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Saide Current Awareness
01 April 2024

Distance Education

A personal history: 15. How technology changed distance education in the mid 1990s Source: Online Learning and Distance Education Resources. Tony Bates latest blog on his personal reflections on the advent of technology use in education in the 90's
An Alternative Way to Provide Pronunciation Feedback in Distance Education Source: Tesol In distance education, providing on-the-spot corrective feedback on pronunciation can be challenging. In this teaching tip, learn the benefits of letting #ELLs spot their own mistakes and discover ways to encourage peer learning.

Education: South Africa

Children not learning maths: an unequal system in SA Source: IOL Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at The University of Zululand, and the director at StellarMaths (Phoenix and Sunningdale) underscores the importance of language and pure maths skills as integral to a good education.
Higher Education deregisters four private institutions Source: SAGovNews The Department of Higher Education and Training has cancelled the registration of four Educor institutions after failing to submit proof of their financial viability to the department.Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, announced the deregistration of City Varsity (Pty) Ltd, Damelin (Pty) Ltd, Icesa City Campus (Pty) Ltd and Lyceum College (Pty) Ltd during a media briefing held in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Where to now for Damelin, City Varsity, Icesa City Campus and Lyceum College students after deregistration? Nzimande explains Source: IOL Private higher education institutions under the embattled Educor Group have for a long time been plagued by a myriad of problems, including allegations of awarding passes to non-deserving students, and non-payment of staff.
Nzimande slams Educor for leaving 13 000 students stranded Source: Mail & Guardian Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has slammed private education provider Educor’s “gross governance and compliance failures” following the decision to deregister Damelin, CityVarsity, Icesa City Campus and Lyceum College.
Marginalised Communities in SA Achieve New Heights in Education Source: StatsSA 2024 commemorates three decades since the inception of democracy in South Africa. Since 1994, South Africa has ushered in notable reforms across multiple sectors, with education being one of the key areas of focus. These reforms aimed to address historical inequalities and improve access to quality education for all citizens. Substantial investments have been made in the education sector to support these goals. One of the most notable achievements is the significant increase in enrolment rates across all levels of education. Enrolment rates have seen unprecedented growth, reflecting improved access to education for previously marginalised communities, resulting in higher educational achievements. This is according to a recently released report by Statistics South Africa titled Census 2022: A profile of education enrolment, attainment and progression in South Africa.
Urgent need to focus on SA children’s mental health — president of SA Society of Psychiatrist Source: Daily Maverick There are serious gaps in psychiatry regarding treatment, prevention and care for children and adolescents in South Africa. Offering solutions, Dr Anusha Lachman says psychiatric services should be offered in ways that are Afro-centric and culturally sensitive.

Language, Literacies and Research Writing

Teaching cursive handwriting to young children? Here’s how they learn, and resources for instruction Source: The Conversation Good handwriting is not an end in itself. Rather, it is a means to literacy that fundamentally transforms the human experience. Developing control over the shape of the 26 letters of the alphabet ultimately unlocks the ability to engage in the world of fact, fiction — and endless possibilities of the imagination afforded by written communication.
Worried about how to support your child’s education? Here are four useful steps you can take Source: The Conversation Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children’s learning. Their involvement lays the foundation for success both inside and outside the classroom. This makes a parent’s consistent support and nurturing important at every stage of formal schooling, and even before that.

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

OER24 Keynote: Betwixt fairy tales and dystopian futures by Dr Rajiv Jhangiani Source: ALT Youtube Channel The recording of the keynote presentation at the 15th annual conference for Open Education research, practice and policy organised by ALT, the Association for Learning Technology, in partnership with Munster Technological University (MTU). Heres the link to the full playlist
OER24 Keynote Essay: The Future Isn't What It Used To Be: Open Education at a Crossroads Source: ALT This keynote was delivered by Dr Catherine Cronin and Professor Laura Czerniewicz at the Open Education Conference (OER24) on 28 March 2024 at Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland. A recording of this is available to watch on ALT’s YouTube channel with the essay containing the links to slides and recording provided in the previous link.

Post Schooling

The World’s 2024 education special: The price of higher ed Source The World.Org Higher education transformed the US into the country it is today. Its premier universities are why the US is the No. 1 choice among international students. But nowhere else is tuition as expensive, and many are in debt.
South Africa launches innovation fund for students Source: ResearchProfessionalNews Scheme to plug entrepreneurship gaps at universities and vocational colleges a “game changer” says minister. South African students and graduates will soon be able to apply for support from a national higher education innovation fund, the government has announced.
UNDP and DSI launch new fund to support university and TVET tech entrepreneurs Source: UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa has teamed up with the Department of Science and Innovation, launching an innovation and commercialisation fund, the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). The HEIF aims to embolden budding innovators and tech entrepreneurs within South African higher education institutions. It strives to cultivate a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within the post-secondary education sector, focusing on fostering job opportunities and the establishment of thriving enterprises.
Affordability of Higher Education in South Africa Source: ICHE Are Above Inflation Tuition Fee Increases Justified? This article investigates why South African universities increased their tuition fees above inflation during the period 2010 to 2019 (intentionally excluding the potential distortion caused by COVID-19). The affordability of higher education is the subject of increased debate among stakeholders in South Africa. From a financial point of view, universities, as typical service organisations, should have benefited from an increase in enrolments. The main reason is that their expenses are typically period costs and are hence less affected by an increase in enrolments. However, the key findings of the study on which this article is based were that revenue increased above inflation, with tuition fees the main culprit. In turn, the reason for increased tuition fees is a significant increase in expenses.
If uni marks are going up, does that mean there’s a problem? Source: The Conversation In 1894, Harvard University commissioned a report on grading standards, due to concerns that: "Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily – Grade A for work of no very high merit, and Grade B for work not far above mediocrity." More than a century later, the fear of declining academic standards continues. In Australia, there are ongoing media reports about universities awarding increasing numbers of high grades. Evidence has also been found in the United Kingdom and the United States. Some US studies suggest grade averages have been steadily increasing since at least the early 1960s. This week, a report by academics at the University of Sydney found a 234% increase in the number of high distinctions awarded to students at the university between 2011 and 2021 (the university notes it changed its grading model in 2012).
What we learned from teaching a course on the science of happiness Source: The Conversation When you deliver a university course that makes students happier, everybody wants to know what the secret is. What are your tips? What are your top ten recommendations? These are the most asked questions, as if there is some quick, surefire path to happiness. The problem is that there are no life-transforming discoveries, because most of what works has already been talked about. Social connection, mindfulness, gratitude letters, acts of kindness, going for a walk in nature, sleep hygiene, limiting social media use. These are some of the 80 or so psychological interventions which have been shown to work to improve our wellbeing (to a lesser or greater extent).

Skills and Employment

Making short films is a powerful way to learn job skills: 5 ways it prepares students for work Source: The Conversation The world of work is changing all the time. Technology is driving innovation and productivity, leading to the creation of new industries and employment opportunities. This means people need new skills to meet the demands of an ever-changing economy.

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

Barriers to Learning in South Africa Source: Twinkl This blog covers the Barriers to Learning in South Africa. Supporting Children with ADHD, Autism, Visual Impairments, Dyspraxia, Anxiety, Dyscalculia, and Attachment Disorders in the Classroom.
Navigating Learning for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) in South Africa: Barriers and Recommendations Source: ResearchGate The purpose of the paper is to provide mitigation strategies for learning barriers encountered by LSEN in South Africa. The paper was guided by a qualitative integrative review (IR) research methodology. The findings highlighted various obstacles identified in research conducted at both global and national levels, including insufficient educator training, resource deficiencies, limited policy implementation, and challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, South Africa’s educational framework, adapted from similar contexts, presents unique hurdles.
A philosopher makes the case for a thoughtful life – but life is more than a thought experiment Source: The Conversation Svend Brinkmann’s Think is a book in praise of the thoughtful life and an easygoing exploration of the role of thinking in our lives today. The book is essentially in two parts. The first is descriptive. It explores questions like “what do we mean by thinking?”, “why has it become difficult to think in today’s world?” and “where does thinking come from?”The second part is prescriptive. Brinkmann provides some quick and relatively simple strategies for bringing more thoughtfulness into our everyday lives.

Technology-Enhanced Learning

Teaching and learning with generative AI Source: Linkedin A presentation by Prof. Fengchun Miao, UNESCO's Chief of Technology and AI in education unit, which describes UNESCO's recent outputs in AI in Education as well as expounding on the 8 controversies around GenAI and includes strategies for AI integration.
Adobe Express: Text to Image Generator Source: Ohio State University This resource provides a brief introduction to Adobe's Text to Image Generator, which is available within both Adobe Express and Adobe Stock
AI in South African Education and Parental Involvement Source: Medium Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education in South Africa raises important discussions among educators, parents, and community members. Parents' involvement becomes crucial as educational institutions explore AI's potential to enhance learning experiences and outcomes.
There are concerns about the role of AI in the classroom and its implications for student privacy, data security, and the potential loss of human touch in education.
Policy Insights - AI and Digital Inequities Source: NORRAG AI in society is not a binary on/off. But the question of how can we prevent AI from reflecting and reinforcing existing inequities must be answered. This collection brings together 29 authors from 5 continents who provide key takeaways for decision makers, educators and students seeking to support more equitable and ethical design and deployment of AI in education across the full gamut of ethical concerns. The authors in this collection foreground the ethical challenges that arise with regards to AI use in education whether as a private, public or common good, and invite you to put human and planetary flourishing at the heart of AI decision making, development and deployment.
How not to talk about AI in education Source: LSE Higher Education Blog With AI described variously as a co-author, creator, thinker, and even a teacher, Helen Beetham urges the sector to articulate AI’s role in higher education more carefully, so that we’re not inadvertently fuelling the hype and confusion.
Data Harms: The Evidence Against Education Data Source: Postdigital Science and Education Critical studies of EdTech are beginning to provide evidence that education data can cause harm. Some emerging issues are due to the fact that personal data has become such a valuable commodity while the composition of datasets and the design of algorithms present further problems . It is an important area of inquiry given children and young people in school are subject to the implications of data often without knowing and typically with few opportunities to speak back and resist.This article expounds on the four categories of harm.
Mapping the Response to AI and Its Impact on Assessment Redesign Through Document Analysis Source: CUNY Academic Commons This paper investigates the response of higher education institutions to the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessment design, prompted by the advent of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Bard. Through a document analysis of 135 English-speaking websites, including university and educational organization guidelines, the study identifies and discusses emerging trends and approaches to incorporating GenAI into educational assessments. It scrutinizes how universities and organizations initially address the impact of GenAI, focusing on the guidance provided to instructors. The analysis reveals seven principal themes: the terminology used to describe AI’s role in assessment, provisional principles guiding its use, advice to instructors on implementing GenAI, the opportunity to refocus on the purpose of assessment, examples and roles of AI in assessment, relevant theories and pedagogies, and the recognition of this period as the initial wave of GenAI integration in education.
Assessment of Student Learning Is Broken Source: Inside Higher Education And generative AI is the thing that broke it, Zach Justus and Nik Janos write.Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has broken higher education assessment. This has implications from the classroom to institutional accreditation. We are advocating for a one-year pause on assessment requirements from institutions and accreditation bodies. We should divert the time we would normally spend on assessment toward a reevaluation of how to measure student learning. This could also be the start of a conversation about what students need to learn in this new age.
GENAI DETECTION TOOLS, ADVERSARIAL TECHNIQUES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INCLUSIVITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION Source: ARVIX This study investigates the efficacy of six major Generative AI (GenAI) text detectors when confronted with machine-generated content that has been modified using techniques designed to evade detection by these tools (n=805). The results demonstrate that the detectors' already low accuracy rates (39.5%) show major reductions in accuracy (17.4%) when faced with manipulated content, with some techniques proving more effective than others in evading detection.