Browsing by Department "Academic Development Programme (ADP)"
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- ItemOpen AccessAn analysis of the textual practices of undergraduate and postgraduate novice writers in law(Stellenbosch University, 2013) Greenbaum, Lesley Anne; Bangeni, AbongweCriticisms in the media and in the law professions about the writing skills of law graduates have drawn attention to the challenges that novice law students experience in acquiring these skills at the foundation level. Our research project attempts to understand the nature of these challenges from multiple perspectives: firstly, by sourcing students' understandings of their challenges with legal writing through semi-structured interviews, followed by a close textual analysis of samples of their writing, as well as through feedback from teaching staff. In this paper, we present the findings of our textual analysis of their writing. We illustrate how their difficulties with legal writing manifest at the levels of content, concept and lexico-grammar and how the students' struggles with legal concepts had implications for their overall engagement with the content of the subject matter. At the level of content, students exhibited problems with the appropriate presentation of subject matter, achieving precision in their writing and showing evidence of an appreciation of what counts as tacit knowledge within the discipline, while at the lexico-grammatical level they struggled with tense, preposition and article use. The paper concludes by recommending some strategies for responding to these challenges while taking into account their resource implications.
- ItemOpen AccessApproaches to predictive studies: Possibilities and challenges(2005) Visser, A J; Hanslo, MThis article investigates methodological issues associated with predictive studies related to selection and access to Higher Education. These issues are discussed in the context of tests designed and administered by the Alternative Admissions Research Project (AARP) at the University of Cape Town. The aim of the project is to design tests that broaden access to talented students who are not easily identified through the High School Senior Certificate examination system. The tests attempt to provide a mechanism for selection based upon whether the writers have the potential to succeed in the University environment. The article comments on the difficulties and limitations of various approaches to predictive studies. The article argues that a methodology grounded in the survival analysis approach holds particular promise for predictive studies and that it can provide a useful insight into the complex processes of student persistence, retention and attrition rates.
- ItemOpen AccessAvoiding frustrations of unprepared students with online quizzes(Clute Institute, 2013) Campbell, Anita; Rajaratnam, KanshukanThe hierarchical nature of many degrees enables higher-level courses to build on knowledge that has been developed in earlier courses. However, when students enter with weak prior knowledge, lecturers have to spend time addressing this before starting with the new material. This adds time pressure and frustration to lecturers as well as students who have strong prior knowledge. In this paper, we discuss a strategy that we implemented in order to encourage students to revise or learn prerequisite material at the beginning of a master's level module. Students were asked to take an online quiz on the prerequisite topics. Immediate feedback directed the students to resources which could enhance their knowledge and understanding of the material prior to course commencement. We discuss the multiple benefits this had, for both students and the lecturer, drawing on students' written responses to reflective questions about the experience and reflections from the lecturer on the use of online quizzes.
- ItemOpen AccessConceptions of mathematics and student identity: implications for engineering education(Taylor & Francis, 2013) Craig, Tracy SLecturers of first-year mathematics often have reason to believe that students enter university studies with naive conceptions of mathematics and that more mature conceptions need to be developed in the classroom. Students' conceptions of the nature and role of mathematics in current and future studies as well as future career are pedagogically important as they can impact on student learning and have the potential to influence how and what we teach. As part of ongoing longitudinal research into the experience of a cohort of students registered at the author's institution, students' conceptions of mathematics were determined using a coding scheme developed elsewhere. In this article, I discuss how the cohort of students choosing to study engineering exhibits a view of mathematics as conceptual skill and as problem-solving, coherent with an accurate understanding of the role of mathematics in engineering. Parallel investigation shows, however, that the students do not embody designated identities as engineers.
- ItemOpen AccessConcerns about the South African Mathematical Literacy curriculum arising from experience of materials development(2006) Bowie, Lynn; Frith, VeraIn this paper we reflect on our experience of developing mathematical literacy material for the Further Education and Training (FET) band in South African schools, adult learners, university students and for participants in a youth development project. We use this experience to highlight some problems and concerns about the South African Mathematical Literacy curriculum for learners in the FET band and offer some cautions and suggestions. In particular we highlight the importance of the educational community in South Africa developing a shared understanding of what Mathematical Literacy is. We discuss the importance of distinguishing between Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy and of clarifying the role of Technology in Mathematical Literacy. We explore the difficulties and importance of a proper understanding of the contexts used to teach Mathematical Literacy and argue that more attention needs to be paid to the integration of Mathematical Literacy with other school subjects. Finally we raise some of the issues that a common final assessment task might have on the learning and teaching of Mathematical Literacy.
- ItemOpen AccessCosmic electromagnetic fields due to perturbations in the gravitational field(American Physical Society, 2012) Mongwane, Bishop; Dunsby, Peter K S; Osano, Otieno BobWe use non-linear gauge-invariant perturbation theory to study the interaction of an inflation produced seed magnetic field with density and gravitational wave perturbations in an almost Friedmann-Lemaˆıtre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spacetime with zero spatial curvature. We compare the effects of this coupling under the assumptions of poor conductivity, perfect conductivity and the case where the electric field is sourced via the coupling of velocity perturbations to the seed field in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) regime, thus generalizing, improving on and correcting previous results. We solve our equations for long wavelength limits and numerically integrate the resulting equations to generate power spectra for the electromagnetic field variables, showing where the modes cross the horizon. We find that the interaction can seed Electric fields with non-zero curl and that the curl of the electric field dominates the power spectrum on small scales, in agreement with previous arguments.
- ItemOpen AccessA critical discourse analysis of a real-world problem in mathematics: looking for signs of change(Taylor & Francis, 2008) Le Roux, KateThe concepts of 'access' and 'relevance' feature prominently in the discourse of change in mathematics education in South Africa. One way in which these concepts have been played out in mathematics classrooms is in the use of mathematical problems with real-world contexts. This paper presents a Critical Discourse Analysis of one such problem, selected from a first-year university access course in mathematics at a higher education institution in South Africa. Fairclough's three-dimensional model for the Critical Discourse Analysis is used to identify traces of different texts within this problem. The author argues that, in spite of evidence of texts that point to recent reforms in mathematics education and some possible signs of change, the mathematics text and the text of the school mathematical word problem remain dominant, and position the student in a particular way. The results of this analysis challenge some of the prevalent assumptions about 'access' and 'relevance' in mathematics education. The paper also highlights the potential for using Critical Discourse Analysis in mathematics education research.
- ItemRestrictedA critical discourse analysis of practical problems in a foundation mathematics course at a South African university(2016) Le Roux, Kate; Adler, JillMathematical problems that make links to the everyday and to disciplines other than mathematics—variously referred to as practical, realistic, real-world or applied problems in the literature—feature in school and undergraduate mathematics reforms aimed at increasing mathematics participation in contexts of inequity and diversity. In this article, we present a micro- and macro-analysis of a prototypical practical problem in an undergraduate mathematics course at a South African university. This course offers an alternative route to a mathematics major for students considered disadvantaged by enduring educational inequalities in South Africa. Using a socio-political practice perspective on mathematics and critical discourse analysis—drawn from Norman Fairclough’s critical linguists—we describe what mathematics and mathematical identities practical problems make available to students and compare this to what is valued in school mathematics and other university mathematics courses. Our analysis shows that these practical problems draw in complex ways on sometimes contradictory practices in the wider context, requiring the student to work flexibly with the movement of meaning within and across texts. We raise for further consideration the possible consequences of this complexity and offer suggestions for practice that take into account issues of power.
- ItemOpen AccessThe design and use of 'alternate'assessments of academic literacy as selection mechanisms in higher education(Taylor & Francis, 2009) Cliff, Alan; Hanslo, MoniqueIn a context where applicants to higher education study vary widely in terms of their prior educational, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds, it becomes extremely important to assess the extent to which these applicants might be said to be ready to cope with the typical academic reading and writing demands of higher education study. This assessment becomes even more crucial in a country like South Africa, where issues of equity of access, selection and redress remain a central challenge. Put simply, the challenge is to identify academically talented students from educationally diverse backgrounds, especially in cases where the educational backgrounds of these applicants may have militated against them, fully demonstrating their talent in conventional (e.g. school-leaving) examinations. This article describes the theoretical basis for the development of tests of academic literacy that downplay the role of prior learning in the assessment of academic readiness. The uses of these tests as selection mechanisms complementary to conventional academic assessments are also outlined. Empirical data are presented that demonstrate associations between these tests and academic performance in higher education. Issues and challenges regarding the validity and reliability of these tests are presented, and the implications of major research findings on the tests debated and deliberated upon.
- ItemOpen Access'Did I say that?' A follow-up study of the shifts in black and women staff experiences of institutional culture in the health science faculty of the University of Cape Town(Taylor & Francis, 2007) Ismail, SalmaThis paper is a follow-up study of how women and black staff experience the institutional culture in the Health Sciences Faculty at the University of Cape Town. The original study was undertaken in 2001 and a follow-up of the same participants was conducted five years later in 2006. The study explores, through qualitative research methods, how change strategies have influenced the institutional culture and whether they have contributed to positive or negative experiences for black and women staff. The theoretical framework draws on the literature which focuses on institutional barriers to change in particular for black and women staff, as well as the impact of transformation policies, globalisation, and change strategies on institutional change and the work experience. The study demonstrates the complexity of the institutional culture in a Health Sciences Faculty and makes links between change strategies and cultural change. In so doing it demonstrates that there has been a positive shift in black and women's experiences of institutional culture.
- ItemOpen AccessDoes belonging matter? Exploring the role of social connectedness as a critical factor in students' transition to higher education(Psychology in Society, 2011) Pym, June; Goodman, Suki; Patsika, NatashaWidening access to Higher Education throughout the world has meant an increase in the number of students who do not necessarily have the types of capital that universities require. This means an increasing need to engage with the issues that separate students from connecting with their modes and places of learning. This paper describes a successful Academic Development programme that is focused on equity students in the Commerce Faculty at the University of Cape Town (South Africa). The programme actively promotes academic and affective factors that will contribute toward affirming students' identity and developing a learning community. The paper reports on the results of a research project that combined qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate how fostering social connectedness impacts on the transition of students to higher education and their academic performance.
- ItemOpen AccessEffectiveness of a GUM-compliant course for teaching measurement in the introductory physics laboratory(European Physical Society, 2008) Pillay, Seshini; Buffler, Andy; Lubben, Fred; Allie, SaalihAn evaluation of a course aimed at developing university students' understanding of the nature of scientific measurement and uncertainty is described. The course materials follow the framework for metrology as recommended in the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM). The evaluation of the course is based on responses to written questionnaires administered to a cohort of 76 first year physics students both pre- and post-instruction, which were interpreted in terms of 'point' or 'set' reasoning. These findings are compared with responses from a control group of 70 students who completed a similar laboratory course apart from the use of traditional approaches to measurement and data analysis. The results suggest that the GUM framework, together with the specific teaching strategies described, provides opportunities for more effective learning of measurement and uncertainty in the introductory laboratory.
- ItemOpen AccessEnhancing students' learning through practical knowledge taught by industry professionals(Clute Institute, 2013) Rajaratnam, Kanshukan; Campbell, AnitaA topic of interest in teaching business courses is incorporating the practical aspect of the subject matter into teaching as this helps to bridge theory and real-world practice. Research indicates that students gain a deeper understanding of material when theory is contextualized through real-life practical examples. However, given the traditional career-path of academics in finance in countries such as South Africa, a significant proportion of finance lecturers have little or no relevant practical experience in the subject matter. In this paper, we discuss a strategy implemented in finance courses at sophomore and senior levels in order to link theory and practice. Guest speakers were invited from industry to contextualize the topics for the students. Students' perceptions on the benefit they derived from the speakers were deduced from statistical analyses of student evaluations. The results indicate that the experience was positive and aided in their understanding of the subject.
- ItemOpen AccessAn exploration of the impact of students' prior genre knowledge on their constructions of 'audience' in a Marketing course at a postgraduate level.(Elsevier Ltd, 2013) Bangeni, BongiThis article explores the development of audience awareness for two English additional language (EAL) graduate students making the transition from undergraduate Social Science disciplines into the professional discipline of Marketing at a South African university. The article examines the ways in which their conceptualisations of 'audience' shape their negotiation of the generic move structure informing a dominant genre within the discipline: the written case analysis. I argue that the students' struggle with realising the communicative purposes of the genre in their analyses has implications for how they engage with disciplinary theory within crucial moves. Data yielded by semi-structured interviews, reflection papers, as well as selected case analyses written by the students in the initial months of their postgraduate year illustrate how this struggle can be traced to a mismatch between their embodied understandings of the concept of 'audience' which are transported from undergraduate learning contexts, and 'audience' as prescribed by the communicative purpose of the written case analysis within a professional discipline. In making this argument, the article examines the ways in which an antecedent genre, the Social Science argumentative essay, contributes to this mismatch. The article concludes by outlining the pedagogical implications of the findings from an ESP perspective.
- ItemOpen AccessFacilitating adjustment to higher education: towards enhancing academic functioning in an academic development programme(Unisa Press, 2008) Davidowitz, Bette; Schreiber, BirgitSeveral studies have emphasised the importance of addressing social and emotional factors in facilitating adjustment to tertiary education. This article describes the Skills for Success in Science programme at the University of Cape Town. The broad aims were life skills development and improved adjustment which are assumed to underpin academic performance. Weekly small group sessions were held which addressed several areas, namely adjustment, group work and co-operative learning, coping and stress management, resources on campus, assertiveness and communications, time management, study skills and examination competence. The intervention was experiential and participative, and while not compulsory, attendance was very good. Evaluation via self-report questionnaires using standardised psychological scales as well as focus groups provided positive feedback from students who described it as a "must" for all first year science students. The article supports the notion that student development should be located within their daily experience at universities.
- ItemOpen AccessFlu viruses a lucky community and cosine graphs: the possibilities opened up by the use of a socio-political perspective to study learning in an undergraduate access course in mathematics(Taylor & Francis, 2009) Le Roux, KateIn this paper I present a perspective of mathematics education and learning, termed a 'sociopolitical perspective'. Classroom mathematical activity, in which certain ways of acting, behaving and knowing are given value, is located in a wider network of socio-political practices. Learning in mathematics is regarded as coming to participate in the discourse of the community that practises the mathematics. I argue that the use of a socio-political perspective allows the researcher and teacher to view classroom mathematical activity as a product of the network of socio-political practices in which it is located, rather than as a product of individual cognitive ability. I illustrate the use of this perspective by drawing on a study of learning in a first-year university access course in Mathematics at a South African university. Fairclough's method for critical discourse analysis, supplemented with work by Sfard and Morgan in mathematics education, was used to analyse both the text of a 'real world' problem in mathematics and a transcript representing the activity as a group of five students solved the problem. This analysis suggests that, despite containing traces of discourses from outside of mathematics, the problem text constructs the activity as solving a mathematical problem with features of a school mathematical word problem. When solving the problem the students draw on practices associated with school mathematics and their university mathematics course, some of which enable and others constrain their participation. For example, they refer to named functions learned at school, they have difficulty making productive links between the mathematical functions and the 'real world' context, and they have varied opportunities for mathematical talk in the group. The study identifies as key to the students' progress the presence of an authority (in this case a tutor) who can make explicit the ways of thinking, acting, and talking that are valued in the discourse of undergraduate mathematics, and who provides opportunities for mathematical talk.
- ItemOpen AccessA framework for understanding the quantitative demands of higher education(Unisa Press, 2009) Frith, Vera; Prince, R NFor many students entering higher education in South Africa there is an articulation gap between the demands of the curriculum and their competencies. This mismatch is particularly critical in the area of quantitative literacy (mathematical literacy, numeracy) and if not addressed, has negative consequences for equity of outcomes for higher education. There is a need to make explicit the quantitative literacy demands of the curriculum so that they can be examined critically and addressed by educational interventions and other curriculum changes. We describe our approach to characterizing the quantitative literacy demands in curricula in disciplines, by presenting a framework for analysing aspects of quantitative literacy events in the curriculum. This is useful for helping educators to recognize the demands on students' quantitative literacy (and assumptions about students' competencies) that are often implicit in their curricula, for the purpose of informing the design of education interventions and for developing test constructs.
- ItemOpen AccessFrom fixing to possibility: changing a learning model for undergraduate students(Unisa Press, 2013) Pym, JuneThis article engages with the work of an equity initiative, the Academic Development (AD) programme in the Education Development Unit (Commerce) at the University of Cape Town. The programme focuses on providing access, improving graduation rates and creating a 'value-added' experience, rather than a deficit model approach. The article concentrates on understanding how and why the model has evolved over time with an increasing awareness that the notion of 'disadvantage' needs a more critical engagement and stereotype threat is real issue in any separate programme. The challenge is to draw on students as a resource in the teaching and learning process and develop a way of working collectively and reflectively to help shift both teaching practices and students' level of engagement and reflection. This necessitates shifting away from the notion of a 'one size fits all' approach and moving away from 'preparing' the students to a joint undertaking of transforming both the teaching and learning environment, addressing the great diversity of strengths and challenges that the students bring to higher education. The article is a qualitative exploration of the key issues that guide this work, as well as outlining what this focus means in practice.
- ItemOpen AccessGetting closer to the community voice in curriculum development: exploring the possibilities(Taylor & Francis, 2007) Alperstein, MelaniePolicy in Higher Education in South Africa is urging tertiary institutions to become socially responsive in regard to community development, to produce new knowledge and to produce graduates who are critical and responsive citizens. One method of achieving this is through service-learning initiatives. Community-based service-learning values the principle of institutions of higher education working in partnership with communities to develop education programmes for students. Through collaborative engagement in developing the programmes, the assumption is that not only will academic, discipline or professional needs be met, but that community members will benefit and gain new knowledge. There is an assumption that there will be mutual benefit and learning. Most research on service-learning has focused on student learning, course outcomes and issues surrounding faculty or university. Very little research has been conducted regarding what communities or community services bring, or could bring to health sciences education. This paper will focus on health sciences community-based service-learning for medical students and will explore (a) to what extent, and through which mechanisms community members are able to express their knowledge and skills in the design of the community based courses and curriculum development. (b) Whether there is mutual learning and benefit and if so, what these are. The paper is based on piloting an in-depth interview with a community organisation that has hosted various students over a number of years. The paper illuminates the overt and tacit knowledge of the community organisation, which helps guide the university staff and students and could impact on curriculum development. The paper discusses the ways in which community knowledge and skills are acknowledged or disregarded in curricula and suggests ways in which this knowledge could enhance health professional education.
- ItemOpen AccessHarnessing agency: towards a learning model for undergraduate students(Taylor & Francis, 2013) Pym, June; Kapp, RochelleThis article describes a successful academic development programme in a Commerce faculty at a relatively elite, historically white university in South Africa. The writers argue that the programme has managed to achieve good results in recent years by moving away from deficit models of academic development for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The article draws on five years of data to illustrate how students' home discourses have influenced their negotiations of institutional discourses. It is argued that many of the students have shown considerable agency in gaining admission to university despite their social backgrounds, but experience a crisis of confidence and self-esteem in the new environment. The article describes how the new model of academic development has responded to this context by providing a more flexible approach to the curriculum, which attempts to harness students' agency as well as foster a sense of belonging to a learning community. Also described are the range of interventions that have been put in place specifically to develop a culture of learning and to promote social connectedness, identity and agency.