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A model for speech-driven lesson summary generation in a noisy educational environment

  • Authors: Blunt, Phillip John
  • Date: 2024-04
  • Subjects: Automatic speech recognition , Speech processing systems , Educational technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64500 , vital:73741
  • Description: The application of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology for generating lesson transcripts and closed captions in the classroom has shown to improve the learning experience of people in disadvantaged student groups. This dissertation proposes a concept model for applying ASR technology in the educational environment for lesson transcription or closed captioning. The model aims further to bolster students’ secondary contact with the lesson content using keyword identification and subsequent association to generate a summary of the educator’s key points with reference to known course content material. To reinforce this concept, three core theoretical areas are discussed in this work, namely the existing applications of ASR technology in the classroom, the prominent machine-learning solutions that are capable of performing ASR, either for keyword spotting or for continuous speech recognition, and finally, the speech enhancement techniques used to mitigate the negative effects of environmental noise in the educational space. After a groundwork investigation into these three core theoretical areas, an initial model was created for incorporating an ASR system into the educational environment using the speech of the educator to drive the process of generating the lesson summary. After analysis for prototype development, the feasibility of developing a keyword-spotting system using South African speech data to train a machine-learning model revealed a number of challenges. Hence, it was decided that it would be more appropriate to implement a cloud-based ASR solution to establish proof of concept in a prototype system. In addition, the advent of a cloud-based ASR solution meant that a more reliable lesson transcript could be generated and, as a result, the direction of this work could move towards exploiting the utility provided by lesson transcription to generate a meaningful lesson summary. An initial prototype implementation was then developed based on the initial model using a cloud-based ASR approach. The final model presented in this work makes use of keyword identification in the transcription process, in collaboration with a course content database to identify known, educator-defined keyword terms during a lesson that are tied to relevant course content items for the specified lesson. As the model or prototype was improved and adapted, its counterpart was modified appropriately, ensuring that each reflected both the theoretical and practical aspects of the other. After a series of improvement cycles, a final version of the model was ascertained, supported by a performance evaluation of an acceptable prototype system. Ultimately, the prototype proved capable of generating a lesson summary, presented to students to bolster secondary contact with lesson content. This lesson summary provides students with a lesson transcript, but also helps them to monitor educator-defined keyword terms, their prevalence as communicated in the lesson by the educator, and their associations with educator-defined sections of course content. The prototype was developed with a modular approach so that its speech recognition component was interchangeable between CMU’s Sphinx and Google Cloud’ Speech-to-Text speech recognition systems, both accessed via a cloud-based programming library. In addition to the ASR module, noise injection, cancellation and reduction were also introduced to the prototype as a speech enhancement module to demonstrate the effects of noise on the prototype. The prototype was tested using different configurations of speech recognition- and speech enhancement techniques to demonstrate the change in accuracy of lesson summary generation. Proof of concept was established using the Google Cloud Continuous Speech Recognition System, which prevailed over CMU’s Sphinx and enabled the prototype to achieve 100,00% accuracy in keyword identification and subsequent association on noise-free speech, contrasted with a 96,93% accuracy in keyword identification and subsequent association on noise-polluted speech when applying noise cancellation. , Thesis (MIT) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Information Technology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04

Assessing rural senior primary school natural science teachers’ TPACK: a case study

  • Authors: Silvanus, Secilia Tulikefo
  • Date: 2024-04
  • Subjects: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge , Educational technology , Science Study and teaching (Primary) Namibia , Science teachers Training of Namibia , Information and Communications Technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423902 , vital:72103
  • Description: In today's world, technology has changed how people live and behave. The influence of technology contemplates a similar change in the education processes of teaching and learning. Many governments worldwide invest hugely in providing technological tools and facilities and training teachers to improve teaching and learning. The availability and access to technologies in schools seem to offer teachers opportunities to develop technological knowledge and integrate technology into teaching. Literature indicates that teachers must possess technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) to integrate technology into teaching and learning processes effectively. However, other scholars have also suggested that teachers' TPACK develops and is shaped by many contexts. This study, therefore, sought to assess the rural senior primary Natural science teachers' TPACK. This qualitative case study was conducted with senior primary Natural science teachers in the educational circuit of Endola. An interpretive paradigm underpinned the study. The study employed semi-structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and observation to collect the data. The study used the TPACK as a theoretical and analytical framework. The study results showed that participants had a firmer grasp of subject content (CK) and traditional teaching methods (Pedagogical Knowledge - PK and Pedagogical Content Knowledge - PCK) compared to technological knowledge (TK) and technology-based pedagogies (Technological Pedagogical Knowledge - TPK, Technological Content Knowledge - TCK, and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Findings support that the participants draw upon sources of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) closely aligned with Content Knowledge (CK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) to integrate technology. The study included inadequate professional development, teachers' attitudes, insufficient hardware and internet connectivity, limited technological knowledge, time constraints, and restricted access to technology tools and resources as obstacles for teachers attempting to incorporate technology into their classrooms effectively. Furthermore, the data highlights ICT training and teachers' interest as enablers that motivated participants to integrate technology into their teaching practices. Therefore, the study recommends professional development programs focusing on providing science teachers with practical skills to utilise different technologies and address common technical issues. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04

Exploring senior phase teachers’ use of Kahoot! Gamification as a formative assessment tool to scaffold mathematical understanding

  • Authors: Balele, Silence
  • Date: 2024-04
  • Subjects: Kahoot! Algebra by DragonBox , Mathematics Computer-assisted instruction , Pedagogical content knowledge , Mathematics Study and teaching (Secondary) South Africa , Gamification , Educational technology , Mathematics teachers Training of South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423891 , vital:72102
  • Description: In South Africa, digital technology, particularly gamification, continues to become an important teaching and learning tool. Its importance lies in scaffolding mathematical understanding, improving the quality of assessment, and developing twenty-first-century technological skills for effective mathematics assessment. To explore this importance, senior phase mathematics teachers are encouraged to adopt gamification technology such as Kahoot! in assessment. The study adopted a case study research design with a interpretivist research paradigm, as this method allows detailed exploration and understanding of a specific context through a close connection with the participants. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires, focus group interviews, non-participant observations, and reflective journals. The research involved ten purposively selected senior-phase mathematics teachers from two schools in the Sarah Baartman District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study drew upon Vygoysky's Sociocultural Theory for its theoretical framework, while the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge was used for analysis. The data analysis pursued an inductive approach. Adopting a thematic analysis included coding participant responses, organizing codes into concepts and categories, and developing a theoretical framework from the resultant categories. A four-phase process was involved: coding, conceptualizing, categorizing, and theorizing, was employed. This process and using NVivo software for data organization and management helped identify patterns, themes, and significant concerns surrounding the study's core subject. The findings from the study were as follows: Firstly, it was revealed that most teachers have a positive perception and attitude towards using Kahoot! for formative assessment, believing that it enhances teaching and learning quality. However, they showed scepticism due to insufficient Information and Communication Technologies knowledge and training. Second, teachers' pedagogical and technological experiences were predominantly enjoyable. Kahoot! was accepted as beneficial for promoting collaboration, interaction, and immediate feedback. Third, the study identified enabling and constraining factors in using Kahoot! for formative assessment. The enabling factors include Kahoot!, which was convenient and accessible, promoted immediate feedback and fostered collaboration and interaction. The constraining factors include Information and Communication Technologies and network interference, which posed limitations. The research concluded that Kahoot! as a platform for formative assessment indeed scaffold mathematical understanding. The study recommends increasing teachers' access to educational technology, incorporating continuous professional development programs, providing subject-specific training, and encouraging teachers to adapt to emerging technologies. The study also provided recommendations for future research to explore learner perceptions, employ a mixed methods approach to help quantify learner performance and investigate the pedagogical and technological experiences of senior phase mathematics teachers regarding formative assessment. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK): investigating senior primary mathematics teachers’ integration of technology in the classroom in Okahao educational circuit

  • Authors: Shikesho, Hilya Ndahambelela
  • Date: 2024-04
  • Subjects: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge , Cultural-historical activity theory , Educational technology , Mathematics Study and teaching (Primary) Namibia Okahao , Mediated learning experience , Social interaction
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423913 , vital:72104
  • Description: The overwhelming advancement of ICT devices in the contemporary Namibian education system has led to their praise for supporting differentiated instruction, fostering collaboration, and engaging multiple intelligences in teaching and learning. Consequently, the compulsory incorporation of ICTs into the teaching and learning process becomes imperative across various fields of study, including Mathematics. However, the integration of technology-based teaching proves to be a complex and challenging issue, often considered a wicked problem. To explore this matter, a qualitative case study was conducted to investigate how Senior Primary Mathematics Teachers integrated technology to develop their TPACK. The study was conducted among the twenty-seven senior primary mathematics teachers in the Okahao educational circuit in the Omuasti region. The study utilized Vygotsky‘s (1978); Socio-cultural Theory, together with Mishra and Koehler (2006), and; the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework was used as a lens to analyse the data. The data were gathered through semi-structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and lesson observations. The study findings indicate that senior primary mathematics teachers utilize the available resources at their respective schools during their classroom instruction. The study further reveals that mathematics teachers exhibit a positive attitude toward the integration of technology. The study uncovers the intricate interplay between technological knowledge, pedagogical expertise, and content knowledge within the context of mathematics education. The findings reveal that while participants demonstrate a high level of proficiency in certain TPACK components such as CK, TK, PK, TPK, and PCK, they expressed a moderate level of expertise in TCK and TPCK. The study also identified challenges in TPACK development, particularly the need for subject specific technology training, lack of technological infrastructure, particularly advanced technology, as well as a deficiency in ICT knowledge. The importance of access to various technologies was emphasized, enabling teachers to seamlessly integrate technology into their practices and address diverse learning styles. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04

Design of an LMS-mediated tutorial to support deep and effective engagement in the process of learning mathematics

  • Authors: Kigundu, Stephen
  • Date: 2023-10-13
  • Subjects: Learning Management Systems (LMS) , e-learning , Educational technology , Mathematics Study and teaching (Secondary) , Constructivism (Education) , Mixed methods research
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431565 , vital:72786 , DOI 10.21504/10962/431565
  • Description: Many institutions of Higher Learning have adopted a variety of Learning Management Systems (LMS) as platforms for e-learning implementation. However, the design and nature of LMS technologies present challenges to the design of LMS-based activities that engage students in learning to do mathematics. There are no clear guidelines or strategies for designing LMS-based activities that engage students in complex mathematical processes. Hence, using technologies in mathematics education often replicates instructivist positions and practices. Conversely, using constructivist principles, modes of mathematical engagement, and e-learning tools to mediate learning provides an integrated framework to transform the use of an LMS as a platform for e-learning implementation and promote deep engagement in mathematical learning. The objective of this study was to explore mechanisms that could be useful for conceiving activities to support the learning of Mathematics using an LMS-mediated tutorial. The design, redesign and evaluation of the e-tutorial are reported upon. In preparation for the study, an LMS-based tutorial was designed and developed to be used as a test-bed to investigate how these e-learning tools could support learning to do mathematics. A Trigonometry module, consisting of course content in the form of resources and tasks to help the students to explore, practice and apply right triangle concepts, was used to investigate and derive design strategies. A mixed method research approach with a reflexive self-study research design was used. A group of first-year university student volunteers studying mathematics in the mechanical engineering department were used to test the tutorial. The students were asked to do a series of tasks using the e-learning environment during the Mathematics tutorial period. Data was collected using in-class observations, interviews, screen capture videos, student-written responses, and system-generated data. All students were encouraged to complete a learning journal detailing their experiences during the tutorial using an LMS-based tool. The students were given no training, but a tutor (researcher) was available to answer any questions they may have had. Contradiction analysis was used to evaluate the data, compare purpose and practice and judge whether the activity or tool was fitted for the intended purpose. Findings were in the form of transformations of the e-tutorial system as it was developed. Among the most noteworthy contributory modifications were changing from 1) “read first, then do” to “do first, read when necessary”, 2) “work on the computer” to “work on paper then capture on the computer”, 3) “physically separated work with computer-enabled social contact”, to "individual computer work in face-to-face social settings.” 4) “single-level of resource provision” to “multi-level, demand-driven resource provision” and 5) “self-regulated” learning process regulation to “computer-assisted” learning process regulation. The discussion of these findings indicated that to enable students’ deep and effective engagement in the process of learning fundamental trigonometry within an LMS-mediated tutorial, one needs to design the system with some activities that can create a demand for knowledge, encourage rough work and face-to-face social interaction, supported by multi-level, demand-driven resources, and computer-assisted learning-process regulation. Contributions to research by this study were in the form of 1) Design Principles for LMS-mediated tutorials, 2) Principles for an e-tutorial development methodology, and 3) The LMS-mediated tutorial system. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Primary and Early Childhood Education, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2023-10-13

The use of dynamic software to potentially enhance conceptual understanding and a productive disposition in the visual learning of algebra: an interventionist case study

  • Authors: Junius, Daniel Franscius
  • Date: 2023-10-13
  • Subjects: Mathematics education , Algebra Study and teaching (Secondary) Namibia , Educational technology , Visual learning , GeoGebra , High school students Attitudes
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431542 , vital:72784 , DOI 10.21504/10962/431542
  • Description: Over the decades, the didactics and practice of teaching mathematics has offered many unique challenges and opportunities for exploration and understanding. The introduction and development of technology into mathematics is one of the occurrences which has also contributed to a new discourse in teaching mathematics – in this case the teaching of algebra. Algebra is still seen as a gatekeeper and remains as one of the key reasons for a negative disposition amongst learners towards learning the subject. Across the globe psychologists, philosophers and educators continue to engage in debates and research projects in search of answers and solutions for the improvement of algebra teaching and an improvement in dispositions towards learning algebra. This thesis reports on a research project that focused on the use of dynamic software to enhance the conceptual understanding and productive dispositions of selected learners through the visual learning of abstract algebraic concepts. The research was executed as an interventionist case study. A case study methodological strategy was adopted with two groups of 30 Grade 9 learners. One group was a Grade 9 mathematics class of a school in Windhoek who scored above average in algebra but showed a very low disposition score, while the other group was made up of learners from a community project who scored high on the disposition scale but achieved below average results in algebra. The analytical framework of the case study is structured around a combination of complementary algebraic topics presented through visual learning, with GeoGebra as a medium of instruction. With the focus on visualisation and the use of technology the study investigated and attempted to understand how participants processed and internalised algebraic concepts to make sense of abstract algebraic concepts and eventually gain sustained conceptual understanding. The study was framed by the theoretical theories of constructivism and the Dual Coding Theory. For the collection of data, a mixed methods approach was adopted following three cycles. Three algebraic topics were taught with GeoGebra applets yielding both qualitative and quantitative data, through the observation of participants, screen captures and reflective interviews, using instruments designed specifically for the study and collecting quantitative achievement test results. The study, a journey that both the participants and the researcher embarked upon, revealed that the use of technology enhanced conceptual understanding for both groups and both groups showed a positive change in disposition towards learning algebra. The intervention with GeoGebra consistently and progressively improved in terms of conceptual understanding and dispositions towards learning algebra significant improvements in results were achieved. The findings showed that this approach to teaching algebra yielded positive results and gave new insights into visual teaching with technology. New opportunities for further research were created. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2023-10-13

Technological pedagogical content knowledge development: investigating secondary school teachers' integration and use of technology during emergency remote teaching in Endola education circuit

  • Authors: Munyanyo, Johanna
  • Date: 2023-10
  • Subjects: Pedagogical content knowledge , Social distancing (Public health) and education , Distance teaching , Educational technology , Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423882 , vital:72101
  • Description: The Covid-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in human history. The closure of schools and other learning spaces has impacted billions of learners worldwide. The mitigative measures and many new standard operating procedures have brought restrictions and many challenges. The face-to-face traditional teaching method lost its value, and teaching shifted to distance through the integration of technologies. The integration of technologies necessitated the emergency remote teaching process, as it is one of the distance teaching modes that can make teaching possible even for less technologically privileged nations. Literature has shown that the integration and usage of technology during teaching support the development of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. This study, therefore, sought to investigate how the integration and use of technology during the emergency remote teaching of Covid-19 developed the secondary school teachers’ technological pedagogical and content knowledge. The study is underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, and a qualitative case study approach was employed. It was conducted in seven secondary schools in the Endola education circuit, Ohangwena region, with the purposeful participation of twenty-six secondary school teachers. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory together with the TPACK framework of Thompson and Mishra (2007) as both theoretical and analytical frameworks. The study's results showed that teachers made use of existing technological resources to sustain their teaching efforts during ERT. They encountered various challenges, including a lack of technological expertise (knowledge) among both teachers and learners. The shift to virtual instruction during ERT supported teachers in developing proficient technological pedagogical content knowledge. This research concludes that schools possess the necessary technological infrastructure to enable teachers to incorporate technology into their teaching methods. Furthermore, it highlights that teachers generally hold favourable attitudes toward integrating technology into their instruction. Nevertheless, it recommends that there is a need for improving both in-service and pre-service teachers’ training and support for effectively teaching in online and blended learning environments. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2023-10

Exploring primary school mathematics teachers use of gamification in formative assessment: a case study

  • Authors: Simelane, Thando
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Kahoot! , Gamification , Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge , Mathematics Study and teaching (Elementary) Eswatini Shiselweni , Educational technology , Formative assessment
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405412 , vital:70169
  • Description: Technology integration has gained much influence with the emergence of technological tools in educational areas. The vast resources and opportunities that technologies and the Internet have brought new approaches, strategies, and tools to assess learners' performance in many subject areas. Teachers have many computer/mobile device applications and learning management systems. Most teachers are trying new ways of integrating technology into the mathematics classroom to increase the quality of teaching and learning. Thus, this study explored how primary school mathematics teachers use Kahoot as a formative assessment tool. The study adopted an exploratory case study underpinned by the interpretive paradigm. It was conducted in a primary school in the Shiselweni Region in Swaziland. The participants were ten mathematics teachers teaching different grades at the school. Data was generated using observations, workshops, structured questionnaires, journal reflections and focus group interviews. The theoretical and analytical framework that underpinned this study was a combination of Davis' (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Mishra & Koehler's (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The study results showed that the perceptions and attitudes of primary school mathematics teachers towards using Kahoot generally appear to be positive. The study also revealed that all the participants found Kahoot helpful and perceived it as easy to use. The study found that the provision of technical support for teachers; and financial support for schools to implement technology use in the classroom were enabling factors for using Kahoot as a formative assessment technology. Constraining factors were lack of high-speed internet connectivity; and lack of basic technological knowledge for using Kahoot in formative assessment. The study concluded that Kahoot increases learner motivation, engagement, attention, enjoyment, and knowledge retention. This study recommended the integration of Kahoot gamification into the mathematics curriculum.The study recommends that there is a need for schools to initiate the presence of technologies in mathematics classrooms and encourage teachers to integrate technologies assessment and teaching. The study suggest future research to explore use of Kahoot as a formative assessment technology in resource-constrained schooling contexts using multiple cases. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Gamification technology in teaching: Exploring how mathematics teachers make use of Kahoot! Gamification to facilitate learning of probability in classrooms

  • Authors: Mbete, Ayanda
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Gamification , Kahoot! , Mathematics Study and teaching (Elementary) South Africa Eastern Cape , Probabilities , Educational technology , Rural schools South Africa Eastern Cape , Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge , Cultural-historical activity theory
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405311 , vital:70160
  • Description: This study seeks to examine the use of Kahoot! as a gamification technology in practice with Grade six teachers to explore its use in supporting the learning of Probability in Mathematics in rural primary schools. Purposive sampling was adopted wherein nine Grade six mathematics teachers from four rural primary schools in Amathole East district were selected as participants of the study. In addition, to inform this qualitative case study, an interpretive paradigm was adopted. Data was collected using semi-questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, workshop discussions and reflective journals. The TPACK by Mishra & Koehler (2009) and Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory were employed as the lenses through which all the proceedings of the study were based. The key findings indicate that integrating Kahoot! gamification technology, in the ‘Probability’ lesson, has positive consequences such as bringing fun into the classroom, enhancing learner participation, prompt feedback and offering a learner-driven approach to learning as opposed to the conventional teaching strategies. The findings also revealed that enabling and constraining factors are associated with using Kahoot! in teaching: the ICT infrastructure, teachers’ competency levels and the environment in which teaching and learning occurs. This study concluded that the use of Kahoot enhances the learning of probability in rural under-resourced primary schools. This study recommended the integration of Kahoot gamification into the mathematics curriculum. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The role of principals in supporting the use of ICT for teaching and learning in five primary schools in the Amathole West District, Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Sazi, Ndileka Christina
  • Date: 2022-06
  • Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Internet in education
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27876 , vital:70237
  • Description: While some South African policies such as E-Education Policy of 2004 advocate for use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning in schools as a strategy to meet the needs of the 21st Century and for improving the quality of educational outcomes. Principals as school leaders and managers ought to play a pivotal role in making links with different stakeholders to provide an enabling environment for learning as outlined in the South African Standards for Principal ship of 2015. This study sought how Principals are supporting the use of ICT for teaching and learning in five primary schools in the Amathole West District, Eastern Cape. The study was guided by Lee’s (2000) framework on technological leadership. The study was grounded in interpretive paradigm, employing qualitative approach to elicit Principals’ insights on ICT support approaches they employed in their respective workstations. Each of the five Principals was conveniently selected and participated in semi structured interviews, school plans and inventories corroborating findings from interviews. Principals heavily relied on the Department of Basic Education to provide ICT infrastructure and related tools. The study recommends that ICT leadership be a component of Principals’ continuous professional development plans. Approaches for supporting teachers and provision of workshops by the Department of basic education, but little encouragement on forming communities of practice within and outside the school as promoted by SASP. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-06

Pedagogic videos as a foreign language learning resource in textbooks used in the German studies section of a South African university: A digital multimodal discourse perspective

  • Authors: Schafli, Sasha-Lee
  • Date: 2021-04
  • Subjects: Language and languages Study and teaching Audio-visual aids , Educational technology , Media programs (Education) , German language Study and teaching Foreign speakers Audio-visual aids , Visual learning , Rhodes University , German language Discourse analysis , ‎Digital multimodal discourse analysis
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177087 , vital:42789 , http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/113934
  • Description: Video is a prominent teaching and learning tool within foreign language (FL) textbook media packages in the 21st century. While studies undertaken in the Global North highlight that video materials in the FL classroom have the potential to influence learning and cultural knowledge acquisition, there is a lack of research on the manner in which pedagogically designed videos influence adult FL learning and cultural knowledge acquisition in a South African context. In this study, I explore the opportunities and challenges in terms of language learning and cultural knowledge acquisition that arise from three pedagogic videos in the Menschen A1 textbook which is used in teaching students registered for the German Studies 1 course at Rhodes University. I compare and contrast two sets of data to examine the relationship between pedagogic video and student knowledge acquisition: the results of a digital multimodal discourse analysis (DMDA) of these videos, and questionnaires and transcriptions collected from semi-structured group interviews with German Studies 1 students. These questionnaires and transcriptions were analysed thematically. Findings in terms of the language learning experience indicate that actor over-exaggeration and visual aids assist students when learning German at this level with this type of video. However, these visual aids can be distracting and confusing without balanced representation and contextual information. Differences between videos in terms of speech rate seem to affect students’ perceptions of their ability to comprehend the videos. Students reported forming only positive impressions of German culture(s) on the basis of the videos. In general, students find Germans portrayed as friendly and helpful in the videos. The results of this investigation provide recommendations for the optimal use of this type of teaching and learning resource, for example, teachers/ lecturers/ facilitators should allow for focus group discussions on cultural discourse to occur in order to balance stereotype formation and should consider the speech rate of videos for language learning. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 2021
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  • Date Issued: 2021-04

An analysis of how visualisation capabilities in dynamic geometric software develop meaning-making of mathematical concepts in selected Grade 11 learners

  • Authors: Mavani, Deepack Pravin
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa , Mathematics -- Computer programs , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Case studies , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Activity programs , Educational technology , Visualization
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143213 , vital:38211
  • Description: Visualisation plays a central role in developing mathematical ideas because it can be used to make these ideas explicit and visible, and thus has the potential to advance understanding. This study centred around the GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP), a teacher development initiative in Mthatha that aimed to grow and develop appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills in teachers, to harness the teaching and learning potential of GeoGebra. GeoGebra is a dynamic geometric software package that is very interactive and makes use of powerful features to create images which can be moved around the computer screen for mathematical exploration. This research project was located within GLIP and analysed how GeoGebra applets develop conceptual and procedural understanding in selected Grade 11 learners. One aspect of GLIP was for teachers to use GeoGebra applets that they had developed themselves and implemented in their classrooms in pre-determined cycles that were aligned to the curriculum. My study specifically focused on how the selected learners made use of these applets and explored how learning had taken place in terms of developing mathematical meaning-making. This interpretive research study was designed as a case study. The case was a cohort of selected Grade 11 learners who had been taught by GLIP teachers, and my unit of analysis was the learners’ interaction with the applets. A screen capturing software package was used to capture learners’ interactions with the GeoGebra. My data consisted mainly of recorded observations and interviews. An analytical framework derived from the works of Kilpatrick, Swafford, and Findell (2001) and Carter et al. (2009) guided and informed the data analysis of the learners’ activities with the GeoGebra. The theoretical orientation of this study was constructivist learning. An in-depth analysis and detailed descriptions of the participants’ interactions enabled me to gain a comprehensive understanding of their meaning-making processes in a technological classroom context. An analysis across the participants identified distinguishable patterns or differences in the development of the learners’ mathematical proficiency and making sense of mathematical ideas. The research argued that technology enabled visualisation was a powerful tool to not only enrich mathematically activities, but to also enrich conceptual and procedural understanding. The findings recognised that exploration of, or manipulation on mathematical objects in GeoGebra was a key activity in the participants’ meaning-making process. It also enabled learners to offer self-proclaimed theories
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Patterns and Pattern Languages for Mobile Augmented Reality

  • Authors: Munro, Donald
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Augmented reality , Educational technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48510 , vital:40883
  • Description: Mixed Reality is a relatively new field in computer science which uses technology as a medium to provide modified or enhanced views of reality or to virtually generate a new reality. Augmented Reality is a branch of Mixed Reality which blends the real-world as viewed through a computer interface with virtual objects generated by a computer. The 21st century commodification of mobile devices with multi-core Central Processing Units, Graphics Processing Units, high definition displays and multiple sensors controlled by capable Operating Systems such as Android and iOS means that Mobile Augmented Reality applications have become increasingly feasible. Mobile Augmented Reality is a multi-disciplinary field requiring a synthesis of many technologies such as computer graphics, computer vision, machine learning and mobile device programming while also requiring theoretical knowledge of diverse fields such as Linear Algebra, Projective and Differential Geometry, Probability and Optimisation. This multi-disciplinary nature has led to a fragmentation of knowledge into various specialisations, making it difficult to integrate different solution components into a coherent architecture. Software design patterns provide a solution space of tried and tested best practices for a specified problem within a given context. The solution space is non-prescriptive and is described in terms of relationships between roles that can be assigned to software components. Architectural patterns are used to specify high level designs of complete systems, as opposed to domain or tactical level patterns that address specific lower level problem areas. Pattern Languages comprise multiple software patterns combining in multiple possible sequences to form a language with the individual patterns forming the language vocabulary while the valid sequences through the patterns define the grammar. Pattern Languages provide flexible generalised solutions within a particular domain that can be customised to solve problems of differing characteristics and levels of iii complexity within the domain. The specification of one or more Pattern Languages tailored to the Mobile Augmented Reality domain can therefore provide a generalised guide for the design and architecture of Mobile Augmented Reality applications from an architectural level down to the ”nuts-and-bolts” implementation level. While there is a large body of research into the technical specialisations pertaining to Mobile Augmented Reality, there is a dearth of up-to-date literature covering Mobile Augmented Reality design. This thesis fills this vacuum by: 1. Providing architectural patterns that provide the spine on which the design of Mobile Augmented Reality artefacts can be based; 2. Documenting existing patterns within the context of Mobile Augmented Reality; 3. Identifying new patterns specific to Mobile Augmented Reality; and 4. Combining the patterns into Pattern Languages for Detection & Tracking, Rendering & Interaction and Data Access for Mobile Augmented Reality. The resulting Pattern Languages support design at multiple levels of complexity from an object-oriented framework down to specific one-off Augmented Reality applications. The practical contribution of this thesis is the specification of architectural patterns and Pattern Language that provide a unified design approach for both the overall architecture and the detailed design of Mobile Augmented Reality artefacts. The theoretical contribution is a design theory for Mobile Augmented Reality gleaned from the extraction of patterns and creation of a pattern language or languages.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

A study of the integration of technology in the school arts classroom

  • Authors: Sauls, Maxwell Martin
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computer managed instruction
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7364 , vital:21342
  • Description: This study explores the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Educational Technology (ET) as an educational resource in the school Arts classroom. Many teachers lack the qualifications to teach the Performing Arts (PA) of the Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). Therefore, teachers rely on curriculum documentation and textbooks to help guide planning of lessons and the execution thereof. Technology as a resource tool can assist teachers as they incorporate an overwhelming amount of content/concepts in lessons. In this way they could improve classroom practice in the PA disciplines. With the emergence of Operation Phakisa: ICT in Education (Department of Education [DoE] 2015), the researcher acknowledges that the integration of ET is unavoidable. Moreover, the research highlights the importance of engaging with the rising hegemony of ICT as the defining characteristic of the information society. Literature supporting the inclusivity of media and media-related resources in education are discussed. In addition, the literature review focuses on a wide variety of ET and concludes with the implementation of ET in a South African context. Teachers from the Foundation Phase (FP), Intermediate Phase (IP) and Senior Phase (SP), namely grade R – 7, were invited to participate in the study where they were observed during contact time drawing on technology to aid teaching pedagogy. The research design involved a qualitative inquiry with aspects of crystallization where the data was collected through observations, interviews and teacher’s self-assessment. The findings suggest that teachers received little or no training in one or more PA disciplines. The integration of technology in the teaching pedagogy led to an enhanced learning environment where the teacher could actively engage learners in meaningful activities. The findings furthermore revealed that the use of technology was not uniform and did not lead to neat conclusion. Instead the researcher found that a great deal of divergence in the use of technology. This divergence was found across art disciplines and the use of technology also differed among teachers. Finally, individual teachers also differed in their use of technology across the art disciplines that they taught. The learners benefited from the use of technology insofar as they displayed a better understanding of the concepts in subsequent lessons. Furthermore, by the end of the study, teachers had begun to implement the new teaching style in learning areas other than the PA.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Guidelines for the analysis of student web usage in support of primary educational objectives

  • Authors: Von Schoultz, Dean John
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Information behavior , Searching behavior , Internet in higher education , World Wide Web , Educational technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4965 , vital:20772
  • Description: The Internet and World Wide Web provides huge amounts of information to individuals with access to it. Information is an important driving factor of education and higher education has experienced massive adoption rates of information and communication technologies, and accessing the Web is not an uncommon practice within a higher educational institution. The Web provides numerous benefits and many students rely on the Web for information, communication and technical support. However, the immense amount of information available on the Web has brought about some negative side effects associated with abundant information. Whether the Web is a positive influence on students’ academic well-being within higher education is a difficult question to answer. To understand how the Web is used by students within a higher education institution is not an easy task. However, there are ways to understand the Web usage behaviour of students. Using established methods for gathering useful information from data produced by an institution, Web usage behaviours of students within a higher education institution could be analysed and presented. This dissertation presents guidance for analysing Web traffic within a higher educational institution in order to gain insight into the Web usage behaviours of students. This insight can provide educators with valuable information to bolster their decision-making capacity towards achieving their educational goals.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

An architecutre for the effective use of mobile devices in supporting contact learning

  • Authors: Alnseerat, Nemr
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Mobile communication systems in education , Educational technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:10490 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020079
  • Description: The features and capacities of mobile devices offer a wide range of significant opportunities for providing learning content in workplaces and educational institutions. This new approach of teaching, called mobile learning, allows for the delivery of learning content on the move at any time. Mobile learning supports learning by producing learning content to learners in a modern and acceptable way. The number of mobile learning applications has increased rapidly in educational environments. There are, however, limited mobile learning applications that take advantage of mobile devices to support contact learning in the classroom environment. The aim of this research was to design a mobile learning architecture to effectively support contact learning in the classroom. The researcher investigated the historical and theoretical background of mobile learning and reported these findings. This included an overview of existing mobile learning architectures. After identifying their limitations, the researcher designed the Contact Instruction Mobile Learning Architecture (CIMLA) to facilitate the use of mobile devices in the classroom. The researcher developed the LiveLearning prototype based on the proposed architecture as a proof of concept. He conducted a usability evaluation in order to determine the usability of LiveLearning. The results indicated that the LiveLearning prototype is effective in supporting contact learning in the classroom.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

A framework to enhance the mobile user experience in an Mlearning interaction

  • Authors: Botha, Adele
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Educational technology , Information technology , Educational innovations , Teaching -- Aids and devices
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:9753 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008163 , Educational technology , Information technology , Educational innovations , Teaching -- Aids and devices
  • Description: The new millennium is witness to a telecommunications world that is vastly different from even the recent past with developments in the mobile sector having dramatically changed the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) landscape. Mobile cellular technology has proliferated faster than any previous technology and is now the most ubiquitous technology in the world. The focus of this thesis is the development of a framework to enhance the Mobile User Experience in an Mlearning interaction. This research is contextualised by the goal-oriented use of mobile cellular technologies in a formal educational environment. As such the study, although residing in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), acknowledges issues arising in the Education Domain as a specific field of application. The aim of the research was to investigate the components of a framework to enhance the Mobile User Experience in an Mlearning interaction. The development of the framework was facilitated by the exploration of: the Mobile User Experience factors and their impact, on the Mobile User Experience of learners participating in a goal-oriented Mlearning interaction. These critical factors were documented in terms of the Mobile User Experience components, and the relationships of these components to each other as well as the Mobile User Experience of an Mlearning interaction. The research, grounded in a phenomenological research philosophy, applied an inductive reasoning approach, and was operationalised through a single case study methodology. A qualitative research strategy was considered appropriate, as the phenomenon of User Experience is linked to the hedonistic attributes of the interaction. This study was conducted in four phases with focus on three embedded units of analysis. The three units of analysis were identified as: The learner as end user in an Mlearning interaction; The educator as designer of the Mlearning interaction; and The Mlearning interaction. The research revealed that the Mobile User Experience of an Mlearning interaction is affected by the mobile user, mobile use, mobile device, mobile business practices, mobile networks, mobile interaction and mobile context. Within the Mlearning interaction the significant components are the learners as mobile users, the enhance interactions, removal of barriers to the interaction, goal-oriented nature of the interaction and the ducational context. Identifying these components and their associated Mobile User Experience factors and impacts, present the main contribution of this thesis. In conclusion, the limitations of the study are documented and topics for future research are outlined.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

A platform for computer-assisted multilingual literacy development

  • Authors: Mudimba, Bwini Chizabubi
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: FundaWethu , Language acquisition -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language arts (Elementary) -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language and education , Education, Bilingual , Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computers and literacy
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4600 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004850 , FundaWethu , Language acquisition -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language arts (Elementary) -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language and education , Education, Bilingual , Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computers and literacy
  • Description: FundaWethu is reading software that is designed to deliver reading lessons to Grade R-3 (foundation phase) children who are learning to read in a multilingual context. Starting from a premise that the system should be both educative and entertaining, the system allows literacy researchers or teachers to construct rich multimedia reading lessons, with text, pictures (possibly animated), and audio files. Using the design-based research methodology which is problem driven and iterative, we followed a user-centred design process in creating FundaWethu. To promote sustainability of the software, we chose to bring teachers on board as “co-designers” using the lesson authoring tool. We made the authoring tool simple enough for use by non computer specialists, but expressive enough to enable a wide range of beginners reading exercises to be constructed in a number of different languages (indigenous South African languages in particular). This project therefore centred on the use of designbased research to build FundaWethu, the design and construction of FundaWethu and the usability study carried out to determine the adequacy of FundaWethu.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The use of e-mail among students and lecturers at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University: a guide reasearch report

  • Authors: Ntsiko, Blondie Bonisa Blossom
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Telecommunication in education , Educational technology , Electronic mail systems in education
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9119 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015970
  • Description: This research seeks to determine the impact of the use of e-mail between lecturers and students at the NMMU. New students at universities, and especially first year undergraduates, can sometimes have difficulties in addressing their concerns, questions and ideas about their courses and are faced with the difficulty of adapting to a new lifestyle and the university environment. Interactivity and feedback are key contributors to providing an effective learning environment for such students. Lecturers provide the main source for university students to discover what is expected of them to identify the key learning goals related to a course, from a lecturer (Braxton, Milem & Sullivan, 2000:569). The increase in student numbers in Higher Education over the last decade has been dramatic, placing greater pressures on academic staff in terms of contacting students. As computer technology becomes both more prevalent and more intrusive, its use and misuse are increasingly falling under the critical scrutiny of academic researchers. If traditional educational methods are supported, such support must be flexible enough to accommodate technology, but as a means, not an end. The research of e-mail impact between students and lecturers is still very new and is open for additional study (Braxton, et al. 2000:590).
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  • Date Issued: 2011

The introduction of cyberhunts as a teaching and learning strategy to guide teachers towards the integration of computer technology in schools

  • Authors: Du Plessis, André
  • Date: 2010
  • Subjects: Educational technology , Computers -- Study and teaching , Computer-assisted instruction , Competency-based education
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:9555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1210 , Educational technology , Computers -- Study and teaching , Computer-assisted instruction , Competency-based education
  • Description: This study, which is based on a computer literacy teacher development programme that included introducing the teacher participants to the Internet, investigated whether the development of teacher ICT skills through the design of cyberhunts in a learning-as-design context, has the potential to promote the critical and developmental outcomes which form the basis of the South African National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and Draft White Paper on e-Education. The research was conducted within the post-positivist paradigm underpinned by a critical realist position and made use of qualitative and quantitative data1 gathering methods (mixed research) within an interpretative case study. Several different quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. Quantitative data gathering tools that had been used comprised of Likert scale questionnaires, a computer skills questionnaire, as well as certain sections within semi-closed-openended questionnaires. The qualitative data gathering tools that had been used were semi-closed-openended questionnaires, journal reflection sheets, observation and interviews. Ontologically the research was informed by a critical-realist perspective, epistemologically by a socio-cultural perspective; including situated learning within communities of practice; recognising the cognitive, social and situated learning dimension of teacher learning. Methodologically an interpretive case study approach was used, as the aim was to explore and investigate what the participants experienced, perceived and to understand the participants: what they felt, how they felt and why they felt and responded in certain ways. Initially the study focused on identifying how ready the participating schools and their participating teachers were in terms of the implementation and integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with reference to first- and second order barriers. The findings suggest that addressing the first- and second order barriers is a vital aspect when assisting schools to move towards ICT integration. The next phase of the research focused on whether the cyberhunt design approach is capable of developing the critical outcomes of the NCS, whether it promotes motivation and interest, and whether it promotes collaboration. Both the quantitative and qualitative data portrayed positive results regarding the perceptions of the participating teachers in the cyberhunt design approach related to the critical and 1PLEASE NOTE: All the data referred to as in the appendix and all appendices are attached to this thesis on a CD containing the portable document format (PDF) files. This can be found at the back. iv developmental outcomes with reference to search and research, reading attitude, decision making, planning skills - which include time management and goal setting, knowledge and skills related to composing questions on different cognitive levels, computer skills, reflection and design skills. Positive results were also found related to audience, confidence, mental effort, motivation, interest and collaboration. The probabilities (p values) and practical statistical significance in the form of Cohen's d, were highly significant. The teachers’ final cyberhunt products suggest that the majority of the participants had obtained basic cyberhunt design skills. However, in spite of the positive results, it was found that not all teachers are yet ready to implement this approach exactly as it is intended. When interpreted within an activity theory perspective; the positive results might be attributed to the unmediated functioning of the rules, division of labour and community aspects of the theory, while the conditions required by complexity theory for the development of a complex learning community appear to have been met by the implementation of cyberhunts as a strategy. The conditions for enabling the development of a complex learning community; namely internal diversity, redundancy, decentralised control, organised randomness and neighbour interaction; also appear to have interacted with the unmediated aspects of activity theory in developing consensual rules and through the negotiation of the division of labour located within the community. In a like manner, positive results related to search and research, decision making, questioning, computer skills, reflection, design skills and audience reported can most likely be attributed to the functioning of the mediational tools as described by activity theory such as the computer technology, the Internet, the software that had been used and language. The data thus suggest that the interaction between both the unmediated elements and higher order mediated elements of activity theory, have most likely been the defining factors which created high levels of motivation, interest, collaboration and a positive classroom culture through which the critical and developmental outcomes of the South Africa curriculum can possibly be achieved within a complex learning community. The study also investigated how the teacher development process regarding ICT implementation should be managed. This study found that the acronym CRAR3FS2 holds the key to teacher development and classroom implementation. This acronym represents the verbs or actions that the participating teachers highly valued during implementation and what they have indicated as being important, namely: Care, Relate, Assess, Reflect, Read, Re-Plan, Feedback, Share and Support.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2010
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