Lessons learnt: support interventions during a blended course for teacher-educators from urban and rural settings

Publication is Open AccessThis comparative case study research focused on the design and delivery of a blended Programme for professional working teacher-educators from both urban and rural settings. The overall purpose of the Programme was to enhance the educators’ Information Communication Technologies (ICT) skills, with emphasis on eTools for supporting teaching-and-learning methodologies. Two groups of teacher-educators undertook the course as part of their Professional Development (PD). For the educators situated in the rural setting, the course was integrated into their Bachelor of Education (Honours) Degree Programme. A strong facilitation and support approach was maintained throughout the Programme to encourage self-directed learning. A case study approach was adopted to explore the experiences in the overall implementation and impact of the Programme. The research reflects on the findings which include: Programme design and structure; critical face-to-face interaction; access to resources impact time management; design a support structure for the monitoring and evaluation of the Programme; educators as self-directed learners; eTools enhance teaching-and-learning methodologies; and personal barriers which hinder Programme commitment.Web of Scienc

The facilitation and support of a blended e-learning course for Science educators in a rural setting, South Africa

This paper presents the findings of both qualitative and quantitative case study research of the implementation of a blended eLearning course for Science educators in the Eastern Cape, Mthatha. The Centre for Innovative Educational and Communication Technologies (CIECT) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) designed and developed a course, namely: “Designing an Instructional Event”, registered with the South African Quality Authority (SAQA) at a National Qualification Framework (NQF), Level 6. This course was offered in collaboration with the Education Faculty, for the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (BEd Hons) Programme; specifically Science Education. The researchers highlight the importance of the provision of extensive facilitation and support by the CIECT team, in order to motivate the educators (full-time working professionals) to become self- directed learners. In this case, the educators were expected to complete activities; and design an online environment to enhance their Science instruction. Considerable challenges were faced by the facilitators and educators due to limited infrastructure; and a lack of commitment by some participants to commit to the completion of tasks

Another piece to the epidemiological puzzle of traumatic spinal cord injury in Cape Town, South Africa: A population-based study

Background. The epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is poorly understood in developing countries. In South Africa (SA) specifically, two healthcare systems (private v. government funded) exist, and it is therefore important to assess patient characteristics in order to plan appropriately.Objectives. To determine epidemiological characteristics of TSCI in the private healthcare system in Cape Town, SA, and compare findings with previously published data from the government sector.Methods. A regional, population-based design was used, including all private and government-funded hospitals in the catchment area (Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality). All eligible survivors of TSCI in the private sector were retrospectively identified from admission records for a 1-year period. The International Spinal Cord Injury Core Data Set was systematically completed using patient medical records. Epidemiological data from the government cohort were secondarily analysed; however, socioeconomic variables were primarily analysed in this study. Inferential statistics were used to assess differences between the two healthcare systems.Results. The annual crude incidence of 20.0 per million in the private sector was significantly lower than the 75.6 per million in the government sector (p<0.001). In addition, the two cohorts differed significantly with regard to age at injury, pre-injury employment and aetiology, highlighting that individuals in the private sector were older than those in the government sector, that most were employed prior to the injury, and that their injuries were chiefly transport related, as opposed to assault in the government sector.Conclusions. Two cohorts with TSCI from the sampling population differed with regard to incidence, aetiology and sociodemographic characteristics. The findings suggest the need for more than one high-priority primary prevention programme, stratified by healthcare system. These programmes should inclusively emphasise road safety and the consequences of interpersonal violence among men

THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF FAMILIES DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR HOLISTIC EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAMMES

Neglecting the significant role played by family members in the post-rehabilitation trajectory of substance abusers can pose a significant challenge in supporting intervention programmes in the workplace. This paper reports on a small-scale qualitative investigation that used focus group interviews with family members to explore their perceptions and experiences of being confronted with family members with substance use disorders. The findings are presented through three themes: 1) emotional burden; 2) coping and avoidance strategies; and 3) support needs of family members. Recommendations highlight how employee assistance programmes can provide a comprehensive suite of holistic support systems

Melvin Whitebooi (1956–2011)

Op Ou Krismis 2011, 24 Desember, besoek ek en my vrou Sandy drie grafte. Vir ons drie belangrike grafte, almal afgestorwe lede van die Cape Flats Players: Boccaccio Braaf, my seun; Melvin Whitebooi, my vriend en Ivan Sylvester, my skoonbroer. By elkeen se graf besef ek die kortstondigheid van die lewe en my gedagtes gaan terug na die spesiale momente wat ons gedeel het. By Melly se graf in Stikland-begraafplaas sien ek die blomme en die kranse en ek dink: “Dié familie kyk goed na jou graf en jy leef voort in hul gedagtes.” En dit is reg so, want hy het hulle respek verdien

Angiography of the retina and the choroid with phase-resolved OCT using interval-optimized backstitched B-scans

In conventional phase-resolved OCT blood flow is detected from phase changes between successive A-scans. Especially in high-speed OCT systems this results in a short evaluation time interval. This method is therefore often unable to visualize complete vascular networks since low flow velocities cause insufficient phase changes. This problem was solved by comparing B-scans instead of successive A-scans to enlarge the time interval. In this paper a detailed phase-noise analysis of our OCT system is presented in order to calculate the optimal time intervals for visualization of the vasculature of the human retina and choroid. High-resolution images of the vasculature of a healthy volunteer taken with various time intervals are presented to confirm this analysis. The imaging was performed with a backstitched B-scan in which pairs of small repeated B-scans are stitched together to independently control the time interval and the imaged lateral field size. A time interval of ≥2.5 ms was found effective to image the retinal vasculature down to the capillary level. The higher flow velocities of the choroid allowed a time interval of 0.64 ms to reveal its dense vasculature. Finally we analyzed depth-resolved histograms of volumetric phase-difference data to assess changes in amount of blood flow with depth. This analysis indicated different flow regimes in the retina and the choroid. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Zirconium-induced physiological and biochemical responses in two genotypes of Brassica napus L.

>Magister Scientiae - MScSouth Africa is one of two countries responsible for the production of approximately 80% of the world’s Zr. The increase in mining activity has detrimental effects on the environment, especially crop plants, as more pollutants are leached into the soil. Consequently, it is necessary to understand how plants respond to this form of abiotic stress. Therefore, this study focused on determining the physiological and biochemical responses of two genotypes of Brassica napus L (Agamax and Garnet) in response to Zr stress. The levels of cell death, lipid peroxidation and ROS were higher in Garnet, whereas the chlorophyll content was higher in Agamax. Furthermore, native PAGE analysis detected seven SOD isoforms and seven APX isoforms in Agamax, compared to 6 SOD isoforms and 7 APX isoforms in Garnet. The results thus indicate that Agamax is tolerant to Zr-induced stress, whereas Garnet is sensitive. An assay for the rapid quantification of Zr within plant samples was subsequently developed, which revealed that Agamax retained the bulk of the Zr within its roots, whereas Garnet translocated most of the Zr to its leaves. The ability of Agamax to sequester Zr in its roots comes forth as one of the mechanisms which confers greater tolerance to Zr-induced stress. As a consequence, our study sought to use the optical, physical and chemical properties of quantum dots to image the uptake and translocation of Zr in B. napus genotypes. ICPOES was also performed to quantify Zr levels in various plant organs. Data from the ICPOES revealed varying patterns of uptake and translocations between Garnet and Agamax. These patterns were similarly shown in IVIS Lumina images, tracing the transport of QD/Zr conjugates. This method ultimately proved to be successful in tracing the uptake of Zr, and could essentially be a useful tool for targeting and imaging a number of other molecules

Community digital story project: George community needs

This document has undergone full peer review, and reflects all final changes made, but not the formatting done by the publisher.This study details a Digital Story Community Project undertaken by the Centre for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies of the University of the Western Cape, which took place in George (South Africa) in November 2014. The aim was to explore, via digital stories, the authentic needs of vulnerable community sectors by engaging with representatives, leaders and activists from those sectors, while equipping them in turn with transferable skills in the production of digital stories. Digital stories proved to be an excellent tool for community need identification, while simultaneously building digital skills among community members in a range of areas such as storyboarding, script writing, image preparation, and voice recording. A Sociocultural Constructionist and Asset-Based Community Development theoretical approach underpinned this research and proved an excellent fit for the creation of community narratives. A mixed methodology was adopted in this empirical study, relying primarily on qualitative data with quantitative support. Qualitative measures include pre- and post-survey questionnaires, facilitators’ observations during the workshop, participant feedback within an online discussion forum, as well as the perceived impact and application of digital stories. The skills attained, community needs and solutions produced, and the potential contribution of ICTs in these are also discussed. Supporting quantitative measures are drawn from an analysis of responses to the pre-and post-survey questionnaires and attendance numbers during the workshop. Identified needs clustered around four interrelated themes: youth, economic challenges, substance abuse, and healthcare. The use of digital stories in identifying community needs, in a theoretically sound manner, is recommended in future research focusing on community development. It is no longer possible or desirable to speak on behalf of communities in relation to their development needs, and the digital story eTool is appropriate for obtaining authentic community data, while building skills.Web of Scienc

Huldeblyk: Adam Small (1936-2016)

No Abstrac

Resilient Educators Support Programme for HIV and AIDS affected educators in the Northern Cape : an evaluative study

The Resilient Educators (REds) Support Programme was compiled by the North West University in 2006. The aim of the REds Programme is to promote the quality of life of HIV and AIDS-affected educators. It is therefore geared towards assisting educators to cope more effectively with the challenges of the pandemic by supporting them to respond adaptively to a teaching context that demands responses more typical of counsellors or social workers, or medical personnel trained to prevent HIV (Theron, Geyer, Strydom&Delport, 2008:84). The content of the REds Programme is grouped into nine modules. Each module provides thematic structure, background information and interactive activities. Since its conception in 2006 and subsequent implementation, REds has continued to evolve, being continually informed by empirical research, with the future aim of disseminating REds to the National Department of Basic Education in South Africa (Theron et al., 2008:84-85). Continual refinement and development of REds have thus been occurring to the extent that the fourth version has been implemented in 2009. REds has to date been implemented in four South African provinces, namely Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West Provinces, but not in the Northern Cape. However, its extended implementation in the Northern Cape may deem invaluable to the standardisation of the programme for the South African educational context The goal of the research project was to determine the effectiveness of the REds Support Programme (fourth version) in enhancing the quality of life of HIV and AIDS-affected educators in the Northern Cape. The researcher embarked upon programme evaluation as a type of applied research. The study utilised the triangulation mixed methods research design, as this study combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. The research design for the quantitative research approach was the quasi-experimental comparison group pre-test post-test design, whilst the collective case study design was used for the qualitative research approach. Quantitative data were collected through a group standardised questionnaire, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and for qualitative data different methods were used including narratives and drawings. The same standardised questionnaire was administered at both the pre- and post-test level with both the experimental and comparison groups. Narratives and drawings were also utilised for both groups before and after exposure to REds. The experimental group consisted of 11 respondents from a specific primary school in Kimberley, Northern Cape, while 10 respondents, from another primary school in Kimberley, participated as part of the comparison group. The quantitative research results suggested that even though a significant difference was indicated between the comparison group and the experimental group as it relates to the measure of burnout at the post-test level, it cannot be certain that this difference is as a result of the experimental group having been exposed to the REds programme, given that a significant difference between these groups already existed at the pre-test level. Qualitative research results, on the other hand, evidently indicated that participants have profited from the REds programme and that there was a positive mind shift in the post-exposure of respondents to the programme. This could be substantiated when comparing post-exposure findings of the comparison group and the experimental group. Based on the data obtained through ProQOL, the REds programme did not adequately address the support needs (Quality of Life) of participants. The qualitative results gathered through narratives and drawings seem to have given a better representation of the impact of the REds programme on participants when compared to the quantitative results. It is recommended that the qualitative component of the research project be elevated as the data gathered through this research method was much richer than the quantitative data. The impact of the programme is evident using this data collection method. It is recommended that other possible standardised questionnaires be explored or a self-structured questionnaire be compiled in order to identify a more applicable measuring instrument. It is also recommended that the possibility of excluding a quantitative measuring instrument be explored.Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Social Work and Criminologyunrestricte