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Thermal Stability, Transparency, and Water Sensitivity Properties of Bleached, Cross-Linked Cassava Starch Film
Get PDFThis work investigated a novel study of the effect of bleaching and cross-linking cassava starch film. Native cassava starch was bleached with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), cross-linking was carried out with oxidized sucrose while glycerol was added to enhance the plasticity of the film. Operating temperature and time of 90 oC and 10 Minutes respectively with and addition of 0.5 ml of glycerol gave the best bleached, cross-linked cassava starch film. UV-visible spectrophotometer analysis revealed that the cassava starch film produced at the above reaction conditions retained 88.2 % of its transparency at 96 hours water immersion. The water solubility test shows that the film experienced 52.02 % weight loss after 96 hours immersion in water. The thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) shows a significant improvement on the thermal stability with Temperature peak (Tp) of 420.75 oC, compared to 374.13 oC Tp of the control sample (unbleached, uncross-linked) of the cassava starch film.
Can vulnerability and agency co-existin the presence of violence?
Get PDFChildren and adolescents in South Africa find themselves in contexts where experiences of and exposure to violence are prevalent. The experiences of violence often perpetuate feelings of vulnerability among adolescents.Vulnerability means exposure to more risks than peers, which is linked to diminished health and well-being. A plethora of understandings related to the complexities and richness of vulnerability exists within the body of knowledge. Kate Brown (2015) contours these complexities and richness of vulnerability across five subthemes/subtypes, namely, innate, situational, social disadvantage, universal, and risk vulnerability. Brown’s understanding of situational vulnerability is used in this study to examine whether vulnerability, in the context of violence, co-exists with agency among adolescents. The study included a sample of 16 adolescents who were purposefully sampled from two secondary schools in the Western Cape. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews that were guided by vignettes and were analysed using thematic analysis. The themes generated from the data tell the story that vulnerability and agency co-exist in the context of violence for adolescents. Agency is displayed in the capacity to make decisions in difficult situations. The decision-making styles displayed were consultative, evaluative, reflective, and considered decision making when faced with challenging circumstances. The findings extend current discussions around the experiences of vulnerability and agency among children and adolescents
Becoming octopus: Indigenous ways of knowing and green leadership
No full textOn 30 June 2014 we (a small group of academic women) opened our first Green Leadership School, an experiment in decolonising the classroom, exploring indigenous environmental knowledge, and creating a space of healing and love. This paper documents the process of healing and rejuvenating the lives of activists, government officials, trade unionists, and university students. Similar to the concept of Deleuze and Guattari’s (2004) “becoming animal” and “becoming wolf”, we represented the school as “becoming octopus” – a creature with green blood (becoming green), the highest brain-to-body ratio of any invertebrate, many slithering arms to twist and escape oppression and slide away from toxic spaces, and three hearts for the three-hearted practices of love, bodily integration, and mind-spirit awareness. Therefore, the pedagogical experiment focused on transmutation – connecting with the environment through merging human with animal, ritual and magic, gardening, yoga, storytelling, music, and art alongside more conventional lectures such as understanding climate change through South African vernaculars, ‘land grabs’ in Africa, pollution in South Durban, and environmental communication. Damaged by apartheid and post-apartheid wounds and worldwide ruptures in the socius – the participants experienced psychic healing. This paper discusses the role of joyful pedagogies in decolonising education
International collaboration and connections through design thinking: A case study of the Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation (GCDI)
No full textThis paper is based on the collaborative development of the Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation (GCDI), and its month-long virtual pilot workshop, the \u27Climate Change Design Jam’. The GCDI is an integrated learning partnership between three international universities located in Canada, South Africa, and Sweden, and civil society partners the Vancouver Design Nerds (VDN). Each partner brought unique skills to the GCDI, as new processes and methods for virtual, global student engagement and dialogue were co-designed. The GCDI hosted the Climate Change Design Jam over four consecutive weeks in March 2022. By employing a design thinking methodology, it facilitated online student project development around the interconnected and broad topics of climate change and democracy. Students and student facilitators were guided through the process of design thinking to develop grounded projects that address climate change issues locally and internationally. This paper argues that fundamental principles of fostering genuine connections (both \u27online\u27 and \u27offline\u27) between students can act as a useful foundation from which project development can be based. Further, this paper illustrates that when faced with \u27wicked problems’ such as climate change and challenges to democracy worldwide design thinking methods and collaborative approaches can act as a catalyst for action (Manzini, 2015). Exploring political theory, democracy, and civic agency through dialogue and co-design provides students with innovative approaches to research, critical thinking, and activism. This pilot series provides insight into student engagement across international contexts, and thus the development of cross-cultural and collective intelligence which can be formative for similar projects in the future (Behari-Leak, 2020)
Towards Learning Excellence in Universities: A Critical Review of Information and Communication Technology Policies in Education in Kenya
No full textThe current reality is that technological advancement has shaped how learning is being conducted in education. Communication technology has been embraced in education by both educators and learners. However, the embracement has been slow, and this was experienced during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, when teaching and learning had to shift and relied heavily on communication technology, but in actuality educational institutions were not ready. The virus continues to linger on and has served as a wake-up call for the education sector. This therefore makes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) an essential component in education today, not only to be implemented during crises, but also due to technological advancement and stakeholders’ needs in the current times. Governments have made efforts to integrate ICT in education, as is the case in Kenya. This paper reviews the National ICT policy in Kenya since its formulation in 2006 and its revision in 2019. These two policies were national, and education was integrated into the policies. However, in 2021, an additional policy on ICT in education and training was formulated and will also be analysed in this study. The paper analyses the strategies and implementation in higher learning institutions and outlines the barriers and challenges experienced in its implementation. Accessibility and equity have been pinpointed as some of the major factors influencing ICT integration. As higher learning institutions focus on blended or hybrid learning, ICT becomes a fundamental tool to facilitate education. The paper makes recommendations based on the policy inadequacies and how to focus on ICT in education for future meaningful impact
Editorial: Teaching and Learning for Sustainable Futures
Get PDFIn this editorial, the guest editors and SOTL4theSouth conference organisers reflect on the significance of the theme of the conference and special issue, and present an overview of the papers included. 
University community partnerships for climate change adaptation in Malawi: Exploring contributions, potential opportunities and challenges
Get PDFPartnerships with local communities have emerged as a prominent educational strategy within university functions, aligning with the ethos of an institution dedicated to community engagement. These partnerships serve not only to empower communities with essential skills to address societal challenges, notably climate change, but also reflect a broader shift in academia towards fostering collaborative relationships with local stakeholders. For students, partnerships offer invaluable hands-on experience by immersing them in direct engagement with community members, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application to enrich their educational learning outcomes. This article explores the multifaceted benefits and contributions of partnerships to sustainable community well-being while addressing the inherent complexities that arise when universities engage with communities in promoting human development. Drawing upon qualitative data obtained from interviews with lecturers, students, and community focus groups involved in climate adaptation initiatives, the study investigates the contributions and potential opportunities presented by partnerships and examines challenges encountered by stakeholders in advancing partnerships interventions. Despite the positive impact of partnerships on community skills and empowerment, I argue that while partnerships are contributing towards sustainable community well-being, coordination, funding, and mindset change remain key issues to be addressed. Further, educational practices and pedagogical approaches should prioritize addressing the multidimensionality of climate change and fostering agency and empowerment among community leaders to actively engage in partnership activities. This includes giving them a voice in the choice of adaptation interventions and inclusion of communities\u27 voices in the monitoring and assessment of partnership interventions. By doing so, partnerships can be more effective in promoting sustainable community well-being and improving students\u27 learning outcomes
Embracing resistance, inclusivity and photography in art therapy: A South African context
Get PDFThe original objective of my study was to research the role of art therapy as a means to help enhance the private collective self-esteem of black South African students. “Private collective self-esteem,” according to Riia Luhtanen and Jennifer Cerocker (1992), refers to the view individuals hold about the social group to which they belong that subsequently affects their self-concept. However, this research led me to identify ways in which art therapy can be alienating and cause resistance to therapy. Resistance can be a normal occurrence during artmaking in art therapy, and understanding the causes of this resistance can help create a safe and culturally inclusive therapy and mitigate the resistance through the choice of art materials. The data for this research was collected through self-study and four group sessions with three participants. Only one participant attended all four sessions. The process used was photo art therapy, and the data was analysed through thematic analysis using a theoretical framework of intersectionality and social identity theory. The three clients were reluctant to engage with the art materials and preferred the use of photographs. The analysis indicated that even though art therapy clients are not obligated to have artmaking experience, knowledge of artmaking processes and an understanding of art therapy can help the client feel safe in an art therapy environment. Therefore, photographs and culturally appropriate materials can help clients struggling with resistance to artmaking. Furthermore, art therapists who understand clients’ artmaking history can help create a safer space for their clients
The Awakening: Makudlalwe. How play awakens the inner child in black Indigenous African adults
Get PDFThe concept of the inner child represents the emotional and experiential core of individuals, often shaped by early life experiences. This article focuses on research which explored the significance of play in awakening this inner child in black Indigenous African adults, particularly in the context of Drama Therapy. By utilizing methods such as neuro-dramatic play and guided play, this study seeks to understand how play can serve as a therapeutic tool to reconnect individuals with their past, promote healing, and enhance personal growth. The colonized African child growing up under post-colonial times may have the experience and memory of being deprived of play due to colonial factors that include Apartheid, land displacement, and but not limited to slave labour. A way to activate memories is through using the body as a vessel that allows the flow of experience to take place. This is why play is an important element of the research that informs this article as it assists one to understand how play can contribute to traveling to and navigating that space in time, using the body. The article aims to explore how play can awaken the inner child in black Indigenous African adults, contributing to the understanding of play within the context of Drama Therapy. I argue that the exploration of play can foster connections within communities and promote emotional healing, particularly in a post-apartheid South African context where historical traumas and socio-economic disparities persist. The study ultimately seeks to contribute to the field of Drama Therapy by emphasizing play as a vital process for self-discovery and emotional well-being.
Open Studio as a therapeutic model: Responding to the needs of inner-city Johannesburg children
Get PDFChildren from Johannesburg’s inner city live in a context of multiple forms of violence, where the capacity of parents to provide safety, containment and emotional processing is severely compromised. Lefika La Phodiso Community Art Counselling Training (Lefika) is located on the edge of the inner city and facilitates an open studio arts-based programme, which aims to responsively meet the psychosocial needs of the children who attend. This research aimed to gain insight into how Lefika’s open studio may contribute to creating a sustainable city for Johannesburg’s inner city children, with the participation of children as co-researchers in the project. Utilising a qualitative approach, and a participatory action framework, within the art therapy principles and practice of the open studio model, data collection included meaningful discussions of participant experiences. Data analysis and interpretation was done collaboratively with participants using thematic analysis. Children’s community experiences highlighted that Johannesburg’s inner city is no place for children, who consequently seek out safe spaces where they can play, be with their friends and have access to caring adults. Within this context, Lefika’s open studio is responsive to participants’ needs, promoting experiences of psychosocial well-being. Lefika’s Open Studio model is of inherent value to participants, offering them the opportunity to resist the limitations posed by their inner city environment. The findings confirm the applicability of the open studio model to inner city children and the authors advocate for widespread replicability of the programme with children