First-year students at an open distance and e-learning institution: Perceptions, expectations and challenges associated with academic writing feedback

While constructive feedback is known to be the most valuable teaching tool in various teaching contexts., the findings revealed that the feedback students receive is below the standard that they expect, is confusing and inadequate for addressing most of the sociocultural challenges they encounter.  The objective of this study was to examine perceptions, expectations and challenges associated with the feedback that first-year English studies students receive in an Academic Writing module (ENG100) at an open distance and e-learning institution in South Africa. First-year students who speak English as an additional language experience difficulty in understanding the feedback they receive in their academic writing tasks. The study followed a qualitative approach that obtained data from participants through online open-ended evaluation questions. Random sampling was utilised to select a sample size from a population of approximately 16 000 students. Therefore, this paper, proposes that academic writing modules should view writing as a social skill and not as a subject

First-year students at an open distance and e-learning institution: Perceptions, expectations, and challenges associated with academic writing feedback

The objective of this study was to examine perceptions, expectations and challenges associated with the feedback that first-year English studies students receive in an Academic Writing module (ENG100) at an open distance and e-learning institution in South Africa. First-year students who speak English as an additional language experience difficulty in understanding the feedback they receive in their academic writing tasks.While constructive feedback is known to be a valuable teaching tool in various teaching contexts, the findings revealed that the feedback students receive is below the standard that they expect, is confusing, and inadequate for addressing most of the sociocultural challenges they encounter.The study followed a qualitative approach that obtained data from participants through online open-ended evaluation questions. Random sampling was utilised to select a sample size from a population of approximately 16 000 students.This paper proposes that academic writing modules should view writing as a social skill and not as a subject

Information needs and information seeking behaviour of grade 10 and 11 learners at Gerson Ntjie Secondary School, at gaMagooa Village, Limpopo Province.

Master of Social Sciences in Information Studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2016.Information need is an awareness of an information gap. The nature of information need differ from one person to another. Information seeking behaviour is when an individual uses information systems to search for information in order to satisfy the information gap. Information is important in every aspect of a human’s life. The main aim of the study is to investigate the information need and information seeking behaviour of grade 10 and 11 learners at Gerson Ntjie secondary school. The study was conducted with grade 10 and grade 11 learners at Gerson Ntjie secondary school in Limpopo province. The study was guided by Wilson’s 1999 model of information behaviour, complemented by Kuhlthau’s 2004 Information Search Process. The models focus on information need, information seeking, information use and feelings associated in information seeking. The study used a quantitative method with a survey design. Questionnaire was used as instrument to collect data from 181 grade 10 and 11 learners, which produced a response rate of 70%. The results showed that grade 10 and 11 learners needed information to improve their reading skills. Internet was the most preferred source of information. Although there is no school library, most learners indicated that they used a library to search for information. Learners also showed that they used books as the starting point when searching for information. Grade 10 and 11 learners indicated that they felt confused, sad, frustrated, irritated and were tempted to give up when they did not find the information they need. They further indicated that they felt happy, inspired, relieved and amazed after finding the information they need. Social networks were used daily to chat with friends and to collaborate with classmates on school works. The study recommends the following: school library, school library policy, increasing funding in public schools, computers with Internet connectivity and information resources in African languages. Key words: Information need, information behaviour, information seeking behaviour, grade 10 and 11 learners, social networks, information sources, school librar

Spatial analysis of the impact of human activities on the marine environment in Algoa Bay, South Africa

Background: Humans have a long history of using the marine environment in multiple ways and continued use has led to a decline in the ecosystem services provided by marine systems in many places. In addition, human activities have steadily increased with time and advances in technology, further increasing impacts on marine systems. To understand and manage these impacts, we need to assess the spatial distribution and intensity of human activities in the marine environment, and quantify, where possible, their cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems. The spatial consideration of human activities and their associated impacts is important for conservation planning, Integrated Ocean Management and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiatives. The main deliverable of this research study was to develop a cumulative impacts layer of human activities in Algoa Bay, South Africa, to support the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Planning Project. Objective and Relevance: This research analyses the spatial impacts of human activities on the Algoa Bay marine environment (excluding the seashore). Algoa Bay is located on the south coast of South Africa in the Eastern Cape. The research explores stakeholders' perceptions of their knowledge of the human activities that take place in the bay. This research is informed by an expert-based geographical information systems (GIS) approach and cumulative impact assessment in order to map the spatial impacts of the activities as part of marine spatial planning. "Experts" were defined as stakeholders that contributed valuable knowledge of the human activities and their impacts; this definition of expert included "professional" and "non-professional" contributors to knowledge. The spatial aspect of the research is a significant contribution to the field as it will help inform decision-making in the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Planning Project. Design and Methods: A mixed-method approach was used to generate data. A snowball sampling approach was used to identify research participants from key informants. Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys, interviews and a focus group. Secondary data sources consisted of GIS data and reports from scientific organizations. Findings and Conclusion: The research findings indicate that the top three pressures that cause the greatest impact on the Algoa Bay marine environment are fishing, pollution and shipping. The cumulative impact of these activities was highest near harbours in Algoa Bay. The marine ecosystems that were most impacted by pressures were the Agulhas Island and the Agulhas Mixed Shore. The Warm Temperate marine ecosystems had fairly low cumulative impacts. The research findings indicate that there is a complex mix of human activities that impact the marine environment. This research supports the findings of other researchers that reveal that the highest cumulative impact is in areas closer to the coast and harbours owing to high population densities. Value of Study: This study builds onto the existing data by expanding the knowledge base and including more stakeholders to integrate as many human activities as possible and bring a holistic picture of the ocean's uses to inform MSP in Algoa Bay.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Geography, 202

Folklore

Folklore by D. Maphoto (written in Noord-Sotho). Forms part of van Warmelo Collection housed at the University of Pretoria

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR): kinetics of biodemulsification of simulated oil-water emulsion

Thesis (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019Biodemulsification has been recently receiving a lot of attention due to the environmental friendliness of the resultant microbial products commonly known as biosurfactants. It has the potential to address emulsion issues that challenge the petroleum industry which have been reported. However, it is not yet fully established due to high capital costs which continue to inhibit the full industrial application of this technology, more especially with the lagging literature. Thus, more studies are required that will positively contribute to the implementation of this technology despite current challenges. While many studies have been done, the kinetics of biodemulsification are yet to be fully documented in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitable carbon source and the effect of carbon source on the production of a B.licheniformis STK 01 biodemulsifier. Furthermore, to investigate the biodemulsification kinetics including the effect of temperature. Biodemulsification experiments were conducted by initially cultivating biodemulsifiers in conical flasks containing the growth media and the various carbon sources, in an incubating shaker operating at 37 °C and 160 rpm over a 48 hr period. The produced biodemulsifiers were then used for the various demulsification studies at 37 °C, over a 24 hr period. The simulated emulsions were produced in conical centrifuge tubes with the aid of Span 60 and Tween 60 surfactants. The study showed that all the produced B.licheniformis STK 01 biodemulsifiers possessed biodemulsifying capabilities but at different efficiencies. Motor oil proved to be the most suitable carbon source, resulting in a B.licheniformis STK 01 biodemulsifier that achieved 82,9% demulsification within 8 hrs. This is followed by diesel, paraffin, glucose, fructose and sucrose-cultivated biodemulsifiers with demulsification values of 73,7%, 61,9%, 52,9%, 45,1% and 44,7% respectively, thus, indicating the positive and significant contribution of insoluble carbon sources to the production of biodemulsifiers. The kinetics investigations revealed that B.licheniformis STK 01 biodemulsifiers cultivated on soluble carbon sources adhered to third order kinetics while insoluble carbon sources followed a first order. The biodemulsification rate constants, , for soluble substrate glucose (), sucrose () and fructose () were determined to be 10×10−5 6/2, 5,029×10−5 6/2, and 9×10−5 6/2 respectively. The insoluble substrates motor oil (ko), diesel () and paraffin () gave the rate constants of 11,561×10−5 −1, 2,447×10−5 −1, and 2,245×10−5 −1 respectively. Finally, the relationship between the rate of biodemulsification of B.licheniformis STK 01 and temperature (37−67 ℃) was also investigated, assuming that the effect could be independently studied. The rate of biodemulsification was found to increase with the increase in temperature; this trend was depicted using the Arrhenius equation (2 value of 96,3%), with the corresponding Arrhenius parameters, namely activation energy and frequency factor as 70,88 / and 14×106 −1 respectively. This study found that the carbon source used for the production of a biodemulsifier significantly contributes to its biodemulsification capability. It also found that insoluble carbon sources were the better carbon source option compared to soluble carbon sources and that the more complex the carbon source, the better the biodemulsifier produced. Furthermore, it found that the suitable biodemulsifier followed first order kinetics and the kinetic parameters thereof

The views of designated social workers on the South African foster care system

Abstract: Customarily, paternal or maternal African families care for vulnerable children – depending on each child’s circumstances. Maintaining children in need of care and protection is considered the role of both sides of their families – before these children are placed in formal foster care so that – like many fortunate children – they could grow up in a child-friendly environment. Kinship foster care dominates in the black community – when children are abandoned or neglected, or when their parents are deceased. Designated social workers play a significant role in the formal foster care system. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of designated social workers’ views regarding the challenges and benefits of the implementation of the foster care system. The study employed a qualitative method. Social workers with at least two years of experience were included in the study. This is because they were deemed capable of providing rich information regarding the South African foster care system. The study was conducted in the East Rand of Gauteng where eight designated social workers employed by the Department of Social Development were interviewed. The study found a prevalence of related-foster care cases. Moreover, most foster parents are unemployed and depend on some sort of social grant. Importantly, the study revealed that the foster care grant does not only benefit the foster child but also the foster family as a whole. The foster care grant was also found to be insufficient and therefore unable to meet the basic needs of the foster child. The study revealed that designated social workers play a role from the initial to the final stage of foster care process. However, the study established that designated social workers have no final say in the foster care placement: the magistrate decides on children to be placed in foster care. Designated social workers are confronted with heavy case-loads and limited resources. Thus, the study recommended that the state addressed the issue of limited resources and that more designated social workers be hired to prevent the case overload. The study also recommended that the foster care grant be increased to enable it to meet foster children’s basic needs.M.A. (Social Impact Assessment

The state’s capacitation of school principals : a positivist reflection on the effectiveness of development programmes in Soshanguve secondary schools, Gauteng Province

In the 21st century, there is a growing realisation that providing principals with the necessary opportunities of training in leadership and management skills has become increasingly important as a way to increase school effectiveness and achieve quality performance. Central to this argument is the fact that principals are merely accorded a status and role without the necessary training. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the effectiveness of state-funded professional development programmes of school principals with specific reference to Soshanguve secondary schools and also to ascertain the extent to which principals’ training meets the schools’ and principals’ needs given the changed conditions that exist in the country. The study employed a quantitative research methods approach to collect data from 100 educators and 20 Head of Departments (HoDs). This was done through administration of questionnaires. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), which was used to generate the frequencies and descriptive statistics that were used to answer research questions. While it is expected that principals should effectively and rigorously be developed to enable them to improve teaching and learning at their schools, the study, however, found that training of school principals in Soshanguve was elusive and ineffective, and as result, the majority of these principals lack basic management training prior to and after their entry into principalship. The study has shown that apart from being faced with various challenges and being promoted to principalship without the necessary leadership experience, principals rely on trial-and-error experience and common sense in leading and managing schools. The study also showed that a majority of principals are in great need of being professionally developed in some specific areas. Furthermore, the study discovered that the Department of Basic Education does not seem to be making efforts in ensuring that principals are professionally developed. Consequently, principals develop on their own through informal professional development strategies. In conclusion, the study recommended, amongst others, that principals should be encouraged to take personal responsibility and initiative in preparing and developing school leadership through self-study, reading literature, attending seminars and workshops out of their own personal volition. That Department of Basic Education (DoBE) needs to look into ways of subsidising the training of school principals. DoBE should also find ways of formally incorporating more of the private sector and non-governmental organisations to help in the preparation and development of principals for school leadership by allowing them to offer in-service courses for potential principals and serving principals.Educational Leadership and ManagementD. Ed. (Education Management

Reimaging student feedback for improved academic writing skills in a first-year English studies module at a distance education institution in South Africa

This study examined first-year students, markers and lecturers’ perceptions of feedback in the context of academic writing in one mega module at an open distance and eLearning (ODeL) university in South Africa. It explored feedback that was provided to students and how markers foster the significance of feedback as a teaching tool in the context of an Academic Writing module. Moreover, the study recommended guidelines emerging from the data that can help improve feedback in an ODeL context for the improved academic writing skills of the first-year students. The study is underpinned by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory and Hattie and Timperley’s (2007) Model of Feedback to enhance learning. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology and utilised a case study approach as a research design. Furthermore, the study gathered data from students, documents (students’ marked assignments and moderators’ reports), markers and lecturers. To collect data, open-ended evaluation questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and documentary analyses of marked scripts and moderation reports were used to gather data. Most studies reviewed indicated that constructive feedback improved academic writing in both distance learning and contact education universities. However, the findings in this study show that students are not satisfied with the kinds of feedback they receive from markers as it is experienced as insufficient. Because of this, students request more explicit feedback that may bridge the gap that is caused by distance learning in the ODeL context. On the other hand, the results from markers’ and lecturers’ data indicate that feedback is one of the major teaching tools that are emphasised in the module. The study argues that feedback is a necessity in an ODeL university since this university enrols vast numbers of students who are mostly from diverse backgrounds in which English is spoken as an additional language. The study revealed that feedback is decontextualized and detached from students’ sociocultural practices and contexts, it is primarily teacher-centred, it focuses on literacy as a subject and not literacy as a social skill and it is focused on results and is not process-focused.English StudiesM.A. (English Studies

Determination of natural radioactivity concentrations in soil: a comparative study of Windows and Full Spectrum Analysis

Magister Scientiae - MScIn this study, two methods of analysing activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (U, Th and K) in soil are critically compared. These are the Window Analysis (WA) and Full Spectrum Analysis (FSA). In the usual WA method, the activity concentrations are determined from the net counts of the windows set around individual γ-ray peaks associated with the decay of U, Th and K. In the FSA method, the full energy spectrum is considered and the measured spectrum is described as the sum of the three standard spectra (associated with U, Th and K, respectively), each multiplied by an unknown concentration. The concentrations are determined from the FSA and correspond to the activity concentrations of U, Th and K in the soil. The standard spectra derived from separate calibration measurements using the HPGe detector, represents the response of the HPGe to a Marinelli sample beaker containing an activity concentration of 1 Bq/kg.South Afric