Saide Current Awareness
1 July 2024

 

Distance Education

  • Lecturers’ Perceptions of a Learning Management System Migration at an Open Distance and e-Learning Institution Source: International Journal of E-Learning and Distance Education  Learning management systems (LMSs) are common in higher education institutions and form the backbone of open distance and e-learning (ODeL) institutions. Migrating to any new form of technology is known to be a challenging endeavour and LMSsare no exception. Thisstudy usesthe Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to analyse open-ended responses to a questionnaire sent to lecturers at an ODeLinstitution during the migration from one LMSto another. In the study, 83 responses are analysed, and six major themes are discussed. The results indicate that timely and specific support is critical in a technological migration process, andcommunication around the migration is vital to the morale of lecturers involved. We noted many instances of anxiety due to increased workload factors. We recommend that institutions migrating from one LMSto another conduct pilot studies andfocus on clear and effective communication while not underestimating the resources needed for successful migration processes.
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  • The Astronaut Exercise – a planning tool for student unions and universities to support distance learning students Source: LinkedIn Digital and Data Anlaytics head from Leeds University shares an abstract  workshop idea based on the premise that the experience of being a distance learner on a global scale – i.e. potentially the only student in an area, country or territory, linked with fellow students online, with work and family responsibilities and different workspaces – could be a similar shared (but isolated from home) experience, i.e., an astronaut in outer space.
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  • E-learning Challenges Faced by University Teachers During COVID-19 Pandemic Source: The Qualitative Report The research has explored various challenges related to E-learning dynamics faced by high-education academicians during the COVID-19 period. To develop an in-depth understanding, qualitative research methods were used and the narrative inquiry method was integrated for collecting data from interviewees. Data were collected from 14 university teachers via focus group discussions in which respondents were required to provide written narrations about the teaching-related challenges as well. Data were narrated from the words of respondents using the thematic analysis approach. Based on the analysis, seven major themes were derived and characterized as the key challenges of e-learning during COVID-19 named as lack of readiness, lack of resources and training, lack of interaction and motivation, quality of education deliverance, assessment & monitoring issue, Workload and distractions and Curriculum revision. Accordingly, this research has offered useful suggestions for education policymakers, senior management of universities, and researchers which will enable them to have a better understanding of E-learning challenges in developing countries.

 

   Education: South Africa

 

Language, Literacies and Research Writing

 

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

  • Learning Analytics Methods and Tutorials Source: Springer This open access comprehensive methodological book offers a much-needed answer to the lack of resources and methodological guidance in learning analytics, which has been a problem ever since the field started. The book covers all important quantitative topics in education at large as well as the latest in learning analytics and education data mining. The book also goes deeper into advanced methods that are at the forefront of novel methodological innovations. Authors of the book include world-renowned learning analytics researchers, R package developers, and methodological experts from diverse fields offering an unprecedented interdisciplinary reference on novel topics that is hard to find elsewhere.
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  • Digital Literacy OER (Hokkaido University) Source: OEGlobal Connect  Hokkaido University has teamed up with Adobe to create Open Educational Resources (OER) for teaching digital literacy in higher education. These resources are based on the competencies outlined in UNESCO’s Digital Literacy Global Framework (DLGF). You can find these OER materials in Japanese and English, and they're freely accessible to everyone. They’re also available through the Adobe Education Exchange.
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  • OE Week Library Source: Open Education Week  Collection of open assets shared by the community in previous Open Education Week editions since 2015.

 

   Post Schooling

  • Major donation to enhance student success at SA universities Source: University World News Efforts to elevate student success at public universities in South Africa have been bolstered by a new suite of grants from the Kresge Foundation totalling more than ZAR114 million (about US$6.3 million) over the next three years. This investment marks the third iteration of funding for the Siyaphumelela (‘We succeed’ in isiXhosa) network, an initiative dedicated to transforming how universities serve students to improve academic outcomes.
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  • University to boycott Israeli universities, some researchers Source: University World News The council of South Africa’s University of Cape Town has adopted a resolution which calls for the boycotting of all Israeli academic institutions and researchers who are affiliated to the Israel Defense Forces, writes Corbin August for SABC News. The resolution was passed amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In terms of the resolution, no UCT academic may enter into relations, or continue relations with, any research group or network that is affiliated to the Israel Defense Forces, or the broader Israeli military establishment.
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  • Stop using rankings to evaluate research, study recommends Source: University World News A review of the literature on the use of university rankings in research evaluation and excellence initiatives points to an agreement that rankings should not be used in research assessment or to guide policy initiatives. However, converting this academic consensus into a move away from rankings involves a cultural shift and is therefore likely to be challenging.
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  • Africa Union Continental TVET Strategy Source: AU Participate to provide feedback on Africa Union Continental TVET Strategy and the preparation of a new Continental TVET Strategy 2025-34. 
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  • ‘THE’ Impact Rankings: Here are some possible enhancements Source: University World News On 12 June, Times Higher Education (THE) released the sixth edition of its Impact Rankings (THE IR), which included 1,963 institutions spread across 125 countries, compared to 462 institutions from over 70 countries in 2019. This increased participation was driven by higher education institutions from middle-income countries. This year, 63.3% of ranked institutions were from middle-income countries compared to 53.6% in 2023 and 43.1% in 2019. There are 24 (or 1.2%) participating universities from low-income countries. 
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  • For the future of higher education, we need to educate the whole student Source: TimesHigherEducation In this extract from his book ‘The Learning-Centered University’, Steven Mintz lays out his vision of higher education’s future, and proposes a new way of learning

 

Skills and Employment

  • Are we doing enough to empower SA's youth? Source: BizCommunity As we celebrate Youth Month in South Africa, a critical question arises: are we truly doing enough to support and uplift the youth? While significant strides have been made since the advent of democracy, the complexities of youth development require an ongoing, multifaceted approach. To answer this question, it's crucial to explore the initiatives put in place, assess the opportunities available, and consider the role of awareness among the youth.
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  • Young South Africans want to work, not wait; investing in them can fast-track our economy Source: Daily Maverick In the absence of an economy that grows, we can create an economy that moves, and importantly, an economy that moves young people forward, so they can themselves be the gears with which our rebounding economy can grow, writes Ariane de Lannoy ,associate professor at the Southern Africa Labour Development Research Unit (Saldru) at the University of Cape Town and Sharmi Surianarain,chief impact officer for the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator.
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  • Funza Lushaka graduates no longer prioritised for teaching jobs as thousands remain out of work Source: Daily Maverick United Unemployed Educators, formed to fight against the recruitment policies of the Department of Basic Education, has criticised poor administration in filling teaching vacancies. The government, meanwhile, cites fiscal constraints.

 

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

  • UNESCO's Global Survey on Transforming Education Source: UNESCO The SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee called on UNESCO to develop a monitoring and accountability tool to facilitate cross-country learning and track progress toward achieving SDG4. The Dashboard of Country Commitments and Actions to Transform Education and the ‘Transforming Education Towards SDG4: Report of a Global Survey on Country Actions to Transform Education’ were developed, the findings of which were presented at the Stocktake. The Dashboard and Survey Report are key instruments that guide countries as they track their progress in fulfilling their national statements of commitments. The Dashboard allows users to filter by region and thematic area, among other features, to see the actions countries are undertaking to transform education. The Survey Report aims to further facilitate cross-country learning by documenting transformative actions and sharing experiences and best practices. Unlike the Dashboard, which provides an overview, the report offers a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of countries’ survey responses.
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  • Four ways to integrate the SDGs into English language classes Source: TimesHigherEducation Connecting the Sustainable Development Goals with language teaching and learning can provide meaningful learning experiences, writes Chaonan Xu
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  • Integrating ethics into course design is vital – here’s how to do it Source: TimesHigherEducation Here are tried-and-true activities for grounding students in their values. They can be adapted to any course. 
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  • Contemplative Pedagogy: Special Issue  Source: JUICE  This issue showcases the themes, writings and challenges explored at the Contemplative Pedagogy Network’s 2023 symposium held in September at Dartington Hall in Devon, UK. This event was the fourth in a series of contemplative symposiums resulting from a handful of educators back in 2014, meeting to discuss how their own love of contemplative practice might actually support and enrich their educational practice, rather than being limited to an out of hours hobby or personal interest. There is now a steadily growing number of educators joining the Contemplative Pedagogy Network (CPN) and this quest for a more holistic and embodied approach to Higher Education. 

 

Technology-Enhanced Learning

  • "Teaching and Learning with AI" Source: Learning Revolution The full set of recorded sessions of last weeks free global online conference. View the programme here with helpful resources embedded in the speakers bio.
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  • Framework for the Future: Building AI Literacy in Higher Education Source: Moxie The framework proposed in this paper builds on Selber’s (2004) framework for digital literacies by adapting it to the complexities of AI in a post-digital age. Following Selber’s categorization, we divided AI literacy into functional, critical, and rhetorical dimensions. Our adaptation redefines these categories within the context of common academic uses of generative AI. It outlines specific, actionable steps for each category to advance competencies in the three literacy categories. This action-oriented approach can foster AI literacy by encouraging stakeholders to actively engage with and critically reflect upon their use of AI.
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  • Differentiated Instruction: A Pragmatic AI-Infused Approach to Personalized Learning Source: LinkedIn Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that recognizes and addresses the diverse learning needs, interests, and abilities of students within a single classroom. Instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all methodology, it aims to provide varied avenues for students to acquire content, process ideas, and demonstrate their knowledge. The goal is simple: maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting them where they are.