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Internet of medical things, policies and geriatrics: An analysis of the national digital health strategy for South Africa 2019–2024 from the policy triangle framework perspective
Get PDFAbstract: Policies are a cornerstone for the effective implementation of a strategy. In the health- care context, policies should not only highlight a country’s vision towards the provision of healthcare but also identify the mechanisms through which such provision will be dis- pensed and the target beneficiaries. In addition, information technologies have been ac- knowledged as important media for healthcare delivery. Moreover, as the world’s popula- tion is ageing, there is a need for a renewed focus on elderly healthcare. It is in this con- text that this paper investigated the National Digital Health Strategy for South Africa (2019–2024) concerning the provision of healthcare to the elderly and the use of the Internet of Medical Things in healthcare provision using the Policy Triangle Framework as the theo- retical lens. Findings revealed that the country’s digital health strategy is comprehensive and, therefore, could be used as a gauge for the formulation of electronic health strategies that make provision for the use of emerging technologies in developing countries
Analysis of the relationship between air transport and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFAbstact: The economic role of air transport progressed over the past decades, following factors such as increased globalisation. Despite the economic importance of air transport, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lagged behind other regions concerning air passenger traffic and freight levels. This may inhibit the region’s economic growth. While literature shows that air transport can stimulate economic growth, this has been lacking in SSA and how the relationships differ in the short-run and long-run. The direction of causality between air transport and economic growth also remained questionable. This study investigated the short-run and long-run relationships between air transport (air passenger traffic and air freight) and economic growth in SSA using the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) and Dumitrescu Hurlin Panel Causality approach. The findings show a bi-directional causality between air transport and economic growth. Air passenger traffic showed a positive long-run effect, whereas air freight suggested a negative long-run effect. Economic growth improves both air passengers and freight in the long-run. There was no evidence of short-run effects. A bi-directional causality implied that air transport and economic growth could be influenced simultaneously. These findings are paramount to the effective implementation of aviation and growth strategies
Utilisation of the izindaba zokudla farmers’ lab Facebook page as a virtual community of practice engagement platform
Get PDFAbstract: Networking on a Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) can foster collaboration between stakeholders through the sharing of real-time information and establishing a sustainable value chain on a digital platform. Digital platforms facilitate market access for urban farmers and stakeholders engaged in sustainable agriculture, creating opportunities for information and communication technology to turn agricultural value chains into sustainable food systems. This article describes how this takes place on Facebook. Izindaba Zokudla (IZ) was established as a face-to-face action research project to facilitate engagement among stakeholders in the urban farming community. A Facebook page (and further digital platforms) were created to accelerate the exchange of information and knowledge sharing between members and stakeholders. iZindaba Zokudla aims to create communities of practice with emerging entrepreneurs in urban agriculture, across multiple platforms on the internet. However, the Facebook page anchors the digital presence of iZindaba Zokudla, and this paper investigates how it may be utilised to foster communities of practice on the internet that aim for a sustainable food system. From the iZindaba Zokudla Facebook page, quantitative data on engagement with videos, pictures, updates generated or uploaded by the iZindaba Zokudla platform administrator and by the members/non-members were extracted. This data reflects the use of the iZindaba Zokudla Facebook page from the 11th of July 2019 to the 11th of July 2020 and includes data on specific postings, a course on circular enterprises, a “tea party” to showcase student projects, and a request for self-made mini-documentaries on farmer enterprises. These basic statistics are presented and interpreted in this paper, to illustrate how the Facebook page’s usage reflects efforts to build communities of practice. We supplement the quantitative data with limited qualitative insights as administrators and activists engaged in this project. The iZindaba Zokudla Page content such as videos and generated texts are related to agricultural topics. Analysing demographic or engagement data, such as gender and place, likes and views, however, have bearing on how we, and participants in these activities themselves, create communities of practice amongst ourselves. We gather and then interpret the quantitative data available on Facebook in order to show how actors construct communities of practice amongst themselves using the affordances available on Facebook. From the extent of page engagement, page likes, video views, received post, post discussed, post types and messaging, insight was gained into the following features of communities of practice: The complexities of knowledge sharing and learning, and networking within the iZindaba Zokudla Facebook Page, identity creation, and reflection are illustrated in our analysis. Facebook affords limited albeit functional educational benefits, and the affordances on Facebook can stimulate the learning, networking and identity formation of actors in the food system and wider economy. We are also able to govern them in a limited sense through such engagement, and this indicates that communities of practice can be created through social media engagement, although there are many unanswer4ed questions on using third party platforms for educational and economic aims
How effectively do households insure food consumption and assets against funeral expenses? The case of urban Zimbabwe
Get PDFAbstract: In response to funeral expenses, which drastically affect household consumption, many families in developing countries enter into formal and/or informal funeral insurance arrangements. Using new household survey data collected in the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, we investigate the effectiveness of these arrangements in insuring food consumption and household non-financial assets against funeral expenses. We find that informal funeral insurance, especially when combined with formal insurance, effectively insures household assets from funeral shocks. Households that own more than one item of the same asset prefer to sell assets rather than destabilise food consumption, in the event that funeral insurance is inadequate or not available. Households without multiple of the same asset prefer to retain their assets and destabilise food consumption. We also show that the funeral insurance of households in Bulawayo partially insures food consumption. Our findings suggest that households have a hierarchy of preferred coping strategies when they are either uninsured or not fully insured against shocks
Identifying and addressing errors and misconceptions in differential calculus : a case study of National Vocational (Certificate) students at Technical Vocational and Education College
Get PDFAbstract: The research interrogated the learning of introductory calculus at a particular Technical Vocational and Education Training Education (TVET). The major area of interest was the errors and misconceptions students displayed in basic differential calculus. It was apparent from the onset that the TVET college lecturers were in most cases aware of the errors and the misconceptions National Certificate (Vocational) (NC(V)) level 4 students displayed in introductory differential calculus. The crucial point was that the causes of the students’ errors and the misconceptions were not established. There was lack of error analysis methods and intervening strategies that would effectively address students’ deficiencies in the learning of introductory differential calculus. TVET college lecturers’ awareness of students’ level of pre-requisite knowledge is crucial in developing appropriate teaching and learning intervention strategies that supported effective learning outcomes. The researcher argues that research on TVET students’ errors and the misconceptions they exhibit in introductory calculus would provide critical information on the transition from one level of mathematics conception to the next. During the process of assimilation students take in new information and accommodate concepts in cognitive structures that are modified when new mathematical concepts are introduced. During the process of prior and new knowledge acquisition, misconception and errors associated with the concepts are exhibited. If the newly acquired mathematical knowledge is not properly accommodated, interference/ unstable behaviours occur. During this process, students may harbour concept images that are competing with established mathematical knowledge. The rationale is therefore that TVET college mathematics lecturers’ ability to identify and analyse these alternative conceptions and how students came to acquire them is a critical enabler for effective instruction and optimal learning outcomes in differential calculus. Apart from the error analysis framework, the researcher assumed that misconceptions held by students in mathematics, specifically differential calculus may be explained within the frameworks of procept (Tall, 1995), Action Process Object Schema (APOS) (Dubinsky, 1991), and Sfard’s (1991) structural and operational descriptions of mathematical notions. The frameworks assert that students come to understand mathematical concepts based on the prior knowledge. However, some of the knowledge they construct may appear truthful to them but conceptually untrue. This may occur through overgeneralization of prior knowledge, mislearning and inappropriate definitions of mathematical conceptions during new mathematical knowledge acquisition situations. Differential calculus is first introduced at NC(V) level 3 at TVET colleges. Despite students having learnt it at high school (Grades 10 - 12), students and lecturers have registered challenges in the learning and teaching of the various construct associated with the topic. It was therefore found compelling to conduct this study. The study focused on identifying, discussing and categorizing errors and the misconceptions responsible for the errors on differential calculus as displayed by NC(V) level 4 students in their pre- and post-tests. The research study was qualitative in nature and employed a case study design with the pre- and post-tests as well as interviews with the learners as data collecting methods. Content and interpretive analysis as well as Stein et al conceptual frameworks on mathematics that hinged on differential calculus and the errors the students displayed. A purposeful sample of 350 NC(V) level 4 students from diverse social backgrounds were selected to write the pre-and post-test. The interviews were used as a follow -up from the test to cement the students’ responses in the pre-test and establish the source of the misconceptions. The unit of analysis was therefore students’ written pre and post-test responses as well as the spoken responses they provided during the interviews. Reliability and validity of data collection instruments were validated using the Rasch Analysis framework. The Rasch framework was critical for this study because it was used to: authenticate the test items that were used in the pre and post intervention tests; provide customized analysis of differential calculus items against the students whom the test was administered to and provide and analysis how the selected students performed against the set of the test items at different levels of difficulty as located by the Rasch. Findings in the pre-test were varying. About 75% of students performed lowly in terms of differentiating calculus concepts related to basic algebra concepts. There were errors that were common across all the students and those that were specific to a particular group of students. Students experienced difficulties with algebra and procedures. Most students experienced difficulties with the function concept. Their inability to operationalise the function concept affected their understanding of calculus and the application thereof. In addition, students grappled with calculus terminologies accepted and used by the mathematics fraternity. Students had difficulties conceptualising critical differential calculus terms such as: function, surds, limit, power-rule, trigonometric functions, chain rule, maxima-minima concept, logarithmic functions, and quotient rule among others. Students displayed conflicting definitions of these terms. Further analysis of the students’ pre-test work revealed that most of them could not substitute correctly where required which revealed lack of basic differential calculus operations. I used Tall (1981) knowledge acquisition conceptions of concept definition and concept image to interpret students’ conceptual understanding and how that related to their concept definitions. The analysis, hence, established that students conceptual and procedural knowledges of basic differential calculus were weak. To mitigate their weak knowledge acquisition skills that related to the identified feeble conceptual and procedural knowledge of basic differential calculus an intervention programme was developed. Using research based instructional approaches a group of 30 students were involved in the intervention program. The finding were that when students’ prior knowledge of differential calculus is established, using appropriate intervention approaches it is possible to reduce misconception and errors and facilitate concrete learning outcomes.Ph.D. (Mathematics Education
Social bonding and public trust/distrust in COVID-19 vaccines
Get PDFAbstract: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been a growing concern. The pandemic has proved to be very complicated with the mutated virus. The Delta variant is contributing to a surge of cases across the globe. Vaccine hesitancy can be socially contagious, requiring more stringent efforts from policy makers and health professionals in promoting vaccine uptake. Some evidence shows that vaccine acceptance appears to have played an integral role in successfully controlling the pandemic. Vaccination acceptance, however, demands that the public has a good understanding of the vaccine’s benefits in promoting healthier societies and people’s quality of life. Unclear COVID-19 vaccine information can lead to distrust in vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. It is of paramount importance to communicate clear and unbiased vaccine information to the public to encourage vaccine uptake. Word of mouth communication remains important to further promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the community. This short paper discusses the role of social bonds and public trust/distrust and word of mouth communication in vaccine decision making
The role of the school management team in supporting beginner teachers
Get PDFAbstract: In an effort to understand how the school management team is involved in the mentoring of beginner teachers, this study sought to evaluate the use of mentorship programmes and the needs of beginner teachers. Although the expectation in education is that beginner teachers should be prepared for the reality in the classroom, the contrary proved that they were underequipped to teach. Beginner teachers enter the classroom with inadequacies such as time management, how to accomplish administrative tasks and basic day-to-day activities. This study tried to identify important needs beginner teachers experience, and how the school management team can use mentorship programmes to empower beginner teachers. Within the qualitative methodology, interviews were conducted with 12 participants. Beginner teachers in their first three years of teaching in the Gauteng West district participated in the research. Furthermore, six school management team (SMT) members, with the knowledge and experience of mentoring beginner teachers, were interviewed. The findings revealed, amongst others, that although beginner teachers received adequate content training, they lacked understanding of administrative and time management tasks. This study therefore suggested amongst other matters - referring to the abovementioned findings - the need for the teaching education programmes to revisit the curriculum of pre-service teachers and involve partner schools. During teaching practice, implementation of more practical learning experiences especially regarding time management and administrative tasks are required by beginner teachers. The need for proper, policy-based mentorship programmes with clear requirements of what is needed to get beginner teachers on track emerged.M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management
Translanguaging for academic reading at a South African university
No full textAbstract: Bilingual and multilingual academic readers in monolingual programs worldwide -whose first language is not English - typically experience comprehension difficulties with English texts. This paper identifies poor reading achievement as a pressing problem among multilingual students in South Africa. It complements the growing body of translanguaging scholarship challenging English-only norms in Higher Education by experimenting with fluid practices in an academic reading development intervention. The investigation addresses how literacy instructors could enrich reading university English texts within linguistically diverse higher education settings and push academic performance through a translanguaging stance and pedagogy. The study drew from sociocultural, heteroglossia, and translanguaging fluidity theories using mixed methods. The writer proposes alternative pluralistic practices that respect students’ identities, open spaces for heteroglot voices, and simultaneously use multiple languages to improve text comprehension and concept knowledge. Translanguaging integrated languages into one meaning-making system while deepening readers’ awareness of the different languages, including the English of the text. This humanising approach provided a safe space for first-year students whose languages and cultural repertoires were validated, legitimised, and mobilised in their academic learning. The study concludes that translanguaging gives bi/multilingual readers an edge in academic reading and is recommended
Educational heuristics for designing an online teacher professional development intervention to demystify coding
Get PDFAbstract: Heuristic evaluation is a methodology used to inform developers of possible usability problems that can negatively impact on user experience. For the purpose of this study, the traditional set of heuristics by Nielsen’s principles (1994) together with more recent research inspired the development of domain specific heuristics developed in this study. The domain specific evaluation extend existing literature to prioritise 15 learning design principles that impact course design during teacher professional development. This includes a set of 24 heuristics and 49 evaluation foci. The aim of the research is to determine an appropriate set of heuristics to guide and examine the design of online interventions to demystify coding during teacher professional development instances. The practical implication is to evaluate an online training intervention using a set of heuristics to evaluate the potential design problems that could impact on the quality of the learning experience. The intervention under evaluation, which is an online website, targets office-based educators and teachers that want to understand how coding, robotics and computational thinking relate to education. The findings of this research provides a baseline for future design considerations for teacher professional development and more specifically with a focus on the conceptualisation of coding.M.Ed. (Information Communication Technology in Education
Assessment of the municipal solid waste transfer stations suitability in Harare, Zimbabwe
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