Management of ICT in education: A meta-study on the local (South African and International research landscape

Despite early optimism, the benefits and impact of information and communication technology investments in education have not been successfully noticeable to date. This is particularly challenging in view of the continual global pressure for the digitisation of education. This paper addresses the quantifiable array of research on the management of information and communication technology in education (MICTED). Articles published between January 2010 and December 2014 in ten free, open-source, peer-reviewed electronic journals were collected to ascertain current research trends on MICTED. Through a meta- analysis a representative sample was obtained that enabled generalisation across local and international boundaries on the MICTED. A humanist approach was used to develop post- priori quantitative analysis. The data indicates a vacuity in research on MICTED. A need for empirical research on MICTED exist that will inform and guide all role players in the South African education and global context on the implementation, use and sustainability of ICT in education

Managing information and communications technologies in South African education: final project report

This was a meta-study. That means that the intention of the study was to review and analyse previous studies, and draw conclusions about the state of research into technologies in education, and specifically into the management of those technologies. The project proposed a range of objectives that were reduced because of funding limitations - the reduced project scope focused on an extensive literature review (the bibliography) and the development of a reference model that is intended to guide those concerned with managing ICTs in South African education (whether as managers or as researchers). The original proposal also included the development of case studies and the establishment of a knowledge base (built around the reference model) but this work remains to be done. The project was somewhat problematic in execution. Resourcing and administrative difficulties resulted in no students graduating (yet), and this is a matter for disappointment. These problems were reported to the NRF and – in the end – useful outputs were achieved. First, following establishment of the project, a two-day meeting of about 20 experts revealed a consensus: that the many differences that are to be seen (in learners, teachers, resource levels and other factors) are probably the most important thing to acknowledge and respond to, in undertaking further research into technology in South African education and in improving management practice. The drivers for change arising from technological innovation are forceful, and the form and function of education establishments is changing. In the simplest possible view, information technology is an investment and it needs to be managed accordingly. The idea of value can be used to develop logical connections between the sometimes-uncontrolled cost of education information technologies, and the strategic benefits that are sought for learners and for the nation. Critical to understanding how value can be assured is to acknowledge and pro-actively manage the information systems that are the means to improve educational processes, and the benefits that must be defined and then delivered, if the investment of time, money and effort is to be worthwhile. The bibliography that emerged from the literature review (more than 160 papers were read, being chosen from more than 700 candidates) confirms that there is little evidence that the management of IT investments in education is researched. Further, while some reported work makes passing reference to (or implies) strategic management, there is little evidence that strategic options and strategic management techniques are being seriously researched at the regional or national level. To deal with the problems of technology and strategy management: • The diversity that we live with needs to be understood and incorporated into policies and strategies for information technology and information systems in education. • The role of the stakeholder, and existing techniques for stakeholder analysis, will be key in determining the value is sought from our information technology investments in education. • There is more to this than just teaching and learning. Research is a key feature of the education landscape and needs good information technology support; administration at all levels needs good systems, and management needs management information that provides a basis for good decision making. The reference model, currently focused on "Teaching and Learning" as the core educational activity, organises the chain of value that begins to ensure successful investment. It also shows how knowledge management fits into the "big picture" and it provides an ontological foundation for further work, as well as a framework for the evaluation of performance and value delivery within working education institutions. The project also developed significant ancillary outputs: a proposal for a special issue of a journal, a "Flash MOOC", and a qualitative research data analyser. The project contributed to a new book, "Investing in Information", that is to be published imminently by Springer in Geneva (and that provides much more detail about the idea of value management from information technology investments). A number of journal papers have already been published, and further papers are in process.This project was funded by the South African National Research Foundation: Project Reference: ESA20100809000015400 – Grant Number: 7399

Technological Advances in Winery Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

The commercial production of wine is directly linked to the use of large amounts of fresh water coupledwith the generation of copious amounts of wastewater containing significant amounts of organic andinorganic substances. The impact of this waste stream on the environment has required the wine industryto implement certain protocols in wastewater management to comply with respective effluent dischargeregulations as set out by local authorities. Reduced accessibility to good quality water resources in recentyears has forced wineries to consider more efficient wastewater management strategies to improve waterrecovery and re-use, thereby promoting more sustainable wine production and minimizing the impact onstressed water resources. This review presents a comprehensive overview of established and emerging,physicochemical, biological, advanced oxidation and hybrid wastewater treatment technologies specificallyapplicable to the wine producing industry. Herein, winery wastewater composition and treatmenttechniques, environmental implications, knowledge gaps, technological operational challenges, alternativedisposal and recycling options of treated winery wastewater are critically evaluated

Membrane supports designed for Pd membranes

Unique properties such as high permeance and a theoretically infinite selectivity to hydrogen gas exhibited by Palladium (Pd)-based membranes have caused thin Palladium films to emerge as an attractive method to separate and purify hydrogen from syngas. Pd-based membrane costs are a considerable economic hindrance to transforming this technology into a commonly applied gas separation technology, hence, the cost of these membranes needs to be reduced significantly. Cost reduction can be achieved by utilising composite membranes, composed of a thin dense layer of a Pd alloy deposited onto a porous support structure. While significant research has focused on Pd-based top layer optimisation, the physical properties of each sublayer have all but been ignored. In order to address challenges such as stability and durability of membranes, membrane production and operation costs more effectively, the current work aims to look at each layer as an integral part of the membrane system instead of unlinked individual layers. The end product of Pd-based membrane development should exhibit the following characteristics; a) defect-free continuous films, without protruding defects which would negatively affect the quality of the collected permeate gas, b) mechanically and chemically stable films, to hinder the formation of defects during the lifetime of the membrane under operating conditions, c) the film should have minimum thickness required in order to obtain a) and b) as excessive thickness will have a detrimental impact on H2 permeance and material cost. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

A study of the reflective abilities of physics i tutors drawn from their conceptual understanding of a cooperative tutoring environment

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDThis study is an extension of work previously performed by Linder et al. (1997). It sought to explore university Physics I tutors’ conceptualization of Physics I tutorials and their conceptualization on issues relating to observations and interactions during tutoring, through involvement in a reflective practicum. The study was premised on socio-cultural constructivism, co-operative learning, situated learning theory and reflective practice.The study developed over two phases. In phase one the reflective thinking processes of the tutors were explored. Upon reflection on the literature the research context was further developed which allowed a final exploration into the tutors’ conceptualisations of the Physics I tutoring context. During this final exploration, i.e. the second phase, tutors were exposed to an organized, longitudinal sensitisation session, i.e. tutor-training over a period of nine months. Tutors were introduced to co-operative learning and the various processes of reflective practices namely, follow-me, modelling and joint experimentation, reflection-inaction and reflection-on-action.Analysis of the data was carried out using the phenomenographic research perspective. Ananalysis of the categories of description was used to demonstrate the tutors’ ability to reflect,based on their conceptual understanding of and interactions during the physics tutoring. These categories favoured the development of extended criteria to enhance reflection amongst physics tutors. These extended criteria were then used as a basis to suggest a model to support reflection amongst Physics I tutors

Preparation and Characterization of Sulfonated Poly (ether ether ketone)/Phosphated Zirconia Nanoparticles Composite Proton-conducting Membranes

Proton-conducting membranes of organic–inorganic (sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone)/phosphated zirconia nanoparticles) composite were prepared by incorporating various ratios of phosphated zirconia nanoparticles (ZP) in sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). SPEEK/ZP showed an improvement of properties compared with those of the parent SPEEK membrane. Key amongst these is increased proton conductivity to 0.02Scm–1, reduced water uptake to 22 % and reduced methanol permeability to 1.13 × 10–7 cm2 s–1. The methanol permeability was decreased by 28 % compared with SPEEK membrane. It was decreased by one order of magnitude compared with commercial Nafion® 117 (1.39 × 10–6 cm2 s–1).KEYWORDS: Composite membrane, phosphated zirconia, proton conductivity, SPEEK; methanol permeability, direct methanol fuel cell

Synthesis, characterisation and evaluation of IrO2 based binary metal oxide electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

IrO2, IrxRu1-xO2, IrxSnx-1O2 and IrxTax-1O2 (1 ≥ x ≥ 0.7) were synthesized, characterised and evaluated as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in solid polymer electrolyte electrolysers. The electrocatalysts were synthesised by adapting the Adams fusion method. The physical properties of the electrocatalysts were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Electrochemical activity of the electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. X-ray diffraction revealed no phase separation when RuO2 or SnO2 was introduced into the IrO2 lattice suggesting that solid solutions were formed. Transmission electron microscope analysis revealed nanosize particles for all synthesised metal oxides. Crystallinity increased with the addition of RuO2 and SnO2 while a suppression of crystal growth was observed with the addition of Ta2O5 to IrO2. Chronoamperometry revealed that the addition of all the secondary metal oxides to IrO2 resulted in improved catalytic performance. Ir0.7Ru0.3O2 was identified as the most promising electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction. Keywords:Web of Scienc

Optimization of gas diffusion electrode for polybenzimidazole-based high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell: Evaluation of polymer binders in catalyst layer

Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) prepared with various polymer binders in their catalyst layers (CLs) were investigated to optimize the performance of phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). The properties of these binders in the CLs were evaluated by structure characterization, electrochemical analysis, single cell polarization and durability test. The results showed that polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) are more attractive as CL binders than conventional PBI or Nafion binder. At ambient pressure and 160 o C, the maximum power density can reach w 0.61 W cm-2 (PTFE GDE), and the current density at 0.6 V is up to ca. 0.52 A cm-2 (PVDF GDE), with H2/air and a platinum loading of 0.5 mg cm-2 on these electrodes. Also, both GDEs showed good stability for fuel cell operation in a short term durability test.Web of Scienc

I can't fall behind! - aspirations technology and becoming a teacher in South Africa

This article contributes a theoretical perspective on aspirations and technology in ICT4D research. The paper examines the aspirations for professional development of undergraduate pre-service teachers in South Africa, and the extent to which these are marked by or influence the formation of technology attitudes. It is found that the relations between professional aspirations and attitudes towards technology are fairly complex, and of mutual determination: technology is seen as a capacity enabler, instrumental in helping pre-service teachers fulfil their professional aspirations, which in turn motivate them to understand and integrate technology in their future teaching. The implications of this argument for wider ICT4D scholarship are discussed