1,721,029 research outputs found
From tags to topic maps : using marked-up Hebrew text to discover linguistic patterns
Get PDFThe paper discusses a series of related techniques that prepare and transform raw linguistic data
for advanced processing in order to unveil hidden grammatical patterns. It identifies XML as a
suitable mark-up language to build an exploitable data bank of multi-dimensional data in the
Hebrew text of the Old Testament. This concept is illustrated by tagging a transcription of Gen.
1:1-2:3 and manipulating this data bank. Transferring the data into a three-dimensional array
allows advanced processing of the data in order to either confirm existing knowledge or to mine
for new, yet undiscovered, linguistic features. Visualisation is discussed as a technique that
enhances interaction between the human researcher and the computerised technologies
supporting this process of knowledge creation. The empirical study is a small experiment that
illustrates the viability and usefulness of the proposed expert devices as well as the benefits of
applying information system techniques to linguistic databases
Fine-grained Scalability of Digital Library Services in the Cloud
Get PDFModern digital library systems are increasingly handling massive data volumes; this content needs to be stored, indexed and made easily accessible to end users. Cloud computing promises to address some of these needs through a set of services that arguably support scalability of service provision. This paper discusses a set of experiments to assess the scalability of typical digital library services that use cloud computing facilities for core processing and storage. Horizontal scalability experiments were performed to benchmark the overall performance of the architecture with increasing load. The results of the experiments indicate that stable response times and some degree of variability are attainable due to multiple middleware servers when browsing and/or searching a collection of a fixed size. There is minimal variation in response times when varying collection sizes and equally after the caching phases. Most importantly, request sequencing proved that the quantity and age of requests have no impact on response times. The experimental results thus provide evidence to support the feasibility of building and deploying cloud-based Digital Libraries
The acceptance of electronic textbooks on tablets by teachers in secondary schools
Get PDFDissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2018.The rapid growth of technology in devices and applications has introduced several ways of doing things in organisations and in education. The introduction and growth of smaller devices provides an advantage in teaching nowadays. These smaller devices are, for example, smartphones and tablets, which promote mobile learning. Tablets together with e-textbooks are gaining momentum in the education systems and are used for teaching and learning. Even some publishers are seeing their growth and have started introducing more e-textbooks. Due to the introduction of these technologies in schools, it is believed that teachers are reluctant to accept and use these technologies in the classroom. Hence, this study to investigate the acceptance of e-textbooks on tablets by teachers in secondary schools in South Africa.
The literature review highlights some of the advantages and disadvantages of e-textbooks and tablets in educational settings. The acceptance model used to gather and analyse the data was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the research approaches used were interpretative case study and qualitative research methodology. The study involved interviewing 14 secondary school teachers from one private school in Pretoria, South Africa. Of the 14 participants, there were 10 male teachers and 4 female teachers, with various levels of teaching and e-textbooks experience. Thematic content analysis was used, focusing more on deductive content analysis. From these approaches, themes were created to further analyse the interview content into more meaningful perceptions that teachers have regarding using e-textbooks and tablets.
One of the research sub-question was answered with findings from the literature only and the other research sub-questions were answered with both literature and interview findings. The main research question was answered with findings from interviews and themes created from interview responses and the findings are presented using the objectives of the research as well as the constructs of the UTAUT model. One of the important factors found was the challenge that teachers experience when learners are using e-textbook and that is they get distracted during class due to the social media applications that are installed on their tablets, which they use when they are supposed to be studying. The second important factor was the teachers’ need to implement e-textbooks in the classroom as a teaching tool. The mandatory use of the e-textbooks had a positive influence on behaviour intention. However, at the time of the study, there was a limited choice of e-textbooks available on the platform and teachers complained about them being forced to use certain e-textbooks. The results found from this study can be helpful to schools and teachers who want to implement e-textbooks and tablets for teaching.InformaticsMComUnrestricte
Towards a cyber safety information framework for South African parents
Get PDFDissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2019.This dissertation addresses the need for a structured approach to the education of parents regarding cyber safety threats. The researcher has been approached by a service provider, EduX, which works with schools to facilitate digital learning. Edu X has expressed the need to provide cyber safety information for parents from the schools where their solution is implemented. This research suggests a Cyber Safety Information Framework for South African parents, tailored to their specific needs.
The Design Science Research Methodology was followed to develop the framework through one main cycle and two sub-cycles. The framework includes different dimensions of the parents’ needs. A Cyber Safety Information Needs Assesment Instrument was developed and tested to tailor these dimensions to a specific school. In addition, a categorisation (or catalogue) of existing cyber safety online material to be used by schools, was developed. The evaluation of this framework was done by designing a prototype of an application to be used by schools to determine its implementation based on the outcome of the needs assessment instrument, the relevant cyber safety content, the way to present the material, as well as the best time to present it. This prototype was demonstrated to a potential user from EduX, and the framework was refined and updated based on the feedback received.InformaticsMITUnrestricte
A guide to apply the Capability Approach in ICT4D based on a systematic literature review
Get PDFDissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2019.Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been regarded as having the potential of changing the way people live their lives. Particularly in developing countries, ICTs are believed to be the path to social and economic development. Substantial investments are made into ICT4D (information technology for development) projects because of their perceived value. However, the impact of such projects has been a point of concern for investors and ICT4D scholars. The mainstream perspective has been to measure development in terms of economic growth by looking at gross national product or per capita income. However, this approach is changing as there are increasing calls for a more expanded concept of development. Human-centred approaches to ICT4D measurement are being called for. One such way of evaluating impact that has been gaining attention over recent years is Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach. This approach moves away from the dominant economic growth perspective and focuses on individuals, what they value, and what they are able to choose. While some scholars have developed ways to operationalise the capability approach, there are disparities in how the approach is applied across ICT4D studies. This study, through a systematic literature review, examines how the capability approach has been applied in ICT4D studies. Findings from the literature show the different nuances that can be associated with human development. It also highlights a stark theme in access and use, namely, that access does not mean automatic use and that conversion factors determine use. Furthermore, this paper synthesises the findings into a flowchart that is intended to guide engagement with the capability approach within the field of ICT4D.TM2019InformaticsMComUnrestricte
Cyborgs and the future of the human spirit
Get PDFThis article reports on the influence of an important project of our time, the creation of thinking machines or cyborgs, on the essence of human spirituality. The popular work of Kurzweil was used as a starting point. Kurzweil believes that the cyborgs or man-machine hybrids will not only be a simulation of human cognition but also of consciousness and spirituality. In fact, they will be more than a simulation; they will enhance and alter consciousness and spirituality in a radical, unfathomable way. The basis of Kurzweil's argument is his law of accelerating returns, which predicts such a progress in technology that, if an algorithm for the working of the brain can be formulated, it will be possible to develop software emulating the conscious brain. In this way, current limitations experienced by human beings, including mortality, will be overcome. This assumption was investigated from an anthropological view using Janicaud's concepts. The cyborg is seen as an illustration of people's innate desire to overcome the human condition. Humanity is characterised by a constant struggle to find a balance between the superhuman and the inhuman as the extreme states of human spirituality. This also characterises human liberty - humans are free to choose. Given this characterisation of humanity, the nature of the cyborg as superhuman is then considered. Different possibilities are sketched: the superhuman who will exercise the pure will to power (awakening the inhuman) or a person with a complete naïve freedom. The future is not easy to predict. Janicaud considers the view of the cyborg as superhuman to be a myth. The real danger facing humanity is the inhuman. The growth and progress of technology do not guarantee moral progress. Currently, technology seems to create a sharp divide between a privileged few and the rest. The two world wars in the previous century illustrated ways in which technology could be used to commit cold-blooded barbaric acts on a mass scale. In addition, biotechnology and other technological innovations could give rise to new forms of violence which can effectively be spread by new media. The inhuman is a place from where it is difficult to return.
The challenge of our time is to carry the responsibility of our freedom in such a way that we can defend ourselves against our inhumanity; but in a manner that would enable us also to open up to the radical creativity and strangeness of superhumans lying dormant in us. It is clear that now, more than ever before, human spirituality needs to be as alive and rich as possible to rise to the challenge. However, the belief in technology as utopia enslaves the human spirit. We forget that we are the creators of technology and fabricate excuses for moral and intellectual abdications. Furthermore, the assumption that cognition can be mechanised or formalised leads to the disembodiment of intelligence and thought. Humans are placed outside of the world to which they belong. We become estranged from ourselves and each other. The human spirit seems to be wounded by the prevailing metaphors of disembodiment and mechanisation accompanying technological dominance. This article contributes to the call for the struggle for the re-enchantment of the human spirit. It is imperative that thinkers and innovators - leaders - create new metaphors to provide richer descriptions of humanity. Social sciences, having studied the human condition for centuries, might contribute valuable ideas. Technology can be used in this struggle, but only if human beings understand their own paradoxical nature as well as that of technology. The fortified spirit is one that accepts its mortality and fragility but takes responsibility for its freedom. In this way, meaning is re-introduced in the lives of human beings.In hierdie artikel word die invloed van die projek van die bou van denkende masjiene of kuborge op die grondslag van menslike geestelikheid bespreek. Die idee van die kuborge word gebruik om die toekoms te bedink. Die kuborg as supermens word as mite uitgewys, terwyl die ontaarding van die mens as 'n realistiese moontlikheid geskets word. Mense, as geestelike wesens, kom noodgedwonge te staan voor die uitdaging om verantwoordelikheid te aanvaar en die toenemend moeilike balans te bewaar tussen die onmenslike en die supermens wat in ons sluimer. Die onmenslike moet in toom gehou word te midde van 'n openheid vir die radikale kreatiwiteit van die supermens. Dit blyk egter dat die gees verwond en aan bande gelê word deur die onderliggende metafore van meganisering en ontliggaming van die tegnologieë van ons tyd. Die gesprek sluit aan by die stryd om die heropluistering van die gees. Tegnologie kan gebruik word in hierdie stryd maar slegs as mense hulle eindigheid verstaan en aanvaar asook dié van tegnologie. Sodoende sal 'n ryker begrip van menslikheid vorendag kom wat betekenis in mense se lewens bring deur die ontwikkeling en gebruik van tegnologie sinvol te rig.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_akgees.htmlam201
Invited Paper: Teaching Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Design Thinking: Preparing IS Students for the Future
Get PDFCritical thinking and problem solving skills are included in the IS curriculum as foundational skills. IS education researchers recognize the importance of these skills for future IS practitioners given the complexity of the technology based society and economy of the future. However, there is limited work on how these skills are best taught in IS. This research reports on a course focusing on the explicit development of critical thinking and problem solving skills of first-year IS students at the University of Pretoria. The critical thinking part of the course focuses on the analysis, evaluation of, and response to arguments. Class discussions and assessments are based on local, authentic arguments. In the problem solving skills component of the course, students are taught to understand the nature of a problem and to classify it as belonging to one of three categories: puzzles, problems, and messes. For each category, appropriate problem solving approaches are suggested and practiced. To illustrate the role of design and creativity in problem solving, students have to create an artefact using the Maker Space of the university. They have to apply the five phases of design thinking as suggested by the Stanford d.school design thinking approach. The course has been presented since 2016, and feedback is collected from students annually. Based on a feedback questionnaire that the students complete at the end of each course, we have reason to believe that they find the course valuable and consider those skills to be applicable to other courses as well as elsewhere in their lives. They also point out the value it holds for their future as IS practitioners. As part of our ongoing research, we are investigating ways to develop a critical disposition amongst students, an important component of critical thinking
Teaching 21st Century Information Systems Students In A Developing Context.
Get PDFIn this paper we investigate the results of efforts to address poor class attendance and enhance classroom participation of first year Information Systems students at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. The group we studied consisted of 780 students enrolled for a System Analysis and Design course. The students are from different faculties, different cultures and different socio-economic backgrounds. We determined the typical profile of our students before the course commenced after which we introduced some measures to increase class attendance and class participation and enhance the classroom and learning experience. Despite the diversity of the group, we drew mainly upon the literature about the 21st century student (which sketches a homogeneous picture) in determining which measures to implement. A survey was conducted at the end of the course in which we evaluated our efforts. The findings show that the 21st century student, in our context, shares their experience with regard to familiarity with mobile technology but not access to PCs. In general their learning preferences are traditional but with some indication of an increasing emphasis on visual representations and digital media. Their main motivation to attend classes remains the traditional reason of “getting marks”
Teaching Systems Architechture by Using Mobile Learning Engine (MLE) as a Platform for a Mobile Learning Project
Get PDFThis paper explores the idea of using Mobile Learning Engine (MLE) as a platform for a mobile learning project to form part of the systems architecture course for second year Information Systems undergraduates. We believe that the use of this platform will not only support the learning outcomes of the systems architecture course, but will also result in a useful product that could be used for community development
Preparing teachers in developing for computational thinking teaching in primary education : a Namibian case study
Get PDFThesis (PhD (Information Technology))--University of Pretoria, 2022.In recent years, many countries in the developed world, have introduced computational thinking (CT) teaching in compulsory education, with few developing nations following. The introduction to teaching CT brought many challenges for teachers because these computing skills were not part of their initial teacher training and were less understood. Several professional development programmes have been developed to train teachers on the new CT content, but few studies have investigated the preparation of primary school teachers to teach CT and the impact of this training on the teachers’ understanding of CT concepts and self-efficacy in a developing country context. The main objective of this study was to develop a Professional Development for Primary School Teachers for the CT (PD4PCT) framework that can be used by training providers and researchers to integrate CT into teachers’ professional development programmes.
Constructionism was a pedagogical framework for this interpretive study and the conceptual frameworks of Desimone and three existing professional development CT frameworks (3C, CTTD and ADAPPTER). Different data collection methods were used for a single interpretive case study to investigate the impact of a professional development programme on primary school teachers (n = 14), their CT knowledge, beliefs and attitudes and self-efficacy of CT using a participatory design approach. Data was collected through a literature review, pre- and postquestionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and self-reporting journals. Expert reviewers validated the framework through an online questionnaire.
The study’s findings indicated that teachers who participated in the professional development programme have considerably increased their CT knowledge, their beliefs and attitudes towards CT altered for the better, and they had a substantial rise in confidence to teach CT. Overall, the results indicate that most teachers can design lesson plans and activities incorporating algorithms, decomposition, and pattern recognition concepts but abstraction and debugging to a lesser extent. Subject matter knowledge of teachers influences the integration plans for certain CT topics. To address the challenges teachers face in integrating CT into classrooms, the framework assists in identifying the components that must be considered to develop iii an effective professional development programme for teachers. The context of the school plays a vital role and should be considered as a first step in designing a teacher's professional development intervention. School leadership should support teachers with a collaborative environment where teachers can share CT knowledge and teaching strategies with others.InformaticsPhD (Information Technology)Unrestricte
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