Academic literature on the topic 'African Virtual University (AVU)'
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Journal articles on the topic "African Virtual University (AVU)"
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Wright, Clayton R., and Sunday Reju. "Developing and deploying OERs in sub-Saharan Africa: Building on the present." International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 13, no. 2 (April 13, 2012): 181. http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i2.1185.
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Open educational resources (OERs) have the potential to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase access to educational opportunities. OER development and deployment is one path that could contribute to achieving education for all. This article builds on existing information and communication technology (ICT) implementation plans in Africa and on the experiences of organizations and initiatives such as the African Virtual University (AVU), OER Africa, the South African Institute of Distance Education (SAIDE), and the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) Project, to present one view of the benefits, challenges, and steps that could be taken to realize the potential of OERs in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, the article focuses on the factors necessary for creating and sustaining a vision for OER development and deployment; developing and distributing resources with an open license; improving technology infrastructure and reducing the cost of Internet access; establishing communities of educational collaborators; sustaining involvement in the OER initiative; producing resources in interoperable and open formats; establishing and maintaining the quality of OERs; providing local context to address national and regional needs and conditions; informing the public about OERs; and taking the initiative to build on the knowledge, skills, and experiences of others. In order to assist educators and decision makers, links to a variety of resources are provided.
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Amutabi, M. N., and M. O. Oketch. "Experimenting in distance education: the African Virtual University (AVU) and the paradox of the World Bank in Kenya." International Journal of Educational Development 23, no. 1 (January 2003): 57–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0738-0593(01)00052-9.
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Munene, Ishmael I. "Experimenting in distance education: The African virtual university (AVU) and the paradox of the World Bank in Kenya—A rejoinder." International Journal of Educational Development 27, no. 1 (January 2007): 77–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2006.05.002.
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KAVANAGH, BOB. "AFRICAN VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY - IRELAND'S INVOLVEMENT." International Journal of Modern Physics C 12, no. 04 (May 2001): 601–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0129183101002619.
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Bwalya, Kelvin Joseph. "Virtual Reality and Learning in an African University Environment." International Journal of Art, Culture and Design Technologies 1, no. 1 (January 2011): 36–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijacdt.2011010104.
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Incorporating Virtual Reality aesthetics and semantics can contribute towards transforming the education landscape in both the developed and developing world. This can be realized by VR’s capacity to enable the design of more vibrant and dynamic/interactive multimedia applications that are user centric. VR has a positive impact on e-Learning, which is an emerging education model in Africa. This paper uproots the different initiatives, experiences, and challenges that have been met by various endeavors to employ VR as a tool for education, especially in African universities. Using exploratory approaches, two universities in South Africa and Botswana are reviewed as case studies in order to ascertain the status of VR use in higher education in Africa. The paper finds that the potential of VR education is evident in Africa but needs to be unearthed.
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Donat, Bruno N. P. "International Initiatives of the Virtual University and Other Forms of Distance Learning: The Case of the African Virtual University." Higher Education in Europe 26, no. 4 (December 2001): 577–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03797720220141915.
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Muir, A., and E. Ondari-Okemwa/snm>. "Challenges of harnessing virtual information resources in Kenya: the case of the African Virtual University." Journal of Information Science 28, no. 4 (August 1, 2002): 321–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/016555102320387471.
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Ondari-Okemwa, Ezra. "Challenges of harnessing virtual information resources in Kenya: the case of the African Virtual University." Journal of Information Science 28, no. 4 (August 2002): 321–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/016555150202800406.
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Martins, Nico, and Leona M. Ungerer. "Virtual Teaching Dispositions at a South African Open Distance Learning University." Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 171 (January 2015): 929–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.211.
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Hicks, Esther K. "Can the African Virtual University Transform Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa?" Comparative Technology Transfer and Society 5, no. 2 (2007): 156–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ctt.2007.0022.
Full textDissertations / Theses on the topic "African Virtual University (AVU)"
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Lendrin, Helga. "Université Virtuelle Africaine : le paradoxe du processus d’industrialisation de l’enseignement supérieur en Afrique Subsaharienne." Thesis, Compiègne, 2021. http://www.theses.fr/2021COMP2627.
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Pourquoi financer le déploiement d'une technologie là où, faute d'infrastructures, celle-ci ne peut matériellement pas fonctionner correctement ? Si les objectifs avancés par la Banque mondiale, à l'origine du lancement de l'Université Virtuelle Africaine (UVA) en 1997, sont l'augmentation de l'accès à l'enseignement supérieur en Afrique couplée à des économies d'échelles, la question se pose de savoir quelle démocratisation est espérée lorsque le moyen qui doit la rendre possible ne peut tout simplement pas fonctionner par manque d'infrastructures. En s'appuyant sur le concept d'« hypertélie » développé par Gilbert Simondon (1958) pour désigner la suradaptation d'un objet technique dans un milieu inadapté à son fonctionnement, cette recherche doctorale propose d'appréhender le lancement de l'Université Virtuelle Africaine (UVA) comme une introduction anticipée des TIC et de la culture numérique par la Banque mondiale au sein d'universités traditionnelles d'Afrique subsaharienne avec pour objectif la mise en marché de l'enseignement supérieur. Objectif soutenu par la transformation de l'UVA en organisation intergouvernementale qui génère un mythe (Barthes, 1957 ; Simondon, 1958) caractérisé par la séparation entre une forme première et son fond idéologique, qui, ainsi libéré, peut se fixer à d'autres formes, s'articuler à d'autres fonds, et devenir une tendance générale. L'UVA acquiert ainsi une raison d'être : constituer une forme mythique capable de véhiculer des concepts qui se transforment en tendances sous forme de structuresWhy fund the deployment of a technology where, due to lack of infrastructure, it cannot physically function properly? If the objectives put forward by the World Bank, at the origin of the launch of the African Virtual University (AVU) in 1997, are to increase access to higher education in Africa coupled with economies of scale, the question arises as to what democratisation is hoped for when the means that should make it possible simply cannot function due to lack of infrastructure. This is evidenced by the failure of the AVU in economic and pedagogical terms (Loiret, 2007), in contrast to its continued development through its transformation into a pan-African intergovernmental organisation in 2002. Based on the concept of 'hypertelia' developed by Gilbert Simondon (1958) to designate the over-adaptation of a technical object in an environment unsuited to its functioning, this doctoral research proposes to understand the launch of the African Virtual University (AVU) as an anticipated introduction of ICTs and digital culture by the World Bank within traditional universities in sub-Saharan Africa, with the objective of commodising higher education. This objective is supported by the transformation of the AVU into an intergovernmental organisation which generates a myth (Barthes, 1957; Simondon, 1958) characterised by the separation of a primary form from its ideological background, which, thus liberated, can be attached to other forms, articulated to other backgrounds, and become a general trend. The AVU thus acquires a reason to be : to constitute a mythical form capable of conveying concepts that are transformed into tendencies in the form of structures
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Tirfie, Helina Ayele. "An assessment of donor funding practice and its impacts on meeting the development objectives of recipients: a case study of the Africa Virtual University (AVU), Nairobi, Kenya." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/7219.
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Abstract
The subject of donor funding has been one that is full of controversy. It has raised strong debates over the years and continues to be a topic of interest. It is argued more often than not that donor organizations place a lot of conditionalities before disbursing development funds to recipient organizations or countries. These conditionalities in most cases do not match with the objectives of the recipient organizations or governments and create avenues for disagreements.
It has been the case that donor organizations normally prescribe particular programmes that they fund; and that this restricts the recipient organizations to programme choices that are
already determined by the funding institutions. In the case of multi-donors funding of a particular organization, the practice may undermine funding effectiveness in the recipient organization as that may make it possible for different donors to start contradictory programmes or for multiple donors to duplicate projects, reducing the overall effectiveness of
assistance.
This study was designed to assess donor funding practices and its impacts on meeting
development agenda in a particular organization. This was a case study of a multi donor funded educational organization, the African Virtual University (AVU), based in Nairobi, Kenya. Primary data formed the basis of this research and was collected through structured questionnaires. In addition, secondary data was also used to get background information on
the organization.
The study sought to answer three research questions regarding the perceived interests of varying stakeholders, how their interests affected the overall objectives and management of the AVU, and in turn how it affected the AVU’s contribution towards tertiary education in Africa. The results have shown that there were indeed conflicting interests among the various
stakeholders that affected the overall achievement of the AVU’s goals as a result of lack of focus. In addition it was established that the main beneficiaries of the AVU programmes (students and African universities) were not often included in the process that determined the AVU’s overall direction. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the previous management of the
AVU did not play a key role in balancing out the different interests and in directing the AVU towards achieving its overall goals even though respondents agreed that there was some
degree of success in certain activities. This study also proved the hypothesis that strong and committed management contributes towards balancing out multi stakeholder interests eventually leading to success in achieving an organization’s objectives.
The study has shed light on the practices of donor funding. Donors ought to be cognizant of funding needs of recipients rather than putting pressure on organizations to follow their ideas.
Even though donor funding comes with certain conditionalities, I think there should be some degree of flexibility and compromise put in place so as to allow the beneficiaries’ input regarding their own development issues. Development funding can only bear fruits if the actual need of recipients on the ground is studied and taken into consideration. In addition,
recipients should be actively involved in setting their own strategic objectives for maximum outcome. This study will serve as a blue print on donor funding and the challenges that come with it. The lessons learnt will guide other development organizations dependent on donor
funding and dealing with similar issues to jump start their processes to improve their
performance, achieve their goals and objectives and in turn contribute positively towards development of the continent.
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Kola, Matumelo Dorothy. "Perceptions of job characteristics, job satisfaction and organisational commitment of e-tutors at a South African ODL university." Diss., 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26346.
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The general aim of this research was to investigate whether a relationship exists between the perceptions of job characteristics, job satisfaction (JS) and organisational commitment (OC) of e-tutors in a virtual work environment in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) university in South Africa. Considering the nature of the virtual work environment and the Job Characteristics Model (JCM), the design of e-tutors’ jobs does not encompass some of the core dimensions. This creates certain distinctive issues in terms of how e-tutors work, relate and communicate with their supervisors and co-workers. This has the potential to negatively affect their levels of JS and OC and increase their intention to leave the organisation. Accordingly, a quantitative survey was conducted on a sample of 279 (n = 279) e-tutors serving contracts at an ODL institution in South Africa. An exploratory factor analysis in the absence of good fit revealed a three-factor model for job characteristics, a two-factor model for JS, and a three-factor model for OC. Moreover, a correlational analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between perceptions of job characteristics, JS, and OC. A bivariate-partial correlation revealed that the relationship between job characteristics and JS is stronger than the relationship between job characteristics and OC. Following these correlations, a regression analysis was done to test the influencing nature of job characteristics on JS and OC. Accordingly, the results revealed that 26% of the effect of JS on OC is mediated by job characteristics. Tests for statistically significant mean differences revealed no significant difference between male and female e-tutors, nor differences in terms of their job tenure. However, in terms of educational background, significant mean differences were found between e-tutors holding undergraduate degrees and those holding postgraduate degrees. In order to determine which colleges differ significantly, multiple comparison tests were done, but the results revealed no significant individual differences. These results are applicable to similar populations and may help to improve the work experiences of other virtual workers. In addition, it is envisioned that they may help to improve human resource management practices in virtual work environments.Human Resource Management
M. Com. (Human Resource Management)
Books on the topic "African Virtual University (AVU)"
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Juma, Magdallen N. The African virtual university: Kenyatta University, Kenya. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2001.
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Juma, Magdallen N. African Virtual University. OECD Publishing, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.14217/9781848597426-en.
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The African Virtual University: The Case of Kenyatta University (Commonwealth Case Studies in Citizenship Education). Commonwealth Secretariat, 2002.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "African Virtual University (AVU)"
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Bateman, P. "The African Virtual University." In Handbook on Information Technologies for Education and Training, 439–61. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74155-8_22.
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Diallo, Bakary, Sidiki Traoré, and Therrezinha Fernandes. "AVU's Experience in Increasing Access to Quality Higher Education through e-Learning in Sub-Saharan Africa." In Multiple Literacy and Science Education, 165–79. IGI Global, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61520-690-2.ch010.
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Universities and other tertiary institutions in developing nations around the world are facing major challenges in meeting the demand for increasing access to higher education (HE): limitations imposed by inadequate funding, poor infrastructure and sometimes lack of political vision, added to the demographic explosion, make it almost impossible for some of these developing nations to ensure access to all to higher education solely through the conventional face-to-face mode. In this context, the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are providing an alternative to face-to-face education. Moreover, they have the potential to significantly increase access to quality higher education, improve management of tertiary institutions, increase access to educational resources through digital libraries and open education resources, foster collaboration and networking between universities, foster collaboration between the private sector and tertiary institutions, enhance sub-regional and regional integration and facilitate the mobility of teachers and graduates. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the African Virtual University (AVU), a Pan African Inter-Governmental Organization initially launched in Washington in 1997 as a World Bank project, works with a number of countries toward reaching the goal of increasing access to quality higher education and training programmes through the use of ICTs. The AVU has been the first-of-itskind in this regard to serve the Sub-Saharan African countries. In this chapter, the AVU’s twelve years experience in delivering and improving access to quality higher distance education throughout Africa will be discussed. The AVU has trained more than 40,000 students since its inception; this is the proof that it is possible to achieve democratization of tertiary education in Africa despite many challenges.
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Juma, Magdallen N. "The African Virtual University." In Vocational Education and Training through Open and Distance Learning, 17–31. Routledge, 2004. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203537190-2.
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Chaka, Chaka. "Social Media as Technologies for Asynchronous Formal Writing and Synchronous Paragraph Writing in the South African Higher Education Contex." In Cutting-Edge Technologies and Social Media Use in Higher Education, 213–41. IGI Global, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-5174-6.ch009.
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This chapter reports on a study—conducted in 2011—that employed two social media networks, Facebook and MXit, as educational tools at one university in South Africa. MXit is a South African-based social networking application. The study involved a cohort of second year Bachelor of Education in English undergraduate students at this university as its participants. The latter were required to utilize Facebook and MXit to engage in both asynchronous formal writing and synchronous paragraph writing, respectively. All this took place outside participants’ tutorial class schedule. In this study, participants were able to produce asynchronous formal writing samples in varying degrees using Facebook. Similarly, they were also able to produce synchronous written paragraphs using MXit even though some paragraphs displayed a high degree of linguistic textisms. Other affordances that these two social media technologies offered the participants in this study are: anytime, any day, and anywhere asynchronous and synchronous learning; asynchronous and synchronous feedback; virtual incidental learning; socially situated online learning; and Presence Awareness Learning (PAL). In conclusion, the study suggests that there are further affordances that these two social media technologies can offer higher education. These are: supplemental teaching and learning; cloud storage for teaching and learning materials (in the case of Facebook); virtual platforms for revision; digital platforms for micro-teaching and micro-learning (in respect of MXit); and value-added platforms for just-in-time mobile teaching and learning.
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Yaye, Aissetou Drame. "Development of E-Learning in Niger." In Cases on Interactive Technology Environments and Transnational Collaboration, 114–25. IGI Global, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61520-909-5.ch006.
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The University Abdou Moumouni (UAM) of Niamey in Niger mainly focused on traditional face to face learning, and even the existence of the African Virtual University since the years 1999 did not change the situation. It is only after the official opening at the University of the Francophone Digital Campus in December 2003 that lecturers and students started overseeing and taking advantages of all the benefits of e-Learning and distance learning. The present paper builds on the author’s personal initiatory experience in e-Learning to highlight some specific challenges that traditional universities such as the UAM face in their efforts to introduce e-Learning and distance learning as a new mode of course delivery. The study shows that even though challenges are big, political and institutional support can freshen the perspectives and change opportunities into realities.
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Kumi-Yeboah, Alex, William H. Young, and Kankam Boadu. "21st Century Distance Learning in Sub-Saharan Africa." In Advancing Technology and Educational Development through Blended Learning in Emerging Economies, 142–58. IGI Global, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4574-5.ch008.
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Distance education in Ghana is rapidly gaining recognition as a result of the increasing demand for higher education by qualified applicants, most of whom are denied admission due to the limited space and resources. Distance education promotes cross-national, multi-disciplinary perspectives in educational practice and equips students, faculty, and administrators with resources to compete in the academic world of the 21st century. Universities in Ghana have opted for distance learning as an alternative measure to reduce congestion and help remedy student admissions to the few universities available (Dzisah, 2006). However, little is known about the trend of distance and blended learning education in Ghana. This chapter addresses the trend of distance learning and university education; distance and blended learning in Ghana; information on African Virtual University and distance education, benefits, challenges, recommended strategies of distance and blended learning programs in Ghana; and a conclusion.
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Dubino, Jeanne. "Tracing A Room of One’s Own in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1929–2019." In The Edinburgh Companion to Virginia Woolf and Contemporary Global Literature, 199–222. Edinburgh University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474448475.003.0012.
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This chapter traces the presence of Woolf in sub-Saharan Africa from 1929 to the present day. The historic trajectory starts with the final decades of the British Empire’s colonial rule in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Kenya (1929–59); continues through the half-century of the postcolonial era (1960–2010); and concludes with the age of globalisation (2011–). For the first part, I examine how Woolf, through the narrator in A Room of One’s Own, asserts that (white) Englishwomen do not have the same urge as their white brothers to possess and to convert someone into imperial property. At the time she wrote this claim, there were real-life white European women who were walking by and writing about Black women in Kenya. In the postcolonial era, when the English Departments in anglophone sub-Saharan African countries were influenced by Leavisism, Woolf’s works would not have been taught. I show how colonialism and its institutional legacies, including university curricula, libraries, and publishing, militate against Woolf’s broader appeal to sub-Saharan Africa-based writers. Finally, in the present day, through online references to A Room, one can see how Woolf’s idea of a room is transformed, throughout anglophone Africa, into a virtual writers’ workshop.
Conference papers on the topic "African Virtual University (AVU)"
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Twinomugisha, A. "The use of technology in education: experiences of the African Virtual University." In International Conference on Information Technology: Research and Education, 2003. Proceedings. ITRE2003. IEEE, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/itre.2003.1270669.
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Kabudi, Tumaini. "DESIGNED THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR A VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY IMPLEMENTATION IN AN AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PAPER." In 13th International Technology, Education and Development Conference. IATED, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.21125/inted.2019.0935.
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Tsits, Gwatiringa, and Adendorff Chris. "Virtual Reality Bridging the Gap between Job Skills Required and University Curriculum Competency in South Africa." In International Conference on Education. The International Institute of Knowledge Management, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.17501/24246700.2020.6203.
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Pervasive technologies such as Virtual Reality are disrupting and transforming the way we work and learn, necessitating the development of new ways of education to allow future employees to flexibly react to the future world of work and meet the demands of such a digitised working environment. By way of futures methodology, the aim of the research was to identify the present forces, trends and drivers of change that impact the future of education and the future of work. The Six Pillars of Futures Studies approach to research by Inayatullah was applied throughout the study. The mapping (environmental scanning) of Virtual Reality technologies as a driver of change was done, highlighting the impact of such technology on tertiary education and on the world of work. The purpose of the environmental scanning was to uncover existing and driving forces that will influence the future of tertiary education and the future of work. The Causal Layer Analysis (CLA) was the primary futures methodology applied in this research. CLA was used to investigate deeper causal issues from various viewpoints in order to formulate scenarios for the future. The study developed four different future scenarios and the most favourable scenario was used to formulate the recommended vision, "Future Vision of Education and Work in South Africa towards 2030" which incorporates a realistic, attainable and desirable future that could foreground the improvement of the skills gap in the South African context. This preferred future envisages an education system that broadens access to opportunities and provides the skills and competences that people need to thrive in a new sustainable economy. Keywords: Virtual Reality, Future of Education, Future workforce, Job Skills Requirements, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Futures Studies.
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Ojo, Olugbenga. "Face the Screen: Panacea Outlet for the Conduct of Examinations in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic." In Tenth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning. Commonwealth of Learning, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.56059/pcf10.403.
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The increase in the use of technology devices and development of various software applications the world over has enabled identifiable solutions to various human problems that looked like Herculean tasks in the past. In the ODL mode of education, as leaners juggle study, work and the responsibility that family life entails, the flexibility characteristic of ODL is paving way for the expected continuity in the teaching and learning process through technology. These include examinations and evaluation processes. Educational institutions in Nigeria before now, based only on traditional methods of learning, that is, they follow the traditional set up of face-to-face lectures including term or semester examinations in a classroom. With the advent of distance learning mode, many universities running dual mode of education along with the only single mode university available in the West African coast - the National Open University of Nigeria, have started blended learning. Although many of the existing colleges and universities are stuck with old procedures of teaching in various ways, the narrative changed when the deadly disease called Covid-19 caused by a Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) shook the entire world. Part of the challenges brought about by this World Health Organization declared pandemic was how to ensure continuity in the process of teaching and learning. It is against this background that exigency of time have made it mandatory for institutions of learning to fully turn to technology for solutions to examinations and evaluation process, hence, the reason for virtual examinations which made students to face the screen instead of the traditional assessment system facilitated through the face-to-face classroom environment. Very many conventional institutions of learning which were reluctant to change their pedagogical approach along with the technologically inclined institutions such as NOUN took the advantage of the situation to introduce virtual examinations which points to the fact that students must face the screen if they were to be evaluated. The aim of this paper is to share the experience this mode of examinations entails in the developing countries of West Africa for the purpose of improvement and enabling students outside the shores of the locations of various institutions the opportunity it portend for access to education.
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Mavuru, Lydia. "PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ CRITICAL REFLECTION ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS LEARNED IN LIFE SCIENCES METHODOLOGY MODULE." In International Conference on Education and New Developments. inScience Press, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.36315/2021end101.
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The complex roles teacher educators and teachers face require their ability to critically reflect on their practices. The question is on whether teachers are trained to make critical reflections of learning experiences for them to be able to critically reflect on their teaching practices. Based on constructivist approach, teacher educators continuously reflect on their practices in order to modify and improve their modules. It is however imperative that pre-service teachers who are the recipients, be given an opportunity to critically reflect on the services they receive and at the same time develop critical reflection skills. By creating reflective teaching and learning environments in the Life Sciences Methodology and Practicum module at the beginning of the academic year, 77 Bachelor of Education students specialising in Life Sciences and in their last year of study at a South African University, were purposefully selected to participate in a qualitative study. The study sought to answer the research questions: 1. What are pre-service teachers’ reflections on the knowledge and skills learned in their last year of study? and 2. What pedagogical and content knowledge aspects can be drawn from pre-service teachers’ critical reflection for the improvement of the module Life Sciences Methodology and Practicum? In collecting data, each pre-service teacher was tasked to compile a critical reflection report which they submitted towards the end of the year, and was analysed through content analysis. The findings showed important knowledge and skills learned which included the contextualization of teaching to ensure learners comprehend abstract concepts such as immunity. Amongst the teaching approaches and strategies covered in the module, argumentation as a social constructivist strategy stood out particularly when teaching controversial topics embedded with socioscientific issues e.g. genetics and evolution. The pre-service teachers indicated that the way practical work was taught, equipped them with knowledge and skills on how inquiry-based approaches can be implemented in the classrooms. Suggestions to improve the module included the provision of pre-service teachers with opportunities to conduct virtual micro lessons in light of COVID-19 pandemic; that the testing of Life Sciences concepts should include the assessment of pre-service teachers’ capabilities to teach the same concepts in the classrooms. The pre-service teachers’ argument is that since they are in their final year, the focus of the module should be on the development and assessment of their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and TPACK. The findings of the study have implications for teacher professional development.
Reports on the topic "African Virtual University (AVU)"
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Exploring the Prospects of Using 3D Printing Technology in the South African Human Settlements. Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2021/0074.
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South Africa is a country with significant socio-economic development challenges, with the majority of South Africans having limited or non-existent access to basic infrastructure, services, housing and socio-economic opportunities etc. The urban housing backlog currently exceeds 2.4 million houses, with many families living in informal settlements. The Breaking New Grounds Policy, 2014 for the creation of sustainable human settlements, acknowledges the challenges facing human settlements, such as, decreasing human settlements grants allocation, increasing housing backlog, mushrooming of informal settlements and urbanisation. The White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), 2019 notes that South Africa has not yet fully benefited from the potential of STI in addressing the socio-economic challenges and seeks to support the circular economy principles which entail a systematic change of moving to a zero or low waste resource-efficient society. Further to this, the Science and Technology Roadmap’s intention is to unlock the potential of South Africa’s human settlements for a decent standard of living through the smart uptake of science, technology and innovation. One such novel technology is the Three-Dimensional (3D) printing technology, which has produced numerous incredible structures around the world. 3D printing is a computer-controlled industrial manufacturing process which encompasses additive means of production to create 3D shapes. The effects of such a technology have a potential to change the world we live in and could subsequently pave the roadmap to improve on housing delivery and reduce the negative effects of conventional construction methods on the environment. To this end, the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) hosted the second virtual IID seminar titled: Exploring the Prospects of Using 3D Printing Technology in the South African Human Settlements, on 01 March 2021 to explore the potential use of 3D printing technology in human settlements. The webinar presented preliminary findings from a study conducted by UJ, addressing the following topics: 1. The viability of 3D printing technology 2. Cost comparison of 3D printed house to conventional construction 3. Preliminary perceptions on 3D printing of houses Speakers included: Dr Jennifer Mirembe (NDoHS), Dr Jeffrey Mahachi, Mr Refilwe Lediga, Mr Khululekani Ntakana and Dr Luxien Ariyan, all from UJ. There was a unanimous consensus that collaborative efforts from all stakeholders are key to take advantage of this niche technology. @ASSAf_Official; @dsigovza; @go2uj; @The_DHS; #SA 3D_Printing; #3D Print_Housing; #IID
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The Launch of the National Rollout of the Municipal Innovation Maturity Index (MIMI) (A tool to measure innovation in municipalities). Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/assaf.2021/0076.
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The MIMI project was initiated by the DSI in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the HSRC and UKZN. The purpose of this initiative was to develop an innovative tool capable of assessing and measuring the innovation landscape in municipalities, thus enabling municipalities to adopt innovative practices to improve service delivery. The outcome of the implementation testing, based on the participation of 22 municipalities, demonstrated the value and the capacity of MIMI to produce innovation maturity scores for municipalities. The digital assessment tool looked at how a municipality, as an organisation, responds to science, technology and innovation (STI) linked to service delivery, and the innovation capabilities and readiness of the municipality and the officials themselves. The tool is also designed to recommend areas of improvements in adopting innovative practices and nurturing an innovation mindset for impactful municipal service delivery. The plan going forward is to conduct learning forums to train municipal officials on how to use the MIMI digital platform, inform them about the nationwide implementation rollout plan and support municipal officials to engage in interactive and shared learnings to allow them to move to higher innovation maturity levels. The virtual launch featured a keynote address by the DSI Director-General, Dr Phil Mjwara; Prof Mehmet Akif Demircioglu from the National University of Singapore gave an international perspective on innovation measurements in the public sector; and messages of support were received from MIMI partners, delivered by Prof Mosa Moshabela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) of Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Prof Leickness Simbayi, Acting CEO of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). It attracted over 200 attendees from municipalities, government, business and private sector stakeholders, academics, policymakers and the international audience. @ASSAf_Official; @dsigovza; #MIMI_Launch; #IID