Saide Current Awareness
13 November 2023

 

Distance Education

  • Multimedia is key to distance education: I built a model South African universities can use Source: Conversation Africa Distance education first appeared in the United States in the 1800s. At the time, students received the relevant material through the post and then returned it to the institution. Scholars in the field say that distance education is now in its “fifth generation”. This means that, like so much else in the world, knowledge is delivered via the internet. Students want to be able to access learning materials at a time and place that’s convenient to them. Flexibility is key.
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  • Online v/s Distance Learning| Exploring the Best Fit for Your Education Source: Eduversity Learning and education are crucial for everyone. Learning strategies and teaching approaches are evolving along with time. There are numerous ways to learn, including traditional classroom based learning, online, and distance learning. We are living in a digital age, online and Distance learning is very popular right now. Now, as times are changing, learning is also evolving with the time. Both online and distance learning are alternatives to the traditional classroom. Both these methods are a blessing for those who cannot physically attend regular classes. By studying through them, they can complete their studies, earn a degree, and advance their careers. We will discuss everything in detail in the blog.


 Education: South Africa 

  • SPARK Schools Soweto wins World’s Best School award Source: Education Today SPARK Schools Soweto has been named World’s Best School by T4 Education, in partnership with Templeton World Charity Foundation, Accenture and American Express.SPARK Soweto’s dedication to its founding principles has earned the school the international award in the “Community Collaboration” category. SPARK Soweto, the 20th school in the SPARK Schools network, was selected because it became a catalyst for change in its disadvantaged community that was once symbolic of the struggle against apartheid, according to T4 Education.
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  • Math teachers should adapt to students’ learning needs – Hamukwaya  Source: New Era Live ONGWEDIVA – Shemunyenge Hamukwaya believes that the limited research conducted in the areas of mathematics in Namibia created a need for her to investigate mathematics learning difficulties in detail.  This probe, she said, aimed to provide research-based knowledge for improving students’ opportunities for the learning of mathematics, and to inform policies and practices primarily in the Namibian context.
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  • Academics and policymakers convene to reshape SA’s education sector  Source: WitsNews The Wits School of Education (WSoE) hosted the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to re-envision South Africa's education sector. Academics, policymakers and educators gathered to discuss and collaborate on the future of South Africa's education sector. This information sharing session aimed to align and streamline efforts to support education, with a strong focus on Early Childhood Development (ECD), The Reading/ Language Policy, and the Three Stream Model.
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  • Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill gets mixed reactions Source:IOL The Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture received a briefing on the very controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill on Wednesday.The bill intends to help guide with, among others, language preference for schools, conduct of educators, abolishment of corporal punishment in schools, merging of schools and sale of alcohol at schools.
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  • vCampus to connect Africa’s learners and content creators Source: ItWeb Think Tank, a technology solutions, training and social enterprise company, is gearing up to launch vCampus, a new digital learning platform hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). vCampus targets both individual learners and businesses, as well as tertiary institutions and other educational content creators.

 

Language, Literacies and Research Writing

 

Open Education and Open Educational Resources

  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion in open education: A systematic literature review Source: Distance Education Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and open education are key areas in the current development of educational systems internationally. However, little is known about the general perspective of what has been addressed about EDI in open educational contexts to date. To address this gap, this paper presents a systematic literature review of 15 papers where we examined the current state of the art and the main suggestions for EDI implementation. Results indicate that practitioners should involve all stakeholders, including institutions, faculty members, and students, in EDI development to enhance open educational practices as well as in the cocreation of open educational resources which need to consider culture, language, and location, among others. This review of literature contributes an evidence base to support the future development and adoption of EDI in open educational contexts by organizing relevant literature into coherent themes that can inform future research.

 

   Post Schooling

  • UCT readies new online postgraduate diplomas Source: ItWeb The University of Cape Town (UCT), in partnership with 2U, the company behind global online learning platform edX, will launch three online postgraduate diplomas – one-year graduate level programmes – on edX. 2U is an American educational technology company that contracts with non-profit colleges and universities to build, deliver and support online degree and non-degree programmes.
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  • Former UCT Council chair Babalwa Ngonyama resigns from another board after independent panel report Source: Daily Maverick In the aftermath of the scathing report by the independent panel investigating governance failures at the University of Cape Town, the university’s former Council chair, Babalwa Ngonyama, has resigned from yet another company board. 
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  • Oral exams should be part of doctoral programmes – Study Source: University World News Several key factors are driving the shifts taking place in doctoral education globally, including digitalisation, globalisation and the knowledge economy. While each of these drivers permeates the South African higher education context to some extent, the country’s own complex historical legacies provide a unique background and lens through which the drivers of doctoral education can be framed.
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  • Education leaders have to stimulate critical climate debates Source: University World News The University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa is leading a new consortium which aims to strengthen the capacity of universities in Africa to contribute towards climate-resilient food systems.
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  • Study identifies leaders in AI-driven healthcare research Source: University World News Although South Africa is in the third position of the top 10 productive countries in the world regarding artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare research in Africa after the United Kingdom and the United States, it has only one university – the University of Cape Town – included in the list of the top 10 institutions in the world.
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  • Report blasts recent leadership of University of Cape Town Source: University World News An independent panel tasked with investigating governance failures at South Africa’s University of Cape Town (UCT) released its long-awaited report on Wednesday 1 November. It is scorching in its condemnation of both former vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng and former UCT Council chair Babalwa Ngonyama, stating: “To conclude that Ngonyama and Phakeng’s conduct during this period amounted to a governance failure would be understatement”, writes Rebecca Davis for Daily Maverick.
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  • Court overturns moves to place UNISA under administration Source: University World News The Pretoria High Court ordered South Africa’s Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande to immediately retract a government gazette notice that announced the appointment of an administrator for the University of South Africa (UNISA), writes Prega Govender for TimesLive.

 

Skills and Employment 

  • Study without Matric: Options for South African students Source: Education Today Many young South Africans are not aware of Occupational Certificates as a study route, even though they are accessible to study without Matric, or if students do not meet the entry requirements for other types of qualifications. Occupational Certificates are an important avenue available to these future students who otherwise won’t be able to further their education or get a foot on the career ladder. They are well regulated and widely recognised throughout all career fields, and equip students with specific skills that are in high demand in the economy.
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  • Unlocking the potential of SA’s youth through the power of partnerships Source: Daily Maverick South Africa, like many countries, grapples with the formidable challenge of youth unemployment. Harambee’s aim is to address that challenge.
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  • Report outlines skills needs in Africa’s fashion industry Source: University World News Countries in Africa struggle to reach their full potential in a fast-developing fashion industry due to limited educational and training systems, a persistent lack of investment and infrastructure in the sector, and insufficient intellectual property protection. This is according to a UNESCO report, The African Fashion Sector: Trends, challenges and opportunities for growth, published on 28 October.

 

Teaching and Learning- Local and Global

  • Learning from the head, heart and hand — flourishing emotional literacy at the Kairos School of Inquiry Source: Daily Maverick  Across the road from Zoo Lake, you will find the Kairos School of Inquiry. This small school was founded by Marc Loon, a progressive Johannesburg teacher. Loon originally trained as an engineer but found himself increasingly drawn to education. He studied Steiner education in England and later completed a teaching degree at Wits University. The Kairos School is unique in South Africa and sees itself as a place where each child is seen and heard. In a sense, the school can be an example of nurturing an alternative primary school system in South Africa.
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  • Feedback as a Dialogue  Source: Faculty Focus Rachael A. Lewitzky holds a PhD in curriculum and pedagogy from the University of Toronto. She shares her reflections in a blog post where she starts as follows: How have my various experiences influenced my teaching philosophy, and which principles do I rely on to inform my interactions and collaboration with learners? My primary goal is to promote accessibility and implement universal design for learning (UDL), offering diverse avenues for learners to interact with and obtain content. Additionally, I strive to cultivate learner independence through tailored learning experiences and encourage collaborative settings along with effective communication.
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  • Why Are We So Squeamish About Teaching ‘Skills’? Source:The Chronicle Professors have always preferred to teach content over skills. But shifting that focus might just revive our graduate programs.
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  • One Key to Student Success? Socializing in Class.Source:The Chronicle Connections can be key to students academic success. Professors can help.

 

Technology-Enhanced Learning

  • Partnering with students to build belonging in a blended learning environment Source: Times Higher Education A sense of belonging and community plays a major role in maximising student engagement. But how can educators cultivate an authentic community?
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  • Roles for AI to play in the classroom Source: Times Higher Education From supporting classroom debate and discussion to problem-solving and decision-making, here are ways that artificial intelligence can enhance teaching and learning
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  • Effective assessment methods for large enrolment classes Source: Times Higher Education Tips on how to assess students in large classes effectively, including how to use specialist technology to increase efficiency
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  • Bakhtin (1895-1975) dialogics, learning and AI Source: Donald Clark Plan B Mikhail Bakhtin, the Russian philosopher and literary critic, developed a theory of language which saw dialogue as primary. He took this idea and applied it to learning. By dialogue he mean social interaction between people, teachers and learners, learners and learners, learners and others but also dialogue with the past. He was persecuted during the Soviet era but his work was rediscovered in the 1980s, and he has since become an important theorists in the philosophy of language and even learning through AI.