Jako Olivier
University of Nova Gorica, School of Engineering and Management, Adjunct Professor of Open Education
Jako 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.
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.
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Papers by Jako Olivier
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.