An Investigation of Factors affecting the Use of ICT for Teaching in the Western Cape Schools

The Khanya project has been equipping schools and educators with ICT skills and equipment to be used in the curriculum delivery in South Africa. However, research and anecdotal evidence show that there is low adoption rate of ICT among educators in Khanya schools. This interpretive study sets out to analyse the factors which are preventing the educators from using the technology in their work. The perspective of limited access and/or use of ICT as deprivation of capabilities provides a conceptual base for this paper. We employed Sen’s Capability Approach as a conceptual lens to examine the educators’ situation regarding ICT for teaching and learning. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with fourteen educators and two Khanya personnel. The results of the study show that there are a number of factors (personal, social and environmental) which are preventing the educators from realising their potential capabilities from the ICT

MXit it up in the media: Media discourse analysis on a mobile instant messaging system

Mobile instant messaging has the potential of providing the youth not only with a social space where they can interact and bond but also with a learning environment. MXit is the most popular mobile instant messaging application in South Africa. Due to its nascency, little academic research has been done on the application. The application has drawn considerable local media interest; however, most of the media coverage has been negative. Media discourse of the application is of academic interest, since media discourse is one of the many ways through which reality is constructed. This means there is a relationship between media discourse and public opinion. Distortions in the media may misinform and engender impaired decision making amongst policymakers as well as members of the public. Discourse analysis can reveal distortions in media communication and counter misinformation. Using critical discourse analysis, we have analysed the media discourse on MXit by employing the Habermasian concept of the ideal speech situation and its validity claims as a conceptual tool. The analysis shows that (i) the media discourse is fraught with distortions; (ii) the media have mainly used the voice of adults to legitimise the discourse and the voices of the youth who are the main users of the application are missing; and (iii) there seems to be a moral panic developing around the use of MXit

Should communal computing facilities cohabit with public facilities?

Reasons for establishing communal computing facilities (CCF) in existing public facilities vary from lower setup and operating costs, to easy access for intended users. We explore how CCFs operate in existing public facilities and the effects of these environments on the operations and usage of CCFs. Informed by findings of studies on CCFs in disadvantaged communities, this paper notes a number of merits and demerits of setting CCFs in existing public facilities. We note that hosting institutions may contribute towards achieving CCFs critical success factors. On the negative side, hosting institutions may limit the type of users for CCFs

Educators' motivation on integration of ICTs into pedagogy: case of disadvantaged areas

This paper investigates factors that motivate educators to use Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in schools in disadvantaged areas. The study employed Herzberg’ Motivation–Hygiene theory to guide the process of understanding the factors that motivate or demotivate educators when using the technology for teaching and learning. Qualitative research approach was used to gather and analyse information from educators from randomly sampled schools located in disadvantaged areas in the Western Cape. The study has shown that educators’ motivation to use technology for curriculum delivery could be impacted by satisfaction derived from using the ICTs, individual expectations, responsibility and a sense of achievement experienced when using the technologies

Final-year teacher training students' perceptions of THRASS

Our purpose was to see if THRASS (Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills) is a programme that should be taught to Foundation Phase (FP) and Intermediate/Senior Phases (ISP) pre-service teachers at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The term 'literacy' is defined as an evolving, developing and complex concept, not only because it describes a set of practices, but also because it is context-driven. The THRASS programme is fundamentally for teaching phonics, and is described as being at the 'word' level teaching of literacy. We argue that word level teaching should be done in context and within texts. A mixed method research design was used in order to provide better understandings and answers to the research question: What are the BEd 4 students' perceptions of THRASS? A questionnaire and two focus group interviews were used to gather data. Qualitative data were analysed, using an inductive approach. The findings confirm that pre-service teachers going to teach in schools feel prepared to teach reading, but not spelling or creative writing

Digital fluency: necessary competence for teaching and learning in connected classrooms

Educators’ digital fluency has been noted as one of the most important skill required for effective curriculum delivery in connected classrooms. Research and anecdotal evidence show that even though many Western Cape classrooms have internet connectivity, many of the educators are unable to take advantage of the connectivity for teaching and learning. Hence, this paper focuses on the educators’ digital fluency as a necessary competence for effective curriculum delivery in connected classrooms. The study was done qualitatively. Randomly selected educators from public schools participated in the one-on-one and focus group interviews. Results show that most educators perceive their digital fluency and the complex knowledge of how to effectively integrate digital technologies into curriculum delivery to be inadequate. Hence they are unable to take advantage of the connectivity in the classrooms. Therefore, the authorities in education need to ensure educators are well equipped to develop digital fluency and the ways of integrating technologies into curriculum delivery

Moral panics on implementation of Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System: Case of Malawi

This paper analysed moral panics on the implementation of an ICT sector regulatory system called Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (CIRMS). The study focused on how the media reported on the events and opinions of stakeholders on the implementation of CIRMS for the ICT sector of Malawi. Media reports published between 2009 and 2012 were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the media reported both potential benefits and threats of CIRMS. Some of the benefits included effective billing and revenue generation for the regulator. However, some of the reports indicated that the system had a potential of surveillance to record calls of mobile phone users. Some stakeholders perceived that the system would invade personal privacy which led to moral panics. The study demonstrated the unintended consequences of implementing an information system with a wider scope of stakes. Thus, managers responsible for information systems implementation should be cautious of social implications for ICT sector regulatory systems

Empirical study on e-learning adoption at institutions of higher learning in South Africa

Published ArticleAlthough the familiarity of technology in general among academics may not be a problem, research has shown that many course instructors are still lagging behind on the uptake of the new technologies, e.g. eLearning platforms for curriculum delivery. This paper aims at investigating the factors that are affecting the uptake of eLearning platforms by course instructors at tertiary level. The paper answers the question: "Why aren't eLearning platforms used more by instructors for curriculum delivery at tertiary level?" A qualitative research approach was employed whereby conversations with purposively selected academics were the data collection technique. Analysis shows that the uptake of the eLearning platforms by course instructors is affected by their level of confidence to use the technologies for teaching and learning. The confidence here is a combination of computer self-efficacy and teacher efficacy. The study can contribute to a better understanding of determining constructs of lecturers' uptake of new technologies

Developing the language of thinking within a classroom community of inquiry: pre-service teachers’ experiences

We argue that the “community of inquiry” approach, using reading materials modelled on Lipman’s Philosophy for Children programme, is a theoretically justified and teacher-friendly means of promoting effective thinking skills. The stimulus materials, used by the pre-service teachers, consist of short stories of classroom life designed to elicit children’s ideas for further discussion as a community of inquiry. Research has shown that the community of inquiry approach to classroom discussion is perceived positively by educators and teachers and makes a difference to learners. This study explored how the Intermediate and Senior Phase pre-service teachers experienced a classroom community of inquiry by using a qualitative research design with 47 final year pre-service teachers. Data consisted of written reflections from the whole class and recordings of two focus group interviews with selected individuals from the group. From the analysis of the data, the following themes became evident: personal and professional development, changes in learners, contextual concerns, and curriculum links. We conclude that this approach is a valuable addition to the pedagogical strategies of pre-service teachers.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Social Inclusion in the Digital Era: Rethinking Debates and Narratives in the World Bank Report.

The 2019 (5th) proceedings of ACIST focuses on how African societies are leveraging and can leverage the smart capabilities in digital technologies to address organizational and societal challenges. Technology-enabled solutions offer solutions to many of these challenges. Digital technologies are increasingly becoming integral to and interdependent with the African society