Jako Olivier
Commonwealth of Learning, Higher Education, Department Member
- University of Nova Gorica, School of Engineering and Management, Department Memberadd
- Applied Linguistics, Language Management, Family Language Planning, TIS subtitling, TIS Linguistics, TIS audiovisual, and 239 moreTIS audiovisual translation, Linguistics Society of Southern Africa, Language Variation and Change, E-learning, Multilingual Education, Language rights, Language Planning and Policy, Syntax, Afrikaans grammar, South African language politics, Subtitling, Languages, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Bilingualism, Languages and Linguistics, Blended Learning, Language and Power, Blended E-Learning, Sociolinguistics, Multilingualism, Afrikaans (Language and Literature), Functional Linguistics, Language Policy, Educational Anthropology, Collaboration Technology, Sesotho, Linguistic Human Rights, Middle Dutch, Dutch Literature, Anthropological Linguistics, Afrikaans, Computational Linguistics, Dutch, South African heritage, Wikilearning, Diachronic Linguistics (Or Historical Linguistics), Educational Wikis, Multicultural Education, Computer Programming, E-learning 2.0, IT teaching, Educational Linguistics, South African multilingual education, Socio-constructivism, Communal Constructivism, Education Policy, Multiculturalism, Constructivism, Screen Translation, Translation Studies, Khoisan languages, AVT (Translation Studies), Subtitle, Cognition and Multilingualism, South African Constitution, Online Education, Linguicism, Multilingual television, Dialect lexicography, Cyberanthropology, Wikis, Blended learning in higher education, Multiculturalism (Sociology), Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), Minority Languages, Web 2.0, Dubbing, Minority language rights, South African broadcasting, African Studies, Digital Divide, Terminology and lexicography from/into African languages, Multilingual Web, South African education, Instructional Technology in Education, Uitsaaiwese, History of South African broadcasting, Digital Pedagogy, Onomastics, Lexicography, Socicultural Theory of Learning, Digital Literacies, Broadcast & Multimedia Technology, Broadcasting Legislation, SABC, South African Politics and Society, Broadcasting, Broadcast Policy, Television Studies, Television And Social Change, Public Service Broadcasting, Subtitling for the Deaf and HoH (SDH), Constitutional Law, Natural Language Processing, Politics of Language Policy & Planning, New Media, Lingua Franca, Code-Switching, Language Policy and Politics of Identity, Computer-Mediated Communication, Language politics, Glottopolitics, Educational (Anthropological Linguistics), Linguistics, English as an International Lingua Franca, Ethnolinguistic, Ethnolinguistics, Wikipedia Studies, Bilinguism and Multilinguism, Dual-language/bilingual/multilingual classroom contexts, Multilingual broadcasting, Multilingual Document Design, Online Multilingualism, Nederlands, Will Kymlicka, Stephen Krashen, Conversation Analysis, Comparative Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Computer-Mediated Discourse Analysis, Multi- & Bilingualism & Biliteracy, Qualitative methodology, Language and Mobile Communication, Translation & Interpreting Studies (TIS), Anthropological Linguistics (Languages And Linguistics), SMS, Linguistic Rights, Internationalization of higher education, Sociology of Language, English as a Lingua Franca, Networked Learning, Online Learning, Corpus Linguistics, Germanic linguistics, Language Change, Pragmatics, Academic Writing, Wiki, South African social and cultural history, Virtual Linguistic Landscape, Immigrant families & policy, Human Rights, Translation, Translation theory, Virtual Learning, Instructional Technology, Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Distance Education, Distance Learning, Translation and Ideology, Translation Technology, Public Broadcasting, Broadcasting Law, Dialectology/Code Switching, Diglossia, Multilingual Writing), Feedback, Digital Literacy, International Human Rights Law, International Refugee Law, Minority Rights, Equality and Non Discrimination, The Rights of Persons With Disabilities, Intercultural Communication, ICT in Education, Academic Emotions and Motivation, Student Motivation And Engagement, Affective Factors, Gesture, Sociolinguistics, Sociology of Languages, Language Policy and Planning, MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning), Audience Response Technology, Audience Response Systems (ARS), Social Networking, Twitter, Online social networks, Names, New Media, Social Network Analysis, e-research, Link analysis, Social Network Sites, Twitter, Facebook, Political Communication, Twitter as a News Source, Twitter as Medium and Message, Personal Names, Anthroponyms, Onomastic, Anthropology of Personal Names, Online usernames, Nicknames, Writing Apprehension, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Self-directed language learning, Teaching Self-Directed Learning Skills, Self Access Language Learning, CALL, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Open and Distance Education, Mobile application development, Self-Access, Language policy and planning, South Africa, Multimodal learning, Multimodal Learning and Teaching, Multimodal teaching and learning, Multimodal Learning Models and Second Language Learning, Mobile Learning, Mobile learning and eLearning, Digital Learning with Tablet Computers, Bring your own devices, Use of Tablet Computers in the Classroom, Bring Your Own Technology (BYOD), Multimodal Interfaces, Multimodality, Multimodality and second language learning, Multiliteracies, Multiliteracies Pedagogy, Open Educational Resources (OER), Open Educational Resources (Education), Open Education, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Open Distance Learning, MOOCs, Open Educational Practices, Education, New Literacies, Social Semiotics, Teacher Education, Situated Learning, Computer Literacy, Online and Distance Education, University Teaching, Multimodal Communication, Cooperative Learning, Community of Inquiry, University Teaching in focus: A learner-centred, Open Distance Learning (ODL), Self-directed multimodal learning, Learning Technology, Learning and Teaching, Joan Hambidge, Decolonizing Education, Localisation, and Open Educational Resourcesedit
- Jako Olivier is an Adviser: Higher Education at the Commonwealth of Learning, Burnaby, Canada. Before this he lead th... moreJako Olivier is an Adviser: Higher Education at the Commonwealth of Learning, Burnaby, Canada. Before this he lead the UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources (OER) and was a Professor at North-West University, South Africa until August 2022. His research interests include: ODL, self-directed learning, multimodal learning, OER, blended learning, e-learning, multiliteracies, multicultural education, language planning and subtitling.
After some years teaching languages and information technology at secondary school level in South Africa and the UK, he joined the North-West University as lecturer in September 2010.
He completed his PhD in Education with a thesis entitled 'Accommodating and promoting multilingualism through blended learning'. In this study he explored how the subject IT could be taught multilingually through the use of blended learning (traditional and e-learning) resources.edit
Initiatives such as the Open Educational Resources (OER) World Map provide a systematic means towards recording activities, documents and individuals related to open education (OE). In this article – which is part of a larger effort to... more
Initiatives such as the Open Educational Resources (OER) World Map provide a systematic means towards recording activities, documents and individuals related to open education (OE). In this article – which is part of a larger effort to evaluate and extend this World Map – the entries on Brazil and South Africa were critically evaluated in terms of the existing scholarship on open education from these two countries. Clear trends were evident from the World Map and the usefulness of both the methodology and platform to inform gaps and challenges within and across countries in terms of open education, providing inputs that can aid in the design of strategies and international cooperation.
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This book explores the current state of open educational resources and open pedagogy in terms of practices and the latest in research in both Lebanon and South Africa. In seven chapters recent trends in open education are unpacked in... more
This book explores the current state of open educational resources and open pedagogy in terms of practices and the latest in research in both Lebanon and South Africa. In seven chapters recent trends in open education are unpacked in terms of practices in these two countries. As an open publication, this book contributes to opening up access to research and the current discourse on openness in these two distinct contexts.
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In order to create an enabling environment for widespread uptake of open educational resources (OERs) at a South African university, it was decided to establish an OER Fellowship Programme. This programme was designed to empower lecturers... more
In order to create an enabling environment for widespread uptake of open educational resources (OERs) at a South African university, it was decided to establish an OER Fellowship Programme. This programme was designed to empower lecturers in order to adapt or create OERs for their classrooms and do research about the process. For the sake of effective implementation and learning with OERs, this paper proposes that lecturers should become selfdirected in terms of the learning of aspects required for successful open education. Under this OER Fellowship programme pedagogical and technical support was provided to the fellows to facilitate the process creation, adoption and adaption of OERs. The Fellowship programme also involved a research component which involved fellows researching an aspect of their choice regarding the development process or use of OERs. This research involved qualitative collection of data based on reflections by the OER Fellows as well as the facilitators of the programme. The study also provides insight into the overall process of envisioning, designing and executing the Fellowship along with the challenges encountered. The pedagogical aspects and shifts resulting by use of OERs and open pedagogy within the unique South African context will also be reported on. Finally, the affordances and future prospects of such an incentive-driven fellowship for OERs and its implications is discussed.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to close and shift to remote education. However, this might create new challenges, as students might have poor self-directed learning skills to keep up with the learning process from home. Although... more
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to close and shift to remote education. However, this might create new challenges, as students might have poor self-directed learning skills to keep up with the learning process from home. Although many studies have focused on remote education during said pandemic, there is limited information on the strategies implemented to support and encourage self-directed learning and assessment. Therefore, in this study focusing on a case in China focus group interviews were conducted to collect data from different stakeholders on the implemented self-directed learning strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results might help different education stakeholders in future to effectively maintain education in crises, leading to better learning outcomes.
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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning... more
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facilitate the process of comparing textbooks, hence promoting the understanding of knowledge design and acquisition in different contexts, such as when comparing textbooks from different countries.
Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facilitate the process of comparing textbooks, hence promoting the understanding of knowledge design and acquisition in different contexts, such as when comparing textbooks from different countries.
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This conceptual article explores self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum. From the historical context, language demography and especially due to student protests... more
This conceptual article explores self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum. From the historical context, language demography and especially due to student protests regarding the curriculum the need for a decolonized South African curriculum is evident. In this article, an overview is presented about the context-specific issues in relation to decolonization and language. It is proposed that in order to move towards a decolonized South African curriculum, there should be a self-directed learning approach to open educational practices which would involve carefully planned and supported localization efforts. This process also implies acknowledging both internal and external localization as done in a structured or even student-driven manner. Furthermore, localization means drawing on translations study theories pertaining to specifically dynamic equivalence. This approach would require increasingly accommodating languag...
Research Interests: Translation Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Localization, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Open Educational Resources, and 13 moreOpen Educational Resources (Education), Decolonisation, Open Educational Resources (OER), Indigenous knowledge systems, Decolonization, Localisation, South African education, Open Educational Practices, Decolonizing the Curriculum, Decolonizing Education, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, and Open Pedagogies
This conceptual article explores self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum. From the historical context, language demography and especially due to student protests... more
This conceptual article explores self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum. From the historical context, language demography and especially due to student protests regarding the curriculum the need for a decolonized South African curriculum is evident. In this article, an overview is presented about the context-specific issues in relation to decolonization and language. It is proposed that in order to move towards a decolonized South African curriculum, there should be a self-directed learning approach to open educational practices which would involve carefully planned and supported localization efforts. This process also implies acknowledging both internal and external localization as done in a structured or even student-driven manner. Furthermore, localization means drawing on translations study theories pertaining to specifically dynamic equivalence. This approach would require increasingly accommodating languag...
Research Interests: Translation Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Localization, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Open Educational Resources, and 13 moreOpen Educational Resources (Education), Decolonisation, Open Educational Resources (OER), Indigenous knowledge systems, Decolonization, Localisation, South African education, Open Educational Practices, Decolonizing the Curriculum, Decolonizing Education, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, and Open Pedagogies
Presented during Open Access week 2018 at North-West University.The aim of this presentation is to determine the affordances of localized open educational resources in terms of decolonizing the curriculum an equitable open... more
Presented during Open Access week 2018 at North-West University.The aim of this presentation is to determine the affordances of localized open educational resources in terms of decolonizing the curriculum an equitable open knowledge.<br>
Presentation on Open Educational resources and multiliteracies during Open Access week 2018 at North-West University.<br>Aim of the presentation is to determine how students will be able to read open content and specifically open... more
Presentation on Open Educational resources and multiliteracies during Open Access week 2018 at North-West University.<br>Aim of the presentation is to determine how students will be able to read open content and specifically open educational resources by exploring multiliteracies in support of equitable knowledge. <br>
Research Interests: Information Literacy, Assessment, Formative Assessment, Metacognition, Assessment in Higher Education, and 13 moreInformation Literacy Assessment, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Open Education, Open Educational Resources (Education), Open Educational Resources (OER), Wikipedia, Assessment for learning, Metacognition and self-regulated learning, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Metaliteracy, Affective Learning Domain, Digital Badges, and Badging
Research Interests: Sociology, Education, Educational Technology, Teacher Education, German Language, and 11 moreLanguage Teacher Training, Teacher Training, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Teacher professional development, Modern Foreign Language Teacher Education and Training, Life Long Learning, Professional development of ESL/EFL teachers, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, German as a Foreign Language, Teachers Professional Development, and Stellenbosch University
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Research Interests: Sociology, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Online Communities, Online Instruction, Autoethnography, and 13 moreComputer Assisted Language Learning/Teaching, Linguistic landscapes, Linguistics, Online Learning, Literary studies, Computer Assisted Instructional Material, Sesotho, Language Studies, Knowledge Communities, Online learning and second language pedagogy, Online Communities for Language Education, Online Language Learning, and E Learning
Increasingly blended learning, as a combination of face-to-face and online instruction is applied in university classrooms. In this study the use of an interactive learning environment (ILE), within a Sakai-based learning management... more
Increasingly blended learning, as a combination of face-to-face and online instruction is applied in university classrooms. In this study the use of an interactive learning environment (ILE), within a Sakai-based learning management system, as well as face-to-face teaching and learning in a first-year Afrikaans language class is explored. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed by means of a survey and the Structure Equation Model was used to explore factors relevant to this first-year class. In addition, qualitative research was conducted through an open questionnaire in order to determine the perceptions regarding the blended learning context and the ILE. It was found that students are generally able to function within the ILE and they are quite positive towards the use of the learning environment for learning and teaching. However, it is clear that some students still prefer printed study material. Despite the fact that students indicated that they use the ILE daily, a...
Research Interests: Computer Science, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Blended E-Learning, Computer Assisted Language Learning/Teaching, Technology Acceptance, and 15 moreMultimodality, Learning Management Systems, Blended Learning, Interactive Learning Environments, Blended learning in higher education, Digital Natives, Technology acceptance model(TAM), Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants, Blended Learning and the Use of Information Technology in Education, Learning Management System, Interactive Learning Environment, Technology Acceptance Model, Technology acceptance model in teaching and learning, and Aosis
Writing apprehension relates to a reluctance to write or even fear of writing and little research has been done on this phenomenon in the South African context, especially in terms of compulsory academic literacy and academic linguistic... more
Writing apprehension relates to a reluctance to write or even fear of writing and little research has been done on this phenomenon in the South African context, especially in terms of compulsory academic literacy and academic linguistic modules. This article aimed at determining the nature of writing apprehension in these two modules in terms of the Daly and Miller’s Writing Apprehension Test (DM-WAT), essay marks and gender at a South African university. The DM-WAT was conducted with two groups of first-year students. An exploratory factor analysis was administered and this led to the identification of four distinct factors which are also associated with related aspects in the literature: positivity towards writing, negativity towards writing, evaluation apprehension and selfefficacy and writing. It is evident that in the context of this study, the chosen instrument could not be used to measure writing apprehension, rather the four identified factors. No linear relationships betwee...
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Effective interaction in classes and real-time feedback are challenges that may occur in any classroom. In this regard, mobile technologies may act as a supplement in a so-called blended context. This article investigates the role a... more
Effective interaction in classes and real-time feedback are challenges that may occur in any classroom. In this regard, mobile technologies may act as a supplement in a so-called blended context. This article investigates the role a bring-your-own-device approach in comparison with an approach where similar tablet computers are provided, plays in terms of interaction and feedback in a linguistics class at third-year university level. In this way the gap in the literature regarding the implementation of blended learning in higher education in South Africa and especially in terms of the bring-your-own-device approach could be augmented. In this research a case study design was used and the data of two groups of third-years were gathered by means of qualitative methods. User statistics from a learning management system was collected, but the main data consisted of the observations and reflections of the lecturer, as well as feedback from students by means of short questionnaires. This ...
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Although several studies have been conducted to summarize the progress of open educational resources (OER) in specific regions, only a limited number of studies summarize OER in Africa. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic... more
Although several studies have been conducted to summarize the progress of open educational resources (OER) in specific regions, only a limited number of studies summarize OER in Africa. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic literature review to explore trends, themes, and patterns in this emerging area of study, using content and bibliometric analysis. Findings indicated three major strands of OER research in Africa: (1) OER adoption is only limited to specific African countries, calling for more research and collaboration between African countries in this field to ensure educational equity; (2) most of the OER initiatives in Africa have focused on the creation process and neglected other important perspectives, such as dissemination and open educational practices (OEP) using OER; and (3) on top of the typical challenges for OER adoption (e.g., infrastructure), other personal challenges were identified within the African context, including culture, language, and personality. The findings of this study suggest that more initiatives and cross-collaborations with African and non-African countries in the field of OER are needed to facilitate OER adoption in the region. Additionally, it is suggested that researchers and practitioners should consider individual differences, such as language, personality and culture, when promoting and designing OER for different African countries. Finally, the findings can promote social justice by providing insights and future research paths that different stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, educators, practitioners, etc.) should focus on to promote OER in Africa.
Research Interests: Open Education, Open Educational Resources, Open Educational Resources (Education), Open Educational Resources (OER), Systematic Literature Review, and 6 moreimpact of OER and eLearning on quality and access, Open Educational Practices, Education in Sub Saharan Africa, Open educational resources (OERs), Open Licenses, and Open Pedagogies
The South African society can be described as culturally diverse and multilingual. However, despite the advantages of mother-tongue education, English is often chosen as the language of learning and teaching at the cost of the other... more
The South African society can be described as culturally diverse and multilingual. However, despite the advantages of mother-tongue education, English is often chosen as the language of learning and teaching at the cost of the other official languages. This article proposes that multilingualism, through the use of languages other than English in the classroom, could be accommodated through blended learning. Blended learning refers to the blending of traditional instruction methods, such as face-to-face instruction, with online learning. For example, through an evaluation of e-learning tools, it was established that wikis could be used for this study. The empirical research in this article focuses on the establishment and testing of a set of steps for the accommodation of multilingualism by means of blended learning in the subject Information Technology. The research took the form of a sequential embedded mixed-methods design, and both quantitative and qualitative approaches were use...
Research Interests: Computer Science, Programming Languages, Information Technology, Education, Multilingualism, and 8 moreBlended E-Learning, Teaching and Learning Programming, Blended Learning, Bilingualism and Multilingualism, Multilingual Education, Teaching Programming in High School, South African Language Policy, and Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
A need exists to facilitate social as well as communal constructivism while fostering self-directed learning in language classrooms at university level. In this regard, videos can be used as a means to motivate students to critically... more
A need exists to facilitate social as well as communal constructivism while fostering self-directed learning in language classrooms at university level. In this regard, videos can be used as a means to motivate students to critically interact with content and to engage collaboratively with new technologies. Furthermore, it is important to consider the duration of videos and as such, short instructional videos were employed for this study. This research reports on how student teachers perceived the creation and use of short instructional videos as multimodal open educational resources in an Afrikaans language classroom at university level. Short instructional videos (as a form of microlearning) boast many advantages that correspond with literature and the perceptions of students. In this article, a qualitative research approach was followed, which involved reflections by the participants submitted by means of a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions. From this analysis, the following themes were identified: Challenges encountered by students, advantages of using short instructional videos, aspects enjoyed about creating the short instructional videos, and affordances of creating short instructional videos. From the analysis, it was clear that students are positive about the production and use of videos. It was also evident that variables, such as social interaction , knowledge of multimodalities, technical ability, device limitations and the topic of videos, all influence the nature of short videos in this context and that support in classes is necessary in this regard.
Research Interests: Blended E-Learning, Communal Constructivism, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Blended Learning, and 14 moreBlended learning in higher education, Multimodal learning, Language Teaching, Open Educational Resources (OER), Microlearning, Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Afrikaans Language and Literature, Self-directed language learning, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Open educational resources (OERs), Videos, Teaching Afrikaans, Short instructional videos, and Microvideos
Bilingual English-Sesotho dictionary. This dataset represents a basic Sesotho dictionary compiled in the creation of a Sesotho language resource. The dictionary was developed by Prof. J.A.K. Olivier and is based on an on line word list... more
Bilingual English-Sesotho dictionary. This dataset represents a basic Sesotho dictionary compiled in the creation of a Sesotho language resource. The dictionary was developed by Prof. J.A.K. Olivier and is based on an on line word list published and revised since 1996.
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Teachers of German Second Additional Language (SAL) in South Africa face a number of obstacles both with regard to teaching, and with regard to their professional development. A professional development model was designed focusing on... more
Teachers of German Second Additional Language (SAL) in South Africa face a number of obstacles both with regard to teaching, and with regard to their professional development. A professional development model was designed focusing on collaborative and self-directed learning. In the design, attention was paid to overcoming the obstacles to teacher professional development, while allowing for sufficient individualisation of learning aims. The design was based on the Four-Component Instructional Design (4C/ID). A first phase of the model was evaluated by local and international subject and instructional design experts, after which the model was implemented and evaluated by teachers of German SAL in South Africa. Participants in the trial implementation considered the programme to be relevant to their needs. However, a need was identified for the model to be revised to facilitate asynchronous collaborative learning more effectively. In this article, insights gained from the design, testing and evaluation of the model are highlighted.
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Writing involves a number of skills and being self-directed in the process would contribute to greater effectivity. The concept of autonomography, or being self-directed in terms of writing, draws from the literature on self-directed... more
Writing involves a number of skills and being self-directed in the process would contribute to greater effectivity. The concept of autonomography, or being self-directed in terms of writing, draws from the literature on self-directed learning and specifically self-directed writing, where concepts such as self-regulation and learner autonomy are relevant in the language learning process. This study entailed the development of a self-directed writing questionnaire through a thorough overview of the pertinent literature and a consultative process with language experts in order to explore the nature of autonomography among a selected Afrikaans-speaking university student population. The statistical factor analyses confirm that autonomography involves a writer's self-directedness, voice and self-involvement, self-assessment and problem-solving, preference for own and expressive language, sensitivity towards other languages and language varieties, metacognitive skills, approach to sel...
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Research Interests: Constitutional Law, Human Rights Law, Human Rights, Language Planning and Policy, International Human Rights Law, and 15 moreLanguage and Power, Applied Linguistics, Indigenous Peoples Rights, Broadcasting Law, International Refugee Law, Language Planning, Language rights, African Language and Development, Group Rights, Dubbing, History of South African broadcasting, Language on television, Broadcasting policy, Broadcasting Legislation, and Equality and Non Discrimination
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Trends in research on teacher development in recent years have shown a shift away from merely studying what teachers learn to how they learn, how they improve their learning, and how they transform their skills and knowledge into practice... more
Trends in research on teacher development in recent years have shown a shift away from merely studying what teachers learn to how they learn, how they improve their learning, and how they transform their skills and knowledge into practice so as to offer their own learners an improved educational experience. Although blended learning has been proposed as a means to enhance student learning and engagement, little research has been done on blended learning teacher development programmes, especially in the context of teachers of German Second Additional Language (SAL) in South Africa. This article aims to shift the focus from general setting in higher education institutions to teacher professional development programmes for teachers of German SAL by proposing blended learning as a mediator to foster selfdirected learning in teacher professional development programmes. After examining existing definitions and models on blended learning, a synthesis of models, which could be adjusted to the South African teaching context, is proposed. The new model offers certain opportunities to foster the characteristics of self-directed learners, which are highlighted in this article. Suggestions are made on how this model could be utilised in and adapted to the context of teacher professional development for teachers of German SAL in order to foster the characteristics of self-directed learning rather than merely imparting subject knowledge to teachers.
Research Interests: Blended E-Learning, Teachers' professional development, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Blended Learning, and 7 moreBlended learning in higher education, Teacher professional development, Multimodal learning, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Teaching German As a Foreign Language, German Language Teaching, and Self-directed multimodal learning
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Research Interests: Multilingualism, Language Planning and Policy, South African Politics and Society, Linguistics, African languages, and 7 moreSociocultural Psychology, Language Policy, Bilingualism and Multilingualism, Newspapers and online journalism, Tertiary Education, African Languages and linguistics, and News Websites
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SMS Afrikaans displays inconsistency with regard to spelling and shortening of language and this issue is explored in this article. This article provides a literature review of the sociolinguistic background against which SMS language... more
SMS Afrikaans displays inconsistency with regard to spelling and shortening of language and this issue is explored in this article. This article provides a literature review of the sociolinguistic background against which SMS language functions. The article empirically determined the degree of shortening through clippings and reductions that are employed by university students in terms of gender, type of cellular phone, mother tongue, use of English content in Afrikaans text messages, as well as change in meaning. In this regard, the male respondents in this study shortened SMS texts the most. Furthermore, the study determined that the type of cellular phone does not have an influence on the shortening of SMS texts. However, Afrikaans as mother tongue among respondents, the use of English words and elements in Afrikaans texts and the change in meaning did lead to shorter text messages. In the second part of the empirical research, respondents had to rewrite some Standard Afrikaans m...
Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2004.
http://www.litnet.co.za/Article/taalverskuiwing-en-taalhandhawing-onder-afrikaanse-ekspatriate This article pertains to Afrikaans-speaking expatriates generally, or Afrikaans speakers who have emigrated globally, and the phenomenon of... more
http://www.litnet.co.za/Article/taalverskuiwing-en-taalhandhawing-onder-afrikaanse-ekspatriate This article pertains to Afrikaans-speaking expatriates generally, or Afrikaans speakers who have emigrated globally, and the phenomenon of language shift and language maintenance subsequently experienced by them. Owing to the context of emigration, expatriates may be subjected to factors such as language maintenance, language loss, and language shift or language revitalisation. Language shift and language maintenance are explored in this study within the theoretical framework known as family language planning, which can be described as language planning actions through the influencing of language behaviour within the context of the family. A point of departure is the disparity, revealed by earlier studies in the context of family language planning in immigrant settings, between the attempts by parents to maintain their language on the one hand, and those of children to adapt to the langua...
Abstract: This article explores the gap between school and university writing in terms of creative writing done at school level, as specified in the relevant policy documents and the requirements of academic literacy at university. This... more
Abstract: This article explores the gap between school and university writing in terms of creative writing done at school level, as specified in the relevant policy documents and the requirements of academic literacy at university. This article also involves an empirical study in which a questionnaire aimed at first year university students determined the extent of essay instruction at school. This was followed by an interview with a subject specialist for Afrikaans Home Language. It was found that despite the fact that departmental policies ...
In this article the academic and literary genres of the writer Joan Hambidge is researched by means of a linguistic analysis in order to describe the lingual liminal space of her idiolect. To this end, two novels and a PhD thesis were... more
In this article the academic and literary genres of the writer Joan Hambidge is researched by means of a linguistic analysis in order to describe the lingual liminal space of her idiolect. To this end, two novels and a PhD thesis were used a central text. From the literature the unique voice of Hambidge is evident. The concepts of genre and liminality were relevant to this study from a theoretical framework. The stylometric analysis, where certain parts of speech and readability was investigated, as well as the more qualitative stylistic analysis proved the liminality between the academic and literary writing style of the author. The writer consistently uses language in the academic text which would be expected in a literary text. The use of prepositions and discourse markers correspond in a statistically significant manner between the two novels. However, the use of prepositions and discourse markers does not agree significantly when the PhD and the two novels are compared. But the use of prepositions and discourse markers diff er between die PhD and the two novels. In terms of pronouns the use is consistent over the text. Especially on a stylistic level the informal and references to the external the academic text becomes unique and it could be considered to be an academic meta-novel.
Research Interests:
Open education provides opportunities for the inclusion of different languages in the education context. This conceptual article approaches the concept of language rights from a sociology of language perspective where language rights can... more
Open education provides opportunities for the inclusion of different languages in the education context. This conceptual article approaches the concept of language rights from a sociology of language perspective where language rights can be dealt with as group or collective rights. However, in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), language rights are considered individual rights. Language rights are associated with human rights; therefore, in this article, the human rights culture in South Africa is of importance. In the Constitution, there has been a historical shift from the recognition of two official languages towards the recognition of 11 official languages. The Constitution provides a regulatory framework within which language rights can be interpreted. The approach to language rights in the context of sociology of language and the relationship between language rights and minority and cultural rights provide a background for language rights as group rights. In this article, it is argued that language rights are exercised as individual rights in particular language communities which has implication of open education and open pedagogy.
Research Interests: Human Rights, Language Planning and Policy, Open Education, Minority Rights, Language Policy, and 9 moreOpen Educational Resources (Education), Linguistic Human Rights, Language rights, Minority language rights, Collective Human Rights, South African Constitution, Language policy and planning, Individual Rights, and Open pedagogy
While various studies have been undertaken on the teaching and learning of German in South Africa, this article aims to fill a research gap by conducting a thorough analysis of the professional development needs of teachers of German... more
While various studies have been undertaken on the teaching and learning of German in South Africa, this article aims to fill a research gap by conducting a thorough analysis of the professional development needs of teachers of German Second Additional Language (SAL) in South Africa. The mixed-method investigation that was used involved interviews with experts in the field as well as a questionnaire administered to teachers of German. Results of the research indicated that while these teachers do receive support from German institutions, there is a lack of support focused specifically on the situation of these teachers in South Africa. Various sources were consulted and triangulated to formulate recommendations as to what a professional development programme, based on the needs of German SAL teachers in South Africa, should entail.
Research Interests:
This conceptual article explores self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum. From the historical context, language demography and especially due to student protests... more
This conceptual article explores self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum. From the historical context, language demography and especially due to student protests regarding the curriculum the need for a decolonized South African curriculum is evident. In this article, an overview is presented about the context-specific issues in relation to decolonization and language. It is proposed that in order to move towards a decolonized South African curriculum, there should be a self-directed learning approach to open educational practices which would involve carefully planned and supported localization efforts. This process also implies acknowledging both internal and external localization as done in a structured or even student-driven manner. Furthermore, localization means drawing on translations study theories pertaining to specifically dynamic equivalence. This approach would require increasingly accommodating languages other than English in the higher education context and as such language attitude planning efforts are needed. Finally, open educational practices would require an open ongoing process which provides agency to South African teachers and students to use the language of their choice to engage with content applicable and relevant to their contexts. In addition, this would imply including indigenous knowledge in order to address the needs of a decolonized curriculum. In conclusion, this article presents some practical recommendations towards self-directed localized open educational practices for a decolonized South African higher education curriculum.
Research Interests: Translation Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Localization, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), and 13 moreOpen Educational Resources, Open Educational Resources (Education), Decolonisation, Open Educational Resources (OER), Indigenous knowledge systems, Decolonization, Localisation, South African education, Open Educational Practices, Decolonizing the Curriculum, Decolonizing Education, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, and Open Pedagogies
The realisation of lexical cohesion: A corpus linguistic study of Afrikaans-speaking grade 6 and grade 9 learners’ writing A text can be defined as a piece of language use which is experienced and accepted as a communicative unit on... more
The realisation of lexical cohesion: A corpus linguistic study of Afrikaans-speaking grade 6 and grade 9 learners’ writing
A text can be defined as a piece of language use which is experienced and accepted as a communicative unit on syntactical, semantical and pragmatical foundations. What is meant by this is that any text is understandable because it has a unique linguistic (syntactic, morphological and lexical) structure; it is intelligible, seeing as it has a set meaning; and it is explainable for the fact that it can be placed in the context in which it is used. Another characteristic by which a text can be identified is the presence of texture. Texture is acquired when a text functions as a unit with regard to its surroundings. Cohesive markers are used to accomplish this unit and consequently ensure texture.
More than four decades ago, Halliday and Hasan (1976:4) identified five types of cohesive marker, namely reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction and lexical cohesion. The use of each of these markers is indicated by certain language forms in the text.
When reference is used for accomplishing cohesion, it creates continuity; in other words, its use indicates that the same reference (or matter) that was introduced earlier in the text is applicable for a second time. Pronouns, adverbs and articles are used, among others, to indicate the use of reference.
Secondly, cohesion can be acquired by means of substitution. When substitution is used to create a cohesive text, a type of substitute word (or counter) is used to exclude the repetition of a word or phrase. Substitutive words such as so, one, do that or do it are used to indicate the realisation of lexical cohesion.
Thirdly, relation between words and sentences can be indicated with an ellipsis; in other words, there is a presumption in the structure that the reader must predict or understand something. The meaning of the syntactical process is usually embedded in the preceding text section.
Fourthly, cohesion can be acquired through conjunction. Conjunction differs from the other cohesion markers in that it does not establish cohesion in the form of continuity with reference to continuity of form (as is the case with ellipsis and substitution); cohesion is established because a particular semantic relation (contiguous, contradictory, explanatory or temporal) is exemplified explicitly between sentences through lexical items like conjunctions (for example and, but and because), adverbs (yet, therefore, thus) and adverbial phrases (for example the following day).
Lastly, lexical cohesion can result in binding. Lexical cohesion is realised by the use of a language’s vocabulary. For this, repetition of the same word/phrase/expression, synonyms, semantic contrast and hyponyms, among others, are utilised.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) of the intermediary (grade 4–6) and senior (grade 7–9) phases states that learners must use conjunctions such as repetition, synonyms and antonyms when producing essays to create cohesive texts. When these language forms are used to create cohesive chains, they point to the realisation of lexical cohesion, as indicated in the previous paragraph. We wanted to investigate the various language forms that learners use in Afrikaans texts in order to realise lexical cohesion, because the realisation of lexical cohesion is not yet studied in the writing of Afrikaans mother tongue speakers, even though it is implicitly stated in the CAPS.
In this research article, a corpus-based study is undertaken to determine the independent use of language forms for the realisation of lexical cohesion among Afrikaans-speaking grade 6 and grade 9 learners. One grade 6 corpus (20 723 words) and one grade 9 corpus (22 171 words) were analysed. Each of the essays were read more than once, word by word, and analysed according to the measuring framework. Each language form that was used effectively for the realisation of lexical cohesion in the grade 6 and grade 9 corpora and included in the measuring frame work, was coded. ATLAS.ti, which was used for the coding of the data, improves the contribution of the study, because it differs from existing Afrikaans corpus studies that use WordSmith Tools as corpus analysis software. The effective use of language forms for the realisation of lexical cohesion, which indicate links between words within the same sentence (i.e. sentence-internal cohesion marker use) and language forms which indicate meaning relations between words across sentence boundaries (i.e. sentence-external cohesion markers), were coded by means of ATLAS.ti. After the coding of the effective use of each language form for the realisation of lexical cohesion by means of ATLAS.ti, we used ATLAS.ti to create a synthetising report indicating how many times each language form figured in the grade 6 and grade 9 corpus. These frequencies are normalised after cohesion marker use per 1 000 words, as is appropriate in corpus linguistics.
From the analysis it seemed that all the grade 6 and grade 9 participants involved had figured all the different language forms for the realisation of lexical cohesion included in the measuring framework of the grade 6 and grade 9 corpus, namely (i) repetition, (ii) synonyms and nearby synonyms, (iii) antonyms, (iv) superordinates, hyponyms, coordinated members in organised and unorganised sequences and epithet (i.e. inclusion), (v) derived forms and the repetition thereof, as well as (vi) alternate noun phrases. Parallelism as a form of repetition, which is not in the measuring framework, is also used for realising lexical cohesion.
The contribution of this article is a summary of various language forms by which lexical cohesion is realised as measured against learner corpora. Afrikaans teachers can use the findings of this study in the classroom to give guidance on how conjunctives (as stated in the CAPS) can be used to bind consecutive language phrases syntactically – in other words, to make texts cohesive by linking their surface components (i.e. the sentences and the words they consist of) with each other.
The creation of cohesive texts, as effected by making use of various cohesion markers (not solely lexical cohesion), should be encouraged in the classroom because cohesive texts are texts of which the various parts fit together. It is precisely this characteristic of co-interpretation that distinguishes a collection of non-related sentences of a text as a linguistic unit. The use of cohesion markers indicates that an idea is continued from one point of discourse to another. In so doing, semantic continuity is ensured between different parts of a text. It is this semantic continuity which enables the listener or reader to, just as with an incomplete puzzle, provide the missing puzzle pieces so that the whole picture can be obtained and the text can be optimally interpreted. The continuity that is created through the linking of surface components establishes coherence, even though other researchers rather use the term enforce to describe the relationship between cohesion and coherence, while others argue that coherence is reflected by means of the relationship with cohesion. The findings of this article can therefore be used by teachers when teaching writing and presentation as language skills in the CAPS, since the use of cohesion markers has an important text-forming function.
A text can be defined as a piece of language use which is experienced and accepted as a communicative unit on syntactical, semantical and pragmatical foundations. What is meant by this is that any text is understandable because it has a unique linguistic (syntactic, morphological and lexical) structure; it is intelligible, seeing as it has a set meaning; and it is explainable for the fact that it can be placed in the context in which it is used. Another characteristic by which a text can be identified is the presence of texture. Texture is acquired when a text functions as a unit with regard to its surroundings. Cohesive markers are used to accomplish this unit and consequently ensure texture.
More than four decades ago, Halliday and Hasan (1976:4) identified five types of cohesive marker, namely reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction and lexical cohesion. The use of each of these markers is indicated by certain language forms in the text.
When reference is used for accomplishing cohesion, it creates continuity; in other words, its use indicates that the same reference (or matter) that was introduced earlier in the text is applicable for a second time. Pronouns, adverbs and articles are used, among others, to indicate the use of reference.
Secondly, cohesion can be acquired by means of substitution. When substitution is used to create a cohesive text, a type of substitute word (or counter) is used to exclude the repetition of a word or phrase. Substitutive words such as so, one, do that or do it are used to indicate the realisation of lexical cohesion.
Thirdly, relation between words and sentences can be indicated with an ellipsis; in other words, there is a presumption in the structure that the reader must predict or understand something. The meaning of the syntactical process is usually embedded in the preceding text section.
Fourthly, cohesion can be acquired through conjunction. Conjunction differs from the other cohesion markers in that it does not establish cohesion in the form of continuity with reference to continuity of form (as is the case with ellipsis and substitution); cohesion is established because a particular semantic relation (contiguous, contradictory, explanatory or temporal) is exemplified explicitly between sentences through lexical items like conjunctions (for example and, but and because), adverbs (yet, therefore, thus) and adverbial phrases (for example the following day).
Lastly, lexical cohesion can result in binding. Lexical cohesion is realised by the use of a language’s vocabulary. For this, repetition of the same word/phrase/expression, synonyms, semantic contrast and hyponyms, among others, are utilised.
The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) of the intermediary (grade 4–6) and senior (grade 7–9) phases states that learners must use conjunctions such as repetition, synonyms and antonyms when producing essays to create cohesive texts. When these language forms are used to create cohesive chains, they point to the realisation of lexical cohesion, as indicated in the previous paragraph. We wanted to investigate the various language forms that learners use in Afrikaans texts in order to realise lexical cohesion, because the realisation of lexical cohesion is not yet studied in the writing of Afrikaans mother tongue speakers, even though it is implicitly stated in the CAPS.
In this research article, a corpus-based study is undertaken to determine the independent use of language forms for the realisation of lexical cohesion among Afrikaans-speaking grade 6 and grade 9 learners. One grade 6 corpus (20 723 words) and one grade 9 corpus (22 171 words) were analysed. Each of the essays were read more than once, word by word, and analysed according to the measuring framework. Each language form that was used effectively for the realisation of lexical cohesion in the grade 6 and grade 9 corpora and included in the measuring frame work, was coded. ATLAS.ti, which was used for the coding of the data, improves the contribution of the study, because it differs from existing Afrikaans corpus studies that use WordSmith Tools as corpus analysis software. The effective use of language forms for the realisation of lexical cohesion, which indicate links between words within the same sentence (i.e. sentence-internal cohesion marker use) and language forms which indicate meaning relations between words across sentence boundaries (i.e. sentence-external cohesion markers), were coded by means of ATLAS.ti. After the coding of the effective use of each language form for the realisation of lexical cohesion by means of ATLAS.ti, we used ATLAS.ti to create a synthetising report indicating how many times each language form figured in the grade 6 and grade 9 corpus. These frequencies are normalised after cohesion marker use per 1 000 words, as is appropriate in corpus linguistics.
From the analysis it seemed that all the grade 6 and grade 9 participants involved had figured all the different language forms for the realisation of lexical cohesion included in the measuring framework of the grade 6 and grade 9 corpus, namely (i) repetition, (ii) synonyms and nearby synonyms, (iii) antonyms, (iv) superordinates, hyponyms, coordinated members in organised and unorganised sequences and epithet (i.e. inclusion), (v) derived forms and the repetition thereof, as well as (vi) alternate noun phrases. Parallelism as a form of repetition, which is not in the measuring framework, is also used for realising lexical cohesion.
The contribution of this article is a summary of various language forms by which lexical cohesion is realised as measured against learner corpora. Afrikaans teachers can use the findings of this study in the classroom to give guidance on how conjunctives (as stated in the CAPS) can be used to bind consecutive language phrases syntactically – in other words, to make texts cohesive by linking their surface components (i.e. the sentences and the words they consist of) with each other.
The creation of cohesive texts, as effected by making use of various cohesion markers (not solely lexical cohesion), should be encouraged in the classroom because cohesive texts are texts of which the various parts fit together. It is precisely this characteristic of co-interpretation that distinguishes a collection of non-related sentences of a text as a linguistic unit. The use of cohesion markers indicates that an idea is continued from one point of discourse to another. In so doing, semantic continuity is ensured between different parts of a text. It is this semantic continuity which enables the listener or reader to, just as with an incomplete puzzle, provide the missing puzzle pieces so that the whole picture can be obtained and the text can be optimally interpreted. The continuity that is created through the linking of surface components establishes coherence, even though other researchers rather use the term enforce to describe the relationship between cohesion and coherence, while others argue that coherence is reflected by means of the relationship with cohesion. The findings of this article can therefore be used by teachers when teaching writing and presentation as language skills in the CAPS, since the use of cohesion markers has an important text-forming function.
Research Interests:
This article explores the possibilities provided by self-directed learning by means of Open Educational Resources (OER) in Afrikaans literature teaching. The National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement provides a basis on which... more
This article explores the possibilities provided by self-directed learning by means of Open Educational Resources (OER) in Afrikaans literature teaching. The National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement provides a basis on which self-directedness can be motivated and the use of technology such
as OER be supported. From the scholarship on literature teaching, clear links exist concerning self-directed learning. However, in order to foster self-directedness, it is essential that learners are central to the teaching context and that aspects such as active learning, cooperative learning, motivation, metacognition, the communicative approach, problem solving as well as an openness to text choices be considered. Finally, it is also evident from the literature review in this article that OER can provide clear opportunities toward the enhancement of self-directed learning in Afrikaans literature classes. However, despite some initiatives, there is a great need for expanding further online resources such as OER in this context.
as OER be supported. From the scholarship on literature teaching, clear links exist concerning self-directed learning. However, in order to foster self-directedness, it is essential that learners are central to the teaching context and that aspects such as active learning, cooperative learning, motivation, metacognition, the communicative approach, problem solving as well as an openness to text choices be considered. Finally, it is also evident from the literature review in this article that OER can provide clear opportunities toward the enhancement of self-directed learning in Afrikaans literature classes. However, despite some initiatives, there is a great need for expanding further online resources such as OER in this context.
Research Interests: Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Literature And Language Teaching, Afrikaans (Language and Literature), Open Educational Resources (Education), and 5 moreAfrikaans, Open Educational Resources (OER), Teaching Literature, Self-directed language learning, and Afrikaanse Letterkunde
Online Keynote Address by Dr Jako Olivier, Advisor: Higher Education, Commonwealth of Learning presented at the International LET-IN 2023 Conference, Silliman University, Philippines held 7 October 2023. Within a context where education... more
Online Keynote Address by Dr Jako Olivier, Advisor: Higher Education, Commonwealth of Learning presented at the International LET-IN 2023 Conference, Silliman University, Philippines held 7 October 2023.
Within a context where education and the job market being impacted by technological advances such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), higher education institutions need to consider how they prepare students and what their position would be in terms of the wider employability discourse. This paper explores employability in a digitally divided world towards realigning ODL in terms of specific interventions by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).
Within a context where education and the job market being impacted by technological advances such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), higher education institutions need to consider how they prepare students and what their position would be in terms of the wider employability discourse. This paper explores employability in a digitally divided world towards realigning ODL in terms of specific interventions by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).
Research Interests:
Multiliteracies can support student open access and communal success in the context of multimodaling and multilanguaging and ultimately in the process foster self-directed learning. From academic literature the concerns regarding literacy... more
Multiliteracies can support student open access and communal success in the context of multimodaling and multilanguaging and ultimately in the process foster self-directed learning. From academic literature the concerns regarding literacy levels are clear and the overemphasis on reading and writing (versus other skills) is evident. Furthermore, there is a need for an extension of multimodal learning in higher education. Multimodaling in terms of communication, learning/teaching and delivery must be accounted for and accommodated. A non-compartmentalised view of modes and modalities is necessary in educational contexts. In this regard, instructional technology can play an increasingly important role. The blending of approaches, delivery mediums or technologies will increasingly become the norm and lecturers and students should, therefore, be able to function effectively within the different modalities. Yet, a clear digital divide in South Africa poses problems to the effective implementation of multimodal learning. Support in terms of computer literacy and even computer anxiety must be interrogated in higher education.
When considering multimodal learning and multiliteracies, the multilingual nature of students at universities cannot be ignored. As such, a move towards multilanguaging by means of technology is proposed. There is ample evidence of successful integration of African languages in higher education and through technology multilanguaging can be achieved. In addition, language attitude planning as operationalisation of the language status planning process should be accommodated. In terms of access, the concept of open education is highly relevant in a South African context. Open educational resources can provide many possibilities in terms of both formal and epistemological access to a range of resources. Success in higher education can be reached through a communal constructivist approach where collaboration is facilitated through multimodal support. In addition, success would imply that students are self-directed and possess relevant multiliteracies. It is evident that the discussion on what literacy entails should be ongoing and be revised and repurposed as required during the learning, unlearning and relearning process.
When considering multimodal learning and multiliteracies, the multilingual nature of students at universities cannot be ignored. As such, a move towards multilanguaging by means of technology is proposed. There is ample evidence of successful integration of African languages in higher education and through technology multilanguaging can be achieved. In addition, language attitude planning as operationalisation of the language status planning process should be accommodated. In terms of access, the concept of open education is highly relevant in a South African context. Open educational resources can provide many possibilities in terms of both formal and epistemological access to a range of resources. Success in higher education can be reached through a communal constructivist approach where collaboration is facilitated through multimodal support. In addition, success would imply that students are self-directed and possess relevant multiliteracies. It is evident that the discussion on what literacy entails should be ongoing and be revised and repurposed as required during the learning, unlearning and relearning process.
Research Interests: Digital Divide, Multilingualism, Open Access, Communal Constructivism, Self-directed learning, and 15 moreSelf-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Blended Learning, Open Educational Resources, Open Educational Resources (Education), Multimodal Literacy, Multiliteracies, Open Educational Resources (OER), Multiliteracies Pedagogy, Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants, Student Success, Epistemological access, Translanguaging, Translanguaging in Education, and Multilanguaging
This paper reports on autoethnographical reflections (Ellis, 2008; Ellis et al., 2010) of the simultaneous implementation of an Afrikaans language module through face-to-face and online modalities. In this context two separate groups of... more
This paper reports on autoethnographical reflections (Ellis, 2008; Ellis et al., 2010) of the simultaneous implementation of an Afrikaans language module through face-to-face and online modalities. In this context two separate groups of students need to cover the same outcomes, assessments and content despite having distinctly different contexts. As lecturer of this module I found that I needed a way to determine whether the same experience was delivered from my side and as such I have looked at the concept of equivalence (Baker, 1998:77; Newmark, 1995:48), as it is understood within the field of translation studies, as a measuring instrument. In this presentation, teaching is also therefore regarded as a form of intersemiotic translation (Jakobson, 2000:114) where a certain message in one code (face-to-face teaching) is translated to an equivalent code (online) by means of online activities, videos and reflection opportunities. From the reflections a number of concerns raised and possibly good practices are suggested.
Research Interests:
This paper reports on how electronic writing resources are viewed by South African first-year university students in an EAP classroom. In terms of self-directed learning Knowles (1975:18) notes the importance of identifying "material... more
This paper reports on how electronic writing resources are viewed by South African first-year university students in an EAP classroom. In terms of self-directed learning Knowles (1975:18) notes the importance of identifying "material resources for learning". The prominence of self-directed learning in second or additional language acquisition in general is evident from literature (Bordonaro, 2006:29-31; Mohammadi & Mahdi Araghi, 2013:73; Thornton, 2010:158; Victori & Lockhart, 1995:223). However, the focus on electronic resources in terms of writing in the South African context has not been explored extensively. For this research a group of students selected by means of purposive sampling were requested to reflect on their electronic writing resource selection habits and experiences by means of written reflections and focus group interviews. For many South African students the transition from school to university implies writing in different modalities. From this research some limited good practice is evident but concerns regarding computer literacy, limited knowledge of basic resources in word processing software and even online as well as support in the transition from school to university were raised. This paper furthermore suggests some supportive classroom strategies towards good self-directed writing practice.
Research Interests:
In order to facilitate learning within a community, as is suggested within communal constructivism (Holmes et al., 2001), the use of videos can provide opportunities for students to become engaged in their own learning and those of... more
In order to facilitate learning within a community, as is suggested within communal constructivism (Holmes et al., 2001), the use of videos can provide opportunities for students to become engaged in their own learning and those of others. To this end, the use of a bring-your-own-device strategy was followed in this research to enable student teachers to create short videos for a first-year linguistics module. By means of convenience sampling a group of first-year students (n=82) were identified to take part in this research. The problem statement addressed in this research can be formulated as follows: how do students perceive the creation and use of short instructional videos in a language classroom? In this regard, the creation process and reception of the videos by the students were investigated qualitatively. The creation of an instructional artefact, such as a video, allows students to be able to collaborate and create material for reuse (cf. Holmes & Gardner, 2006:85). From the literature short videos (Gabarre & Gabarre, 2010; Shrosbree, 2008) and even microvideos (Hsin & Cigas, 2013) have been used successfully in different formal and informal instructional settings. Apart from content focus of the module, in which this research takes place, affordances were also facilitated in terms of higher order skills and critical media literacies (Pahler, 2001:20). By using students’ own devices (cf. Boyd, 2015; O’Sullivan-Donnell, 2013) students created short videos on selected topics. These videos were then used in class as well as placed on the content management system for revision purposes. This paper reports on an inductive analysis of qualitative data from student teachers’ written reflections on the production and use of short videos in a module relating to normative language, spelling, semantics and lexicon of the language Afrikaans. It is evident that variables such as technical ability, device limitations as well as the topic influence the nature of short videos in this context. However, generally students are positive towards the production and use thereof. Suggestions are also made for the successful implementation of short videos in language classrooms.
Research Interests:
This paper reports on the nature of self-directed writing among student-teachers. To this end, mixed-method research was undertaken by means of writing autobiographies supplemented with questionnaires. As these students are at the end of... more
This paper reports on the nature of self-directed writing among student-teachers. To this end, mixed-method research was undertaken by means of writing autobiographies supplemented with questionnaires. As these students are at the end of their university training and are about to become teachers, who will be required to write effectively in their professional environments, it is important to determine the extent to which they can take charge of their own writing in a self-directed manner (cf. Knowles, 1975:15). In this regard, it is important to note that self-directed language learning does not take place in isolation and that even with writing, lecturers and peers also play a role (Kania-Gosche, 2010:3; Mohammadi & Mahdi Araghi, 2013:75; Thornton, 2010:158, 160-161). In terms of teachers it is necessary to determine the degree of learner autonomy (Benson, 2007:22-23; Egel, 2009:2023-2024, Thornton, 2010:159) amongst students. The qualitative part of this study involved writing autobiographies through which a group of fourth-year student teachers presented their writing journey in a narrative format. The inductive analysis of the narratives was done through coding and by determining general themes. Evidence was found of a move towards self-directed writing among the research participants. This study also involved the use of a self-directed writing questionnaire. In the development of this questionnaire reliability testing and factor analysis was done. The results of the qualitative narrative analysis and the questionnaire were combined to provide a picture of the nature of self-directed writing among student-teachers. This research confirms the complex nature of self-directed writing among a selection of South African student teachers. Writing autobiographies and questionnaires seem to be useful tools to examine self-directed writing. Recommendations are also made regarding further similar research and teaching practice.
Research Interests:
In a shift towards blended learning in higher education, in this instance a combination of face-to-face and online instruction (Graham, 2006:4; Holmes & Gardner, 2006:10, 14, 110; Littlejohn & Pegler, 2007:1, 26, 226), some form of... more
In a shift towards blended learning in higher education, in this instance a combination of face-to-face and online instruction (Graham, 2006:4; Holmes & Gardner, 2006:10, 14, 110; Littlejohn & Pegler, 2007:1, 26, 226), some form of structure of the learning experience is required. To this end and also to aid in supporting student learning, an interactive learning environment, within a Sakai-based content management system has been implemented. Perceptions and acceptance of this interactive learning environment as well as face-to-face teaching and learning in a first-year Afrikaans linguistics class (N=82) is investigated in this paper. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed by means of a survey and the Structure Equation Model (SEM) (cf. Chen & Tseng, 2012) was used to explore factors relevant to this first-year class. In addition, qualitative research was conducted through an open questionnaire and focus group interviews in order to explore the perceptions regarding the blended learning context and especially the interactive learning environment. For the sake of this study the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) had to be revised as only Perceived ease of use acted as mediator towards Behavioural intent. A statistically significant correlation between Computer anxiety and Internet self-efficacy was also determined for this study population. In this research it was found that students are generally able to function within the interactive learning environment and they are quite positive towards the use of the learning environment for learning and teaching. However, it is clear that some students, the so-called very computer literate digital natives (Prensky, 2001:1-6), are not equally computer literate and some still prefer printed study material. A number of students indicated that they found online informal tests useful and easy to use. Despite the fact that students indicated that they used the interactive learning environment daily, actual usage statistics did not always correspond. Finally, this paper makes suggestions with regard to adapting teaching in terms of students' behaviour based on their computer anxiety and internet self-efficacy as well as the perceived usefulness and ease of use of the interactive learning environment.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Blended Learning and Byob
Blended learning, as a combination of face-to-face and online instruction (Graham, 2006:4; Holmes & Gardner, 2006:10, 14, 110; Littlejohn & Pegler, 2007:1, 26, 226) is increasingly applied in university classrooms. This paper explores the... more
Blended learning, as a combination of face-to-face and online instruction (Graham, 2006:4; Holmes & Gardner, 2006:10, 14, 110; Littlejohn & Pegler, 2007:1, 26, 226) is increasingly applied in university classrooms. This paper explores the use of an interactive learning environment, within a Sakai based content management system, as well as face-to-face teaching and learning in a first-year Afrikaans linguistics class (N=82). Firstly, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed by means of a survey and the Structure Equation Model (SEM) (cf. Chen & Tseng, 2012) was used to explore factors relevant to this first-year class. In addition, qualitative research was conducted through an open questionnaire and focus group interviews in order to gauge the perceptions regarding the blended learning context and the interactive learning environment. It was found that students are generally able to function within the interactive learning environment and they are quite positive towards the use of the learning environment for learning and teaching. However, it is clear that some students still prefer printed study material. A number of students indicated that they find online informal tests useful and easy to use. Despite the fact that students indicated that they use the interactive learning environment daily, actual usage statistics did not always correspond. Finally, this paper makes suggestions with regard to adapting teaching in terms of students' behaviour based on their computer anxiety and internet self-efficacy as well as the perceived usefulness and ease of use of the interactive learning environment.
Research Interests: E-learning, Blended E-Learning, Self-Efficacy, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Self-directed learning, and 6 moreContent Management Systems (CMS), Blended Learning, Blended learning in higher education, Technology acceptance model(TAM), ICT in teaching and learning English language, and Technology Acceptance Model
Writing is integral to assessment in higher education and it is clear that assisting with writing could improve overall academic performance (Archer, 2008:248). However, according to Piller (2013), as part of academic life, many students... more
Writing is integral to assessment in higher education and it is clear that assisting with writing could improve overall academic performance (Archer, 2008:248). However, according to Piller (2013), as part of academic life, many students tend to procrastinate and have a great sense of self-doubt when it comes to academic writing. The Daly-Miller test (Daly & Miller, 1975) specifically gauges writing apprehension. The purpose of this paper is to explore writing apprehension or fear of writing amongst first-year students. The Daly-Miller test was conducted with two separate first-year groups chosen by means of convenience sampling over a two-year period. The research population included students from different fields of study enrolled in a compulsory academic literacy module (N=300) and students in an Afrikaans language module (N=244). The test was followed up by an analysis of e-mail reflections of students regarding their writing. Through the calculation of Cronbach’s α of the Daly-Miller test’s responses it was clear that the instrument’s use as suggested by Daly and Miller could not be considered reliable for this particular South African population. Hence an explorative factor analysis was conducted. The factor analysis resulted in indicating that four distinct aspects of writing apprehension could be identified: positive attitude towards writing, negative attitude towards writing, evaluation apprehension as well as self-confidence and writing. This paper reports on the results in terms of these four factors as well as supporting qualitative evidence from the e-mail reflections. The results of this study emphasises the need to take note of the phenomenon of writing apprehension in higher education settings. In addition, the teaching, facilitation and assessment of writing the students’ attitude towards writing, nature of evaluation and self-confidence of students need to be taken into account.
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To be able to improve teaching practice and move towards a student-centred learning (O’Neill & McMahon, 2005), effective feedback from students is essential. Students’ evaluation of teaching is also considered an essential aspect of the... more
To be able to improve teaching practice and move towards a student-centred learning (O’Neill & McMahon, 2005), effective feedback from students is essential. Students’ evaluation of teaching is also considered an essential aspect of the scholarship of teaching and learning (Marsh, 2007:319-320). However, from a survey conducted with first-year students (n=146) it was evident that there is a need for in-time feedback in classrooms.
The problem investigated in this research concerns a way in which in-time feedback and interaction can be accommodated in Afrikaans linguistics classrooms. To this end a pilot project was launched where students (n=21) in a third-year class were expected to use their own mobile devices to give feedback and interact in class by means of a web environment. By using aspects of audience (or student) response systems (cf. Kay & LeSage, 2009) a web environment, in this case Drupal, was used.
This paper reports on the development of the web environment, how this was received by the lecturer and students as well as practical issues regarding the use of students’ own devices. Furthermore, this paper also makes recommendations on possibilities regarding the development of an app for tablet devices to be used in the future.
Sources
Kay, R.H. & LeSage, A. 2009. A strategic assessment of audience response systems used in higher education. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(2):235-249.
Marsh, H.W. 2007. Students' evaluations of university teaching: dimensionality, reliability, validity, potential biases and usefulness. (In Perry, R.P. & Smart, J.C., eds. The scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education: an evidence-based perspective. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 319–383).
O’Neill, G. & McMahon, T. 2005. Student-centred learning: what does it mean for students and lecturers? (In O’Neill, G., Moore, S. & McMullin, B., eds. Emerging issues in the practice of university learning and teaching. Dublin: AISHE. p.27-36).
The problem investigated in this research concerns a way in which in-time feedback and interaction can be accommodated in Afrikaans linguistics classrooms. To this end a pilot project was launched where students (n=21) in a third-year class were expected to use their own mobile devices to give feedback and interact in class by means of a web environment. By using aspects of audience (or student) response systems (cf. Kay & LeSage, 2009) a web environment, in this case Drupal, was used.
This paper reports on the development of the web environment, how this was received by the lecturer and students as well as practical issues regarding the use of students’ own devices. Furthermore, this paper also makes recommendations on possibilities regarding the development of an app for tablet devices to be used in the future.
Sources
Kay, R.H. & LeSage, A. 2009. A strategic assessment of audience response systems used in higher education. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 25(2):235-249.
Marsh, H.W. 2007. Students' evaluations of university teaching: dimensionality, reliability, validity, potential biases and usefulness. (In Perry, R.P. & Smart, J.C., eds. The scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education: an evidence-based perspective. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 319–383).
O’Neill, G. & McMahon, T. 2005. Student-centred learning: what does it mean for students and lecturers? (In O’Neill, G., Moore, S. & McMullin, B., eds. Emerging issues in the practice of university learning and teaching. Dublin: AISHE. p.27-36).
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Oorsig van spore van transtaling en taaloorgang in die napraat van Tsotsitaal en Swartafrikaans in geselekteerde gedigte.
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The study aimed at compiling and testing a method through which multilingual teaching and learning could be accommodated through the use of e-learning technology such as a wiki. Multilingualism is a reality for many South Africans and in... more
The study aimed at compiling and testing a method through which multilingual teaching and learning could be accommodated through the use of e-learning technology such as a wiki.
Multilingualism is a reality for many South Africans and in many South African classrooms; however the majority of students finish high school through the medium of English. In order to counter the hegemony of English in South Africa, in a manner acceptable to both students and parents, the use of multilingual teaching and learning material online is explored in this paper.
Empirical research was conducted at two schools that represented typical historical language contexts. By following an experimental design in the form of quasi-experimental research and based on a non-equivalent group pre-test-post-test control group design the intervention with multilingual e-learning content was implemented and evaluated.
From the results of the analysis, it is clear that there is a statistically significant difference in the test scores favoring the intervention.
This study has shown that within the South African high school context multilingualism could potentially be accommodated through the use of e-learning technologies within a high school setting. However, the lack of infrastructure does hamper widespread implementation of e-learning.
Multilingualism is a reality for many South Africans and in many South African classrooms; however the majority of students finish high school through the medium of English. In order to counter the hegemony of English in South Africa, in a manner acceptable to both students and parents, the use of multilingual teaching and learning material online is explored in this paper.
Empirical research was conducted at two schools that represented typical historical language contexts. By following an experimental design in the form of quasi-experimental research and based on a non-equivalent group pre-test-post-test control group design the intervention with multilingual e-learning content was implemented and evaluated.
From the results of the analysis, it is clear that there is a statistically significant difference in the test scores favoring the intervention.
This study has shown that within the South African high school context multilingualism could potentially be accommodated through the use of e-learning technologies within a high school setting. However, the lack of infrastructure does hamper widespread implementation of e-learning.
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Previous studies on Afrikaans immigrant language have focused on issues regarding language identity of immigrants in the UK (Kotzé, 2004; Kotzé & Biberauer, 2006) and New Zealand (Barkhuizen, 2006; Barkhuizen & Knoch, 2005). However, few... more
Previous studies on Afrikaans immigrant language have focused on issues regarding language identity of immigrants in the UK (Kotzé, 2004; Kotzé & Biberauer, 2006) and New Zealand (Barkhuizen, 2006; Barkhuizen & Knoch, 2005). However, few studies have focused on the wider Afrikaans-speaking expatriate population. This paper explores perceptions around language maintenance and loss of Afrikaans-speaking immigrants from 54 different countries.
Language choices of individuals and families in immigrant contexts are determined by socio-political and economic factors (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009:351). It is also clear from the literature that parental ideology determines the nature of family language planning (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009:351; King, Fogle & Logan-Terry, 2008:909). Therefore, this research also focused on language choices by immigrants with children.
The main aim of this paper is to report on attitudes towards Afrikaans culture and language, languages used within family units as well as motivation for language choice. The research was conducted through the use of an online questionnaire completed by Afrikaans-speaking immigrants (n=1 362). The second part of the research consisted of qualitative analysis of responses by respondents in a Facebook group for Afrikaans expatriates.
From the research it is evident that for these respondents the major language within the family unit is Afrikaans, especially in terms of communication between partners. Most respondents agree that mother tongue education is important, however less than half of the respondents indicated that they spoke Afrikaans with their children. Traces of language shift are evident and it seems that the age of children and nature of bilingualism at the time of immigration are important factors. In conclusion it seems that immigrant family language planning is a complex issue and that language use and choices are not consistent across the respondents of this study.
Language choices of individuals and families in immigrant contexts are determined by socio-political and economic factors (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009:351). It is also clear from the literature that parental ideology determines the nature of family language planning (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009:351; King, Fogle & Logan-Terry, 2008:909). Therefore, this research also focused on language choices by immigrants with children.
The main aim of this paper is to report on attitudes towards Afrikaans culture and language, languages used within family units as well as motivation for language choice. The research was conducted through the use of an online questionnaire completed by Afrikaans-speaking immigrants (n=1 362). The second part of the research consisted of qualitative analysis of responses by respondents in a Facebook group for Afrikaans expatriates.
From the research it is evident that for these respondents the major language within the family unit is Afrikaans, especially in terms of communication between partners. Most respondents agree that mother tongue education is important, however less than half of the respondents indicated that they spoke Afrikaans with their children. Traces of language shift are evident and it seems that the age of children and nature of bilingualism at the time of immigration are important factors. In conclusion it seems that immigrant family language planning is a complex issue and that language use and choices are not consistent across the respondents of this study.
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In all spheres of education in South Africa there is a contradictory situation between the need for mother tongue education and the hegemony of English. Despite calls from academics, the Language Policy Framework for South African Higher... more
In all spheres of education in South Africa there is a contradictory situation between the need for mother tongue education and the hegemony of English. Despite calls from academics, the Language Policy Framework for South African Higher Education (2001), ‘The Development of Indigenous African Languages as Mediums of Instruction in Higher Education’ report (2003) and discussions around the new Use of Official Languages Act 12 of 2012 English is still the preferred language of education. The Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has numerous times indicated that African languages should be developed as languages of scholarship. In this paper the language debate at universities is considered in general and in terms of how SRCs can make a difference in promoting so-called ‘indigenous languages’.
Research Interests: Multilingualism, Multi- & Bilingualism & Biliteracy, Language Planning and Policy, South African Politics and Society, Language and Ideology, and 8 moreInterpreting Studies, Bilingual Education, African languages, Language Planning, Language Management, Language and Politics, Linguistic Policy, Language Planning and Linguistic Minorities, and Langauge Spread
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Research Interests:
In order to understand the language context of higher education in South Africa it is necessary to investigate the way in which languages are managed and negotiated in/by families and individuals through language choices. In the... more
In order to understand the language context of higher education in South Africa it is necessary to investigate the way in which languages are managed and negotiated in/by families and individuals through language choices. In the literature the individual is regarded as the starting point for language management (cf. Spolsky, 2009:11; Jernudd & Neustupný, 1987:82). This paper aims at exploring language choices in terms of family (Schwartz, 2010) or private language planning (Piller, 2001) by means of qualitative research.
Spolsky (2004:5) distinguishes between three components that make up the language policy of a particular speech community: “its language practices – the habitual pattern of selecting among the varieties that make up its linguistic repertoire; its language beliefs or ideology – the beliefs about language and language use; and any specific efforts to modify or influence that practice by any kind of language intervention, planning or management”. This approach allows language planning to be extended from not only being used in terms of a wider speech community but smaller groupings and individuals as well (cf. Orman, 2008:40). This paper focussed on the individual and the family and in this regard the emerging field of family language policy (Schwartz, 2010:171) is relevant. Family language policy is defined by Curdt-Christiansen (2009:352) as “a deliberate attempt at practicing a particular language use pattern and particular literacy practices within home domains and among family members”. This paper attempted at gauging language use patterns and literacy practices within the family context in order to understand language choices made.
The research conducted for this paper involved the conducting of open ended questionnaires and interviews with university students to determine the nature of language planning for/of individuals within families. Analysis of the data was done with Atlas.ti. The language choices (cf. Spolsky, 2009:28-29), made by or on behalf of students are key to this paper. This paper further aims at explaining why these choices were made.
Spolsky (2004:5) distinguishes between three components that make up the language policy of a particular speech community: “its language practices – the habitual pattern of selecting among the varieties that make up its linguistic repertoire; its language beliefs or ideology – the beliefs about language and language use; and any specific efforts to modify or influence that practice by any kind of language intervention, planning or management”. This approach allows language planning to be extended from not only being used in terms of a wider speech community but smaller groupings and individuals as well (cf. Orman, 2008:40). This paper focussed on the individual and the family and in this regard the emerging field of family language policy (Schwartz, 2010:171) is relevant. Family language policy is defined by Curdt-Christiansen (2009:352) as “a deliberate attempt at practicing a particular language use pattern and particular literacy practices within home domains and among family members”. This paper attempted at gauging language use patterns and literacy practices within the family context in order to understand language choices made.
The research conducted for this paper involved the conducting of open ended questionnaires and interviews with university students to determine the nature of language planning for/of individuals within families. Analysis of the data was done with Atlas.ti. The language choices (cf. Spolsky, 2009:28-29), made by or on behalf of students are key to this paper. This paper further aims at explaining why these choices were made.
Research Interests:
Multilingualism is a reality in South African classrooms. The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the national language policy recognize language rights and aims at supporting, promoting and developing the official... more
Multilingualism is a reality in South African classrooms. The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the national language policy recognize language rights and aims at supporting, promoting and developing the official languages. However, despite the advantages of mother tongue education,
English is often chosen in schools as language of learning and teaching at the cost of the African official languages. This study proposes the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning.
Blended learning refers to the blending of traditional instruction methods, such as face-to-face instruction, with other forms of instruction such as online learning and teaching. Through a discussion of asynchronous and synchronous learning tools it was established that wikis would be used for this study. In terms of blended learning and learning theories the main emphasis in this study is on socio-constructivism as well as communal constructivism.
The empirical research in this study focused on the establishment and testing of a conceptual model for the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning in the subject IT. The research took the form of a sequential embedded mixed methods design. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. A questionnaire was used with teachers to investigate the language and blended learning context. This was followed up with
qualitative research in the form of interviews aimed at provincial and national experts in terms of the subject IT and e-learning. Based on the literature and these two investigations, a conceptual model was developed. The conceptual model‘s effectiveness was tested through a quasi-experimental study. A
questionnaire was also completed by the respondents at the schools after the completion of the study. Through the testing of the effectiveness of the conceptual model it was found that multilingualism could potentially be accommodated and promoted through this conceptual model.
This paper will focus on providing the findings that relate to language in education in the aforementioned study. This is based on a PhD thesis completed by the presenter.
English is often chosen in schools as language of learning and teaching at the cost of the African official languages. This study proposes the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning.
Blended learning refers to the blending of traditional instruction methods, such as face-to-face instruction, with other forms of instruction such as online learning and teaching. Through a discussion of asynchronous and synchronous learning tools it was established that wikis would be used for this study. In terms of blended learning and learning theories the main emphasis in this study is on socio-constructivism as well as communal constructivism.
The empirical research in this study focused on the establishment and testing of a conceptual model for the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning in the subject IT. The research took the form of a sequential embedded mixed methods design. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. A questionnaire was used with teachers to investigate the language and blended learning context. This was followed up with
qualitative research in the form of interviews aimed at provincial and national experts in terms of the subject IT and e-learning. Based on the literature and these two investigations, a conceptual model was developed. The conceptual model‘s effectiveness was tested through a quasi-experimental study. A
questionnaire was also completed by the respondents at the schools after the completion of the study. Through the testing of the effectiveness of the conceptual model it was found that multilingualism could potentially be accommodated and promoted through this conceptual model.
This paper will focus on providing the findings that relate to language in education in the aforementioned study. This is based on a PhD thesis completed by the presenter.
Research Interests:
The needs of a changing society and the looming Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) have led to increased technology infusion into classrooms. However, this digital education is driven by commercial entities and the hegemony of English and... more
The needs of a changing society and the looming Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) have led to increased technology infusion into classrooms. However, this digital education is driven by commercial entities and the hegemony of English and content from the Global North. In order to ensure social justice and the sustainability of digital education in highly multilingual and under-resourced contexts, such as South Africa, alternative approaches need to be considered. To this end, this conceptual chapter explores the affordances of localised selfdirected open educational practices (OEPs) to address the needs within Digital multilingualism for social justice through localised self-directed open education 20 multilingual digital environments. Despite many initiatives around open educational resources, there have been limited developments around open educational practice, especially localisation. Based on the review of documents and research, this chapter concludes with recommendations for policy changes and some practical recommendations for localised self-directed open educational practices that would be responsive to the country's needs and a drive towards social justice.
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Despite increased interest in open education worldwide, not all institutions have seen widespread uptake of open educational resources (OERs). To address this issue, higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide have established... more
Despite increased interest in open education worldwide, not all institutions have seen widespread uptake of open educational resources (OERs). To address this issue, higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide have established initiatives to support the development and use of OERs. This chapter provides the context for the rest of the book by discussing such an initiative at a South African university; it was decided to establish a fellowship programme based on self-directed learning principles to empower lecturers in order to adapt or create OERs for their classrooms. This research involved the collection of qualitative data based on reflections by the OER fellows who were part of the programme. The research provides insight into the overall process of envisioning, designing and executing the fellowship. The opportunities and challenges during the process are discussed from the viewpoint of different stakeholders, with a special focus on aspects of self-directedness.
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It is a major challenge to identify assessment instruments for group work that not only support students’ learning processes and progress but also reflect a valid and reliable result based on individual efforts. In this chapter, we... more
It is a major challenge to identify assessment instruments for group work that not only support students’ learning processes and progress but also reflect a valid and reliable result based on individual efforts. In this chapter, we discuss the use of electronic posters (e-posters) as a multimodal assessment instrument for virtual excursions. The chapter involves a review of relevant literature on the use of posters embedded within CL. The value of posters as a multimodal assessment instrument, contributing towards the promotion of much-needed SDL skills (i.e. critical thinking, communication, and deeper learning), is central to this research. Qualitative data from students’ self-assessments were analysed in order to present practical guidelines in terms of the implementation of e-posters as an assessment instrument for virtual excursions, as well as the affordances thereof in the first-year students’ learning process.
Research Interests: Virtual Environments, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Multimodal learning, and 7 moreVirtual Learning Environments, Academic Poster Development & Innovation, Multimodal Communication, Online assessment, Posters, Educational Virtual Environments, and Self-directed multimodal learning
Virtual excursions, as an iteration of online-based learning and teaching activities, are become more popular and in this context, SDL could be regarded as an important aspect of the learning process. In this chapter, we aim to explore... more
Virtual excursions, as an iteration of online-based learning and teaching activities, are become more popular and in this context, SDL could be regarded as an important aspect of the learning process. In this chapter, we aim to explore the overall trends and characteristics from published works on online virtual excursions in terms of SDL from the last 20 years. To this end, this chapter involves a systematic literature review conducted with a corpus of published works carefully screened based on set inclusion criteria related to virtual excursions and SDL. The process then further involved an inductive thematic and structural analysis of the publications. From this research, an overview is presented on thematic and methodological aspects of discourses on virtual excursions, but the chapter also specifically considers how engagement with SDL happens on such platforms. It is evident that the research relating to SDL regarding virtual excursions is fairly limited and that many opportunities exist for future work in this context. The chapter concludes by presenting guidelines and research lacunae, based on the reviewed publications, for setting up virtual excursions that could promote SDL as well as identifying appropriate learning strategies within this context.
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The benefits of SDL for language learning are evident from the literature, and it is clear that language learning is also unique within BLEs. However, little is known about self-directed language learning (SDLL) in BLEs, specifically in... more
The benefits of SDL for language learning are evident from the literature, and it is clear that language learning is also unique within BLEs. However, little is known about self-directed language learning (SDLL) in BLEs, specifically in the context of African language learning at the university level. In order to address the gap in the scholarship, this chapter aims to determine the needs and perspectives of student-teachers enrolled in undergraduate Sesotho sa Leboa and isiZulu modules in terms of SDLL. This explorative qualitative study made use of open-ended questionnaires in order to determine how Garrison’s dimensions of SDL, that is, motivation, self-management and self-monitoring, are reflected in current practices and can be supported in the future. This study involved 224 student-teachers studying isiZulu and Sesotho sa Leboa. The qualitative data collected for this research were analysed thematically and inductively in order to draw conclusions. This chapter makes recommendations for informing practices in the training of student-teachers, specifically in terms of the African language teaching context. This research is highly relevant in the context of under-resourced languages in online and BLEs in general and specifically with regard to African language teaching, and consequently, recommendations are made in terms of open pedagogy for resource development. This research determined that the selected student-teachers believed that there are many elements of SDLL present in their learning context. Yet, some aspects have been identified to support further SDLL. It was also found that the role of the conative value of linguistic identity should be exploited for SDLL in BL contexts.
Research Interests: Blended E-Learning, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Blended Learning, Open Education, and 8 moreAfrican languages, Blended learning in higher education, Open Educational Resources (OER), Zulu, Northern Sotho, Self-directed language learning, African Languages and linguistics, and Blended Learning Environment
The substandard performance in mathematics learning in schools is often attributed to teachers’ lack of knowledge and inability to keep up with the most recent pedagogical approaches expected from 21st-century mathematics teachers. It is... more
The substandard performance in mathematics learning in schools is often attributed to teachers’ lack of knowledge and inability to keep up with the most recent pedagogical approaches expected from 21st-century mathematics teachers. It is widely acknowledged that teacher SDL supports metacognition that, in turn, holds value for sustained teacher self-development when they continuously reflect on their own learning in and from practice. In this way, teacher metacognition could play a crucial role in addressing the poor mathematics standards in South African schools. The question is asked as to how higher education institutions could support the development of metacognitive skills through SDL for pre-service mathematics teachers. According to the literature, the flipped classroom approach (FCA) as a form of BL has the potential to support metacognition as an SDL skill. An FCA was used to deliver a specific mathematics module within the first year of a Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme delivered by a higher education institution. It is recognised that the FCA itself does not foster metacognition but rather the way in which this approach is implemented. It was therefore deemed important to investigate how this approach should be designed, within a BL context, in order to foster metacognition and consequently also SDL with mathematics student-teachers. Qualitative data were collected from 12 first-year mathematics student-teachers and two lecturers in design-based research (DBR). Reflections by both the students and the lecturers involved were collected during two DBR cycles. Data were analysed through a metacognitive lens to provide guidelines for an FCA for metacognitive gains based on the lessons learned throughout the process. Prerequisites that emerged from the findings include the acknowledgement of the changed roles of students and lecturers in an FCA, efficient integration of technology in a blended setting, the need for more and clear feedback and scaffolding of SDL. The guidelines also highlight the relevancy of the level of mathematics content and the role of lecturer and student motivation in an FCA for BL if metacognitive gains are to be assured in this BL approach to mathematics teacher preparation.
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As the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) implies the blurring of lines between digital and other spheres of life, education students should be adaptable and self-directed. This chapter explores how the needs of students within the... more
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) implies the blurring of lines between digital and other spheres of life, education students should be adaptable and self-directed. This chapter explores how the needs of students within the context of the 4IR will depend on the different modalities of learning and being self-directed. Learning involves different modalities in terms of the individual, interaction, instruction and even at the level of institutions. Within the context of the 4IR, multimodality in more aspects of daily life will be ubiquitous. Consequently, the interplay of modalities within a multimodal learning context has implications for meaning-making and, by implication, learning in HE. Building on the scholarship of multimodal learning provides a framework for understanding how the fusion of modes function in education. In addition, the 4IR requires students to be adaptable and able to take charge of their own learning in order to become self-directed and lifelong learners within the dynamically changing HE environment. In this conceptual chapter, the theoretical principles of self-directed multimodal learning are interrogated in the context of the 4IR as have been identified in the scholarship in these fields. Practical steps are proposed for preparing students in teacher education for self-directed multimodal learning.
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In the context of the decolonisation of the curriculum, it is essential to incorporate student voices in order to situate learning in an appropriate milieu. To this end, this chapter explores the affordances of open educational resources... more
In the context of the decolonisation of the curriculum, it is essential to incorporate student voices in order to situate learning in an appropriate milieu. To this end, this chapter explores the affordances of open educational resources (OERs) and student-centred open pedagogy as resources that can be used for teacher education. It is also suggested that the decolonisation of the curriculum process be focused on students. This chapter involves a critical analysis of the pertinent literature on OERs and open pedagogy interpreted against the background of the scholarship on the decolonisation of the curriculum. The literature shows how the past has influenced the learning process. Consequently, the decolonisation of teacher education is essential, and OERs, as well as open pedagogy, provide avenues to address this issue. Open educational resources involve various types of resources, mostly online, with specific licencing that allows for adaptation and localisation. Therefore, using OERs with adequate licencing from international sources would allow South African lecturers to adapt such resources in order to adhere to the needs of a decolonised curriculum. Furthermore, in the spirit of open education, such revised resources can then be shared to the benefit of others in similar contexts as a form of demiurgic decolonisation. In addition, this chapter approaches open pedagogy as not only the practice of using OERs in teaching and learning but also a means of facilitating greater participation by students. In this regard, students can be empowered to utilise, and ultimately revise and create OERs within the context of communal constructivism. Finally, a framework is provided for practices with OERs and student-centred open pedagogy towards the decolonisation of teacher education in South Africa.
Research Interests: Educational Technology, Teacher Education, Teacher Training, Decolonialization, Open Education, and 15 moreOpen Educational Resources, Open Educational Resources (Education), Open Educational Resources (OER), Decolonization, Preservice Teacher Education, Open Educational Practices, Student Centred Learning, Student-Centred Learning, Open educational resources (OERs), Significance of open and distance learning in democratization of education, Open Pedagogies, Fourth Industrial Revolution, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Open pedagogy, and open educational practices (OEP)
Metaliteracy is a holistic model that emphasises information-related knowledge attainment whilst challenging individuals to take charge of their learning strategies and goals. It prepares learners to become informed consumers and... more
Metaliteracy is a holistic model that emphasises information-related knowledge attainment whilst challenging individuals to take charge of their learning strategies and goals. It prepares learners to become informed consumers and responsible producers of information. Metacognition is a core concept in metaliteracy, just as it is in SDL and in methods of assessment appropriate to SDL, such as assessment as learning (AaL) and assessment for learning (AfL). This congruence provides clear avenues for using metaliteracy’s framework in ways that support SDL. The first part of the chapter explores metaliteracy and its connections with SDL and assessment. The remainder of the chapter provides two examples of how the intersection of metaliteracy, SDL and assessment might be addressed in practice. These case studies provide additional and practical connections that might suggest applications in other settings. The first section explores a comprehensive metaliteracy digital badging system that is designed to advance SDL, with a focus on how the self-directed unit from this system was adapted for use in an open textbook. The final section of the chapter provides an example of how an online undergraduate course intertwines metaliteracy, information literacy and editing on Wikipedia, exemplifying principles of SDL and providing examples of AaL and AfL.
Research Interests: Information Literacy, Assessment, Formative Assessment, Metacognition, Assessment in Higher Education, and 14 moreInformation Literacy Assessment, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Open Education, Open Educational Resources (Education), Open Educational Resources (OER), Wikipedia, Assessment for learning, Metacognition and self-regulated learning, Metaliteracy, Affective Learning Domain, Digital Badges, Badging, and Self-directed multimodal learning
An increase in the use of technology in education has led to changes in the way learning takes place and content is represented. However, despite this trend and preferences for digital modes of communication and challenges encountered by... more
An increase in the use of technology in education has led to changes in the way learning takes place and content is represented. However, despite this trend and preferences for digital modes of communication and challenges encountered by students, the assessment practices in higher education have remained largely monomodal and text-based. This conceptual chapter deals with the scholarship around self-directed multimodal assessment in order to provide recommendations which would make equitable and differentiated assessment possible. The concept of multimodal assessment has been extensively researched in the language teaching context, especially the theoretical foundations of multimodality. When learning is regarded as communication, the semiotic resources used in the broader learning context should also be considered for assessment. In this chapter, assessment is approached as SDL-oriented assessment with the emphasis on formative assessment that fosters self-directed learning. Therefore, assessment processes should accommodate individual multimodality whilst providing sufficient opportunity for resource selection in the Knowlesian sense. This chapter is concluded by suggesting a framework for self-directed multimodal assessment that unpacks the relevant variables as well as the relevant processes and requirements. In this regard, a self-directed multimodal view of assessment would not only address individual modal needs of students for technological access and skills but also attend to the requirements of students with special needs or disabilities.
Research Interests:
In this chapter, the use of language in assessments was researched regarding its role in supporting situated self-directed learning (SDL). In this regard, the construct of language was approached as one of the material resources for... more
In this chapter, the use of language in assessments was researched regarding its role in supporting situated self-directed learning (SDL). In this regard, the construct of language was approached as one of the material resources for learning in terms of self-directed learning-oriented assessment (SLOA). Situated learning emphasises the importance of context in the learning environment, and this ties in with the need to consider the social context for SDL. The problem investigated by this study is how language should be used in order to support situated SLOA. From existing research on situated self-directed multimodal learning, students and lecturers regard language as a problematic issue in terms of situated learning. Consequently, it was necessary to determine the nature of the language used in assessments in order to gauge if and how situated SLOA was supported. Hence, the practices regarding the axiologolect or language of assessment within selected university modules were explored by means of an analysis of assessment artefacts as provided by lecturers.
Research Interests:
This chapter focuses on environments that support the fostering of SDML. This research drew on constructionism as theoretical lens and its implementation by means of microworlds. The aim of this chapter is to determine what features of... more
This chapter focuses on environments that support the fostering of SDML. This research drew on constructionism as theoretical lens and its implementation by means of microworlds. The aim of this chapter is to determine what features of microworlds enable them to be supportive multimodal learning environments for SDL. The design features of selected microworlds are investigated, focusing on the requirements of SDL, problem-solving, opportunities for collaboration and the specific resources available to
students and facilitators. The qualitative study that this chapter is based on was completed from within a pragmatist paradigm and involved document analyses and multimodal content analyses to do an exploratory evaluation of the selected microworlds. The exploratory evaluation focused on the creation of a rubric for evaluation of the features of microworlds. Specific aspects in the selected microworlds were identified that can potentially support SDML.
students and facilitators. The qualitative study that this chapter is based on was completed from within a pragmatist paradigm and involved document analyses and multimodal content analyses to do an exploratory evaluation of the selected microworlds. The exploratory evaluation focused on the creation of a rubric for evaluation of the features of microworlds. Specific aspects in the selected microworlds were identified that can potentially support SDML.
Research Interests: Instructional Design, Educational Technology, E-learning, Distance Education, Mathematics Education, and 14 moreCreative Problem Solving, Problem solving (Education), Collaboration, Online Learning, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Problem Solving, Netlogo, Geogebra, Scratch Programming Language, Scratch, Self-directed multimodal learning, and Microworlds
In this chapter, online study advice regarding the shift from face-to-face to multimodal learning was investigated in terms of the requirements related to self-directed multimodal learning. This publicly posted advice comes within a... more
In this chapter, online study advice regarding the shift from face-to-face to multimodal learning was investigated in terms of the requirements related to self-directed multimodal learning. This publicly posted advice comes within a broader worldwide shift to a multimodal mode of delivery because of restrictions in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of this research, multimodal learning involved learning online that would also include different modes of communication. Consequently, the theoretical background of multimodality is highly relevant to this chapter. This chapter also probed the scholarship around SDL. This qualitative study involved textual analysis of specifically selected online texts that provided guidance towards creating multimodal learning environments. The data analysis of the corpus collected for this chapter was done employing thematic content analysis. The content analysis informed a description of the trends of the online study advice and allowed for the advice in terms of self-directed multimodal learning to be
evaluated. From the analysis, it was evident that the online study advice corresponded broadly with the relevant scholarship and showed evidence of reification and support of many principles associated with self-directed multimodal learning.
evaluated. From the analysis, it was evident that the online study advice corresponded broadly with the relevant scholarship and showed evidence of reification and support of many principles associated with self-directed multimodal learning.
Research Interests:
The 4th industrial revolution has brought changes in current education systems. Many academic institutions are opting for open education throughout the working lives of individuals that led to a distinctive rise in e-learning, thus, a... more
The 4th industrial revolution has brought changes in current education systems. Many academic institutions are opting for open education throughout the working lives of individuals that led to a distinctive rise in e-learning, thus, a need is identified to explore the intersections between self-directed learning, online mentoring, and online coaching. The aim of this chapter is to describe the main common trends on these topics and identify gaps in the scholarship that can serve as impetus for future research. Self-directed learning pertains to a process where students take responsibility for their own learning by setting outcomes, choosing material or human resources, selecting appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating their learning. The online context brings specific opportunities for self-directed learning, but learners may require the support of others for mentoring (a long term and relationship-based process) and coaching (limited to a specific task) at different levels of education, to instil learners with a love for open and distance learning. The chapter explores how self-directed learning could be supported by both approaches as well as can be fulfilled by peers or teachers. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted of article publications related to self-directed learning, online mentoring, and online coaching within the African continent between 2000 and 2020. It was found that limited research has been done in this context and that most work was focussed on South Africa and the education sector with some work in the health-professions and other work contexts.
Research Interests: Mentoring, Self-Determination Theory, Leadership and Mentoring, Online Learning, Self-directed learning, and 7 moreSelf-Directed Learning (Education), Self-determination theory (Education), Multimodal learning, Coaching, Coaching and mentoring, Online Mentoring, and Self-directed multimodal learning
The changing educational context and dynamic needs around increasing online learning at all education levels highlight the importance of self-directed learning. In this regard, self-directed learning, which involves both a process and... more
The changing educational context and dynamic needs around increasing online learning at all education levels highlight the importance of self-directed learning. In this regard, self-directed learning, which involves both a process and student characteristic, relates to the students taking charge of their learning in terms of setting aims, choosing material or human resources, choosing appropriate learning strategies and evaluating their learning. This chapter involves a systematic literature review that explores research on self-directed learning at school and higher education within the African context. This concept, despite the origins of the scholarship of self-directed learning being from the Global North and the West, is more expansive and, this chapter specifically aims to give an overview of the current discourses around self-directed learning in Africa. This chapter critically examined key literature regarding self-directed learning in this milieu and inductively identified general trends. Despite self-directed learning's focus on the individual, it seems to be a very appropriate learning process towards communal learning utilising cooperative learning strategies that support self-directed learning. Finally, the chapter provides a synthesis of the main trends around self-directed learning in Africa while identifying certain areas for future research.
Research Interests: Self-Determination Theory, Learner Autonomy, Self-Regulated Learning (Education), Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), and 8 moreSelf-determination theory (Education), Systematic Literature Review, Dimensions of learner autonomy, Education in Sub Saharan Africa, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Challenges of Adult Education in Africa, SDL, and Curricula in African Higher Education
Learning online has grown significantly in the African context and hence access and the nature of resources in this area has become more important. This chapter explores the context of online access and resources on the continent as... more
Learning online has grown significantly in the African context and hence access and the nature of resources in this area has become more important. This chapter explores the context of online access and resources on the continent as contextualisation for open education and self-directed learning in Africa. This conceptual chapter provides an overview of the relevant scholarship on the nature of online access and resources in this context. To this end, published statistics and research were critically analysed. Successful online access does not only imply formal access to resources, but also requires epistemic, demiurgic as well as axiopistical access. Consequently, these issues are also regarded in terms of what is required from students to reach all these levels of access. Furthermore, this chapter considers resources in terms of it being either material or human within the self-directed learning context and this chapter also focuses on how this concept is viewed within open education. The chapter concludes with a discussion and overview of how online access and resources and its role in education should be viewed within the African context and in terms of the concept of ubuntu where communal aspects of learning are highlighted.
Research Interests:
A requirement for sustainable development is quality education, which – according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – relates to education that is inclusive, equitable and promotes lifelong learning opportunities. Such... more
A requirement for sustainable development is quality education, which – according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – relates to education that is inclusive, equitable and promotes lifelong learning opportunities. Such aims require embracing self-directed learning, multimodality, open education and indigenous knowledge. In this conceptual chapter these four foci are explored through a critical analysis of current discourses, with a specific emphasis on the context and needs of Africa. For indigenous communities, the concept of self-directedness is key to effective knowledge production, access and governance. Self-directed learning implies that students take charge of their learning individually or communally by setting goals and choosing resources, and learning strategies in order to support lifelong learning. Knowledge functions multimodally and on different levels. Interaction, instruction and delivery can be done through different modes or blending of modes: either face-to-face or via technologically-supported manners. Furthermore, knowledge used or created should adhere to the principles of open education. In this context, open licensing is embraced and access to resources is more equitable in terms of both access and localization, in order to account for indigenous knowledges and languages. This chapter concludes with recommendations of practical steps towards fostering sustainable development in education, through self-directed multimodal learning, for open indigenous knowledge co-creation.
Research Interests: Lifelong Learning, Sustainable Development, Indigenous Knowledge, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), and 15 moreMultimodality, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Open Educational Resources, Open Educational Resources (Education), Multimodal learning, Open Educational Resources (OER), Indigenous knowledge systems, Open educational resources (OERs), The Use of Indigenous Knowledge by Students, Open Pedagogies, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Self-directed multimodal learning, Open pedagogy, Renewable assignments, and Renewable assessments
Within a communal constructivist approach and a context of contribution-oriented pedagogy, students not only consume content they can also produce content for reuse within the educational context. To this end, teachers should create... more
Within a communal constructivist approach and a context of contribution-oriented pedagogy, students not only consume content they can also produce content for reuse within the educational context. To this end, teachers should create opportunities for co-creation and collaboration between students and teachers in order to construct microlearning objects. This chapter explores the affordances of self-directed multimodal learning for microlearning. Multimodal learning is an approach to education where individual modal preferences, communication through different modalities, and learning, teaching and delivery by means of different modes are considered. The chapter presents a short illustrative case study and proposes practical steps to create opportunities conducive to effective student self-directed multimodal learning through microlearning object creation.
Research Interests: Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Video, Video Learning in the Classroom, Communal Constructivism, and 15 moreSelf-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Open Educational Resources, Open Educational Resources (Education), Multimodal learning, Open Educational Resources (OER), Microlearning, Student Agency, Short instructional videos, Active Microlearning, Self-directed multimodal learning, Contribution-oriented pedagogy, Microlearning objects, and Microlearning snippets
This chapter explores the affordances of individual language planning in terms of facilitating self-directed learning (SDL) in multilingual Information Technology (IT) classrooms at high school level. Multilingualism is a reality within... more
This chapter explores the affordances of individual language planning in terms of facilitating self-directed learning (SDL) in multilingual Information Technology (IT) classrooms at high school level. Multilingualism is a reality within South African schools, however, not only does education in general in South Africa show evidence of the hegemony of English, in a subject such as IT, English is even more prominent. This chapter regards language as being one of the essential resources to be considered in terms of effective SDL in multilingual IT classrooms. The multilingual nature of classrooms and the status of English in South Africa pose unique challenges which have not been considered in terms of SDL in multilingual IT classrooms before and this serves as impetus for this research. The problem posed for this chapter is, what affordances do individual language planning provide in terms of facilitating SDL in multilingual IT classrooms at high school level? To this end, an exploratory qualitative study was undertaken regarding language practices within IT classrooms in high schools in the Free State province of South Africa. The aim of this chapter is to provide recommendations that can serve as practical guidelines for effective individual language planning in this context.
Research Interests: Information Technology, Education, Multilingualism, Language Planning and Policy, Teaching and Learning Programming, and 12 moreSelf-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Language Planning, Multilingual Education, Language policy and planning, Teaching Programming in High School, Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education, Self-directed language learning, Language Distance, Individual language planning, Translanguaging, and Epistemic distance
This chapter provides an overview of trends from academic articles and postgraduate studies related to BL, SDL and the CoI framework from 2009 to 2019 in South Africa. By means of a systematic critical review of identified articles – as... more
This chapter provides an overview of trends from academic articles and postgraduate studies related to BL, SDL and the CoI framework from 2009 to 2019 in South Africa. By means of a systematic critical review of identified articles – as located in major electronic databases – the main methodologies, contexts and findings were determined. This research was conducted to provide a snapshot of the current research regarding the position of the CoI framework in terms of self-directed BL. The research found that clear thematic gaps and methodological opportunities in the literature are evident.
Research Interests: Blended E-Learning, Social Presence, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Blended Learning, and 9 moreBlended learning in higher education, Multimodal learning, Community of Inquiry, Systematic Literature Review, Cognitive Presence, Teaching Presence, Community of Inquiry Model, Self-directed multimodal learning, and Instructional multimodality
This chapter deals with situated and culturally appropriate self-directed multimodal learning in terms of distance education in a South African university. This approach has become relevant at this university as both contact and distance... more
This chapter deals with situated and culturally appropriate self-directed multimodal learning in terms of distance education in a South African university. This approach has become relevant at this university as both contact and distance students are accommodated in the same degree programmes. In the South African university context, there is a need for decolonisation of the curriculum as contents were traditionally based on perspectives of the West and the Global North. Thus, it has become necessary to reconsider how HE could accommodate situated learning and be culturally appropriate in terms of dynamic sign-making processes. This qualitative research involved interviews with lecturers and a questionnaire with open-ended questions aimed at students. From the research it is evident that despite some good practices most of the learning materials and activities are not sufficiently situated or culturally appropriate. Students were divided, based on these issues. However, recommendations are made regarding how effectively content can be localised.
Research Interests: Multiculturalism, Multilingualism, Situated Learning, Multicultural Education, Localization, and 14 moreSituated learning (Learning And Teaching), Self-directed learning, Multimodality, Multimodal learning, Multilingual Education, Culture and education, Student Voice, Culturally Appropriate Pedagogy, Situated Knowledge, Multilingual Education and Development, Self-directed multimodal learning, Instructional multimodality, Culturally appropriate learning, and Contextualized learning
This chapter reports on a comparative autoethnographical study comparing experiences of self-directed multimodal learning at two institutions of HE in a Southern African context. The comparison aims to explore lived experiences in the... more
This chapter reports on a comparative autoethnographical study comparing experiences of self-directed multimodal learning at two institutions of HE in a Southern African context. The comparison aims to explore lived experiences in the context of a long history of distance education versus the context where this approach has recently been implemented in addition to face-to-face instructions. Through this process of self-reflection, diffractive pathways are explored with regard to how both distance and contact modes can influence each other in blended spaces within the context of Botswana and South Africa. With diffractive practices, similar to diffractive methodology, the focus is on using one text (in this instance, experiences of a distance mode of delivery) to interpret another totally different but intersecting text (the contact experience).
Research Interests: Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Blended Learning, Blended learning in higher education, and 12 moreMultimodal learning, Diffractive Methodology, Diffraction, Teaching Presence, Teacher Reflection, Online Instructor Teaching Presence, Multimodal Learning and Teaching, Self-directed multimodal learning, Lecturer reflection, Diffractive pathways, Institutional multimodality, and Instructional multimodality
This chapter, as a critical literature review, examines the concept of multimodal learning with respect to its roots in the scholarship of multimodality and blended learning (BL). The levels of multimodality– that is, individual,... more
This chapter, as a critical literature review, examines the concept of multimodal learning with respect to its roots in the scholarship of multimodality and blended learning (BL). The levels of multimodality– that is, individual, interactional, instructional and institutional iterations – are explored within the context of self-directed learning (SDL) and related theoretical constructs. Finally, the affordances of self-directed multimodal learning are considered within the context of transformative open education.
Research Interests: Distance Education, Blended E-Learning, Online and Distance Education, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), and 11 moreMultimodality, Blended Learning, Open Education, Blended learning in higher education, Open Educational Resources (Education), Multimodal learning, Open and Distance Education, Open Educational Resources (OER), Multimodality, Social Semiotics, Multimodal Learning and Teaching, and Self-directed multimodal learning
This chapter provides a framework – based on the theoretical background of self-directed multimodal demiurgic learning – that supports students to be able to act as content creators within higher education. This critical literature review... more
This chapter provides a framework – based on the theoretical background of self-directed multimodal demiurgic learning – that supports students to be able to act as content creators within higher education. This critical literature review shows how self-directed learning and multimodality provide affordances towards extending formal and epistemological access in order for students to take charge of their own learning and play a prominent role in generating new content. This chapter makes recommendations through a wider framework and description of a learning cycle towards enabling demiurgic access through self-directed multimodal learning within a South African university context.
Research Interests: Learner Centered Approach, Self-regulated Learning, Multimodal Interaction, Communal Constructivism, Social Constructionism/ Constructivism, and 15 moreSelf-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Blended Learning, Multimodal learning, Multimodal Literacy, Multimodal Communication, Epistemological access, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Metaliteracy, Multimodal Learning and Teaching, Student Generated Content, Self-directed multimodal learning, Demiurgic access, and Formal access
Any implementation of personalized learning and teaching through big data will have implications for research ethics. This chapter considers the research ethics implications in certain key regulatory documents and the scholarship on... more
Any implementation of personalized learning and teaching through big data will have implications for research ethics. This chapter considers the research ethics implications in certain key regulatory documents and the scholarship on research ethics and learning analytics. Finally, the chapter provides guidelines for use by researchers and research ethics review committees-within the field of education in the South African context-specifically focusing on personalized learning and teaching through big data and learning analytics.
Research Interests:
The way electronic writing resources are viewed by South African first-year university students in an English for academic purposes (EAP) classroom is explored in this chapter. A group of multilingual students (N=279) were requested to... more
The way electronic writing resources are viewed by South African first-year university students in an English for academic purposes (EAP) classroom is explored in this chapter. A group of multilingual students (N=279) were requested to reflect on their electronic writing resource selection habits and experiences. Limited good practice was evident, however, concerns were raised about computer literacy, knowledge of basic and online resources and support. The data clearly reflect participants’ limited view of electronic writing resources, computer anxiety and even fears of using computers. It is suggested that good self-directed classroom writing practice strategies be deployed. In light of the findings, teachers need to be cognizant of the needs of South African students who might have limited experiences of working on computer-based writing activities.
Research Interests: Digital Divide, Academic Writing, Computer Literacy, Second Language Writing, Academic Literacies, and 15 moreSelf-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Academic literacy, Bridging Digital Divide, EAP, Computer Anxiety and Self Efficacy in Relation to Their Attitude, Academic literacy/English for academic purposes, Teaching Second Language Writing, Self-directed language learning, Writing Anxiety, Computer Anxiety, English for academic purposes (EAP), Electronic Writing, Self-directed writing, and Autonomography
In the use of OERs, there is a need for SDL. This process of supporting SDL, however, requires specific literacies on the part of students. In this regard, the concept of multiliteracies provides an adequate approach through which a... more
In the use of OERs, there is a need for SDL. This process of supporting SDL, however, requires specific literacies on the part of students. In this regard, the concept of multiliteracies provides an adequate approach through which a number of necessary skills and practices can be explored to support SDL through the use of OERs. Because of technological developments, there has been a move from a singular word-based literacy to a preference for a range of multiliteracies. For the sake of this discussion, these literacies are regarded as skills and practices that are context-specific and social in nature. The so-called digital literacies are also relevant in this research. To delineate the research context, the concepts of SDL and OERs were explored and defined. The research in this chapter took the form of a conceptual study and involved an integrative literature review as well as a document analysis of specifically identified OERs and repositories. In creating a multiliteracies framework in support of SDL through OERs, the concepts of multiliteracies pedagogy and OERs were considered. Furthermore, specific multiliteracies relevant to SDL and OERs, based on the integrative literature review and document analysis, were identified. In conclusion, this research presents a multiliteracies framework in support of SDL through OERs, which could be used as a basis for further research and multiliteracies measurement. The framework covers foundational, technological content as well as multiliteracies specific to SDL and OERs.
Research Interests: Literacy, Information Literacy, Digital Literacy, Digital Media & Learning, New Literacies, and 15 moreDigital Media And New Literacies, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Digital Literacies, Open Education, Open Educational Resources (Education), Multimodal learning, Multiliteracies, Open Educational Resources (OER), Multiliteracies Pedagogy, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Open educational resources (OERs), MOOCs, and New Media, Multimodality, Multiliteracies
This chapter deals with the intersections of technology and IK systems within the context of facilitating SDL. An overview is provided of relevant theoretical concepts of SDL, technology and IK systems as well as an interpretation of... more
This chapter deals with the intersections of technology and IK systems within the context of facilitating SDL. An overview is provided of relevant theoretical concepts of SDL, technology and IK systems as well as an interpretation of these issues in the South African CAPS at the school level. The empirical part of this chapter involves a critical literature review with a focus on operationalising aspects of learning and teaching in IK systems through technology. In conclusion, technological interventions for IK in teaching practice are suggested.
Research Interests: Digital Divide, Technology, Educational Technology, E-learning, Blended E-Learning, and 12 moreInformation Communication Technology, ICT in Education, Indigenous Knowledge, Teacher Training, Technology Enhanced Learning, Self-directed learning, Blended Learning, Multimodal learning, Open Educational Resources (OER), Indigenous knowledge systems, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Introduction to pragmatics in Afrikaans.
Research Interests:
English summary: Multilingualism is a reality in South African classrooms. The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the national language policy recognize language rights and aims at supporting, promoting and developing the... more
English summary:
Multilingualism is a reality in South African classrooms. The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the national language policy recognize language rights and aims at supporting, promoting and developing the official languages. However, despite the advantages of mother tongue education, English is often chosen as language of learning and teaching at the cost of the African official languages. This study proposes the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning.
Blended learning refers to the blending of traditional instruction methods, such as face-to-face instruction, with other forms of instruction such as online learning and teaching. Through a discussion of asynchronous and synchronous learning tools it was established that wikis would be used for this study. In terms of blended learning and learning theories the main emphasis in this study is on socio-constructivism as well as communal constructivism.
The empirical research in this study focused on the establishment and testing of a conceptual model for the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning in the subject IT. The research took the form of a sequential embedded mixed methods design. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. A questionnaire was used with IT teachers to investigate the language and blended learning context. This was followed up with qualitative research in the form of interviews aimed at provincial and national experts in terms of the subject IT and e-learning. Based on the literature and these two investigations, a conceptual model was developed. The conceptual model’s effectiveness was tested through a quasi-experimental study. A questionnaire was also completed by the respondents at the schools after the completion of the study. Through the testing of the effectiveness of the conceptual model it was found that multilingualism could successfully be accommodated and promoted through this conceptual model.
Afrikaans summary:
Meertaligheid is ’n werklikheid in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers. Die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika (Wet 108 van 1996) en die nasionale taalbeleid erken taalregte en het die ondersteuning, uitbreiding en ontwikkeling van die amptelike tale ten doel. Hierteenoor, ten spyte van die voordele van moedertaalonderwys, word Engels dikwels as taal van onderrig en leer gekies ten koste van die Afrikatale wat amptelike tale is. Hierdie studie stel die akkommodering en uitbreiding van meertaligheid deur gemengde leer voor.
Gemengde leer verwys na die mengsel van tradisionele onderrigmetodes, soos gesig-tot-gesig-onderrig, met ander vorme van onderrig soos aanlynonderrig en -leer. Deur ’n bespreking van asinchrone en sinchrone leertegnologie is bepaal dat wiki’s vir hierdie studie gebruik sal word. Met betrekking tot gemengde leer en leerteorieë was die fokus van hierdie studie op sosio-konstruktivisme sowel as gemeenskapskonstruktivisme.
Die empiriese navorsing van hierdie studie het op die daarstelling en toetsing van ’n konseptuele model vir die akkommodering en uitbreiding van meertaligheid deur gemengde leer in die vak IT gefokus. Die navorsing was in die vorm van ’n sekwensiële, insluitende gemengde metode ontwerp. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benaderings is gevolg. ’n Vraelys is aan IT-onderwysers gestuur om die konteks in terme van taal en gemengde leer te bepaal. Dit is opgevolg deur kwalitatiewe navorsing in die vorm van onderhoude met die provinsiale en nasionele kenners van die vak IT en e-leer. Op grond van die literatuur en die twee ondersoeke is ’n konseptuele model ontwikkel. Die konseptuele model se effektiwiteit is gemeet deur middel van ’n kwasi-eksperimentele studie. ’n Vraelys is ook deur die respondente by die skole voltooi nadat die studie voltooi is. Daar is, na aanleiding van die toetsing van die effektiwiteit van die konseptuele model, bevind dat meertaligheid suksesvol deur die konseptuele model geakkommodeer en uitgebrei kan word.
Multilingualism is a reality in South African classrooms. The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the national language policy recognize language rights and aims at supporting, promoting and developing the official languages. However, despite the advantages of mother tongue education, English is often chosen as language of learning and teaching at the cost of the African official languages. This study proposes the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning.
Blended learning refers to the blending of traditional instruction methods, such as face-to-face instruction, with other forms of instruction such as online learning and teaching. Through a discussion of asynchronous and synchronous learning tools it was established that wikis would be used for this study. In terms of blended learning and learning theories the main emphasis in this study is on socio-constructivism as well as communal constructivism.
The empirical research in this study focused on the establishment and testing of a conceptual model for the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning in the subject IT. The research took the form of a sequential embedded mixed methods design. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. A questionnaire was used with IT teachers to investigate the language and blended learning context. This was followed up with qualitative research in the form of interviews aimed at provincial and national experts in terms of the subject IT and e-learning. Based on the literature and these two investigations, a conceptual model was developed. The conceptual model’s effectiveness was tested through a quasi-experimental study. A questionnaire was also completed by the respondents at the schools after the completion of the study. Through the testing of the effectiveness of the conceptual model it was found that multilingualism could successfully be accommodated and promoted through this conceptual model.
Afrikaans summary:
Meertaligheid is ’n werklikheid in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers. Die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika (Wet 108 van 1996) en die nasionale taalbeleid erken taalregte en het die ondersteuning, uitbreiding en ontwikkeling van die amptelike tale ten doel. Hierteenoor, ten spyte van die voordele van moedertaalonderwys, word Engels dikwels as taal van onderrig en leer gekies ten koste van die Afrikatale wat amptelike tale is. Hierdie studie stel die akkommodering en uitbreiding van meertaligheid deur gemengde leer voor.
Gemengde leer verwys na die mengsel van tradisionele onderrigmetodes, soos gesig-tot-gesig-onderrig, met ander vorme van onderrig soos aanlynonderrig en -leer. Deur ’n bespreking van asinchrone en sinchrone leertegnologie is bepaal dat wiki’s vir hierdie studie gebruik sal word. Met betrekking tot gemengde leer en leerteorieë was die fokus van hierdie studie op sosio-konstruktivisme sowel as gemeenskapskonstruktivisme.
Die empiriese navorsing van hierdie studie het op die daarstelling en toetsing van ’n konseptuele model vir die akkommodering en uitbreiding van meertaligheid deur gemengde leer in die vak IT gefokus. Die navorsing was in die vorm van ’n sekwensiële, insluitende gemengde metode ontwerp. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benaderings is gevolg. ’n Vraelys is aan IT-onderwysers gestuur om die konteks in terme van taal en gemengde leer te bepaal. Dit is opgevolg deur kwalitatiewe navorsing in die vorm van onderhoude met die provinsiale en nasionele kenners van die vak IT en e-leer. Op grond van die literatuur en die twee ondersoeke is ’n konseptuele model ontwikkel. Die konseptuele model se effektiwiteit is gemeet deur middel van ’n kwasi-eksperimentele studie. ’n Vraelys is ook deur die respondente by die skole voltooi nadat die studie voltooi is. Daar is, na aanleiding van die toetsing van die effektiwiteit van die konseptuele model, bevind dat meertaligheid suksesvol deur die konseptuele model geakkommodeer en uitgebrei kan word.
Research Interests: Human Computer Interaction, Information Technology, Digital Divide, Multiculturalism, New Media, and 78 moreSociology of Education, Web 2.0, Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Translation Studies, Languages and Linguistics, E-learning, Distance Education, Digital Literacy, Multilingualism, Sociology of Language, Sociolinguistics, Digital Media, Computer-Based Learning, Qualitative methodology, Constructivism, Blended E-Learning, Educational Research, Collaborative Technology, ICT Educational design, Online Instruction, Language Planning and Policy, Computer-Mediated Communication, Instructional Technology, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, Code-Switching, ICT in Education, Applied Linguistics, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), Education Policy, Multicultural Education, Computer Mediated Communication, Communal Constructivism, Bilingual Education, Computer and Instructional Technology, Linguistics, Online Learning, Online Education, Blended And Mobile Learning, Educational Linguistics, South African Education Law, Blended Learning, Distance Learning, Teaching Online, Multiculturalism (Sociology), E-learning 2.0, Instructional Technology in Education, Bilingual education (mother tongue-based), Digital Pedagogy, Instructional Design for Online Learning, Blended learning in higher education, Cognition and Multilingualism, Multicultural Online Education, Language Planning, Bilingualism, Afrikaans, Computer Programming, Wikilearning, Language rights, Multilingual Education, Educational Wikis, Multilingual Web, mobile learning, e-learning, context-aware computing, Adaptive hypermedia systems, Intelligent agents technology, Web services., South African language politics, African Language and Development, Terminology and lexicography from/into African languages, South African multilingual education, IT teaching, Socio-constructivism, Virtual Learning, Wiki, e-Education, Sesotho, Information Technology teaching, Online Multilingualism, FET education, South African education, and Feedback
The degree to which the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) as public broadcaster gives shape to its language policy and language mandate, against the background of an investigation of language rights, establishes the central... more
The degree to which the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) as public broadcaster gives shape to its language policy and language mandate, against the background of an investigation of language rights, establishes the central problem statement of this research.
It is widely acknowledged that it is difficult to define the concept of language rights. Although the language-sociological literature associates this concept with minority and cultural rights, it can also be seen as individual rights. According to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, it is clear that language rights should be seen as individual rights that can be exercised within a particular community. Although this dissertation provides an extensive juridical and language sociological explanation of the concept of language rights, the description by Judge Albie Sachs will be used as a working definition for this research. His division between the following four fundamental language rights, viz.: (i) the right to use your language; (ii) the right to develop your language; (iii) the right to be understood and to understand other languages as well as (iv) the right not to be discriminated against because of your language, provides a useful investigation instrument with which the degree to which the SABC-TV acknowledges and protects language rights can be measured.
It is found that despite the policy documents on national and corporate level that has equal consideration and treatment of the diverse South African languages in mind, it still happens that the SABC-TV fails to give form to the language rights of individuals that belong to indigenous minority language groups in South Africa. Due to this, the research suggests that the extensive implementation of subtitles, as a form of screen translation that differs from lip synchronised dubbing, can make a significant contribution to the acknowledgement and protection of language rights by the SABC-TV.
In addition to a discussion on what subtitles entail, the technical nature and specific parameters thereof, a feasibility study is included within which the affordability of this project for the SABC-TV is indicated. It is found that this form of screen translation is ideal for the South African situation because it is cheaper than both lip synchronised dubbing and the creation of new television programmes, but also because it can effectively be employed in regional broadcasts. Furthermore, the use of bilingual subtitles and pivot subtitles are also alternatives that may be considered.
It is essential though that subtitles can indeed contribute to the way in which the SABC, as a public broadcaster, acknowledges and protects the fundamental language rights of the multitude of South Africans that belong to different language communities in South Africa.
It is widely acknowledged that it is difficult to define the concept of language rights. Although the language-sociological literature associates this concept with minority and cultural rights, it can also be seen as individual rights. According to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, it is clear that language rights should be seen as individual rights that can be exercised within a particular community. Although this dissertation provides an extensive juridical and language sociological explanation of the concept of language rights, the description by Judge Albie Sachs will be used as a working definition for this research. His division between the following four fundamental language rights, viz.: (i) the right to use your language; (ii) the right to develop your language; (iii) the right to be understood and to understand other languages as well as (iv) the right not to be discriminated against because of your language, provides a useful investigation instrument with which the degree to which the SABC-TV acknowledges and protects language rights can be measured.
It is found that despite the policy documents on national and corporate level that has equal consideration and treatment of the diverse South African languages in mind, it still happens that the SABC-TV fails to give form to the language rights of individuals that belong to indigenous minority language groups in South Africa. Due to this, the research suggests that the extensive implementation of subtitles, as a form of screen translation that differs from lip synchronised dubbing, can make a significant contribution to the acknowledgement and protection of language rights by the SABC-TV.
In addition to a discussion on what subtitles entail, the technical nature and specific parameters thereof, a feasibility study is included within which the affordability of this project for the SABC-TV is indicated. It is found that this form of screen translation is ideal for the South African situation because it is cheaper than both lip synchronised dubbing and the creation of new television programmes, but also because it can effectively be employed in regional broadcasts. Furthermore, the use of bilingual subtitles and pivot subtitles are also alternatives that may be considered.
It is essential though that subtitles can indeed contribute to the way in which the SABC, as a public broadcaster, acknowledges and protects the fundamental language rights of the multitude of South Africans that belong to different language communities in South Africa.
Research Interests: Constitutional Law, Translation Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Television Studies, Human Rights Law, and 51 moreMultilingualism, Sociolinguistics, Human Rights, Translation and Ideology, Qualitative methodology, Translation theory, Language Planning and Policy, International Human Rights Law, Language and Power, Applied Linguistics, Public Service Broadcasting, Television And Social Change, Indigenous Peoples Rights, Broadcasting Law, Linguistics, Minority Languages, Translation Technology, Public Broadcasting, International Refugee Law, Screen Translation, Subtitling, Minority Rights, Translation, Language Planning, Language rights, Minority language rights, Media to Media Translations, South African media, African Language and Development, Group Rights, SABC, Multilingual broadcasting, Dubbing, South African broadcasting, History of South African broadcasting, Language on television, Multilingual television, Onderskrifte, Ondertiteling, Skermvertaling, Uitsaaiwese, SAUK, South African Constitution, Taalregte, Linguicism, Broadcasting policy, Broadcasting Legislation, Menseregte, Minderheidsregte, Equality and Non Discrimination, and The Rights of Persons With Disabilities
Work presented at the webinar "Building Capacity, Developing Supportive Policy, Facilitating International Cooperation" - OE Global 2021Online Conference.
Research Interests:
This conceptual paper aims to explore how higher education is preparing specifically the ODL student populations of Namibia and South Africa towards success in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Drawing on the main... more
This conceptual paper aims to explore how higher education is preparing specifically the ODL student populations of Namibia and South Africa towards success in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Drawing on the main literature on the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this paper then explores existing skills but also challenges identified in the higher education sector. It argues for the need to locate the African position and define its essence of success in relation to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The paper adopts a conceptual framework informed by multimodal multiliteracies that draws from the extensive literature on multimodality as conceptualised by Gunther Kress as well as the concept of multiliteracies from the New London Group. Furthermore, the paper will show how the interconnectedness of this revolution could resonate with African perspectives around community and Ubuntu. However, in order for African students to effectively be part of this movement, a nuanced approach to access should be followed to provide formal access to technology, but also support students’ epistemological needs. In terms of the latter, this paper proposes a multimodal approach where the multiliteracies of self-directed students are supported.
Research Interests: Educational Technology, E-learning, Distance Education, Higher Education, Ubuntu, and 12 moreSelf-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Multimodal learning, Multiliteracies, Interconnectedness, Open Distance Learning (ODL), Open Distance Learning, Ubuntu Philosophy and Research, Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, and Self-directed multimodal learning
This academic book focuses on scholarly research contextualising innovative learning and knowledge construction by applying active teaching–learning practices such as problem-based learning (PBL) and pedagogy of play (PoP) to enhance... more
This academic book focuses on scholarly research contextualising
innovative learning and knowledge construction by applying active
teaching–learning practices such as problem-based learning (PBL) and
pedagogy of play (PoP) to enhance self-directed learning (SDL). In support
of the rationale of this book, PBL and pedagogies of play (PoPs) are
discussed in terms of SDL in some theoretical chapters, followed by several
chapters reporting on authentic learning practices in various disciplines.
This book focuses on practices where students develop SDL abilities to
thrive in the 21st century by utilising the abovementioned strategies and
contributing to essential skills for future demands. Moreover, this focus
supports the aim of this book: Exploring the convergence of PBL, PoP and
SDL within the school classroom and higher education (HE) contexts.
innovative learning and knowledge construction by applying active
teaching–learning practices such as problem-based learning (PBL) and
pedagogy of play (PoP) to enhance self-directed learning (SDL). In support
of the rationale of this book, PBL and pedagogies of play (PoPs) are
discussed in terms of SDL in some theoretical chapters, followed by several
chapters reporting on authentic learning practices in various disciplines.
This book focuses on practices where students develop SDL abilities to
thrive in the 21st century by utilising the abovementioned strategies and
contributing to essential skills for future demands. Moreover, this focus
supports the aim of this book: Exploring the convergence of PBL, PoP and
SDL within the school classroom and higher education (HE) contexts.
Research Interests: Robotics, Problem Based Learning, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Problem-Based Learning, and 9 moreComputational Thinking, LEGO, Metaliteracy, Teaching Self-Directed Learning Skills, Play based learning, Problem Based Learning In Teaching Engish, Play-Based Learning, Drama-Based Education, and Drama-based English Language Teaching
This book explores the current state of OERs and open pedagogy in terms of practices and the latest in research in both Lebanon and South Africa. In seven chapters recent trends in open education are unpacked in terms of practices in... more
This book explores the current state of OERs and open pedagogy in terms of practices and the latest in research in both Lebanon and South Africa. In seven chapters recent trends in open education are unpacked in terms of practices in these two countries. As an open publication, this book contributes to opening up access to research and the current discourse on openness in these two distinct contexts.
Research Interests:
This book covers original research on the implementation of open educational practices through the use of open educational resources at the university level. The emphasis on open education in this book is on contextualising resources,... more
This book covers original research on the implementation of open educational practices through the use of open educational resources at the university level. The emphasis on open education in this book is on contextualising resources, supporting student agency and fostering self-directed learning specifically within a South African milieu. The envisaged chapters cover conceptual and review research and empirical work focussing on open educational practices and the use of renewable assessments. The work starts off with an overview of an institutional-wide open education project that prompted the research followed by research on open education in terms of various modules in the health science, music education, law, philosophy, dietetics, anthropology, French language learning, journalism and political science. There is a clear gap in the literature on open education in terms of open educational practices, specifically in terms of contextualising resources, supporting student agency and fostering self-directed learning in a South African context. Despite the existence of some general works on open education in terms of policy, social justice and open textbooks, this book will be unique in exploring the intersections of openness, specifically with contextualisation, student agency and self-directedness.
Research Interests: Higher Education, Localization, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), and 9 moreOpen Education, Open Educational Resources, Decolonial Thought, Open Educational Resources (OER), Open Educational Practices, Open educational resources (OERs), Ubuntu Philosophy and Research, Student Agency, and Open pedagogy
This report provides an overview of the nature of open universities derived from the responses from 28 open universities in the Commonwealth. The data not only provide a snapshot of the nature of open universities, but also show some... more
This report provides an overview of the nature of open universities derived from the responses from 28 open universities in the Commonwealth. The data not only provide a snapshot of the nature of open universities, but also show some evidence of the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on open universities where institutions had to move all their learning and activities online. Furthermore, this report is a follow-up from the work done in the Open Universities in the Commonwealth: At a Glance (2017).
Research Interests:
This book on self-directed learning (SDL) is devoted to original academic scholarship within the field of education, and is the 6th volume in the North-West University (NWU) SDL book series. In this book the authors explore how... more
This book on self-directed learning (SDL) is devoted to original academic scholarship within the field of education, and is the 6th volume in the North-West University (NWU) SDL book series. In this book the authors explore how self-directed learning can be considered an imperative for education in a complex modern society.
Although each chapter represents independent research in the field of self-directed learning, the chapters form a coherent contribution concerning the scholarship of self-directed learning, and specifically the effect of environmental and praxis contexts on the enhancement of self-directed learning in a complex society. The publication as a whole provides diverse perspectives on the importance of self-directed learning in varied contexts. Scholars working in a wide range of fields are drawn together in this scholarly work to present a comprehensive dialogue regarding self-directed learning and how this concept functions in a complex and dynamic higher education context.
This book presents a combination of theory and practice, which reflects selected conceptual dimensions of self-directed learning in society, as well as research-based findings pertaining to current topical issues relating to implementing self-directed learning in the modern world. The varied methodologies provide the reader with different and balanced perspectives, as well as varied and innovative ideas on how to conduct research in the field of self-directed learning.
Although each chapter represents independent research in the field of self-directed learning, the chapters form a coherent contribution concerning the scholarship of self-directed learning, and specifically the effect of environmental and praxis contexts on the enhancement of self-directed learning in a complex society. The publication as a whole provides diverse perspectives on the importance of self-directed learning in varied contexts. Scholars working in a wide range of fields are drawn together in this scholarly work to present a comprehensive dialogue regarding self-directed learning and how this concept functions in a complex and dynamic higher education context.
This book presents a combination of theory and practice, which reflects selected conceptual dimensions of self-directed learning in society, as well as research-based findings pertaining to current topical issues relating to implementing self-directed learning in the modern world. The varied methodologies provide the reader with different and balanced perspectives, as well as varied and innovative ideas on how to conduct research in the field of self-directed learning.
Research Interests: Self-regulated Learning, Adaptive Learning Systems, Ubuntu, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), and 15 moreLearning environments, Problem-Based Learning, Collaborative Learning, Multimodal learning, Ethnomathematics, Metacognitive Learning Strategies, Netlogo, Adaptive learning, Scratch Programming Language, Self Assessment, Metacognitive Skills, SELF DIRECTED LEARNING, Ubuntu Philosophy and Research, Self-directed multimodal learning, and Microworlds
This book aims to provide an overview of theoretical and practical considerations in terms of self-directed multimodal learning within the university context. Multimodal learning is approached in terms of the levels of multimodality and... more
This book aims to provide an overview of theoretical and practical considerations in terms of self-directed multimodal learning within the university context. Multimodal learning is approached in terms of the levels of multimodality and specifically blended learning and the mixing of modes of delivery (contact and distance education). As such, this publication will provide a unique snapshot of multimodal practices within higher education through a self-directed learning epistemological lens. The book covers issues such as what self-directed multimodal learning entails, mapping of specific publications regarding blended learning, blended learning in mathematics, geography, natural science and computer literacy, comparative experiences in distance education as well as situated and culturally appropriate learning in multimodal contexts.
This book provides a unique focus on multimodality in terms of learning and delivery within the context of self-directed learning. Therefore, the publication would not only advance the scholarship of blended and open distance learning in South Africa, but also the contribute to enriching the discourse regarding self-direction. From this book readers will get an impression of the latest trends in literature in terms of multimodal self-directed learning in South Africa as well as unique empirical work being done in this regard.
This book provides a unique focus on multimodality in terms of learning and delivery within the context of self-directed learning. Therefore, the publication would not only advance the scholarship of blended and open distance learning in South Africa, but also the contribute to enriching the discourse regarding self-direction. From this book readers will get an impression of the latest trends in literature in terms of multimodal self-directed learning in South Africa as well as unique empirical work being done in this regard.
Research Interests: E-learning, Distance Education, Blended E-Learning, Situated Learning, Computer Literacy, and 15 moreOnline and Distance Education, Self-directed learning, Self-Directed Learning (Education), Multimodality, Blended Learning, Open Education, Blended learning in higher education, Multimodal learning, University Teaching, Multimodal Communication, Cooperative Learning, Community of Inquiry, University Teaching in focus: A learner-centred, Open Distance Learning (ODL), and Self-directed multimodal learning
The Handbook of Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE) is a comprehensive publication covering key topics from open and distance education as well as digital education. This book establishes itself as a colossus in the realm of... more
The Handbook of Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE) is a comprehensive publication covering key topics from open and distance education as well as digital education. This book establishes itself as a colossus in the realm of distance education literature, spanning seven parts, 80 chapters and 1,437 pages. Covering such an extensive publication within the scope of a single review might not do justice to the significant individual contributions of this work. Consequently, this review pertains only to Part I and Part II of this book, which involves the first 14 chapters.