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Perspectives from South Africa on GenAI in higher education: a postdigital dialogue with the global context
No full textDrawn from an interdisciplinary gathering of 51 colleagues at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg in March 2025, this collective article shares multiple perspectives from South Africa on our interactions with Generative AI (GenAI) across higher education (HE). Contributors have re-created our dialogue here, in the spirit of Ubuntu and via a postdigital lens, bringing together vital local knowledge and literature to demonstrate why context always matters deeply. Over decades now, HE policy language has inferred that we all experience digital technologies in the same way. With GenAI, this technocratic determinism is accompanied also, by a depressing dystopian fatalism. Rather than confine our diverse positionalities within either of these viewpoints, we favoured a relational approach of reciprocal listening and pedagogical responsiveness to explore the complex interplay between GenAI, learning design, assessment, and social justice. Amid the pressure to integrate GenAI, a deliberate pause is needed, to notice and respond to, the flaws it exposes in our traditional systems. It is therefore timely to also review the social contract that underpins equitable and ethical opportunities in HE. Under four themes, authors provide recommendations towards a new critical, relational GenAI governance, based on diverse lived experiences in this messy postdigital space. From this particular context in South Africa, we now warmly invite continued discussion across the wider global community
Unveiling English school leaders’ intentional well-being cultivation practices during a global pandemic
Get PDFPurpose:-
There is an urge worldwide that school leaders’ mental health and well-being must be prioritised within the education recovery at the local, national and global policy levels. This research identified the intentional well-being practices that school leaders cultivated as they faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach:-
Data was collected through one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten senior school leaders from primary and secondary schools in England. During the pandemic, online interviews were organised using Zoom. An inductive followed by deductive approach qualitative data analysis was employed to offer insights into the multidimensional and sensitive nature of school leaders’ well-being.
Findings:-
The findings indicated that despite a reported decline in well-being, the participants intentionally engaged in well-being cultivation practices which were both relational: developing multi-faceted support networks, and individual: developing self-care and self-regulation skills. These practices provided different psychological and practical needs necessary for maintaining their well-being and work functioning facing the pandemic.
Originality/value:-
This study affirms school leaders’ well-being cultivation is an intentional and effortful process involving relational and individual practices to support their multidimensional well-being during extreme challenges. These practices can be mindfully and strategically cultivated. This study enhances the theoretical understanding of school leader well-being and offers timely insights into well-being initiatives in leadership development programmes for educational leaders and policymakers amid global challenges
Genre, gender, and their effects in "The case of the organic gone"
No full textThis dissertation combines my contextualizing research 'Genre, Gender, and Their Effects', with my high-concept novel, The Case of the Organic Gone. My novel is a science fiction detective mystery in the form of a case report, retrospectively written by my primary protagonist. My research situates my novel in its larger history.
In a future world where people are divided into castes according to their genetic profile, Darlene Friday is an Altered Side Effect who is thirty-one but appears eleven, a victim of genetic technologies that are part of the story. Darlene pursues a private investigation with the help of her sixteen-year-old adopted sister, Iris, a Normal who has not been subject to genetic changes, and, later, a mysterious Altered woman named Kit. The three must determine how an Organic tween student died. At the time the case report is being written, after the novel's main events, Darlene is caring for an old friend, Althea, whose genetic Alterations have caused Side Effects that are even more devastating than Darlene's. Their investigation will change the lives of these characters forever.
My supporting research, 'Genre, Gender, and Their Effects', explores the dynamic relationship between traditional and experimental styles of writing. My overarching framework prioritizes openness over closedness in meaning-making, representational choices and form. My research contextualizes 'The Case of the Organic Gone' in its larger history. I explore the influences that were formative to my novel, including key novels by Jonathan Lethem, Philip K. Dick, and Shirley Jackson. Next, I explore definitions about literary and speculative fiction and how they offer strategies for achieving structural, character, and conceptual openness, while considering applicable novel exemplars. Following this, I examine the role of interpretation as a potentially closed system according to a scholar from the field of psychiatry. Whether the closed meaning-making of traditional mysteries is suitable preparation for understanding life is explored. As treated in previous chapters, other novels are examined as exemplars. Next, I look at open genders in several important novels by Virginia Woolf, Angela Carter, and Ursula Le Guin. I conclude my research by returning to where my novel started in terms of its experimental form. I also consider the relationship between ethics and aesthetics, and the benefits of using open indeterminacy in novel writing. Several other novels are noted in this conclusion, including two female narrators by Jeff VanderMeer.
Through this research and creative process, I discovered strategies which transformed my art and enabled me to complete this practice-based project
Utilising peer learning and teaching – a framework for fieldwork collaboration
No full textWe present a framework for peer learning and collaboration based on the pedagogy of cooperation and scholarship. This framework incorporates various educational strategies, including experiential learning, peer teaching, and critical reflection. We emphasise the importance of cooperative learning environments where students engage actively with one another and their surroundings. Reflective and responsive pedagogy allows for a more tailored educational experience that meets the diverse needs of learners. Experiential learning, involving hands-on activities and real-world problem-solving, is pivotal for students to translate theoretical knowledge into practice, enhancing retention and understanding. In so doing, we highlight the importance of experiential learning on the affective domain. We highlight how collaboration through teamwork and peer learning leads to greater engagement with both the environment and the learning process. In doing so, we find that students develop higher-level skills including reflexivity of the research process, their relationship with the landscape and on their own learning. We also recognise the essential skill of collaboration by students from differing subject areas. In addition to exploring these foundational concepts, the keynote presentation will provide actionable prompts and strategies for integrating this framework into educators' fieldwork teaching practices. By implementing this framework, educators can empower their students to work together more effectively and appreciate the value of cooperative learning in their academic and future professional pursuits. Ultimately, this approach aims to cultivate not just knowledgeable individuals, but also collaborators who are equipped to tackle the varied and complex challenges in the field
3D measurement of neutron-induced tracks using confocal microscopy
Get PDFUsing a 3D microscope imaging technique that we pioneered for alpha-track imaging of Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs), here, we present results from imaging of neutron-induced recoil proton tracks formed by exposing CR39-based detectors to an 241Am(Be) neutron source. Detectors were arranged at zero, thirty, and sixty degrees to the source to assess any variation in the tracks according to source orientation. An Olympus (Olympus Corporation Japan) LEXT laser scanning confocal microscope was used to image the SSNTDs. Depth and cross-sectional size measurements were made on nine tracks, with a median (range) of 3.07 μm in depth (min 0.98 μm to max 8.34 μm), width in plan view of 7.49 μm (min 4.00 μm to 14.89 μm max), and breadth in plan view of 8.41 μm (min 4.17 μm to max 11.80 μm). In this study, we have shown our confocal microscopy approach can successfully image the 3D surface of neutron-induced tracks in SSNTDs; the imaging method thus enables the measurement of track cross-sectional dimensions and depth, as well as the identification of angled tracks
Less or more knowledge sharing caused by managerial fear in the tourism hospitality sector
Get PDFManagers' fear of losing power, revealing knowledge gaps, and facing criticism can lead to a restrictive flow of information, negatively impacting collaboration and service quality. This research employs the SECI model and qualitative methodology, including semi-structured interviews with 6 participants from the UK hospitality industry, to analyze the dynamics of managerial fear and its impact on KS. Findings reveal that managerial fear can inhibit the sharing of tacit knowledge, essential for customer satisfaction and service quality in the hospitality industry. The study introduces a new taxonomy for KS, that could provide insights into how managerial fear manifests, and proposing strategies to mitigate its adverse effects. Thematic analysis revealed four distinct knowledge-sharing quadrants: Active, Reluctant, Passive, and Hesitant Knowledge Sharers. Active sharers exhibited minimal fear and actively engaged in knowledge sharing, fostering innovation and positive organizational dynamics. In contrast, hesitant sharers demonstrated significant reluctance, often due to fear of repercussions or lack of trust, contributing to organizational silence and diminished collaboration
Enhancing the quality and reproducibility of research: Preferred Evaluation of Cognitive And Neuropsychological Studies - the PECANS statement for human studies
Get PDFAre scientific papers providing all essential details necessary to ensure the replicability of study protocols? Are authors effectively conveying study design, data analysis, and the process of drawing inferences from their results? These represent only a fraction of the pressing questions that cognitive psychology and neuropsychology face in addressing the “crisis of confidence.” This crisis has highlighted numerous shortcomings in the journey from research to publication. To address these shortcomings, we introduce PECANS (Preferred Evaluation of Cognitive And Neuropsychological Studies), a comprehensive checklist tool designed to guide the planning, execution, evaluation, and reporting of experimental research. PECANS emerged from a rigorous consensus-building process through the Delphi method. We convened a panel of international experts specialized in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology research practices. Through two rounds of iterative voting and a proof-of-concept phase, PECANS evolved into its final form. The PECANS checklist is intended to serve various stakeholders in the fields of cognitive sciences and neuropsychology, including: (i) researchers seeking to ensure and enhance reproducibility and rigor in their research; (ii) journal editors and reviewers assessing the quality of reports; (iii) ethics committees and funding agencies; (iv) students approaching methodology and scientific writing. PECANS is a versatile tool intended not only to improve the quality and transparency of individual research projects but also to foster a broader culture of rigorous scientific inquiry across the academic and research community
Exploring the mental health challenges of music industry professionals: recommendation for an industry-wide code of practice
Get PDFPrevious research has highlighted the prevalence of mental health challenges in the music industry, citing high rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout among professionals. However, stigma and limited awareness of industry-specific support services continue to hinder help-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to identify systemic changes that could improve the industry's approach to mental health and well-being. Using an ethnographic framework combined with Participatory Action Research (PAR), qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 15 music professionals, including performers, producers, and managers (aged 23–50, with 5–25 years of experience). Findings indicate that social media pressure is perceived as the most significant contributor to poor mental health, followed by job instability and inadequate preparation for the realities of the profession. The results underscore the urgent need for an industry-wide code of practice to support mental health and promote sustainable career development. The music industry refers to the global network of live and recorded music production, distribution, and promotion, encompassing artists, producers, managers, labels, and digital platforms. As a multi-billion-dollar sector, it generated over $31 billion globally in 2022
