Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf): Open Journal Systems
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An assessment of the employability of learners who attained their qualifications through recognition of prior learning in Botswana
Get PDFThis study assessed the abilities and competencies of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) graduates in Botswana and their employability. Twelve participants identified from various RPL education and training fields, and hairdressing and beauty therapy services were interviewed. The findings indicate that RPL has overall life-shaping consequences for the learners involved and for this reason, it was highly embraced by participants; RPL gives learners access to post-school education, including other qualifications; RPL benefits learners and it is thus value for money invested by the Botswana Government. Therefore, the promotion of social inclusion should be embraced and adopted as a mode of assessment to capacitate human resource development in Botswana. The article concludes by recommending a partnership between Government and relevant institutions and organisations to audit skills in the country to uncover the unused skills, as well as to design RPL that is relevant to the local needs
Student Academic Success in Linear Algebra in an Open Distance Learning Environment
Get PDFAcademic success in first year university mathematics in been problematic for decades and mathematics educators keep looking for the causes. What has been universally agreed, is that the theoretical and abstract nature of mathematics plays a role. A module on Linear Algebra at an Open Distance eLearning (ODeL) institution, was identified for investigation due to very high dropout and failure rates. This article concentrates on identifying the types of knowledge (e.g., procedural, conceptual, strategic, schematic and declarative) necessary for academic success in the subject. Using the literature, a conceptual framework is developed to classify students’ answers into the various types of knowledge. The research question asks what types of knowledge contributes to academic success in Linear Algebra. Script analysis is used to answer the research question. The results showed that lack of the necessary declarative knowledge which forms the basis for the other forms of knowledge as well as procedural knowledge were the main causes of the resulting misconceptions and errors. It was established that students were more engaged in surface learning rather than deep learning that results in conceptual understanding and acquisition of conceptual knowledge
Responsible knowledge use: The importance of critical appraisal in occupational therapy research and publication
Get PDFOccupational therapists' acceptance of 3D printing
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: In occupational therapy, three-dimensional printing is being explored as an alternative design and manufacturing technique to the conventional fabrication of orthotics and assistive devices. The global applications and literature are rapidly growing, but the South African - specific literature is deficient. The Technology Acceptance Model depicts that one's perception of any particular technology is a significant determinant of their acceptance of it, determining whether the technology system is successfully adopted or disregarded AIM: To determine the perceived acceptance of three-dimensional printing technology amongst occupational therapists in KwaZulu-Natal and whether exposure to the technology system, in the form of a three-dimensional printing workshop, influences their perception of the technology METHOD: The study followed a multi-method design consisting of two phases; phase one involved the creation of the intervention tool (workshop), which was developed through a process guided by Design-Based Research. Phase two involved the implementation of the intervention and data collection. Therapists documented their perceptions in a questionnaire before and after exposure; following a pre and post-test design, enabling comparison. The questionnaires were based on the Technology Acceptance Model, including 13 questions scored on a seven-point Likert scale and five open-ended questions. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed thematically RESULTS: All four categories of the Technology Acceptance Model-based questionnaire displayed a significant change (p < 0.05) between the pre and post-test responses, with a medium effect size CONCLUSION: Exposure to three-dimensional printing influences therapists' perception of the technology IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE • The application of Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP) in occupational therapy practice has the potential to enable increased accuracy and precision of items fabricated by therapists; enabling customisation and individualisation to the exact specifications of a patient. • 3DP can open doors to a broad spectrum of items that are not easily accessible, affordable, or not even available, accessing ideas and blueprints from a global pool of resources through open-source sites. • With the process of fabrication being digital, not only does this reduce manual labour, but fabricating without touching the patient can reduce pain and prevent disruption of a repair/ surgical site/ wound. • The digital process also allows patients to see and visualise the product during the design process, enabling input prior to printing, contributing to reduced wastage
The lived experiences of South African occupational therapists regarding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their wellness
Get PDFIntroduction: The Covid-19 pandemic impacted the wellness of health professionals around the world. In order to ensure that healthcare systems are sustainably able to provide services during times of emergency, the health and wellness of health professionals should be safeguarded. The researchers were interested in exploring the impact of the first wave of the pandemic on the holistic wellness of South African occupational therapists and to identify strategies therapists employed to facilitate their own wellness. Method: The study followed a qualitative research design with phenomenological characteristics. Two asynchronous (text-based) online focus groups were conducted, each with eight participants. Participants providing occupational therapy services in different fields of practice and in different contexts were purposefully selected. Participants in both groups were asked a series of five questions in an online forum over a period of six days. Two researchers facilitated interaction within the groups to encourage in depth discussions. Results and Discussion: The data were analysed by means of deductive thematic analysis, whereby the dimensions of holistic wellness were used to guide analysis. The results illustrate the pervasive influence the COVID-19 pandemic had on the wellness of South African occupational therapists. Conclusion: Lessons learnt are discussed to facilitate the preparedness of South African occupational therapists for future pandemics. Implications for practice • Occupational therapists should endeavour to prioritise theirown wellness to the best of their abilities. • Occupational therapists should utilise familiar strategies to facilitate their own wellness during future highly stressful times, such as during future pandemics or states of emergency. • Occupational therapists may be excellently positioned to facilitate the fostering of wellness of other HPs in the professional team
VACCINE MANDATES, DENIALISM AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND THOUGHT: EXAMPLES FROM BELGIUM AND BOTSWANA
No full textVaccine mandates and vaccine denialism appear to be in stark opposition, but closer analysis will reveal that those who propagate both such ideals are rigid. Public buy-in on matters of public health is an important precondition for healthy social environments inasmuch as informed consent is important to individual autonomy, freedom of conscience and democracy. Botswanan case law provides an example of how vaccine denialism can lead to fatal consequences in the face of religious extremism, while Belgian case law provides an example of how vaccine mandates and their accompanying modalities may be held to be unlawful and discriminatory. Both freedom of conscience and administrative action are subject to the rule of law and every norm that is imposed on the population must be accompanied by liability for those propagating such norms if harm is the result. As South Africa has grappled with whether or not it should make vaccination mandatory, lessons have been noted and recommendations made – in line with the Constitution as the supreme law in the land. (Section 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 affirms the supremacy of the Constitution.
Influence of season and other factors on avian Trypanosoma spp. and microfilarial prevalence in the Lowveld, South Africa
No full textTo comprehend the effects of emerging infectious diseases on both human and animal health, it is necessary to understand the ecology of pathogens that have wildlife reservoirs. In this study, we determined the prevalence of the parasites Trypanosoma spp. and filarial nematodes in the bloodstream of birds in and around the Kruger National Park, South Africa, partly to test the hypothesis that season influences parasitaemia. Other factors considered were foraging habits, gregariousness or solitariness, and whether location might facilitate contact between birds and parasite vectors. Microscopy was used to screen stained blood smears prepared from 685 captured birds of 87 species. It was found that 3.9% of the birds were infected with filarial nematodes (as reflected by the presence of microfilariae) and 3.1% with Trypanosoma spp. No cases of coinfection with both types of parasite were encountered. Ground-foraging and solitary birds had the highest parasite prevalences compared to other birds. Infections were recorded throughout the year at all six sites. The respective percentages of birds harbouring the two parasite types in the dry season were the same (both 2.3%), whereas microfilariae dominated in the wet season (6.9%) and the prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. then was 1.4%. These findings represent new knowledge concerning avian haemoparasite prevalence in an Afrotropical setting – something that has so far been poorly studied.
Significance:
The determination by microscopy of the prevalence of microfilariae of filarial nematodes (3.9%) and Trypanosoma (3.1%) in the peripheral blood of 685 birds of 87 species provides new knowledge on birds in Africa.
Unexpectedly, ground-foraging and solitary birds had the highest parasite prevalences.
The possibility of human infection with these two types of avian parasites is considered
First records of Brephidium exilis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from south-western part of the Arabian Peninsula suggests possible further dispersal into North Africa
No full textDuring surveys in February and September 2022 focused on the butterfly fauna of the mountainous southwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we unexpectedly discovered the alien species Western Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis) at two locations. These are the first records of this species in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, where its main range was previously restricted to the Arabian Gulf region. Adults were observed at atypical elevations and in forested areas. These findings indicate greater ecological plasticity of the species and possibly suggest its further dispersal into North Africa and the Mediterranean region. While long distance dispersal from Arabian gulf region seems the most reasonable origin, human introduction via transfer of host plants could not be excluded
Moving Beyond Baby Steps? An Examination of the Domestic Implementation of Concluding Observations from State Parties' Reports on the African Children's Charter
No full textArticle 43 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child mandates state parties to report on their efforts made towards implementing treaty provisions to the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). The aim of this process is to afford states an opportunity to internally assess their progress and to grant the ACERWC an opportunity to guide states in the implementation of the treaty provisions through constructive dialogue during the state reporting process and through concluding observations which states are required to implement. While much has been written about the value of the state reporting process, not much has been said about the measures taken by states to implement the concluding observations from the state reporting process. The concluding observations offer a premise on which to advance a discourse on state implementation of the regional norms, given that they emanate from an incisive reflection of state parties' reports by the ACERWC. This paper finds that while the ratification of the African Children's Charter by the countries under consideration has led to normative and institutional changes in these countries, there are pertinent challenges that need to be addressed in the realisation of children's rights in Africa. Through the concluding observations, this paper examines the domestic implementation of children's rights in four African countries, namely: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt
Endumeni and the Parol Evidence Rule: Do They Coexist?
No full textA recent judgment of the SCA in Capitec Bank Holdings v Coral Lagoon Investments suggested that the parol evidence rule is likely to become a residual rule of little practical importance in view of the expansive approach to interpretation flowing from the judgment in Endumeni and applied by the Constitutional Court in University of Johannesburg v Auckland Park Theological Seminary. The article analyses the court's concern in the light of the two judgments and suggests that it is misplaced. The parol evidence rule is still of full force and effect and evidence inadmissible under the rule is not admissible as context in interpreting contracts