Market Research for Student Designers

This article examines the role of market research in design and technology as part of the design process. Moreover, a sample structure is given to help shape the content of what is required when one is conducting market research. The intention is to help staff and students to develop a better understanding on the role of market research when designing new products

Historical Perspective of Traditional Technical Subjects in Botswana

The Botswana education system is based on a three-tier: primary, post primary and higher academic education. Because of this linear type of education system, Botswana lags behind in the technical field. She has to rely on expatriates for technical manpower. Ultimately, the government realised that it was necessary to introduce technical subjects into the secondary school curriculum to provide a foundation for the much needed technical manpower. These technical subjects include woodwork, metalwork, technical drawing and most recently design and technology, which embraces most of the subjects in the school curriculum. Because design and technology embraces all of the subjects mentioned above, they are slowly being phased out. Design and technology is slowly gaining recognition because of its importance to the

Teaching of Cultural Concepts in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools Design and Technology Curriculum

This research explored the extent to which cultural concepts stipulated in Botswana Design and Technology curriculum are taught by teachers at junior secondary schools, a topic on which there is little previous research. The pinnacle of good product innovation is when it is grounded on sensitive cultural analysis of the society’s culture. However, it has been observed that teachers have not yet been able to encode cultural concepts in teaching Design and Technology. A qualitative case study was conducted to assess the extent to which teachers teach and examine cultural concepts in Design and Technology. This data was analysed using the qualitative method of textual content analysis. The findings show that teachers do not teach this cultural component due to lack of relevant reference materials and other resources. The study concludes by proposing strategies that could be used to teach cultural concepts in the Design and Technology curriculum at secondary school level

Teachers Self Efficacy: Is Reporting Non-Significant Results Essential?

Self-efficacious teachers are viewed as having the ability to organize relevant activities, patient with students who are struggling in learning, and spending more time designing relevant teaching activities. The teachers exhibit good performance and probably remain committed to their work. And they are committed to organizing appropriate teaching activities, engaging students in learning. Teachers with high self- efficacy keep students on task and perform better because they use innovative teaching methods that encourage students autonomy and reduce custodial control. The main purpose of this paper is to report non-significant findings of a study that was carried out in Botswana with 1000 junior secondary school teachers in Gaborone and surrounding areas between November 2010 and February 2011. The study was about teacher efficacy and classroom management among Botswana junior secondary school teachers. Teacher Sense of Efficacy scale (TSES) instrument was used to collect data for the study. TSES comprises of three subscales, Efficacy in Student Engagement, Instructional Strategies and Classroom Management. Efficacy in Student Engagement was the only significant subscale among other sub-scales of TSES. The TSES means of districts, cities, towns and villages were not significant. This prompted the researcher to report non-significant results because they can assist teacher educators and stakeholders on how best to improve the training of pre-service and in-service teachers. Teacher commitment to work can enhance student learning. Teacher effectiveness can also promote positive effect in student learning, because teachers can plan their work using relevant materials that can motivate students to learn. Managing classrooms can enhance student learning if teachers encourage students to be responsible to their learning, and can put students on task and to reduce students undesirable behaviors that may interfere with their learning

Using a Design-orientated Project to Attain Graduate Attributes

Nowadays universities are required not only to impart knowledge of specific disciplines but also generic graduate attributes such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, creative thinking, research and inquiry skills. For students to attain these generic skills, educators are encouraged to use learner-centred approaches in teaching. Project-based learning is one such an approach which promotes self-directed and lifelong learning capabilities, equips students with transferrable knowledge and skills that are essential to the work environment, intertwines theory and practice, gives students the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of concepts and potentially allows them to solve the society’s problems. A case study was conducted at the University of Botswana with Design students to assess the attainment of the graduate attributes after designing packages for a small entrepreneur producing frozen vegetables. The results indicate that the following graduate skills were either rated very good or excellent: self-directed, lifelong learning, critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, organisational and teamwork, communication, entrepreneurship, information and communication technology knowledge and skills. This shows that project-based learning can impart the skills and knowledge that the labour market needs. The results also provide an opportunity for educators to critically reflect on the type of projects given to students in relation to the attainment of graduate attributes

Focusing on caregivers: the experiences of women caregivers caring for orphans and vulnerable children at Crossroads Child and Youth Care Center, Matatiele.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The concept of caregiving is at the centre of current political, social, cultural and economic debates globally. Under capitalism, care and caregiving are socially necessary and integral to reproduction and production but is increasingly devalued. There is lack or absence of adequate labour protection for caregivers, whether in relation to their voluntary or in non-wage labour activities. This study focuses on women caregivers’ experiences and challenges in caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and at the same time providing care to their own families and households. The study probes about the types of support available and the support caregivers deem necessary and important in their roles. The study draws on ethics of care theory that reflects the caregivers’ experience, why women end up in the caregiving field and why caregiving is considered as a public good, a labour of love, and how care is provided ethically. The theory also shows the relationship between patriarchy, socio-economic status and gender roles in South Africa influences understandings and valuing of paid versus unpaid care work. Use of the case study approach assisted to allow for an in-depth understanding of the caregiving in a specific context. A sample of ten caregivers working both day and night shift at Crossroads Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC) participated in face to face in-depth interviews. Thematic content analysis technique was used to report key findings. The study shows that caregivers require support in terms of policy reframing. The participants explained, for example, that in the NPO sector, the policies did not adequately support their labour demands and the time required to provide OVCs with comprehensive care. Stipends and pension benefits are not comparable and fair. Capacity building to enhance their job, life skills, and interventions to address social problems are needed. It is recommended that caregivers should be part of policy forums to establish their needs. It is also recommended that since legislation and contracts are usually in English translations are required and perhaps workshops on how to understand the contracts. Caring for the caregivers is equally important and beneficial

The impact of socio-cultural factors upon human-centred design in Botswana

This thesis explores the relationship between culture and human-centred design in Botswana, a topic on which there is little previous research. The pinnacle of good product innovation is when it is grounded on sensitive cultural analysis of users' culture; however, it has been observed that designers have not yet been able to encode cultural phenomena to the same extent as cognitive and physical human factors. The study develops a theoretical framework of cultural analysis, comparing traditional with contemporary socio-cultural factors that can be applied to designing products. The content analysis method was used to extract and synthesise traditional and contemporary socio-cultural factors from Botswana's cultural sources. An experimental study was undertaken in Botswana to investigate how socio-cultural factors can be integrated in product design, and the participants' challenge was to transfer and apply these into product features that reflect Botswana's culture. This data was analysed using the qualitative method of textual and visual content analysis. A culture-orientated design model has been proposed to assist designers to consciously integrate culture in their design practice. The framework demonstrates how to specify, analyse and integrate socio-cultural factors in the early stages of the design process by advancing local thought, content and solutions. It advances a new approach to design education, theory, research and practice. It emerged that culture can be used as a resource of information and a source of inspiration for product innovation that connects with users' traditions. The research findings show that culture-orientated products have meaningful content that reflects users' lifestyles as well as providing them with symbolic personal, social and cultural values, and that these aspects facilitate product acceptance

Describe cardio-metabolic diseases and the associated cost in a district hospital in the North West Province

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Health in the field of Hospital Management OCTOBER 2014BACKGROUND: Gelukspan District Hospital is situated in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District in the North West Province. The majority of patients admitted in the adult medical wards of this Hospital are due to two conditions namely (a) HIV/ AIDS and (b) Cardio-metabolic diseases. The Hospital regularly analyse data related to the HIV/ AIDS patients for HIV/ AIDS conditional grant. The information related to cardio-metabolic diseases are seldom analysed by the Hospital management, although there is a belief within the Hospital that more than one thirds of the patients admitted in these two wards are due to cardio–metabolic diseases. This study was planned against this background to systematically analyse the routinely collected data from the Hospital information system. The results of the study would hopefully provide the estimation of the prevalence of these diseases at a health facility level and the cost for managing these conditions. AIM: To describe the profiles of patients admitted of cardio–metabolic diseases in the Gelukspan District Hospital in the North West Province during one year study period (from 01 April 2010 to 31 March 2011). METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study based on retrospective review of routinely collected data from the Adult Medical Wards of the Gelukspan District Hospital during the one year study period (1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011). No primary data was collected for this study. The study variables included: the number of subjects with cardio-metabolic diseases among the subjects who were admitted in the Medical wards of the Hospital during one year study period; their profiles and the type and cost of laboratory tests performed for these patients at the time of admission. Permission to conduct the research at the Hospital was obtained from the North West Department of the Health and the University of the Witwatersrand ‘Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) before commencement of the study. RESULTS: Number of admissions in male and female medical wards for noncommunicable diseases was 558. There were almost same number of female (n= 287) and male (271) admissions. The result showed that both males and females suffer equally from cardio-metabolic diseases. The age – group 8805634J DM Moalosi vi analysis showed almost a third of the subjects were below 50 years age and another third was above 65 years of age. More than 20% of the population were pensioners representing the age distribution of the study cohort. The majority of the subjects were black (97.8%) and unemployed (98%) representing the demographics of the catchment population. The majority of the women were single (55.4%). There was no significant difference between male and female patients in terms of primary clinical diagnoses. Thirty-nine percent of the males (n=108) and 56% (163) females stayed more than 3 days (the norms of average length of stay for District hospitals. The case fatality rate was 19.5% probably high in a district hospital setting, this implies that probably these patients were not managed properly at the PHC level and or at this The laboratory tests done at the time of admission included random and fasting blood glucose, and creatinine. No HbA1C, lipogram and other renal function tests were done at the time of admission contrary to the norms and guidelines for management of cardio-metabolic diseases. The laboratory test result showed the possibility of significant comorbidity among the patients. Fourteen percent of the subject probably had nephropathy. CONCLUSION: This was the first study conducted in this Hospital to systematically evaluate management of a particular group of patients. Hopefully, this study would assist the Hospital management to improve the management of patients admitted in this Hospital

Promoting Upcycling through an International Research Network

open accessThe current linear economic growth model detached from environmental challenges is flawed and has resulted in environmental challenges such as pollution, climate change and many others. Different organisations and countries have devised various interventions and policies to address environmental issues such as reuse, recycling, upcycling, sustainable waste management and circular economy. However, environmental depletion is continuing at an alarming rate. There is an urgent need to re-examine and change the environmental management strategies, consumption, and production patterns of extract-manufacture-consume-dispose to a sustainable model. This paper discusses upcycling innovation as one of the promising sustainability strategies. The authors observe the research in the area is isolated, e.g., country-specific and uncoordinated. Therefore, there is a need for joint research collaboration at a global level to promote upcycling. This may be achieved through an ongoing research project on the International Upcycling Research Network, which has networked upcycling actors on all continents. The International Upcycling Research Network aims to promote the upcycling practice and research to increase resource efficiency and encourage behavioural change toward sustainable lifestyles