Browsing by Author "Budden, Ramona."
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Item An evaluation of the use of online resources in the teaching and learning of curriculum context and change module : a case study at a higher education institution in south africa.(2013) Budden, Ramona.; Khoza, Simon Bhekumuzi.Internationally governments have recognised the pertinent role education holds in achieving economic growth and competitiveness. Information and communication technology (ICT) have become a catalyst for educational transformation in the last century, and higher education institutions have developed a strong incline towards this move. It is within this context that tertiary institutions have expanded their teaching and learning pedagogies by providing greater access to computers and internet facilities. Implementation of innovative teaching methods is important in higher education courses to involve and motivate the newer tech-savvy generation of students. However, many lecturers have been hesitant to welcome this change due to inadequate salary structures and insufficient training and expertise in using online resources as a pedagogical approach in higher education. The purpose of this study evaluated the use of online resources in the teaching and learning of the Curriculum Context and Change module at a university in Durban, South Africa. The institution at which this study took place utilizes modern technologies that can support the use of online resources in the various areas of disciplines. Despite these technological advancements many facilitators have experienced serious challenges in effectively using online resources as a tool for teaching. Therefore this study sought to develop an understanding of the facilitator’s and students’ experiences into the benefits and challenges encountered by implementing online resources in their current practise. This supported the need to draw implications and possible recommendations for applying online teaching and learning in similar contexts at higher education. The study adopted a qualitative research design and followed a case study methodology. It applied qualitative data generation methods inclusive of semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, and lecture observations, document/online learning space analysis and an online reflection. The purposive sampling method was selected to include thirty five students and one facilitator of the Curriculum Context and Change module. Participants were also selected on the basis of convenience sampling. Eleven students participated in the focus group interview, and of these, five volunteered to share their experiences in the individual interviews. The study followed guided analysis based on the theoretical frameworks of Activity Theory and the Spider Web Curriculum to support the interpretations and analysis articulated thereof. The findings revealed that there were potentially more benefits than challenges experienced in the use of online resources in the teaching and learning of the module. The most prominent features of implementing the use of online resources were greater participation of students; work and study were combined to save time and ensure completion of tasks; peer involvement; immense interaction between students themselves, and between the facilitator and students; independent learning led to richer experience; informed practise as educators; more accessibility and saving costs; and achievement of learning outcomes of the module. Challenges experienced in the utilization of online teaching and learning resources were of a technical nature. In some instances students were diverting from the online learning activities to social networking sites thereby shifting their attention from the tasks at hand. Although the research identified possible problems that can incur in an online learning platform, they were minimal in comparison to the benefits because the facilitator was careful to use hard-ware resources (HW) and soft-ware (SW) resources in co-ordination with ideological-ware (IW) resources. The study therefore proposes that since the potential benefits significantly outweighed the challenges, the use of online resources is highly recommended in teaching and learning at higher education if they are supported by concrete IW resources.Item Exploration of factors that inform curriculum studies students to use e-resources in conducting Masters of Education dissertations at a South African university.(2016) Budden, Ramona.; Khoza, Simon Bhekumuzi.This study is an exploration of factors that inform Curriculum Studies students to use e-resources in conducting their Masters of Education dissertations at a South African university. With rapid developments in online learning and perpetual advancements in technology, amidst the increasing numbers of students enrolling for postgraduate studies, the study sought to gain an understanding and interpretation of the e-resources students mainly use to conduct their dissertations and the critical factors that support such practises. Establishing this invigorated a critical perspective of the e-resources employed in research in the field of curriculum. The field of curriculum is vast and ever changing due to the evolving needs of society. Coupled to this transformation is the influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that enables higher education institutions to create online platforms for the culmination of e-resources that can improve students’ research imperatives. To this effect the rationale for the study was to explore why certain e-resources are used above others, and how this informs students’ ability to do research. This process involved understanding the factors of content, societal and personal which provided an analytical lens in exploring the premise for their choices of e-resources. Consequently, the study was guided by three research questions that framed each chapter. The first research question stated, “What are factors that inform Curriculum Studies students to use e-resources in conducting Masters of Education dissertations at a South African university?, the second, “How do Curriculum Studies students use e-resources in conducting Masters of Education dissertations at a South African university?, and the third, “Why do Curriculum Studies students use e-resources in conducting Masters of Education dissertations in a particular way at a South African university? To answer the three research questions, the study adopted a qualitative research approach which enabled a platform for seeking detailed accounts of participants’ experiences, perspectives, beliefs and opinions of using e-resources to undertake research. The qualitative research approach paralleled the use of the interpretive paradigm that allowed the study to delve into the deep, subjective meanings of participants’ experiences that enhanced the epistemological and ontological assumptions thereof. This was supported by the implementation of a case study style of research in which a small group of participants from the university were targeted in order to source thick descriptions regarding their use of e-resources in research. In selecting participants, the non-probability sampling methods of purposive sampling infused with convenience sampling was affiliated to coincide with the features of a qualitative, interpretivist case study approach to this study. This was further conditioned by the three data generation methods chosen: one-to-one semi structured interviews, document analysis and an online reflection activity. Ensuring trustworthiness of the data was analysed according to the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. To further probe, analyse and make sense of the data, the theoretical framework of the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was merged with the Curriculum concepts to produce the Curriculum CHAT theory. This invoked the precepts of guided analysis that provided a foundation for eliciting themes and categories to present the data. Eight themes were conceived, afforded by categories (sub-themes) that culminated patterns and trends of the factors that inform students (researchers) to use particular e-resources in research. These themes were divided into researcher; e-resources; research knowledge; accessibility; research activities; research environment and time; research targets; and assessment. The themes were additionally structured in a manner of interrogating the three research questions of the study. The findings postulated that certain e-resources were privileged in use over others, as these were driven by ideological-ware (IW) resources. E-resources were explored in the context of hard-ware (HW), soft-ware (SW) and ideological-ware (IW). This suggests that using e-resources were first informed by theories of research, paradigms and the literature (IW resources) in construction of students’ dissertations. Having a firm grasp of IW resources ensured that students’ were able to maintain the true goals of research by eliminating e-resources that would distort their judgement. Consequently, the research targets were achievable which indicated that they were able to successfully complete their dissertations and acquire a Master’s degree. The study recommends, firstly, that curriculum courses and programmes should be geared by potential IW resources to scaffold the implementation of HW and SW e-resources to avoid the entertainment or social media incentives that can obscure the essence of conducting research. Secondly, pinpointing factors along the corridors of content, societal and personal ingrains a process of reflection in which students can identify key concepts from the literature, theory and research design and methodology through interrogation and analyses in doing research. The third recommendation galvanised by the study is the cultivation of research activities such as supervisory meetings, cohort sessions and peer involvement that enable a platform for students to seek help and guidance into the strategic procedures of initiating research. Fourthly, universities should utilise e-resources that create better access for students to gain deeper, credible information, as some online sites are restricted. The fifth recommendation envisaged is that curriculum driven courses or programmes should be steeped into Curriculum Spider Web concepts since these are not only foundational but universal to implementation of any curriculum, and serves as an excellent conceptual framework for making decisions on what works and does not work in a curriculum. Finally, the study recommends that further research be undertaken in other branches of curriculum as well as other levels of postgraduate studies to expand the existing body of literature and establish greater awareness as to how e-resources can be implemented without overcoming the essential goals of research.