◽  
June Chalmers ◽  
Clare Goodfellow
Keyword(s):  
Chemistry Laboratory ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
The Past ◽  
Short Video ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The University

For the past few years, we have been experimenting with an e-learning approach to our introductory laboratory classes for first year students. Our overall objective was to maximise students’ useful time in the laboratory. We considered that time spent with students gathered around a desk watching a demonstration is not an efficient use of staff or students’ time.It is well recognised that students’ performance in the laboratory can be enhanced if they are familiar with the background of the experiments which will be conducted, hence the use of ‘pre-labs’. We have been delivering our ‘pre-labs’ electronically by requiring students to work through a package before coming to the laboratory. As well as covering the theory and background to the experiment, short video clips have been included so that students will also have seen the experiment being performed. They should at least recognise the apparatus! The package concludes with a short assessment quiz which must be completed.The packages were mounted on the University network using WebCT and meant that students could undertake the exercises at a time (and place) of their choosing rather than being confined to set laboratory hours.This communication will describe the packages and our experiences as well as an initial evaluation of our approach. Although largely anecdotal, staff felt that they spent less time on more mundane aspects of laboratory work and more time discussing chemistry.Students also felt that they were better prepared for the experiments before they came to the laboratory. Some of the pitfalls and technical problems that had to be overcome willalso be described.

scholarly journals Decolonisation and renewed racism: A challenge and opportunity for reconciliation?

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoffel H. Thesnaar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Sustainable Peace ◽  
African Context ◽  
The University ◽  
Peace And Reconciliation

The university campuses across South Africa have recently been challenged by significantstudent protests concerning issues such as the abolishment of study fees, aspects ofdecolonisation and language policies, to name but a few. This contribution will briefly reflecton these challenges by engaging with the narrative of decolonisation. An area of particularfocus is whether reconciliation is still relevant within the current South African context, giventhe nature of the issues driving the university protests. This contribution will attempt toprovide some recommendation for public theologians to engage with these challenges in aresponsible way in their endeavour to be advocates for sustainable peace and reconciliation.

The role of Language Planning Agencies in higher education in South Africa - comparing two cases

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-193
Author(s):  
Theodorus du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Language Planning ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
African Context ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Policy And Planning ◽  
The University

AbstractThe question about the role of Language Planning Agencies (LPAs) in higher education is very relevant within the South African context. A range of policy provisions regarding language in higher education are characterised by the use of language policy and planning (LPP) jargon found in the Framework for Language Planning Goals, pointing to the need for a range of LPAs to be involved in this language domain. Since such involvement has been documented in the case of the institutionalisation of Afrikaans as alternative language of higher education during the period 1910-1961, it provides the basis for a comparison with post-1994 initiatives regarding the elevation of the Sintu languages and the extension of their use in this language domain. Such comparison is undertaken on the basis of a Typology of LPAs that is developed from earlier insights that evolved during the International Research Project on Language Planning Processes at the University of Hawaii in the 1970s, essentially distinguishing between LPAs involved in regulatory, productive and promotional language planning functions. Evidence on the work of LPAs involved during the two periods is collected from secondary sources documenting the cases and analysed in terms of this typology. The results of the study provide insights into the role of LPAs in each case and in their relative effectiveness in aiding the institutionalisation of the designated languages. The article concludes by suggesting the “ideal” LPA mix for the realisation of LPP goals in higher education in South Africa.

Everyday discourses of belonging of first-generation Eritrean refugees in South Africa: lived experience and attachment*

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-182
Author(s):  
Amanuel Isak Tewolde
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
South African ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
African Context ◽  
The University

Research is scant on the everyday sense of belonging of refugees in South Africa. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the everyday discourses of belonging of Eritrean refugees in South Africa. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants, and qualitative data was gathered from 11 participants in the City of Tshwane, South Africa, through open-ended interviews and focus group discussions. Analysis of data resulted in three dominant discourses: 1) ‘we feel like outsiders’; 2) ‘we are neither here nor there’; and 3) ‘South Africa is home’. Drawing on the participants’ discourses, I argue that in the South African context, refugees’ sense of belonging tends to be varied mirroring multifaceted lived experiences. Participants’ construction of South Africa as their home also counters previous research that portrayed foreign nationals in South Africa as ‘excluded’.* This article is based on research conducted at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

scholarly journals The Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Christopher Stroud
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
African Context ◽  
A Priority ◽  
The University ◽  
Multiple Languages ◽  
The Way

There is an urgency in theorising howdiversity is negotiated, communicated,and disputed as a matter of everydayordinariness that is compounded by theclear linkages between diversity, transformation,voice, agency, poverty andhealth. The way in which difference iscategorised, semiotised and reconfiguredin multiple languages across quotidianencounters and in public and media forumsis a central dynamic in how povertyand disadvantage are distributed and reproducedacross social and racial categorisations.In the South African context,finding ways of productively harnessingdiversity in the building of a better societymust be a priority.

scholarly journals Videolekser som ressurs for lesing og undervisning i lærerutdanning – En studie av hvordan samarbeid og partnerskap kan utvikles rundt lærerstudenters videoinnspilte leserefleksjoner

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Hontvedt ◽  
Morten Oddvik ◽  
Rakel Rohde Næss
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Video Clips ◽  
Teacher Students ◽  
Short Video ◽  
The University ◽  
Individual Reading

Denne artikkelen rapporterer fra et pågående designeksperiment der et konsept kalt «videolekser» ble introdusert for å få innsikt i lærerstudenters lese- og læringsprosess. Konseptet ble laget i samarbeid mellom underviserne på universitetet og en lærer i kombinasjonsstilling.Videoleksene innebar at studentene spilte inn korte filmer der de reflekterte over egen lesing før de møtte til undervisning. Prosjektet ble gjennomført i et masteremne (år 4 av 5) ved et norsk universitet. Studien følger til sammen 47 lærerstudenter som tok emnet i løpet av en to-årsperiode. Datamaterialet består av 118 refleksjonsvideoer. Materialet er kodet, og utvalgte utdrag fra filmene presenteres og analyseres med interaksjonsanalyse.I artikkelen synliggjøres videoleksene som en form for videobasert støtte til lærerstudentenes lese- og læreprosess, med mulighet for å komme i kontakt med studentenes ofte «tause» selvstendige lesing. Studien konkluderer med at bruken av video har potensial til å skape felles fokus, og under bestemte forutsetninger bidra til å skape partnerskap og relevans i lærerutdanningen. Nøkkelord: partnerskap, kombinasjonsstillinger, IKT og læring, interaksjonsanalyse, videolekser Video assignments as resources for reading and instruction in teacher education – A study on how collaboration and partnership can be developed around teacher students’ video-recorded reading reflections AbstractThis study reports from an ongoing design experiment in which a concept called “video assignments” was introduced for accessing teacher students’ reading and learning process. The concept was designed in collaboration between lecturers at the university and a practicing teacher in a combined position.The video assignments entailed that students recorded short video clips in which they reflected on their reading prior to meeting in class. The project was conducted at a master’s level course (year 4 of 5) at a Norwegian university. There were 47 students who participated in the course over a two-year period, and the data material consists of 118 video reflections. The material was coded, and selected extracts from the videos are presented and analyzed by means of interaction analysis.In the article, the video assignments are displayed as a form of video-based support to the students’ studying and learning process, with opportunity for accessing the students’ often “silent” individual reading process. This study concludes that the use of video has potential for creating a common focal point, and under certain prerequisites contributing to creating partnership and relevance in teacher education. Keywords: partnerships, combined positions, ICT and learning, interaction analysis, video assignments

scholarly journals Mentorship: A process of nurturing others

2011 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maake Masango
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
South African ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Healthy Working ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
The World ◽  
African Context ◽  
The University

This article is dedicated to Prof. Dr Andries van Aarde who has mentored a large number of students during his time as a lecturer at the University of Pretoria. It is written at the time when workers in South Africa are striking. Industrial psychologists are involved in mediation and aim to develop a culture of understanding between workers and management. The article analyses some causes of tension between managers and workers in the South African context and indicates how mentorship may help to foster growth amongst workers and managers. A case study explores the issue of cultural differences which often lead to misunderstandings, especially when managers do not understand the world in which workers live. The aim of the article is to contribute to existing insights that may help to create a healthy working relationship between managers and workers which will benefit both.

scholarly journals Sharing in God�s surprise: The place and role of the Department of Science of Religion and Missiology at the University of Pretoria

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter G.J. Meiring
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Past ◽  
University Of Pretoria ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
African Context ◽  
Science Of Religion ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

During the centenary year of the University of Pretoria (2008), the Department of Science of Religion and Missiology took stock of its activities during the past 55 years, since the first professor in Missiology, H.D.A. du Toit, was appointed. In his wake a number of missiologists followed � C.W.H. Boshoff, D. Crafford, P.G.J. Meiring, J.J. Kritzinger, P.J. van der Merwe, A.S. van Niekerk and C.J.P. Niemandt � each of whom has contributed to the formation of hundreds of ministers and missionaries, as well as to the development of missiology and science of religion in South Africa through their research and writings. In this article, the place of missiology among the other theological disciplines at the University of Pretoria is discussed, together with an analysis of the nature and the mandate of missiology and science of religion in South Africa in our day. This article discusses five specific challenges to missiology at the beginning of the third millennium, namely to maintain its theological �roots�; to operate in close relationship with the church; to focus on our African context; to concentrate on a relevant agenda; and to develop a responsible methodology. Attention is given to some of the more important publications by members of the Department.

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