Saide Current Awareness
27 August 2024

 

Distance Education

  • New journal on open, distance and digital education: a review: Source: Online Learning and Distance Education Resources. Tony Bate's' latest post is a review of  the recently launched journal.
  • Teacher practices regarding teaching presence in Vietnamese tertiary online distance education programmes Source: Nature.Com The findings of this research single-institution case study affirm the pivotal role played by teaching presence in the setting investigated  in particular as well as in the context of online distance education in general. The study highlights the need for further interconnections to be established to link multiple aspects of social, cognitive and teaching presence to the practices that teachers use to enhance students’ engagement and learning experience. The study also has pedagogical implications with regard to teaching in online distance education programmes that pertain not only to teachers’ classroom practices but also to their professional development.

   Education: South Africa

  • ‘The man who introduced virtual teaching before the digital age’ Source: SABC News A pioneer who simplified complex issues for learners, these are just some of the words used to describe William Smith. The renowned Maths and Science educator died on Wednesday, at the age of 85 at his home in Perth, Australia.
  • Child Gauge 2024 sounds the alarm, saying South African ‘Children are in crisis’ Source: Daily Maverick The key findings in the Child Gauge 2024 suggest that South Africa’s progress towards realising the vision set out in its ECD policy is under threat. Researchers’ estimates indicate worsening trends in poverty, malnutrition and child mortality, suggesting a need for urgent action to safeguard the health and well-being of the country’s youngest children.
  • Prof Nkondo remembered as an exceptional intellectual and loving father Source:SANews An intellectual, revolutionary and patriot, who dedicated his life to building the intelligentsia in South Africa and also a loving husband, father and grandfather, who was passionate about education and his community. These are the words used to describe the late Professor Muxe Nkondo, who was laid to rest today after his passing on Sunday morning at the age of 83.
  • SA faces critical teacher shortage by 2030 – Mlambo-Ngcuka Source: MoneyWeb ‘In many countries, there is this problem that the people who end up as teachers are not the people for whom teaching is a calling,’ says former deputy president and 2030 Reading Panel chair Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
  • Transforming Lives Through STEM Education, Entrepreneurship, And Evaluation In South Africa Source: Africa Mmabatho Mokiti is a social impact entrepreneur in Johannesburg, South Africa. As the founder of Mathemaniacs, a math and science education company, and DreamGirls Academy, a mentoring program for girls, she combines her passion for education with her desire to create life-changing opportunities for women and youth.
  • Future of Education Summit 2024: Technological advances and ethical uses of technology Source: CNBS Africa Youtube Technological Advances and Ethical Uses of Technology came to the fore at the 10th Future of Education Summit. CNBC Africa Anchor, Zanele Morrison led a panel discussion on promoting digital literacy, responsible use of technology, and ethical considerations in the digital age, with leaders in the education sector from as far afield as Dubai, Finland, the UK and South Africa. #FOE2024
  • At the Y20 meeting, young people demand universal education and reducing inequalities Source: G20 Young people from all over the world gathered between August 10 and 17 at the Youth 20 Summit (Y20) in Rio de Janeiro to discuss topics such as reform of the global financial architecture, inequalities, tackling poverty and hunger, and climate change. The city of Rio de Janeiro hosted the G20 Youth event, which was attended by delegations from the 19 largest economies in the world, the African Union and the European Union, and invited countries. Young people from public schools and social projects attended some of the meetings during the Y20 week.
  • ‘Aspects’ of Bela Bill will be implemented when signed into law, says education minister Source: Mail and Guardian Siwive Gwarube’s political party, the Democratic Alliance, has previously described the Bill as a threat to the autonomy of schools...Behind Paywall.

Language, Literacies, Research Writing and Publishing

  1. Compelling English monolingualism is forcing coloniality - expert Source: IOL Issues of language and exclusion in schools were key topics of Professor Carolyn McKinney's recent inaugural lecture at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The lecture was titled “How are we failing our children? Language and exclusion in schooling”.
  • CALT@UJ seminar explores challenges in African language education in primary schools Source: UJ On 22 August 2024, the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Faculty of Education’s Centre for African Languages Teaching (CALT@UJ) hosted a seminar to explore the challenges in the development of African languages within the primary school system. The event, held at Funda UJabule—UJ’s flagship primary school—provided a fitting backdrop for discussions on technical challenges, teacher training, and the experiences of educators in teaching African languages.

Open Access, Open Education and Open Educational Resources

  • Questions for Consideration on AI & the Commons Source: Creative Commons "The intersection of AI, copyright, creativity, and the commons has been a focal point of conversations within our community for the past couple of years. We’ve hosted intimate roundtables, organized workshops at conferences, and run public events, digging into the challenging topics of credit, consent, compensation, transparency, and beyond. All the while, we’ve been asking ourselves:  what can we do to foster a vibrant and healthy commons in the face of rapid technological development? And how can we ensure that creators and knowledge-producing communities still have agency?", writes Anna Tumadóttir
  • A Guide to Creative Commons Source: Western Sydney Pressbooks An introductory guide to Creative Commons licensing including videos, charts, tables and interactive resources. This activity is aligned with SDG4 – Quality Education and SDG10-Reduced Inequalities.

   Post Schooling

  • Exorbitant vice-chancellor salary packages suggest something is fundamentally broken in our higher education system Source: Daily Maverick The reported excessive and unjustifiable vice-chancellor remuneration packages are an insult to the growing precarity that a lot of staff members face in our universities, says Mlamuli Nkosingphile Hlatshwayo,Associate Professor in Higher Education Studies at the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, University of Johannesburg. 
  • NSFAS battles backlogs, staff and tech woes as MPs criticise R2m rent for swish Cape Town offices Source: Daily Maverick ‘It is better that we decentralise NSFAS and take it down to provinces, so that each and every province is able to deal and resolve its own issues especially around the appeals,’ says Parliament’s higher education portfolio committee member Gaolatlhe Kgabo.
  • Students in limbo as promised loan plan fails to materialise  Source: University World News Students from several South African universities have been waiting since the beginning of the year for loan approvals, which has impacted their academic and personal lives, writes Aphelele Mbokotho for News24. The students say they have contacted the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) numerous times and have received no response.
  • Milestone report provides health check on internationalisation Source: University World News The first national research study on the internationalisation of higher education in South Africa, released at a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 22 August, has made several key findings around the understanding of the concept, structural deficiencies in how it is managed by higher education institutions, while also highlighting concern about the escalation in academic xenophobia.
  • Rebuilding HE after war is essential to a nation’s recovery Source: University World News Higher education is a frequent casualty in wars. Fighting and instability negatively affect students and staff, forcing many to flee their homes and countries. Fighting also often damages campuses.
    The destruction of higher education in Gaza, where the Israeli army has obliterated all institutions in attacks since October 2023, is a case in point. The violence has also killed hundreds of academics and administrators, and thousands of students.
  • Extended reality, AI can change health professions education Source: University World News In an era of rapid technological advancement and the adoption of digital transformation to streamline our educational processes, health professions education (HPE) is at a crossroads. While digital transformation has revolutionised many sectors, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies in HPE in Southern Africa has been slow.
  • Higher Education Governance and Management in Africa: Continental, Regional, and National Perspectives Source: Springer Link The book focuses on higher education governance and management in Africa. It is grounded in the existing studies on governance and management of higher education. It comprises four parts and 15 chapters. The themes in the book can be encapsulated into: (a) the relationship between the state and the university (or the steering models for higher education) in Africa; (b) internal university governance within the framework of the shared governance model, that is, a tripartite arrangement which comprises the corporate governance organ (the university council), the academic governance body (the university senate) and management; (c) internationalization of higher education in Africa; (d) quality assurance of higher education in Africa; (e) the third mission or the public service role of universities in Africa: (f) monitoring and evaluation of higher education; (f) external and internal higher education governance models; (g) and the regulatory agencies for higher education in Africa which has been triggered by the extension of the regulatory state into higher education.

Skills and Employment

  • Practical, long-term approach needed to revitalise South Africa’s economy Source: Mail & Guardian South Africa’s economy is facing significant problems, including rising unemployment, deepening economic inequality and energy security concerns. Despite these difficulties, the country still has considerable economic potential. Many view the current economic downturn as a low point, with hopes it will serve as a turning point toward building a more inclusive and resilient economy over the next few years. To achieve this, the focus should shift from short-term, large-scale projects to more strategic, long-term solutions that address immediate needs while remaining adaptable over the next 20 to 30 years.

Teaching and Learning: Local and Global

  • A Case Against Rubrics Source: Inside HIgher Education Rubrics are not the path to intellectual liberation, Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera writes.
  • Listen: Campus Facilities Promote Inclusion, Mental Health of Students Source: Inside HIgher Education In the latest Voices of Student Success episode, learn about how colleges are working to better student well-being through intentional design strategies and specialized spaces for neurodivergent learners.
  • AI pioneers want bots to replace human teachers – here’s why that’s unlikely Source: The Conversation OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy envisions a world in which artificial intelligence bots can be made into subject matter experts that are “deeply passionate, great at teaching, infinitely patient and fluent in all of the world’s languages.” Through this vision, the bots would be available to “personally tutor all 8 billion of us on demand.” The embodiment of that idea is his latest venture, Eureka Labs, which is merely the newest prominent example of how tech entrepreneurs are seeking to use AI to revolutionize education.

Technology-Enhanced Learning

  • ilkem Kayican Dipcinilkem Educator's Digest: Summer Edition 2024- Section 2  and Section 1 Source: LinkedIn A compilation of curated posts with valuable resources on AI use in learning and teaching.
  • In Teaching With Gen AI, Consider Sustainability Source: Inside Higher Education Faculty lack information about generative AI’s environmental impacts, and universities should prioritize sustainable computing, Susanne Hall writes.
  • Intelligent Technologies in Education (ITEd) Source: ITED ITEd is dedicated to advancing research in the intersection between intelligent systems/technologies and education, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and other innovative tools shaping the future of learning. As technology continues to revolutionise various sectors, this journal serves as a vital platform for researchers, educators, and policymakers to share cutting-edge research, innovative practices, and insightful analyses. The Journal aims to enhance the understanding and application of these technologies in educational settings, fostering a comprehensive dialogue that bridges theory and practice. By promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and highlighting real-world implications, ITEd drives meaningful advancements in educational technology and teaching methods.
  • Cut the 'AI' bullshit, UCPH  Source: University of Copenhagen   A blog post by Postdoctoral researcher Denise Utochkin who proffers the following porvocation: Why do we keep believing that AI will solve the climate crisis (which it is facilitating), get rid of poverty (on which it is heavily relying), and unleash the full potential of human creativity (which it is undermining)?"
  • South Africa National Artificial Intelligence Policy Framework (Towards the Development of South Africa National Artificial Intelligence Policy)  Source: Department of Communications and Digital Technologies  (Towards the Development of South Africa National Artificial Intelligence Policy) "By embracing AI’s transformative potential, this framework seeks to address pressing national challenges and leverage opportunities across all sectors in our economy. The policy framework’s primary objective is to strategically foster a robust AI ecosystem through coordinated efforts in research and development, talent cultivation, and infrastructure enhancement. This holistic approach ensures that AI serves as a catalyst for a digital society, digital economy, and digital inclusion, benefiting all South Africans."
  • South Africa publishes a national AI policy framework, seeks feedback Source: Tech Central An article providing key aspects of the framework as well as highlighting the call for stakeholder input on the Framework for the subsequent establishment of a fully-fledged national AI policy.