1,720,962 research outputs found
Virtual Teaching and Online Learning Ecosystem: Harnessing the Power of Digital Education for Equitable Educational Experiences
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, to the Faculty of Humanities, Wits School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025Virtual teaching and online learning have gained momentum as a response to the pandemic, revealing its potential and piquing the attention of the higher education sector. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are now recognising the value of this mode of instructional delivery for its unique affordances beyond maintaining educational continuity, but also for its adoption during non-disruptive times. The use of virtual teaching and the advancement of technology have led HEIs to invest in virtual instructional delivery, extending learning opportunities beyond closed brick-and-mortar environments to open online education ecosystems. To provide students with ubiquitous and equitable access to education, there is a need to understand how we can harness the power of digital education in an online education ecosystem while addressing structural and systemic barriers for effective virtual teaching and online learning. This research study aims to gain this understanding and provide insights into the opportunities offered by virtual teaching and online learning in the context of digitalisation in South Africa, a developing country. Additionally, the research study presents a sustainable Virtual Teaching and Online Learning Ecosystem Framework (VTOLE-Framework) for HEI’s, specifically tailored to South Africa’s unique needs and challenges, with a focus on transforming digital education contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (quality education) and 10 (reduced inequalities). Grounded in pragmatism, this mixed methods study uses purposive sampling to gather data from 165 academic educators through an online questionnaire (containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions), supplemented by in-depth interviews with six academic educators across three HEIs (one urban, one rural, and one ODeL). Given its multifaceted nature, the research study draws on Socio-Technical Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, Transactional Distance Theory and the Community of Inquiry Framework to inform its analysis, which includes a thematic analysis of qualitative data and simple descriptive statistics and data visualisations for quantitative data. In responding to the research questions, the research study reveals six crucial aspects for facilitating equitable educational experiences in virtual teaching and online learning ecosystems (1) Harnessing the Power of Digital Education to Facilitate Virtual Teaching and Online Learning, (2) Core Elements Facilitating Virtual Teaching and Online Learning, (3) Optimising Virtual Teaching and Online Learning Environments Through Pedagogical and Student-Centred Design, (4) Higher Education Institutions Facilitating Support for Virtual Teaching and Online Learning, (5) Addressing External Macro Factors to Enhance Virtual Teaching and Online Learning Environments, and (6) Learning from the Past and Continuous Advancements to Build the Future of Virtual Teaching and Online Learning. Furthermore, in the development of the VTOLE-Framework, the key findings identified seven themes (1) Pedagogical and Student-Centred Course Design, Structure and Technology Integration, (2) Dialogue, Social Presence and Collaborative-Cognitive Learning Environment, (3) Academic Educator Professional Development and Teaching Competencies, (4) Student Efficacy, Agency and Support Cultivation, (5) Institutional Structure, Resource Availability and Education Equity, (6) Contextual Realities of National Infrastructure Readiness and Political Climate, (7) Socio-economic and Socio-cultural Context. The research study adds to the existing knowledge in the field by offering perspectives into harnessing the power of digital education while tackling structural and systemic barriers for virtual teaching and online learning in South Africa. It offers a practical solution of a VTOLE-Framework, outlining equitable access and digital inclusion for the successful implementation of virtual teaching and online learning in higher education.MMM202
Higher Education ICT Integration in Africa
Full text linkThis multidisciplinary, edited volume examines higher educations’ ICT integration in Africa, contributing a new and inclusive change readiness framework to better understand how to manage ICT or other technological disruptions in resource-restrained contexts. Tackling ICT incorporation in HEIs from different levels, chapters document case studies from countries such as Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Eswatini and Zimbabwe to demonstrate both the complexity of integration but also the successes it has enabled and under which conditions. The cases included in this book also exhibit better incorporation of both change content and process, while some cases also make explicit reference to other technology adoption models. Ultimately, the book highlights conceptual and empirical research to inform practices and policy development in Africa, improving multi-level success or change readiness in ICT incorporation in HEIs in Africa. Addressing various gaps in existing literature and proposing innovative solutions like the multilevel change readiness model, this book will therefore be of interest to scholars, researchers and academics in the fields of higher education, ICT integration, and educational technology more broadly. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license
Teachers' perceptions of the use of technology in mathematics classrooms and how it relates to learner motivation: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study
No full textA research report submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy, In the Faculty of Humanities, Wits School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024The use of digital technologies has significantly influenced all areas of society, with their ac- celerated adoption driven by their appeal and transformative potential. In education, their inte- gration is viewed as a potential game-changer for the future of teaching and learning, despite mixed successes in the past. A well-functioning education system is the foundation of society, as it embodies the dreams and aspirations of future generations. In South Africa, the National Development Plan (NDP) sets out ambitious educational goals, particularly for mathematics and science, that if achieved, could improve the country’s socio-economic prospects. However, the current public basic education system is struggling, and achieving these goals is in doubt. To get back on track, South Africa needs a plan to rescue its education system, and the calcu- lated and intentional use of digital technologies might just be the answer. For such a strategy to succeed, it must be underpinned by a solid understanding of how digital technologies can best support teaching and learning. To this end, this research study aimed to explore the relationship between digital technology use and learner motivation in the specific context of teaching and learning mathematics within the public basic education system of the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study utilised social constructivist theory as a lens to interpret motivation, identifying observable interest and engagement in learners as manifestations of motivation within the classroom environment. Situated within the Pragmatic paradigm, this study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Before the study began, permissions were obtained from institutional gate- keepers to comply with research ethics, and ethical principles were consistently upheld through- out the research process. The study began with a quantitative exploration of teachers’ percep- tions of the use of technology in teaching and learning mathematics, and how this use relates to the motivation of learners to learn mathematics. Following this, a qualitative phase was conducted to delve into the identified complexities and nuances. The initial quantitative phase utilised an online survey questionnaire, designed from existing measures, and contextualised for this study. A total of 55 responses were received, of which 23 were valid for analysis. The collected data were explored and analysed using appropriate descriptive and nonparametric statistical techniques. The results indicated that teachers had a generally positive perception of the use of technology in enhancing learner motivation, along- side nuances that merited further investigation. i – ii – Abstract The qualitative phase involved six teachers who participated in semi-structured interviews. The data generated during this phase were analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis approach, revealing the multifaceted nature of motivation, and the evolving dynamics of technology use in educational settings, through teachers’ experiences. The findings also demonstrated how teach- ers and learners navigate the use of technology in their educational journeys, and how the con- stantly evolving landscape of technology-enriched education is reshaping classroom dynamics and discourse. An integrative interpretation of both the quantitative results and qualitative findings provided a more comprehensive understanding of the importance of digital technology usage by teach- ers and learners, not only within their specific classroom settings, but also in the wider ed- ucational landscape. This enabled significant meta-inferences and implications to be drawn. Amongst these is the nuanced understanding of the potential of technology to influence learner motivation, which is dependent on the teachers’ ability and proficiency to adeptly navigate a technology-rich educational landscape. In broader terms, these insights offer pragmatic strate- gies for integrating digital technologies in educational settings, thereby aligning with, and po- tentially accelerating the achievement of the nation’s broader educational goals.MM202
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Towards a Critical Perspective on Digitalisation and Initial Teacher Education: Moving Beyond the Brick and Mortar
Full text linkAs the pandemic spread, it placed immense pressure on the transformation of the education sector and pushed the sector to fast-track their digital education strategy, especially sharing resources and embracing ubiquitous learning. This necessitated digital transformation, inclusive pedagogies, and reliable connectivity. However, the education sector finds the transition from the legacy traditional face-to-face approach to digital education daunting. The ongoing digital skills dearth among teachers threatens the e-education and equitable educational provisioning agenda of the South African National Development Plan 2030i. In turn, this has a huge impact on learners in the public-school system, who must develop their digital skills and competencies to effectively participate in the global economy, technology sector, and social entrepreneurial activities. The intersection of digital skills and entrepreneurship have been the engine for creating new jobs, advancing innovation and enhancing productivity. These three constructs, the creation of new jobs, advancing innovation, and enhancing productivity, are the imperatives of the National Development Plan 2030. While the primary focus is on digital transformation as an education imperative, this paper used Bernstein’s pedagogic device lens to examine the larger context and framing of digitalisation in education and cultural capital to discern ways in which competencies (the ecosystem of knowledge and skills) may be developed within the existing culture in the public-school system. Digitalisation in education entails a shift from the traditional face-to-face and often ‘brick and mortar’ based approach to a hybrid approach to enhance access and learners’ experience. Furthermore, this study answered questions about the relationship of the technology to teaching and learning. This is driven by increasingly digitally savvy learners, their complex needs, and the demand for ubiquitous access to education. In reviewing the concept of digitalisation, the author noted that there is a need for a digital transformation framework guided by research-informed best practices on the intersection of digitalisation and initial teacher education. In addition, digital technologies play a huge role in inclusivity and epistemic access and has far-reaching effects on social and economic inequalities
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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