Undergraduate medical students’ readiness for online learning at a South African university: Implications for decentralised training

Background. Decentralised teaching has the potential to transform medical education but requires greater use of online learning to address some of the challenges of decentralised teaching in low- and middle-income countries. Given the digital divide that exists in South Africa (SA), it is necessary to establish the extent of student readiness for the broader implementation of online learning. Objectives. To determine medical students’ device ownership, usage and attitudes towards online learning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of first-, third- and sixth-year students was conducted in 2017. The questionnaire included open- and closed-ended questions. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency and custom tables and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. Results. The survey response rate was 48.5% (448/924). No significant differences in device usage and attitudes towards online learning were observed across the 3 years of study. Most respondents (99%) owned internet-capable devices, and >90% wanted some degree of online learning. The perceived barriers included poor internet connectivity on university campuses and the high cost of data in SA. Conclusion. The majority of respondents owned internet-capable devices and requested more online learning, but the socioeconomic disparities in the country raise concerns about students’ readiness. Wider online learning requires policy decisions to ensure not only access to devices and data but also the implementation of online learning in ways that avoid further disadvantaging already disadvantaged students. Institutional barriers must be addressed before an expanded online learning environment can be considered

Undergraduate medical students’ readiness for online learning at a South African university: Implications for decentralised training

Background. Decentralised teaching has the potential to transform medical education but requires greater use of online learning to address some of the challenges of decentralised teaching in low- and middle-income countries. Given the digital divide that exists in South Africa (SA), it is necessary to establish the extent of student readiness for the broader implementation of online learning.  Objectives. To determine medical students’ device ownership, usage and attitudes towards online learning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.  Methods. A cross-sectional survey of first-, third- and sixth-year students was conducted in 2017. The questionnaire included open- and closed-ended questions. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency and custom tables and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis.  Results. The survey response rate was 48.5% (448/924). No significant differences in device usage and attitudes towards online learning were observed across the 3 years of study. Most respondents (99%) owned internet-capable devices, and >90% wanted some degree of online learning. The perceived barriers included poor internet connectivity on university campuses and the high cost of data in SA.  Conclusion. The majority of respondents owned internet-capable devices and requested more online learning, but the socioeconomic disparities in the country raise concerns about students’ readiness. Wider online learning requires policy decisions to ensure not only access to devices and data but also the implementation of online learning in ways that avoid further disadvantaging already disadvantaged students. Institutional barriers must be addressed before an expanded online learning environment can be considered

Response of Cyclopia subternata to drought stress � assessment of leaf composition, proteomics and product quality

Honeybush tea is made from the fynbos plant Cyclopia subternata, which is unique to South Africa. Cultivation takes place in its natural environment, which has a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and wet winters. During the summer, the plant is vulnerable to drought, an abiotic stress factor that is likely to affect its development and yield. This study investigated the effect of drought stress for a short duration on the leaf, as well as the quality of the herbal tea. Protein expression in the leaf was measured to gain insight into possible mechanisms used by the plant to cope with drought stress conditions. Fifteen-month-old C. subternata plants were subjected to three water treatments (control, moderately-stressed (MS), and severelystressed (SS)) for ten days. Leaves were sampled at regular intervals throughout the treatment period to determine their relative water content (RWC). Leaves were also sampled on the 11th day for untargeted and targeted chemical composition and protein expression analyses. The remaining leaves and stems were processed to obtain the herbal tea. Descriptive sensory analysis of the herbal tea was performed to determine whether drought stress affected product quality. RWC was substantially higher (p < 0.05) in the control plants (100%) than in the MS and SS treated plants (83�90% and 47%, respectively). Untargeted analysis revealed that drought stress considerably altered leaf chemical composition. According to targeted analysis, the proline content of SS treated plants increased more than 40-fold when compared to the control, however, the treatments had no effect on the total carbohydrate and major phenolic compound content of the leaves, nor on the sensory quality of the herbal tea. Differences in the expression of 27 proteins, 24 of which were identified using proteomic analysis, were observed. During drought stress, 17 of these proteins increased, whereas seven decreased. Thirteen of the 24 identified proteins produced statistically significant results based on their Byonic scores. The findings laid the foundation for future research into the functions of drought response genes in Cyclopia species, as well as helping with the identification of stress-tolerant honeybush genotypes

Profits and pragmatism: The commercial lives of market universities in Kenya and Uganda

The increased commercialization of higher education is a theme that has attracted considerable global attention. In response to changes in traditional sources of funding, many universities, public and private, have opted to source revenue from the marketplace. This article delves into the complexities of the entry into the marketplace by Kenyan and Ugandan universities. The local and international impetus for this movement in both countries and not in Tanzania are discussed, the perverseness and limits of commercialization delineated, and the positive and negative consequences of commercialization chronicled, all within the shifting global paradigm of higher education development. The Kenyan and Ugandan context cautions that ensuring a healthy mix between entry into the marketplace and the retention of the core mission of universities remains a critical challenge for governments and university administrators

Public-private partnerships: organisational conformity of private higher education providers to meet market demands

Paper prepared for the ASHE 30th annual conference, Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza, 15-20 Novembe

Namibia: repositioning vocational education and training

The second decade of Namibian independence has seen an increasing return to debates about the national development strategy. There is an apparently growing consensus that Namibia must diversify from its economic dependence on resource-based strategies. This has led to a growing focus on manufacturing, on international competitiveness; and even on developing elements of a 'knowledge-based economy' (Bonelli & Odada 2003; Johanson & Kukler 2003). It is evident that vocational education and training (VET) reform will be part of any such repositioning. Indeed, since 2000 there have been a number of reviews and reports recommending a radical reshaping of VET (see, for example, EU-MHETEC 2001; Brewster & Burke 2002; Resolve SkillsWorks 2002; Johanson & Kukler 2003), and elements of a new policy are in development. It is these attempts at repositioning Namibian VET that this chapter will seek to analyse

Recounting the state of private higher education in South Africa

Paper presented for the Policy Forum on Private Higher Education in Africa, Accra, Ghana, 2-3 Novembe

Whose higher educaton is it anyway? Analysis of public-private partnerships in the provision of higher education in South Africa

Paper prepared for the CHER 17th annual conference, University of Twente, Enschede, 17-19 Septembe