An investigation of how Visual Technology for the Autonomous Learning of Mathematics (VITALmaths) video clips on mobile phones can be used by student teachers as a visualisation tool in the teaching of Number Sense: a case study

Visualisation is increasingly being recognised as having a significant role in the learning of mathematics especially when students are solving mathematical problems (Thornton, 2001). It is argued that visualisation is a powerful tool for learners to construct mental and physical representations that correctly mirror mathematical relationships and concepts. To gain a thorough understanding of the scope of visualisation, three Visual Technology for Autonomous Learning of Mathematics (VITALmaths) (www.vitalmaths.com) video clips were uploaded on mobile phones of each of the eleven participating student teachers who used them in their teaching practice. This is in cognisance of the educational potential offered by mobile phones and their current pervasiveness in the daily lives of both teachers and learners in Zambia (Zambia. Ministry of Education [M.O.E], 2013]). This study sought to investigate how VITALmaths video clips on mobile phones could be used by student teachers as a visualisation tool in the teaching of Number Sense. The videos of the lessons formed the core of my analysis. The study was conducted at four primary schools by eleven student teachers of a public university in Zambia. The study is framed as a case study and is grounded within the interpretive paradigm. The findings revealed that the student teachers’ use of the video clips in the classrooms for teaching was generally approached from two perspectives: at the beginning of the lesson or at the end. The videos were used at the beginning of the lesson as a means to introduce a topic or an idea, and at the end of the lesson to consolidate what was taught. The videos were also used to enhance the conceptual understanding of Number Sense. The findings also revealed that students encountered both enabling and constraining factors in their use of mobile phones to teach number sense. The overall findings revealed that, if well utilised, mobile phones as visualisation tools had the potential to enhance the teaching of Mathematics in general and Number Sense in particular, and therefore teachers should be encouraged to use them in their teaching

Where are the Barriers to Sustainable Construction in Africa?Key Note Speech

The construction industry is very resource intensive. At every stage of a project lifecycle, huge pressures are exerted on the natural environment for materials, where raw materials are extracted, delivered to factories, manufactured into building materials, and delivered to construction sites. The construction and post construction use of buildings up to demolition stage involve the consumption of huge volumes of materials and generation of much waste in the process

Bibliometric analysis for reviewing published studies in the built environment

Literature review is generally one of the key steps in conducting a scientific research. The overwhelming amount of literature may require significant effort to sort out, screen, and analyse before generating useful information and achieving research objectives in any scholarly work within a given domain. As the text-mining-featured analysis tools (e.g., VosViewer) become available for visualizing and analysing secondary data sources (e.g., literature), the bibliometric analysis is becoming one of the widely adopted methods in reviewing literature, especially for a large amount of secondary sources. In this chapter, bibliometric analysis is firstly defined. The rationale for adopting them when conducting literature review is described. The existing software tools for conducting the text-mining-based analysis (e.g., VosViewer, Gephi, etc.) are introduced. Using two cases in the subject of built environment, the detailed workflow of conducting the science mapping approach involving bibliometric analysis is also described. The network analysis using one of the bibliometric analysis tools (i.e., VosViewer) is showcased. Finally, the general guidance of conducting a bibliometric analysis is summarised, with recommendations provided and common mistakes described

Potential of Anthill Soil as a Pozzolan in Concrete

Cement is the most utilised construction material and the second most consumed commodity in the world after water. It has been reported that the heavily energy-intensive processes that are involved in its production account for about 7 to 10 % of the total global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main cause of climate change; and are also expensive economically. Energy and cost efficiency can however be achieved by reducing on the amount of clinker, and in its place utilising pozzolans, which require less process heating and emit lower levels of CO2. This research aimed to provide an original contribution to the body of knowledge by investigating Anthill Soil (AHS) for pozzolanic properties. Cement was replaced in concrete with AHS by weight using 5% increments by weight, from 0 to 30% at the point of need. Durability was investigated using the water absorption and sulfate tests. Results of the chemical analysis by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) showed that AHS contained the chemical composition required for pozzolans, and the compressive strengths achieved were for classes that are listed by standards as being durable and suitable for structural applications. The behaviour of AHS in workability, density, gain in compressive strength over time, water absorption and sulfate tests were also consistent with the characteristics of pozzolans, leading to a conclusion that it may be suitable for use as a pozzolan to improve the properties of concrete, reduce on the harmful effects of cement production to the environment and lower the overall cost of concrete, allowing for the construction of low cost buildings

A Critical Analysis Of Collaborative And Disruptive Digital-Driven Built Environment Education

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven the teaching and learning provisions more towards virtual platforms, exposing lack of resilience and technology preparedness. This study aims to provide a critical appraisal of existing pedagogical studies on built environment (e.g., Building Information Modelling or BIM) challenging the opportunism and agency theories in response towards remote education provision provoked by the pandemic. The study consists of critical review of two literature samples, namely how the education sector as a whole has been responding to the pandemic, and the digitalisation-based pedagogy in built environment especially how the pedagogy addresses the pandemic. The review of the second literature sample evaluates longitudinally how BIM-based built environment education had evolved. A conceptual framework incorporating multiple factors from the review of the two literature samples is finally proposed. These factors include educational theories (e.g., Bloom’s Taxonomy), curriculum development addressing assessment, student experience, collaborative learning, delivery approaches, and teaching methods. This review-based study not only provides an overview of the digital built environment pedagogical work in higher education, but also contests the opportunism response to remote or blended learning and how the post-pandemic era could embrace the remote delivery-platforms to engender a variety of pedagogical principles, for example, cross-disciplinary team-based information sharing, experiential learning, and project-based learning. The findings of this study represent a barometer and roadmap for measuring the resilience of higher education and built environment programmes towards pandemic and technological disruptions

Reclaiming the value of indigenous female initiation rites as a strategy for HIV prevention : a gendered analysis of Chisungu initiation rites among the Bemba people of Zambia.

Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.Almost all African societies have female initiation rites to mark the process of growing up. Initiation rites signal the transition from one stage in life to another. Between the two levels is “the camp,” the liminal phase, in which the initiate is secluded in order to be initiated into the mysteries of life. Through female initiation rites, positions of power and social relations within the society are demonstrated. The Bemba people of Zambia perform the Chisungu female initiation rites in which young women are initiated into adulthood through the ritual process. Chisungu female initiation rites remain an important source of traditional education on sex and the social and religious leadership roles of women in Zambia although they are now being modified and performed in a shortened form. This study builds on the scholarly work undertaken by African women theologians particularly in the last decade, to engage theologically with the subject of HIV and AIDS on the African continent. Their theoretical insights and analysis provide the critical lenses for this thesis. The objective of the thesis is to offer a gendered analysis of Chisungu initiation rites among the Bemba people, in order to retrieve the values of indigenous female initiation rites which can critique patriarchy in the context of HIV and AIDS. This objective is achieved in the following steps. Firstly the function, the form and the practices of indigenous female Chisungu initiation rites are explained. Secondly, the gendered cultural values of indigenous female Chisungu initiation rites are demonstrated while simultaneously providing details of the symbolic meaning of the rites and the interpretation of the initiation songs and the sacred emblems (imbusa). Thirdly, how gendered cultural values of indigenous Chisungu initiation rites can be retrieved for HIV prevention is illustrated. Finally the importance of inculturating the values of indigenous female Chisungu initiation rites in the UCZ with regards to empowering women in the context of HIV and AIDS is explored

High-level fed-batch fermentative expression of an engineered Staphylococcal protein A based ligand in E. coli: purification and characterization

The major platform for high level recombinant protein production is based on genetically modified microorganisms like Escherichia coli (E. coli) due to its short dividing time, ability to use inexpensive substrates and additionally, its genetics is comparatively simple, well characterized and can be manipulated easily. Here, we investigated the possibilities of finding the best media for high cell density fermentation, by analyzing different media samples, focusing on improving fermentation techniques and recombinant protein production. Initial fermentation of E. coli BL21 DE3:pAV01 in baffled flasks showed that high cell density was achieved when using complex media, Luria–Bertani (LB) and Terrific medium broth (TB) (10 and 14 g/L wet weight, respectively), as compared to mineral media M9, modified minimal medium (MMM) and Riesenberg mineral medium (RM) (7, 8 and 7 g/L, respectively). However, in fed-batch fermentation processes when using MMM after 25 h cultivation, it was possible to yield an optical density (OD600) of 139 corresponding to 172 g/L of wet biomass was produced in a 30 L TV Techfors-S Infors HT fermenter, with a computer controlled nutrient supply (glucose as a carbon source) delivery system, indicating nearly 1.5 times that obtained from TB. Upon purification, a total of 1.65 mg/g of protein per gram cell biomass was obtained and the purified AviPure showed affinity for immunoglobulin. High cell density fed batch fermentation was achieved by selecting the best media and growth conditions, by utilizing a number of fermentation parameters like media, fermentation conditions, chemical concentrations, pO2 level, stirrer speed, pH level and feed media addition. It is possible to reach cell densities higher than shake flasks and stirred tank reactors with the improved oxygen transfer rate and feed.Fil: Kangwa, Martin. Jacobs University; AlemaniaFil: Yelemane, Vikas. Jacobs University; AlemaniaFil: Polat, Ayse Nur. Jacobs University; AlemaniaFil: Gorrepati, Kanaka Durga Devi. Jacobs University; AlemaniaFil: Grasselli, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Lahore, Marcelo. Jacobs University; Alemani

The incorporation of GeoGebra as a visualisation tool to teach calculus in teacher education institutions: the Zambian case

This qualitative case study investigated teacher educators’ (lecturers) use of the dynamic mathematics software, GeoGebra, to teach calculus in three teacher education institutions (TEIs) in Zambia. Visualisation, a key characteristic of GeoGebra, is increasingly gaining recognition of playing a critical role in mathematics teaching and learning, especially in problem solving tasks. It is considered a powerful didactical tool for students to construct mental and physical representations that can enhance conceptual understanding of mathematics. GeoGebra is a visualisation tool that can be used for problem-oriented teaching and foster mathematical experiments and discoveries. GeoGebra’s inherent visualisation characteristics align well with the teaching of calculus, the mathematical domain of this study. The study (whose research methodology was underpinned by the interpretive paradigm) was undertaken with a broader goal of designing and implementing GeoGebra applets and instructional materials on various calculus topics. The study is located within the “Teaching and Learning Mathematics with GeoGebra (TLMG) project” – a project that involves mathematics teachers and lecturers in Zambia. The case in this study is the six mathematics lecturers who co-designed and used GeoGebra applets to teach derivatives and integrals to pre-service mathematics teachers in TEIs. The unit of analysis therefore is the six lecturers’ use of GeoGebra as a visualisation tool to teach calculus to enhance conceptual understanding, their perceptions and experiences of using GeoGebra and the enabling and constraining factors of using GeoGebra to teach and learn mathematics. The data for the study were video recordings of observations and interviews of lecturers. The data was analysed thematically and was guided and informed by an analytical framework adopted from the theory of constructivism – the umbrella theoretical framework of this study – and the models of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A detailed analysis of the lecturers’ interactions with the applets enabled me to gain insights into the participants’ experiences and perceptions of GeoGebra applets in the teaching and learning process. The findings of the study revealed that the visualisation characteristics of GeoGebra generally enhanced the conceptual understanding of calculus. It also revealed that adequate training, coupled with sufficient knowledge of the subject matter in calculus, were necessary for lecturers to use GeoGebra effectively, and that the lack of resources and expertise were major hindrances in the use of GeoGebra to teach mathematics in TEIs. It also revealed that there is a need to equip GeoGebra with other features that would make it more versatile, and suggested a teaching approach that would complement the use of conventional methods and GeoGebra to provide a link between abstract and concrete concepts of calculus.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 202

CO-EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION OF GENERATION Z IN A SUB-SAHARAN DIGITAL FINANCIAL ECOSYSTEM

The growing digital consumerism in modern society is associated with higher expectations of customer experience, and as such the business environment is expected to co-evolve by developing more consumer-centric, sharing-based and fastpaced business models. This calls for deeper understanding of consumer aspirations and preferences in a given local context. Therefore, this paper explores the co-evolutionary dynamics of digital financial inclusion of Generation Z against a backdrop of limited understanding of the dynamic complexity of the financial business environment in the digital age. A case study of a digital financial ecosystem in Zambia within sub-Saharan Africa is then employed herein to reveal the co-evolutionary dynamics of financial inclusion of Generation Z within the framework of complex adaptive systems. For this purpose, a system dynamics modelling tool of Causal loop analysis is used to visualise the co-evolutionary dynamics. The paper has demonstrated that digital financial inclusion occurs within a continuum of co-evolutionary dynamics in which the financial institutions build consumer demand for digital financial services based on the participatory accountability and financial capability of the clientele. The paper concludes that digital financial inclusion is an emergent outcome of the complex adaptive behaviour of a financial business ecosystem in the increasingly digitising society. Therefore, development of inclusive financial business models must embrace the digital consumerism of the clientele, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where there is a demographic boom of Generation Z with a growing propensity for digital consumerism