African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies
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Preserving Academic Integrity in AI-Generated Assessments: A Case Study in Entrepreneurship at a Sino-Foreign University
Get PDFIntegrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education presents opportunities and ethical challenges, particularly regarding the increase in students submitting AI-generated assessments. This trend calls for ethical engagement from faculty and students to ensure that AI supports learning without diminishing cognitive skills. Despite existing academic integrity policies, the complexities of AI introduce new dilemmas, often blurring the lines of misconduct and unintentional deception. Focusing on a Chinese-British Sino-Foreign university where students used increasing amounts of AI- generated content from ChatGPT in their Entrepreneurship project, the study emphasises the necessity of critically evaluating AI-generated content due to potential biases and ethical concerns. Through qualitative interviews with 24 participants from the university's Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub, issues of transparency, fairness, and policy development emerged as central themes. The findings emphasize the need for a structured, culturally sensitive approach to AI integration. A proposed curriculum matrix aims to facilitate responsible AI usage, supporting faculty in promoting ethical standards while preparing students for a tech-driven workforce. The study concludes by advocating for ongoing dialogue and professional development to foster responsible AI practices in education, ultimately enhancing critical thinking and ethical decision-making in entrepreneurship.
Understanding and Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States through Effective Health Communication
Get PDFPublic health organisations and policy leaders have long called for more coordinated strategies and resources to address vaccine hesitancy in the United States. However, to date, no dedicated policy, public health department, or resources have been aimed at vaccine confidence and acceptance of issues. Misinformation is propagated through social media platforms and online communities have contributed to the dissemination of unfounded claims linking vaccines to adverse health outcomes, such as autism (Nuwarda, Ramzan, Weekes and Veysel, 2022). The World Health Organisation (2015) also opines that vaccine hesitancy is influenced by factors such as misinformation, complacency, convenience, and lack of confidence. One can also not rule out the role of historical injustices as system disparities in health care have played on the marginalised communities and have, one way or the other, left a scar on the citizens. One such example is the Tuskegee experiment which began in 1932. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted in 1930s Alabama on African American men with untreated syphilis. The study focused on poverty-stricken men in Macon County, who lacked education and job opportunities. Local doctors sought to understand the disease's impact by surveying both white and black residents (Gilliard, 2010: Perlstadt, 2024). Hence there is a need for these issues to be addressed so that the trust of the communities can be gained. Cultural and religious beliefs also play an important role in shaping vaccine attitudes, and understanding cultural perspective is crucial for engaging hesitant communities. Previous research has found that vaccine hesitancy often occurs after a systematic assessment of vaccinations and most times, the decision to reject vaccination is not due to lack of access to care
“Just Shut Up and Take It”: South African University Students on Sexual Harassment
Get PDFSexual harassment and gender-based violence have become pervasive and normal within South African society. This trend is of grave concern at colleges and universities. Drawing on the social construction of the gender theory approach, this study explored the perceptions and experiences of sexual harassment among students at a South African university. The nature and causes of sexual harassment were examined. Twenty undergraduate students—twelve females, five males, one queer and two bisexual students—participated in this study. Data was generated using individual interviews and focus group discussions. Sexual harassment was prevalent at the university in the form of verbal, non-verbal and physical harassment. We argue that harassment stems from broader constructs of masculinity and patriarchal power that challenge and effectively silence victims. Non-reporting of harassment largely sanctions sexual harassment at the university. Female students were the main victims of gender-based violence with male students being the main perpetrators. LGBTQIA students were found to be vulnerable to harassment, mainly because of their sexual preference. The study revealed the need to create better awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment and gender-based violence and suggests that victims, perpetrators and university staff collaborate to tackle the scourge. We propose the necessity for focused and ongoing education and awareness campaigns on campus
The Effect of Organisational Learning on Business Performance of SMMES in the Western Region of Ghana
Get PDFResearch on Organisational Learning has been up-surging in recent years in management literature. However, empirical research on how it impacts small, micro and medium enterprises' (SMMEs') performance still needs to be researched, particularly in Ghana. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Organizational Learning in fostering Business Performance of SMMEs in the Western Region of Ghana. The study employed a positivist research approach, which made use of quantitative methodology. The data was sourced via the administration of a structured questionnaire to 374 owners/managers of SMMEs from registered SMMEs as captured by the National Board of Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) in the Western Region of Ghana using a convenience sampling method. Data analysis involved statistical techniques such as regression analysis to ascertain the relationship between organisational learning and business performance. Out of the total number of the targeted sample, 350 respondents were retrieved successfully. The findings revealed that owners/managers of SMMEs lacked the managerial skills, whilst employees lacked the interpersonal skills to participate meaningfully in OL. Also, resistance to change was revealed as another constraint to organisational learning. The study found that approaches such as training, cooperation, consultancy engagements, inquiry, and dialogue increase learning processes of knowledge acquisition, sharing, interpretation, and storage, which improves sustainable performance. This study shows the beneficial effects of organisational learning on SMMEs' business performance, thereby informing strategic decision-making and policy formulation to promote SMME development in Ghana
Dysfunctional Social Systems, Experiential Traits and Sheer Wickedness: Interrogating the Vicissitudes of Criminal Violence in South Africa
Get PDFThe daily incidents of violent crimes are rampant in South Africa. This incident of violent attacks has placed the country in a bad light in the global ranking of violent countries. Not only has this fact not changed, but it has worsened with recent incidents occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdown. From its description as the world’s ‘murder capital’ and rape capital due to the prevalence of criminal activities, criminal violence in South Africa has grown in intensity. This paper argued that the scourge of criminal violence in South Africa is, partly, a manifestation of a dysfunctional social system that has entrenched the culture of violence as an instrument of interaction in a society characterised by individualistic instinct and consciousness. Exacerbated by the lived experiential traits imbued with wickedness, violent criminal activities have created a society living in fear of instant death and degradation. The research used an interpretivism method from several South African studies, including the culture of violence, criminal violence, and the justice system, to discuss the criminal justice system. This paper submits that a deliberate and conscientious approach, through a reformed criminal justice system as well as societal re-orientation, would be necessary to recalibrate the subconsciousness of citizens to be attuned to the appropriate social order stimulated by responsive and responsible governance structures
Exploring the Aesthetic Applications of Expanded Polystyrene: An Interdisciplinary Review
Get PDFSome researchers contend that repurposing and reuse of EPS for artistic and aesthetic purposes represents a meaningful step in addressing the environmental challenges associated with its widespread commercial and single-use applications. It is in line with this thought that this review paper seeks to explore the wide range of creative and aesthetic applications of polystyrene across various disciplines, shedding light on its versatility, aesthetics, and functional qualities. The purpose of the review is to ascertain the contribution of the creative field to environmental sustainability through the (re)use of EPS. Taking a qualitative route, this review of literature is guided by the following research questions: (a) What are the inherent properties and characteristics of EPS? (b) In what myriad aesthetic contexts have EPS found utility and application? (c) What are the key challenges associated with employing this material for artistic purposes? Given the difficulty that accompanies the recycling options for EPS, its use in art has become another avenue for extending the material’s end-of-life use. However, the paper found that while some artists contribute to the development of a green society by using discarded EPS in their art, others contribute to the problem by choosing to use virgin EPS for their art because of benefits such as the material’s lightweight, ease of carving, and cheapness. Therefore, this paper recommends that if artists must use EPS, then they should make it a point of duty to go for discarded EPS and other plastic wastes to help the environment.
Gendering the Decision-Making Positions in Higher Education: A Cross-Sectional Gender Audit in Three Selected Universities in Malawi
Get PDFMalawi is one of the countries that has doubled its efforts to narrow the gender gap since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action. The country ratified both international and regional gender protocols as well as enacting the national gender policy to safeguard gender equality at all levels to empower women. The participation of women in decision-making positions is therefore critical at this point. Many researchers globally have claimed that having more women in strategic leadership roles would help to reduce workplace restrictions and influence policies. This paper therefore discusses the gender representation of women in decision-making in higher education at University of Malawi, the Malawi University of Science and Technology, and Mzuzu University. The findings reveal a stagnated culture of colonial regime sustained by with patriarchal structure which continue to favour men in decision-making positions at the expense of women. In addition, all three institutions suffer gender-blind promotion criteria and systematic institutional resistance which makes it difficult for women to ascend to decision-making positions hence the hierarchy is highly dominated by males. The paper provides recommendations as follows: (i) promoting women in research in order to allow more women in positions of decision-making, (ii) repurposing the institution gender policies, (iii) women agency change of mindset and make concerted efforts to emancipate themselves from negative stereotypes and barriers in institutions
Editorial: Universities as Thinking Spaces for Society: Moving from Welfare to Development
Get PDFSouth Africa's developmental challenges offer a fertile ground for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders, including higher education institutions, government bodies, industries, and civil society organizations. Such collaboration fosters channels for knowledge generation, opportunities for resource sharing, and strategies for policy enhancement, all aimed at driving South Africa's progressive transformation through its development agenda. This special issue is the result of a partnership between the Faculty of Management Sciences at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, and the Population Promotion Directorate of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Social Development in South Africa. This special issue serves as a concerted effort to cultivate interdisciplinary collaboration between government institutions and universities, aiming to generate knowledge for the betterment of citizens' lives. As such, the papers within cover a range of themes addressing significant issues within South African society. Their findings are intended to serve as credible inputs for the development and implementation of policies in relevant domains. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, these papers offer deeper insights into their respective subject matters, contributing to evidence-based policymaking and decision-making processes across various levels of government in South Africa
Experiences of Nurse Educators in Research Supervision of Undergraduate Students
Get PDFUndergraduate research is an essential experience for student nurses that can enhance the nurse graduate attitude towards evidence-based practice. Research is important and has a positive contribution on career development within the healthcare sector. Nurse educators play a crucial role in undergraduate research by providing research supervision to the undergraduate nursing students. The study's primary purpose was to determine the nurse educators' experiences in research supervision of undergraduate students. The study used a qualitative, phenomenological exploratory-descriptive research design. The non-probability purposive sampling was adopted to select participants from the nursing institutions in the two provinces, four in Province 1 and two in Province 2. The focus group discussions were conducted using a focus group discussion guide to collect data from 27 participants who were part of the four focus groups. The themes that emerged from the findings included roles and engagement in research, orientation on research supervision, mentorship concerning research supervision, and facilitation skills of nurse educators. Therefore, the author recommended that the institutions should ensure guidance to the research supervisors by providing mentorship. The programme on research supervision should be designed to inform the research supervisors about the correct way of supervising undergraduates
Exploring Student Acceptance and Perceptions of AI-Assisted PowerPoint Creation
Get PDFGenerative AI (GenAI) has had a disruptive effect on teaching and learning in Higher Education contexts. This paper addresses the need to examine students’ perceptions and acceptance of teacher GenAI usage in real world classroom settings. Using a qualitative research design, we explore the student acceptance and perceptions of AI-assisted learning materials (i.e., presentation slides generated by Microsoft PowerPoint Designer). The study draws its sample from one of the top transnational universities in China. Two rounds of focus group interviews with a total of 11 final-year undergraduate students majoring in Supply Chain Management were conducted in November 2023 in which students were asked to evaluate teacher PowerPoint slides created using AI assistance. Our analysis reveals that while students have a favourable opinion of instructor usage of AI-assisted PowerPoint slides, they are well-aware of the challenges and limitations of GenAI for PowerPoint creation and have substantial concerns with reference to the presentation slides’ design. Specifically, students expressed substantial concerns regarding AI-assisted PowerPoint content including structure, consistency between text and images, and even text font, size, and colour. This study contributes practical insights into the use of AI-assisted learning resources and the support needed for teachers and students to utilise these tools efficiently and in a way, which creates value