Perceptions of Engineering students, lecturers and academic development practitioners about academic development classes at a university of technology

With the increase in student enrolments in higher education, which has resulted in changesto student profiles, academic development has become important in terms of students’success. This article is a report on a qualitative study that used in-depth interviews toinvestigate the perceptions of Engineering students and staff to academic developmentclasses at a university of technology (UoT) in South Africa. The students’ feelingsconcerning the need for academic development to continue beyond their first year ofstudy was of particular interest. Participants included five lecturers from the Engineeringfaculty and four academic development practitioners, who were all purposefully selected.The sample consisted of men and women who were interviewed individually. Interviewswere also conducted with ten first-year Engineering students and ten second-year students,who were randomly selected on the grounds of having been involved in the academicdevelopment programme during their first year.The responses of the lecturers were compared with those of the academic developmentpractitioners and the first- and second-year students’ responses were compared. It emergedthat academic development was considered questionable as it did not seem to be structuredand that the academic development curriculum, itself, was problematic

A critical analysis of the use of exemption clauses with particular reference to risky activities.

Masters Degrees (Business Law). University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Exemption clauses are regarded as part and parcel of most contracts, and are used by suppliers to ensure the efficient running of their business. It is common for suppliers of risky activities to include exemption clauses in their contracts. Therefore, it is submitted that if suppliers of risky activities are not allowed to use exemption clauses, many businesses will close down because they will not be able to afford insurance, and those that do decide to carry on will pass the cost of doing business on to consumers. In determining the enforceability and effectiveness of exemption clauses relating to risky activities, this dissertation will examine the common law position in relation to the treatment of exemption clauses. In terms of the common law of contract, the court will most likely uphold an exemption clause in favour of the principles of freedom of contract and pacta sunt servanda. This is to ensure commercial and legal certainty in contracts entered into between two parties. However, since the introduction of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the courts will have regard to whether the term or contract is contrary to public policy and the values that underlie our constitutional democracy. This dissertation will further discuss the rights of consumers and the duties of suppliers in terms of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA). The CPA has brought about greater regulation of unfair contract terms. It not only prohibits the use of unfair, unreasonable and unjust terms, but also requires a supplier of a risky facility to draw the consumer‟s attention to a term that seeks to limit the supplier‟s liability. Furthermore, the CPA provides for greater protection of consumer rights, and among other things, the CPA aims to ensure fairness in contracts concluded between supplier and consumer

Experiences of students facing financial difficulties to access higher Education in the case of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Students from disadvantaged backgrounds experience difficulties when making a transition from their backgrounds into a challenging and diverse multi-cultural education institutions environment. Due to their disadvantaged backgrounds these students are faced with enormous financial challenges that have adverse impacts on their academic performance. They therefore need solid support structures to help them make adjustments to meet the demands of higher education. This study explored experiences of students facing financial difficulties to access Higher Education in the case of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Using a qualitative approach in collecting data, the study tried to find out the experiences of students and effects of financial problems on academic performance. Economic, ecosystems and social justice framework provided the theoretical underpinning for the study. Economic theory helped the researcher to find out students’ experiences and how they cope. Ecosystems theory helped the researcher to look and understand interaction between individuals and society as a whole because financial difficulties to access Higher education is a social issue that affect individuals, families and societies. Social justice focuses on policy, national and institutional efforts in eliminating the identified financial problems faced by disadvantaged students at tertiary institutions. The tool that was used to collect data were semi-structured interviews which were orally questioning participants to express their views and beliefs of the impacts of financial difficulties in accessing higher education. This enabled the researcher to use an interpretivist paradigm which is qualitative in approach. Qualitative approach provided a descriptive and detailed data about the researched phenomenon. In-depth interviews were done with 15 participants at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard, Westville and PMB campus). Results of the study show that due to financial problems, the students encounter problems such as inability to cope with the high standards of studying as well as difficulty in paying fees and accessing basic needs. Data gathered from the interviews insinuates that financial problems have adverse effects on students’ academic performance, but contrary to the study’s assumptions, and review of secondary data, no correlation could be found between financial need and poor academic performance or outright failure

Exploring the role of the Sunshine District Teacher Development Centre in Kwazulu-Natal in supporting teachers’ professional learning.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.In KwaZulu-Natal, District Teachers’ Development Centres have been established to support teachers’ professional development. The report by the DBE (2015) indicates that inspections were conducted to determine the practicality of Teachers’ Centres. Out of 147 Centres established, only 74 were completely practical (DBE, 2015). This study provides insight into how Sunshine DTDC supports teachers’ learning. It intends to discover what is happening in the Centre. The focus is on activities and the resources that are there and how these activities and resources enhance teachers’ learning. The conceptual framework by Harland and Kinder (1997) is used to outline the lens of this study. The study was located within an interpretive paradigm. Data was collected using qualitative face-to-face interviews, observations, documents, transact walk, audio and visual materials. I interviewed ten participants including eight teachers, the Centre Manager and the ICT Specialist. The findings show that Sunshine DTDC is used as a venue for a whole range of activities including out of school youth who come for computer lessons, Department workshops, meetings, computer literacy training, cluster activities, teachers’ networking and teachers’ NGO activities. The main resources for use by teachers are the computer Centre, the hall and the classrooms. Teachers do not seem to see the Centre as a place where they can learn professionally on their own initiative, but they see it as a place where they go to workshops when the Department calls them to workshops or meetings. Though teachers do not come to the Centre on their own accord, they seemed to be very active and enthusiastic in all the activities that they engaged in at the Centre

An exploration of the role of Nizenande District Teacher Development Centre in supporting professional teacher learning.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.In KwaZulu Natal, District Teacher Development Centres have been set up in order to support teacher learning. This study explored how Nizenande District Teacher Development Centre (DTDC) supports teacher learning. The aim was to investigate what kind of activities teachers engage in, and what resources are accessible to teachers at the centre to enhance teacher learning. This study was located within the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative case study design was adopted. Purposive and convenience sampling were utilised in this study. Semi-structured interviews and observations were used. I interviewed three DTDC personnel and three IsiZulu teachers from different schools in the same district. The findings of this study indicate that the resources at the centre were not fully utilised by teachers due to the shortage of trained personnel to run programmes that require the use of the physical resources. Teachers said that they learnt new knowledge and skills from the activities that they engaged in at the centre. The centre offers a venue where teachers meet and learn collaboratively and hold meetings. Teacher learning at the centre is in two forms, one being voluntarily where teachers learn collaboratively in the PLCs, and the other where activities like School Based Assessment (SBA) and Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) moderation workshops, orientation workshop and final examination paper moderation that are imposed to them by the department. The professional development workshops at the centre seem to uplift teachers’ knowledge and skills in order to improve learner attainment. After attending the workshops, teachers said that they improved their understanding of developing a proper lesson plan, learnt the new skill of marking and how to structure essay type question for learners’ assessment tasks. They acquired this through engaging in several activities that were offered to them by the Department of Education district official. These activities were conducted collaboratively and teachers were allowed to participate in small groups thus enabling them to critically look at their challenges as IsiZulu teachers

Effects of Soil Parent Material and Climate on the Performance of Vitis vinifera L. cvs. Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon - Part II. Climate, Leaf Analysis, Juice Analysis and Wine Quality

A five-year investigation (2004/05 to 2008/09) was carried out in two Sauvignon blanc and two CabernetSauvignon vineyards in the Helderberg area, Western Cape, South Africa. Soils, derived mainly fromgranite and shale, were identified in each vineyard. Climatic parameters were measured, while leaves andjuice were analysed. Experimental wines were prepared and evaluated annually. The nutritional statusof the leaf blades and petioles was not affected by soil parent materials in a consistent pattern. Juice N ofgrapevines on the shale-derived soil was usually higher than that of vines on the granite-derived soil. Theeffect of soil parent material on Sauvignon blanc wine style appeared to have been more distinct at thelocality where wine quality was highest. At this locality, wine from the grapevines on shale-derived soil(higher water-holding capacity) was best in 2004/05 (dry season), while the reverse was true in the 2007/08season (wet). The style and/or quality of Cabernet Sauvignon wines were affected to a greater extent bydifferences in soil parent materials, relative to Sauvignon blanc. Differences were especially noticeableduring the cooler and wetter seasons. Better drainage in the case of the granite-derived soils, due to thehigher coarse sand fraction, may have played a positive role during these seasons

Drawings as a method of evaluation and communication with bereaved children

There is much concern over childhood grief when death strikes in the child’s immediate environment. If the experience of bereavement can be reliably measured in children, insight into their painful experiences will be gained and appropriate treatment strategies will be established. This study aimed to explore whether projective drawings could provide a reliable method of exploring the world of a black bereaved child. The Human Figure Drawing (HFD), Self Portrait, Kinetic Family drawing (KFD) and Own Choice/ spontaneous Drawing techniques were administered with a group of 20 bereaved children and a control group of 20 non bereaved children. In general, more emotional indicators were identified on HFDs and Self Portraits of the Bereaved Group. Results showed statistically significant differences between the two groups on four indicators in HFDs (big figure; teeth; monster/grotesque; hands cut off) and on two indicators in Self Portrait (slanting figure and hands cut off) KFDs and Own Choice Drawings could not statistically differentiate the two groups but were found to be of assistance in gaining insight into the family dynamics and for improving grief work respectively, in the bereaved group. Composite analysis of the four projective drawings provided more insight into the world of the bereaved child Keyword: Drawings; method; evaluation; communication; bereaved children, psychology

Effects of Soil Parent Material and Climate on the Performance of Vitis vinifera L. cvs. Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon - Part I. Soil Analysis, Soil Water Status, Root System Characteristics, Leaf Water Potential, Cane Mass and Yield

In the Helderberg area of the Western Cape, South Africa, soil parent material may vary between graniteand shale over relatively short distances. However, little information is available concerning the possibleeffects of different soil parent materials on grapevine performance. A five-year investigation (2004/05 to2008/09) was therefore carried out. Two Sauvignon blanc and two Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard blockswere selected at four localities. Soils derived mainly from granite and shale were identified in each vineyardblock. Climate and soil parameters, root distribution, grapevine water status, cane mass and yield wereevaluated at all localities. Shale-derived soils contained significantly greater amounts of fine sand, butless coarse sand, than granite-derived soils. These differences resulted in water-holding capacities thatwere generally higher in the shale-derived soils. Shale-derived soils contained higher concentrations oftotal potassium (K), but the levels of water-soluble K were generally greater in the granitic soils. Rootsystem development could not be related directly to soil parent material. However, in most cases fine rootdensity in the granite-derived soils tended to be higher, while the cane mass and yield of grapevines in thesame soils also tended to be higher, at least at two of the four localities. The effect of soil parent materialon grapevine water constraints seemed more prominent during the drier seasons, namely 2004/05 and2005/06, compared to the wet and coolest seasons, 2007/08 and 2008/09

Rational Ponzi Games in Algorithmic Stablecoin

Algorithmic stablecoins (AS) are one special type of stablecoins that are not backed by any asset (equiv. without collateral). They stand to revolutionize the way a sovereign fiat operates. As implemented, these coins are poorly stabilized in most cases, easily deviating from the price target or even falling into a catastrophic collapse (a.k.a. Death spiral), and are as a result dismissed as a Ponzi scheme. However, is this the whole picture? In this paper, we try to reveal the truth and clarify such a deceptive concept. We find that Ponzi is basically a financial protocol that pays existing investors with funds collected from new ones. Running a Ponzi, however, does not necessarily imply that any participant is in any sense losing out, as long as the game can be perpetually rolled over. Economists call such realization as a \textit{rational Ponzi game}. We thereby propose a rational model in the context of AS and draw its holding conditions. We apply the model to examine: \textit{whether or not the algorithmic stablecoin is a rational Ponzi game.} Accordingly, we discuss two types of algorithmic stablecoins (\text{Rebase} \& \text{Seigniorage shares}) and dig into the historical market performance of two impactful projects (\text{Ampleforth} \& \text{TerraUSD}, respectively) to demonstrate the effectiveness of our model.Comment: Accepted by CryptoEx@ICBC 202

Exploring the use and adoption of urine diverting dehydration toilets in Umgababa community in eThekwini Municipality: the experiences of community members and leaders.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Sanitation is the safe treatment and disposal of human faeces. Ensuring availability and sustainable management of sanitation for all is part of sustainable development goalsagenda 2030. Even though the adoption and use of UDDTs is low in eThekwini Municipality, most of these studies are quantitative in nature and have not been conducted in UMgababa community. Therefore, this study aimed at employing qualitative methods with the aim of exploring the problems associated with the adoption and use of UDDTs in UMgababa community from the perspective of community members and leaders. There were 15 participants in the study. All participants were chosen purposively. They were accessed using snowball sampling a technique that uses referrals. Semistructured interviews and observations were utilized to get data from all participants. All interviews were guided by interview guide with open ended questions. The findings show that there was blame game regarding the installation of UDDTs by Ward councilor and area coordinators. Community members did not have an idea who was responsible for installing of the UDDTs Instead they linked such developments to the ANC which is a leading political party in South Africa. They also mention that they were not consulted about the UDDTs instead the development came as an announcement from the municipality. Training received regarding the use of UDDTs lasted for five minutes. Community members resent the UDDTs adoption and use of UDDTs by community members. These results show that the government uses the top-down approach in designing interventions for the communities. These findings are important for policy makers to conduct an impact assessment and calls for prompt action to be taken to help address the lack of adequate adoption and use of UDDTs by the community members and ultimately improve the wellbeing of the people