Saide Current Awareness
19 November 2024

 

Distance Education

Source: Preprint ResearchGate More and more systematic reviews (SRs) are being published in the educational sciences. This umbrellamapping review examines 576 SRs published between 2018 and 2022 in the field of open, distance, anddigital education (ODDE) to investigate publication and authorship patterns and to evaluate the quality ofthese SRs. Almost as many SRs were published in 2022 as in theprevious four years and the most rigorous SRs come from the field of medical education. However, theresults show that there is room for improvement in SRs published in ODDE. A content analysis thatexplored the thematic scope of SRs showed that the majority of SRs addressed topics related to learningdesign, AI in education, and the effectiveness of online learning and teaching interventions. Research during this time period was strongly influenced by the experiences with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this umbrella review should help to improve the quality of SRs towards reproducible reviews in ODDE.

Source: BOA HELMETO CONFERENCE 2024

This Special track 7 discusses the impact of distance learning on education. While this shift has made education more accessible, it also necessitates a rethinking of teaching methods to adapt to virtual environments. This is exemplified by the ”Pedagogy-Space-Technology” (PST) model. The contributions in this special track focus on how university teaching practices are evolving towards active and effective learning strategies, aimed at enhancing professional development for both teachers and students.

Education: South Africa

Source:Youtube

Fewer high school pupils in South Africa are pursuing maths and science, leading to critical skills shortages in STEM-related career paths. South Africa now ranks among the lowest globally in maths performance, with fewer than a third of matric pupils taking the subject. While economic challenges contribute to rising unemployment, the shortage of STEM skills further limits job opportunities.

Source: BizCommunity The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has urged Early Childhood Development (ECD) operators to participate in its mass registration drive - as it commences the registration process of ECD programmes that are operating outside the regulated system.

Source: TimesLives Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube says improved literacy and numeracy in all phases of schooling is at the top of her to-do list. She outlined her five priorities for the seventh administration at a business breakfast in Johannesburg on Monday. The gathering brought together more than 100 business leaders and community stakeholders.

Source: Business Insider Africa The significance of education in a nation cannot be overstated, as it holds the key to unlocking numerous long-term benefits that shape the country's future.

Language, Literacies, Research Writing and Publishing

Source: Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Drawing from the dual synergy between translanguaging and science education on multimodalities and social justice agenda, this systematic review synthesized the key features of empirical research published from 2010 to 2023 that reported translanguaging practices in global K-12 formal and informal science education settings. The results indicated high heterogeneity in the studied socio-geographic landscapes and in the definition, implementation, and implication of translanguaging practices. Analysis of the science sense-making practices indicates some epistemic practices are more widely represented than others, with marginal global differences observed. To maintain and embolden the synergy between science education and translanguaging, our findings recommend increased collaboration between Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics (STEM) education and bilingual education and collaboration between teachers and researchers to develop an effective translanguaging environment for science learning.

Source:UWC

For many African language-speaking children in South Africa, the transition to English-only instruction from Grade 4 onward can create significant barriers to understanding, with long-lasting educational consequences. However, this challenge is about to be addressed meaningfully. The University of the Western Cape's (UWC) Bilingual Learning Materials (BLM) project, led by Dr Robyn Tyler, is responding to the critical need for multilingual resources in South African schools.

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

Source: Youtube

Cuba’s Virtual Health University is revolutionizing access to medical education. By leveraging Open Educational Resources (OER), the university provides undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as healthcare professionals, with an extensive range of medical disciplines, subjects, and courses. This approach not only enhances learning opportunities but also ensures that knowledge is accessible, adaptable, and inclusive for all.

Post Schooling

Source: IOL

As globalisation and technological advancements reshape economies, South African universities confront a crucial challenge: equipping graduates for emerging technology and renewable energy sectors.

Source: BlackStar News South Africa’s Wits University is set to unveil its first dedicated artificial intelligence institute this week to help drive the technology’s development across the continent. It comes amid growing concerns that AI may widen the existing digital divide between wealthy countries and poorer nations.

Source: University World News The Global Employability University Ranking and Survey (GEURS) for 2025 has ranked South Africa’s University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch University among the top global universities with employable graduates, writes Hope Mafu for The Star.
The GEURS assesses the employability performance of higher education institutions. It is the only survey that ranks and reveals the world’s top 250 universities for producing employable graduates based on the employer’s assessment, knowledge and expectations.

Source: IOL

The University of Witwatersrand (Wits) has officially unveiled its state-of-the-art Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, an innovative immersive experience designed to take research and learning to unprecedented heights.
This R90 million investment, made possible through a collaboration between Wits University and Anglo American, marks a significant milestone in educational infrastructure and is touted as the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Source: University World News African scientists have been raising their voices to advocate for the region’s top priorities, including climate adaptation and finance, as experts at COP29 began deliberating on 11 November in Baku, Azerbaijan, about climate change under the theme ‘In Solidarity for a Green World’.
African experts and scientists have agreed that, in addition to adaptation and finance, there are several other priority areas for the African group attending COP29 (which is the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC).

Skills and Employment

Source: Inside Education Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane is leading a South African delegation on a working visit to China to foster international collaboration in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Department spokesperson Camagwini Mavovana said the trip would last until later this month.
It follows President Cyril Ramaphosa saying that SA-China relations would be elevated. Nkabane’s itinerary includes participation in the three-day 2024 World Vocational and Technical Education Development conference in Tianjin, set to start on 20 November.
The event is expected to bring together over 1000 global leaders, educators and industry professionals to discuss topics including industry-education integration, sustainable development, skills development, teacher training and quality assurance in vocational education.

Skills for jobs: Microsoft Talent Cloud launches in South Africa

Source: ITWeb

Microsoft, in partnership with Gebeya, launched the Microsoft Talent Cloud platform at its South African headquarters in Bryanston, Johannesburg last week. Ethiopia-based Gebeya is a pan-African talent marketplace and provider of SaaS-based skills development platforms. The Microsoft Talent Cloud is an AI-powered platform designed to upskill African tech talent and connect them with Microsoft certified experts and potential employers worldwide. It provides training, certification, and a dedicated job marketplace.

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

Source:IJEP This study investigates the influence of video streaming platforms on effective listening proficiency among English teachers and secondary school students in SMKA Tun Ahmadshah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The research utilized a qualitative approach, interviewing 5 experienced English teachers and five students from Form 3 to Form 5. Among the reasons, the integration of modern technological tools was provided in the school. The theories of cognitivism and content-based learning (CBL) within the book are employed. The research focuses on these theories to explore cognitive and instructional merits of using video streaming platforms. Based on the findings, the content of video streaming platforms significantly sustains students’ engagement and motivation. At the same time, teachers comment on the content being interesting, relevant, and in multimedia format. It combines visual and auditory sense for their engagement.

Source:Faculty Focus "Like birthdays, anniversaries are occasions for reflection, and as I approach the fifth anniversary of my teaching career, I find that my thoughts are drawn to the things that I did badly. Here’s a list of five teaching mistakes I have made. I share them in the hope that they will cause others to reflect and perhaps help new professors avoid making these same mistakes."

Source: Faculty Focus

One of the persistent challenges in second language acquisition (SLA), especially within the communicative approach, is how to incorporate writing in a way that feels meaningful and beneficial to students. The communicative method, which focuses on teaching language through interaction and real-life communication, traditionally prioritizes speaking and listening skills, emphasizing real-time language use. As a result, writing often takes a backseat, seen as an isolated, academic exercise rather than a communicative act. Both teachers and students tend to resist prioritizing writing activities into language lessons. For students, writing in a foreign language can be intimidating, often because they feel they lack the necessary vocabulary or fear making mistakes that become fossilized (Kara, 2013; Shang, 2013; Tallon, 2009). For teachers, assessing and correcting writing is a time-consuming process, particularly when the focus of class time is on oral communication. These factors create a reluctance to fully integrate writing into language learning curriculums, particularly at the novice and intermediate language levels.

Source: Inside Higher Education Faculty members can make exams more meaningful and encourage better study habits for students by assigning post-test reflections.

Technology-Enhanced Learning

Source: Faculty Focus As the number of universities offering fully online-only courses increases, a new set of challenges arises for students and professors. The ability to create professional learning communities (PLCs) amongst peers and professors in their fields has become a challenge for online-only students. Factors such as technological isolation caused by geographical distance and stakeholder digital fluency may hinder the ability of students to receive the full spectrum of support that in-person PLCs provide (Ribon et al. 2013). This leads university professors in search of ways to provide students with a way to build community and networking with their peers in place of in-person community building

Source: Youtube The YouTube playlist of the recent 5th Fully Online Distance Education Symposium held virtually on 16 – 17 October 2025 is now available with the programme containing all the links availble here .

Source: Youtube The video covers six practical applications of GenAI that can help streamline faculty work and improve student experience. It includes creating engaging lesson plans and teaching materials; developing inclusive assessment materials and supporting students with complex topics

Source: Marc Watkins Substack "OpenAI was well aware from the beginning that students made up the majority of their user base. They also understood that many students were primarily using their tool to avoid genuine learning experiences. Despite this knowledge, for two years they avoided confronting a serious issue—they had released a tool that any student over 13 could freely access and use, causing widespread disruption in education systems. While OpenAI emphasized how AI would benefit underserved and poorly resourced communities, they paid little attention to how their product was eroding trust throughout educational institutions, both in the United States and internationally."

A bibliography of open resources, selected for all working in digital education in South Africa, is curated by Universities South Africa’s Digital Education CoP. All the resources are freely available via https://bit.ly/Digital_Education_Open_Bibliography. CHECK REGULARLY FOR UPDATES.