Saide Current Awareness
25 April 2023

 

Distance Education

• Digital Applications in Distance Science Education Source: International Society for Research in Education and Science This book has been prepared to introduce common technological tools that can be used in science education in the distance education process. Although most of the applications introduced in the book are used in face-to-face education, this book focuses on
  their use in the distance science education process. 

 

• Investigating the Design of an Asynchronous Online Discussion (AOD) in Distance Education: A Cooperative Learning Perspective Source: MDPI This case study explored if an AOD was designed to meet cooperative learning conditions and whether students generated interactions and accomplished higher levels of cognitive learning. The results suggested that in an AOD where cooperative learning conditions were rarely met, students barely interacted and only manifested lower levels of cognitive learning. The researchers proposed that an AOD may not achieve the expected cooperative learning outcomes unless it is well-structured with a systematical integration of cooperative learning theory...

 

Education: South Africa 

• Stellenbosch University Prof Jonathan Jansen will walk in Einstein's footsteps Source: TimeLive Professor of education and TimesLIVE contributor 'deeply grateful' after election to prestigious American Academy of Arts

 

• 'Hogging the limelight': Blade Nzimande and deputy cross swords Source: TimesLIVE An extraordinary row has broken out between higher education minister Blade Nzimande and his deputy, Buti Manamela, over who gets the media coverage of the department’s activities. Nzimande accused Manamela of “hogging the limelight” and relegating him to the sidelines in public engagements

 

• KZN education department food scheme supply backfires, DBE probes feeding scheme Source: IOL The DBE Minister, Angie Motshekga, wrote a letter to the KZN MEC Mbali Frazer on Friday, demanding answers on all documents related to the tender and all information that the procurement was above board.

 

• Coronation rolls out 21 mobile libraries to disadvantaged schools this World Book Day  Source: IOL Learners from Cypress Primary in Bridgetown received five of 21 fully stocked mobile libraries as part of Coronation and literacy organisation Living Through Learning’s campaign to support disadvantaged schools across the province for World Book Day. 
  Coronation has committed to support early literacy development to help address South Africa’s early literacy crisis.

 

• Premier gives in to opposition parties’ pressure, orders probe into R2.1 billion school feeding scheme Source: IOL

 

• DBE unaware of funding cuts which send shock waves through ECD community Source: IOL

 

• South African children’s grim prospects in a failing education system Source: Mail & Guardian An opinion piece on how South Africa's education system leaves many children behind due to crumbling infrastructure, teacher shortages and a lack of educational progress

 

• WATCH: Forum for schools food suppliers’ shocking revelations about the collapsing R2 billion scheme  Source: IOL 

 

• Khutsong pupils stage mass schools walkout over government inaction on sinkhole scourge  Source: Daily Maverick Thousands of pupils have exited classrooms in the West Rand township in protest after a large sinkhole swallowed a portion of their school and was subsequently declared unsafe. The pupils are demanding that the Department of Education fulfils its promise to repair the school and address the persistent sinkhole issue.

 

• Doors to UCT’s Jagger Library opened to the public two years after the fire Source: Cape Town Etc. On 18 April 2023, exactly two years after a devastating fire that destroyed the University of Cape Town’s Jagger Reading Room, the Jagger Library reopened to the public.

 

• ‘I want to ensure a good education for all’: Miss SA Ndavi Nokeri launches educational podcast series Source: TimeLive Reigning Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri is set to launch her educational audiovisual podcast series this week...

 

Language and Literacies

• Research on 2,400 languages shows nearly half the world's language diversity is at risk Source: Phys.Org In a new paper published in Science Advances, an extensive database of language grammars called Grambank has been launched. With this resource, many research questions can be answered about language and see how much grammatical diversity we may lose if the crisis isn't stopped.

 

• Bright new ideas to promote literacy Source: Zer Dropout This article looks at how the Reading for Meaning programme and Mikhulu Child Development Trust are helping parents and caregivers to support their children’s education.

 

• Celebrating World Book Day 2023 Source: Western Cape Education Department  Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape : UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated on the 23^rd of April each year to recognise the importance of books and authors, and to encourage everyone to read books. In anticipation of World Book Day 2023, officials from the WCED’s Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI) and Education Library and Information Service (EDULIS) visited Rouxville Primary School in Kuils River on Friday, 21 April 2023, to hand over books to Foundation Phase learners.

 

Open Education and Open Educational Resources

• How digital libraries are raising awareness about climate change Source: Governance Now The Climate Change Knowledge Portal, a digital library launched by the World Bank, provides access to over 15,000 climate-related documents. These documents include reports, scientific studies, and multimedia content. The Climate Change Knowledge Portal is freely accessible to individuals around the world and has been instrumental in providing access to credible information about climate change.

 

• Instructor Support for Open Educational Resources at the McLaughlin Library Source: University of Guelph The McLaughlin Library is home to a wide range of Open Educational Resources (OER), free educational materials such as textbooks, streaming video, and test banks that are openly licensed and available for anyone to use. Many are high-quality and peer-reviewed resources that can be modified and repurposed to meet your teaching needs. The library wants to help alleviate the affordability and accessibility barriers that commercial textbooks present for students and OER can help.

 

Post Schooling

• Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings: a new framework Source: Times Higher Education African rankings methodology looks beyond traditional research-focused metrics on teaching and research to include societal impact, writes Phil Baty

 

• UCT at odds with SRC over claim it breached financial exclusion mediation agreement Source: Daily Maverick Protests at the University of Cape Town resumed this week after some received emails indicating their financial exclusion while others were notified they would have to cover the shortfall in NSFAS accommodation allowances.

 

• Medical schools ‘make students less empathetic’  Source: Times Higher Education Study finds trainee doctors become cynical, emotionally distanced and desensitised towards their patients

 

• Academics challenged to open up transformational knowledge Source: University World News Academics across the globe have been challenged to open up the discussion about transformational knowledge, which includes a holistic focus on higher education systems as well as decolonisation. 
  As interpreters of knowledge, academics should examine how they can shape alternative ways of knowing, said Crain Soudien, professor emeritus of education and African studies and former deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

• Union asks university to justify race-based bursary awards Source: University World News Trade union Solidarity has threatened the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa with legal action if the institution cannot justify the distinction it makes in the awarding of bursaries and fellowships based on race, writes Chris Ndaliso for The Witness.

 

• ILO New Research reports on Apprenticeship Source: Jet Education Services The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released new research on Apprenticeships under the Apprenticeship Development for Universal Lifelong Learning and Training (ADULT) project. The compilation has a  main report, eight thematic reports, and three country level reports.

 

Skills and Employment 

• A prime time to prompt — how the lingua franca of artificial intelligence could speak to Africa’s future Source: Daily Maverick By leveraging AI’s capabilities, prompt engineering has the potential to unlock creative solutions to Africa’s most pressing challenges, across domains such as healthcare, agriculture, and renewable energy.

 

• Experience required for Industry 4.0 Source: Creamer Media Engineering News With the rise of Industry 4.0 and a subsequent increase in the regulation of engineers and technologists, more experience is required from professionals operating in relevant fields, says Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control (SAIMC) CEO Johan Maartens.

 

• Mpumalanga women get just energy transition boost Source: IT Web A new initiative has been established in Mpumalanga province to boost women’s participation in South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) programme. The electrical engineering Renewable Energy Specialisation Skills Development Programme was launched this week in Standerton.

 

• How to work as a consultant in the ICT sector Source: IT Web With revenue in the IT consulting and implementation segment projected to top $65 billion by the end of this year, it has become an increasingly important component of the technology environment. Organisations are looking to unlock the value of their digital investments with consultants providing an important enabling mechanism in this regard.  Locally, consultants must turn the focus on how they can provide value to their companies. Being a better consultant can result in increased business opportunities and job satisfaction. Here are several tips on how to become a better consultant in the South African market.

 

• Wits Innovation Centre aims to resolve real-world problems Source: IT Web The Wits Innovation Centre (WIC) signals a new era in accelerating “innovation for societal good” in SA, says the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University). The multidisciplinary hub, launched this week, is described as a space to create, collaborate and engage in impactful innovation, across SA’s disciplines and sectoral boundaries.
   

 

Teaching and Learning- Local and Global

• How the brain stops us learning from our mistakes – and what to do about it Source: The Conversation You learn from your mistakes. At least, most of us have been told so. But science shows that we often fail to learn from past errors. Instead, we are likely to keep repeating the same mistakes.

 

• A Deep Dive Into the Spacing Effect Source: Memory and Metacognition Updates Jonathan Firth's post talks about the spacing effect (aka distributed practice) as a really useful and applicable strategy in learning and retention. 

 

• NASCEE's Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Series | Resources Source: Nascee. The recordings and presentations from the series of sessions held during March and April 2023,are now available. 

 

• Sailboat Retrospective for Reflection Source: OneHE. Maha Bali shares this reflective activity to bring students together to talk about their experiences at the end of a project.

 

• Making Authentic Connections in Online Courses Source: Loyola University Maryland The Office of Digital Teaching and Learning (ODTL) has a Faculty Spotlight Video Series in which Dr. Patrick Dempsey, Director of ODTL talks to faculty about solutions to digital teaching problems. In this video, Dr. Kelly Keane, Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Educational Technology Program talks about four strategies for making authentic connections with students in online courses.

 

Technology Enhanced Learning

• ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in higher education: Quick start guide  Source: Unesco The Quick Start Guide provides an overview of how ChatGPT works and explains how it can be used in higher education. The Quick Start Guide raises some of the main challenges and ethical implications of AI in higher education and offers practical steps that higher education institutions can take.

 

• Introducing DOMS™️ EDUCATE Source: Dr. Phillipa Hardman In this week's blog post, Dr. Hardman introduces DOMS™️ EDUCATE, a new framework which she hopes will make experimentation and the transition to the post-AI classroom easier.

 

• Loop Source: Microsoft Microsoft Loop is the next-generation cocreation experience that brings together teams, content, and tasks across your apps and devices.

 

• Freeed Freeed is a technological platform with the potential to create a sustainable network of teachers. Freeed applies the best of teacher knowledge, resources and creation to cutting-edge technologies in a networked world. Today’s social media and web-based communities provide unprecedented opportunities for teachers to find resources, collaborate, engage in creative production, publish and mobilize online. Freeed offers all that in one platform.

 

• iBlocks Project Based Learning Spark inspiration with iBlocks – experiential PBL activities that engage students in critical thinking, teamwork, and fun!

 

• ASU+GSV Summit: Has education tech really changed anything? Source: New Hampshire Union Leader As universities and schools continue leveraging billions in federal COVID-19 relief funds to adopt technology for online and hybrid learning, some ed-tech leaders and educators say the current challenge is figuring out how to use those new tech tools to reimagine education, as well as to improve student academic performance.

 

 

 

• 2023 NADEOSA Conference 25-26 May 2023:
• 2023 Siyaphumelela Conference 28-30 June 2023: 
• 2023 SAAIR Learner Analytics Workshop  2-4 May 2023: 
• Four special issues Call for Papers on Generative AI in Education