Saide Current Awareness
29 July 2024

 

Distance Education

  • Overcoming Challenges in Online Learning: Retention Factors and Prime Persistence Practices  Source: Faculty Focus Online learning continues to grow and evolve. In fact, in the fall of 2022, there were 18,580,026 adult learners participating in distance education (National Center for Education Statistics 2022). Adult learners find it desirable due to its variety, flexibility, and ease of access, yet despite its popularity, retention rates of online education are not comparable to traditional face-to-face learning institutions (Akers, Carter, and Coder 2021, p. 1). Three overall categories emerge as major contributing reasons for lack of online persistence: student factors, course or program factors, and environmental factors.

 

   Education: South Africa

  • The importance of long-term data to improve mathematics proficiency in South Africa Source: Engineering News Despite high spending on education relative to other countries, South Africa scores poorly on most international education rankings. In 2004, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) argued that the country would need to double the number of matric Higher Grade (HG)[1] mathematics and science passes for economic growth, a goal which was formally adopted by the government in 2006. Epoch and Optima Trusts, founded by Anglo American, established the Maths Challenge Programme (MCP) in 2007 in response to this imperative. Tshikululu managed and monitored the programme over its 15-year lifespan. Effective monitoring, grounded in a results-based approach, with comprehensive data analysis and reporting have been essential in tracking progress over the course of the programme – and, ultimately, providing the data for making evidence-based decisions about its future.
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  • Minister Siviwe Gwarube: A Driving Force for South Africa's Future Source: LinkedIn As South Africa's Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube assumes a pivotal role in shaping the future of the country. Her responsibilities extend beyond the education sector, influencing the overall success of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the trajectory of the nation as a whole. This article aims to underscore the critical importance of her role and outline the key challenges that she is poised to address.
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  • The SouthAfrican Early Childhood Review  Source: CI.UCT Jet reports that the review "has brought attention to the alarming crisis of high child poverty and malnutrition rates. In the year 2022/23, there were approximately 15,000 hospitalized children suffering from malnutrition, and over 60% of them are under the age of six and live in severe poverty. Read more"
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  • Exploring At Sci-Bono Discovery Centre - Education Center In Johannesburg,South Africa  Source: Youtube "Welcome to our channel dedicated to exploring the Sci-Bono Discovery Center in Johannesburg, South Africa! Join us as we dive into the world of education and discovery at this fascinating center. Our vlogs capture the excitement of interactive exhibits, educational activities, and hands-on learning experiences for all ages. Whether you're a student, a teacher, or simply curious about the wonders of science and technology, our channel provides an in-depth look at everything SCI-BONO has to offer."
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  • Studyclix: A new study platform for matrics and their teachers to boost exam results Source:IOL Studyclix seeks to lessen the challenges for education in South Africa through the application of new technologies.
    Developed with permission from the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Studyclix is a unique platform that takes past NSC exam question papers across eight school subjects and breaks them down into topics and sub-topics with detailed teacher-created mark schemes, videos, and notes.

 

Language, Literacies and Research Writing

  • To get SA’s children reading – we need local stories that intrigue them Source: BizCommunity Oxford University Press South Africa (OUPSA) has launched more local languages in their novel reading scheme Aweh! aimed at young learners, the books promise to develop literacy for grade 1- 3 learners by making learning to read accessible, more fun, and engaging.
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  • VUT Hosts workshop on translanguaging for Mandela Day Source: VUT On 18 July 2024, the African Languages Development Unit (ALDU) at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) hosted a significant workshop on translanguaging.The event was specifically tailored for VUT mentors and tutors to commemorate International Mandela Day, emphasising the significance of developing African languages post-1994 and addressing their historical marginalization. Following the establishment of a new constitution recognizing 12 official languages, the South African government mandated Higher Education Institutions to develop, promote, and preserve these languages. This initiative aims to enhance multilingualism, and integrate these languages into teaching and learning activities, with the aim of addressing challenges such as high failure and low graduate throughput rates.

 

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

  • Launch of the UNESCO Network on Open Education: A milestone for social justice in academia Source:UCT The UNESCO University Twinning and Networking Programme (UniTWIN) network on Open Education (UNOE) was recently launched online, marking a significant step towards advancing open education and social justice globally. This initiative, hosted by Nantes University, brings together 16 partners from various countries and institutions, including the University of Cape Town (UCT), represented by Associate Professor Glenda Cox, the UCT UNESCO Chair in Open Education and Social Justice.

 

   Post Schooling

  • Preparing accounting students as future responsible leaders Source: University World News In the wake of numerous business scandals, the need for ethical and responsible leadership in the sphere of business and accounting has never been more pressing. Especially in emerging economies, business leaders should use their expertise to tackle social issues such as income inequality, economic stagnation and high unemployment.
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  • PhDs are important for South Africa’s growth: more support for doctoral candidates who work full-time is key Source: The Conversation South Africa’s government and higher education sector have invested a lot of time and money over the past two decades to enhance the country’s research output and cultivate the next generation of researchers. Though there has been some progress, South Africa still isn’t close to its National Development Plan target of reaching 100 PhDs per one million people by 2030. By 2021 the rate stood at 59 PhDs per million people.
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  • Universities South Africa’s third higher education conference is set to be a deliberations powerhouse Source: USAF The third biennial higher education conference of Universities South Africa (USAf) promises to be a deliberations powerhouse, judging from the range of speakers confirmed to address the gathering from 9 to 11 October 2022. Professor Tshilidzi Marwala , Rector at the United Nations (UN) University in Tokyo, Japan, will set the stage on Day One of the conference, leading a discussion on The Global Crisis and the Future University. Quite fitting, considering that this gathering will be dissecting the theme: the Future of the University in rigorous debates framed within the work of Universities South Africa and its strategy groups, communities of practice and flagship programmes.
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  • Technical and Vocational Education and Training in South Africa: Practice, Pedagogy and Digitalisation Source: ResearchGate The predominant objective of this book is to present, in their own words and arguments, grounded and multifaceted accounts of the experiences of South African TVET lecturers and practitioners in their classrooms, workshops and workplace-based pedagogic spaces. Its vocational knowledge, teaching and training concerns range from face-to-face apprenticeship learning to increasingly important digital learning opportunities.

 

Skills and Employment

  • Micro-credentials offer bite-sized skills to boost youth employability Source: ItWeb At 45.4%, South Africa's youth unemployment rate dwarfs the national average (32.9%), highlighting the struggle many young people face entering the workforce. While a traditional university degree can increase job prospects, factors like cost, time commitment and location often make it inaccessible. Furthermore, 35.5% of young South Africans are NEET (not in education, employment or training), further compounding the problem.
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  • Smartphones’ huge role in youth upskilling can drive economies Source: University World News Nearly two-thirds of online learners enrolled in professional skills courses in the Sub-Saharan Africa region access their education via smartphones and tablets, the highest percentage to do so in any region in the world.

 

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

  • Examinations: Are they still important or are they outdated? Source: University World News There is an ongoing debate about whether examinations at schools and universities are an appropriate way to test the knowledge and understanding of learners and students. Are exams archaic and, if they are, what is the alternative?
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  • Should governments invest in tertiary or basic education? Source: University World News Even though there is a deficit in tertiary education facilities across Africa, there is a growing academic debate on whether there is a need to invest in facilities for higher education at the expense of primary and secondary education, Mohammed Belhocine, the African Union’s commissioner for education, science, technology and innovation, has said in Accra, Ghana.
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  • What might learning design become in the post-COVID university? Source: Learning Design Voices In this provocation, Sue explores the field of learning design, where it has come from and how it has shaped the field. Questions of learning designer identity and roles come into play, and how this will look in the future in universities.

 

Technology-Enhanced Learning

  • Hypothesis: A Social Annotation Tool for Your Carmen Course Source: Ohio University Social annotation is an engaging method to facilitate asynchronous student discussion focused on course content. Learn about social annotation and how to use this tool here.
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  • A Plea for (In)Human-centred AI Source: Philosophy and Technology  In this article, we use the account of the “inhuman” that is developed in the work of the French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard to develop a critique of human-centred AI. We argue that Lyotard’s philosophy not only provides resources for a negative critique of human-centred AI discourse, but also contains inspiration for a more constructive account of how the discourse around human-centred AI can take a broader view of the human that includes key dimensions of Lyotard’s inhuman, namely performativity, vulnerability, and novelty. We link these dimensions to questions of epistemic injustice and social recognition. In this way, we hope to develop a proposal for what a richer and more meaningful understanding of human-centred AI might look like.
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  • Free AI Resources for Your School or Classroom Source: AI for Education A host of infograms on helpful information about AI use.
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  • Gamification-Education: the power of data. Teachers in social networks Source: RIED. The Iberoamerican Review of Distance Education - Technology and Education. This study reveals the emerging role of teachers in creating educational materials on social media and how they use Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to enrich education.
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  • Postdigital Ethics of Care Source: Encyclopedia of Postdigital Science and Education  This entry introduces ethics of care as it relates to postdigital education. It starts with a concise overview of care within feminist thought introducing the argument that to be in human relation is key to ethical action. Although core ideas of ethics of care endure, they can be further contextualised through the evolution of the language of care in educational settings and the evolving nature of those settings themselves as the world becomes increasingly entangled in technology and as care becomes part of everyday discourse. Postdigital ethics of care has much hope that it can retain or reclaim its essence but such hope is born from a recognition of the inequalities and problems which give rise to the notion of care as a phenomenon of both study and praxis that works in the service of creating happier worlds for all living beings.
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  • Creating Connections: Team-Building Activities for the Online Classroom Source: Faculty Focus Online classes most often begin with an “introduce yourself” discussion forum for students to get comfortable working with peers in discussions and other activities. Most follow the standard model of asking each student to say something about themselves, which can lead to perfunctory comments meant simply to fulfill the requirement. A gamified approach can produce more genuine interaction between students. Here are some activities to use in your online courses.