Mobile phone technology and reading behaviour: Commentary on the FunDza programme

South African learners generally perform badly on external tests of reading literacy. In the 2011 international Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), South African Grade 4 learners performed poorly in comparison with their international counterparts, especially on higher order comprehension (Howie, van Staden, Tshele, Dowse, & Zimmerman, 2012). The 2013 Annual National Assessments reported a national average percentage of 43% for Grade 9 learners in their home language and 35% in a first additional language, which often is English (Department of Basic Education, 2013). The Department’s report recommended that learners be encouraged to read additional books, and more widely, to improve their scholastic attainment. There is much evidence to support the argument that reading for pleasure has a positive effect on both personal and educational development (e.g. Clark, 2011). Encouraging learners to engage in self-initiated reading as a leisure activity therefore may be positively related to reading literacy. Unfortunately, many South African learners attend schools with no libraries, and come from households without resources, including books, to promote reading (Howie et al., 2012). The question then is how to fill this gap, to provide reading content to young people who are interested in reading,but who find it difficult to access reading material that would interest them. For a number of years now, mobile phone technology has been seen increasingly as a promising platform to deliver educational services, including literacy development (Lee & Wu, 2012). UNESCO, for example, organises mobile learning weeks. At the second such week,it specifically addressed the question of mobile technology and literacy development for young people and adults(UNESCO, 2013). In South Africa at least two non-profit organisations have developed projects to deliver reading materials to young people via this medium. One is the m4Lit project, funded by the Shuttleworth Foundation, which gives young readers access to novels via the mobile phone. Vosloo (2010) found that these novels attracted over 60,000 reads, suggesting that mobile phone-based reading is a viable strategy to encourage reading. Our researchers have been working with the second organisation, the FunDza Literacy Trust, to provide an assessment of the viability of mobile phones to attract readers. The Trust has been in existence since 2011 and provides readers with locally-written material in a number of South African languages through the mobile social application Mxit or FunDza’s website, http://www.FunDza.co.za This research note offers an overview of work on FunDza reported in three, separate, scholarly publications

Mobile phones and reading for enjoyment: evidence of use and behaviour change

A South African non-profit organisation, FunDza, launched a programme that delivers reading material via mobile phones. Computer log files of user activity over an eight-month period were analysed (N = 9,212,716), which showed that relatively large numbers of readers made use of the material (N = 65,533), and read a substantial amount of the material. We found evidence of positive shifts in reading behaviour. Further analysis showed that greater levels of participation in the programme were associated with greater enjoyment of reading. Furthermore, the longer participants read, the more confident they felt about their self-rated reading proficienc

The hurt business: Psychological aspects of boxing

Ten boxers were interviewed individually to explore how they perceived the nature of aggression in the ring and the mental skills they employed in their sport. The interview data were subjected to thematic analysis, which elicited five dominant themes: aggression and how to deal with it; control of the arousal, especially anger that comes with the territory of the sport; and the positive aspects of discipline over mind and body that is required of boxers. A final observation relates to a relative absence in these interviews. Boxers did not speak explicitly about masculinity as a factor in the sport, unless prompted

Learning environment, motivation and interest: Perspectives on self-determination theory

The relationship between university students' motivation and their learning environment is the focus of this article. Following self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of interest, it is proposed that perceived support of basic psychological needs (support of autonomy, competence and social relatedness), as well as aspects of a constructivist learning environment (teachers' interest, relevance of contents, and quality of instruction, as well as transparency and fit of requirements) are associated with self-determined motivation and with study interest. The responses of a sample of undergraduate students in psychology (N = 123) to measures of these variables were analysed. The students were asked about their motivation to learn, their interest in psychology and about the perceived learning environment in psychology. The results showed that most of the students were motivated on an intrinsic and identified level, and displayed high study interest. Study interest, intrinsic motivation and self-determined forms of extrinsic motivation were particularly associated with perceived support of autonomy and competence, as well as with the relevance of the contents, the quality of instruction and with the perceived transparency of requirements

Achievement goal profiles, trait-anxiety and state-emotion of young female competitive horse riders

The goal orientations of female riders (N=83) between the ages of 9 and 20 were investigated with a view to extracting goal profiles from the collected data. Goal orientations were identified by means of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire for Sport (AGQ-S), which is based in the 2x2 achievement goal model. Goal profiles were created using cluster analysis. Seven distinct goal profiles emerged from the data. The goal profiles were compared to measures of the rider's trait-anxiety and state-emotion in competitive horse riding. The profile that was high in the approach orientations and low in the avoidant orientations emerged as the most emotionally robust profile. It was also the most competitively successful profile. The profiles where the avoidant orientations were high emerged as the most emotionally vulnerable profiles. Furthermore, they did not demonstrate any particular competitive success

Alternative marketing options for small-scale farmers in the wake of changing agri-food supply chains in South Africa

With South Africa’s urban population approaching 60%, supermarkets and fast food chains have become important players in the South African food system. These large players in the food sector have systematically modified their procurement practices especially with regard to fresh fruit and vegetables and are now circumventing spot markets in favour of sourcing via in-house sourcing companies who mainly procure from preferred supplier producers. This paper draws extensively from a global research programme which seeks to highlight the market changes that potentially contribute to continued exclusion of the small producers from mass consumer markets. This paper illustrates, through a series of case studies, how integration of small-scale farmers into the urban retail market can be facilitated and how the challenges posed by the changing food system could possibly be overcome. The case studies illustrate various initiatives through which small-scale farmers and agribusinesses can be integrated into mainstream agri-food systems and may be used as models for an innovative approach to include small-scale farmers while still maintaining profitable business operations. They highlight the need for a multi actor approach for the successful participation of smallholder farmers in order to allow them to join the supply chain at any point within the channel.Marketing, Agribusiness,

Antonin Artaud en Georg Baselitz : 'n psigo-analitiese perspektief as konteks vir my eie skilderwerk

Werkstuk (M.A.) -- Universiteit van Stellenbosch, 1991.ENGLISH SUMMARY: In this thesis I shall create a context for my own painting by discussing the works of A. Artaud and G. Baselitz. As a general introduction to A. Artaud, the first chapter shall entail a discussion of his theatrical and poetical ideals. This shall be followed by a (rather limited) reading of a few psychoanalytical approaches to art. These first two chapters ought to serve as a reference structure for the following discussions of Artaud's imagery and the extent to which such imagery can also be found in Baselitz's painting and sculpture. A discussion of similar thematics and imagery in my own painting, as well as a discussion of Postmodernism as an intrinsically fragmentary and Artaudian anti-Classical discourse concludes the thesis. Themes of importance shall be: the opposition of Culture and anti-/non-Culture; the work of art as a 'Gesamtwelt'-experience (suggestive of, in psychoanalytical terms, prenatal experience); the intuitive as opposed to the cerebral aspects of esthetic discourse; and the theme of sexuality and psychological fragmentation in the structuring of a coherent Self.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie werkstuk bespreek ek eerstens, as 'n meer algemene inleiding tot die persoon en wereld van A. Artaud, sy idees en ideale. Dit word opgevolg deur 'n hoofstuk waarin ek sekere psigo-analitiese benaderings en temas bloot weergee. Vergelykings en kruisverwysings word wel gemaak. Hierdie moet dan staan as 'n meer algemene verwysingsveld. In die daaropvolgende meer noukeurige bespreking van Artaud se beeldgebruik, en die opvolg daarvan-in Baselitz se skilderwerk, sal deurgaans van hierdie pSigo-analitiese verwysingsveld gebruik gemaak word. 'n Uitwys van soortgelyke tematiek in my eie skilderwerk, en 'n algemene bespreking van die Post-Modernistiese as 'n intrinsiek fragmentariese en Artaudiaanse anti-Klassieke diskoers, sluit die werkstuk af. Temas van belang sal wees: die opposisie van Kultuur en anti-/nie-Kultuur, die kunswerk as 'Gesamtwelt'-ervaring (suggererend van, in psigoanalitiese terme, prenatale bestaan), die intuitiewe teenoor die serebrale aspekte van estetiese diskoers, en die rol van seksualiteit en psigologiese fragmentering in die strukturering van juis 'n koherente Self

Instructional technologies in social science instructions in South Africa

This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication of the article: Computers & Education. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Computers & Education, VOL 53, 2009, DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2009.02.001.This study describes the results of a survey and a description of instructional technologies in place in the social sciences in South African Universities. Lecturers in the social sciences reported a well-established practice of information and communication technologies (ICTs) use for general purposes (although frequent use tended to be for email and searching the Internet). They had a high self-efficacy in terms of using ICTs both generally and for teaching and learning, and a high enthusiasm for the use of ICTs for teaching and learning. Half the lecturers had started using ICTs recently with the introduction of learning management systems (LMSs) whereas the other half had established practices that preceded the mainstreaming of LMSs across universities. Only about a quarter of the respondents felt able to develop and update ICTs themselves which indicates that support is a necessary part of teaching with technology. In terms of different types of use the focus was on putting content on the web and course administration. Use of ICTs for teaching of skills (whether information literacy, problem solving or critical thinking) was infrequent. There were different types of ICT use across the different sub-disciplines. Lecturers reported factors which constrained their use of ICTs for teaching and learning, such as inadequate technology, pedagogical issues (e.g. plagiarism), and students opting out of lectures when materials were available online. It is argued that user studies in are relevant to the future delivery of educational material, in terms of removing barriers to use and targeting training and supportive activities