Browsing by Author "Bitso, Connie"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Open Access
    Analysis of information literacy training at the National University of Lesotho
    (2018) Lefalatsa, Limakatso; Bitso, Connie
    Information literacy skills are a necessity among university students, hence information literacy instructors should keep abreast with the 21st century information literacy curriculum, its delivery and assessment. The study investigated information literacy training and its needs at NUL. The purpose was to investigate information literacy curriculum, delivery and assessment at the National University of Lesotho. Guided by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) information literacy framework for higher education, the study sought to establish the extent to which the NUL information literacy programme considers ACRL frames or any other standard of relevance. The study adopted a qualitative approach using a phenomenology research design. Data was collected from NUL Subject Librarians through focus group discussions and one on one interview with the Lecturers. Data was generated from structured interview questions; analysed manually and presented in an interpretative form such that participants’ responses were tabulated under subheadings corresponding to the items from the research instruments that were formulated from the research questions. Major findings are that there is no information literacy programme in place hence there is no specific curriculum at NUL, as a result there is also no benchmarking. NUL Subject Librarians take initiative to improvise information literacy content; they use lecture mode and library tours as their predominant mode of information literacy teaching and learning. Although there is a Communication Skills Course meant to assist students with information and communication skills, students struggle to search for information; they are even unable to consult a variety of information sources. The study therefore recommends NUL Library to establish a clear information literacy training programme that is delivered in collaboration with academic staff. It is further recommended that Subject Librarians should contribute to the content of the Communication Skills Course.
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    Open Access
    Deposit of open scholarly publications: examining researcher engagement with UCT’s open access policy
    (2017) Jackson, Seta; Bitso, Connie
    The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons for the low deposit levels of peerreviewed, openly-licensed journal articles into the institutional repository, OpenUCT, by researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The deposit of such materials into OpenUCT, which is managed by UCT Libraries, is mandated by the UCT Open Access Policy, which was approved by the University Council in June 2014. The study operates within a post-positivist research paradigm, utilising a predominantly quantitative research approach accompanied by some elements of qualitative inquiry. A survey questionnaire was used as the primary data collection method and distributed to UCT staff on academic conditions of service. A total of 116 responses out of 1,116 were received. The results indicate that almost half of respondents were aware of the existence of the Open Access Policy and its mandate to deposit into the OpenUCT repository and have either done so or intend doing so. Reasons for deposit and non-deposit were investigated, as well as the presence of a relationship between those who resist depositing and one of the theoretical frameworks guiding the study, that of Passive Innovation Resistance (PIR), which may be described as the propensity of an individual to decide against adopting an innovation without having had any prior interaction with it. A mild negative correlation was discovered between UCT researchers motivated to deposit their work into the repository and their levels of PIR, suggesting an inverse relationship between the two – the more motivated the researcher is to deposit, the lower their PIR levels are likely to be. However, due to the absence of a statistically significant p-value, the correlations are weak at best, and further investigation is required. Most significant for the study, however, is the finding that PIR scores for nondepositing researchers are markedly higher than for depositing researchers, suggesting that higher levels of PIR influence the non-engagement of researchers with the repository. A much smaller secondary investigation, in the form of interviews with UCT Libraries staff responsible for managing the OpenUCT repository, was also conducted. Questions used for the interviews were designed to evaluate the development, maintenance, and advocacy of the repository within the UCT community against identified critical success factors for institutional repositories - the other component of the theoretical framework guiding the study. This qualitative component, together with the findings from the survey questionnaire, are used to present a holistic and comprehensive picture of UCT researcher engagement with institutional repositories in general and OpenUCT in particular, and how UCT Libraries has addressed issues and challenges arising from its mandate, especially given its limited resources. Based on the findings of both avenues of inquiry, recommendations are proposed regarding ways in which UCT Libraries may further encourage engagement in its management of the repository as a sustainable, useful, growing enterprise that successfully showcases the research activity of the University.
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    An examination of the role of the Public Library in Cape Town, in support of Early Childhood Development, with special reference to Harare Public Library, Khayelitsha
    (2017) Fako, Sipho; Nassimbeni, Mary; Bitso, Connie
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the Harare Public Library, Khayelitsha, in empowering Early Childhood Development Centres (crèches and nursery schools) in its community. The researcher focused on the relationships the library has with Early Childhood Development Centres in its community, and the non-profit organisation (NPO) providing educational services. It is argued that the provision of ECD will help reduce the cycle of poverty by strengthening the educational foundation of South Africa’s children. The main finding of the study is that strong relationships between libraries and other community stakeholders are critical in offering a better future for the children of disadvantaged communities.
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    The information needs of people with albinism in Khomas Region, Namibia
    (2018) Ngula, Anna Kaukowe; Bitso, Connie
    The dissertation is a report of an investigation of the information needs of people with albinism in Khomas region, Namibia. The investigation aims to ascertain the information needs of people with albinism (PWA), including the kind of information needs they have. It also seeks to establish the mechanisms used by PWA to seek information and to determine who initiates their information-seeking activities. Furthermore, the study identifies the challenges PWA in Khomas region face on a daily basis when seeking information and recommends information services that could be suitable for PWA in Khomas region. For its theoretical framework, the study applies Moore (2002) and Wilson’s (1996) model of information behaviour. It is situated within the interpretivism paradigm following a qualitative approach. The research design is that of a case study with aspects of autoethnography resulting from the researcher’s personal memory of her lived experiences of albinism as a mother of two children with albinism. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with sixteen people with albinism; six parents of children with albinism (CWA); and two key informants from associations dealing with PWA in Namibia. The findings reveal that PWA have information needs related to their condition, specifically skin and eye care, as well as other basic needs, such as shelter, employment opportunities, education prospects and the process of their acquisition of identity and travel documents. The study revealed that the internet (especially Google), the radio and television, healthcare professionals and Support in Namibia of Albinism Sufferers Requiring Assistance (SINASRA) and Namibia Albino Association Trust (NAAT) are some of the sources and mechanisms used by participants when searching for information. The organisational participants revealed that they provide a range of services to PWA, including information about skin care and protective clothing, as well as applications for disability grants. PWA who participated in the study indicated that they encounter problems when accessing information. These include the long distances between information seekers and providers, time constraints and the cost associated with accessing information. Language was identified as a major barrier to information access because most of the content is in English. Lack of awareness of information sources coupled with poor eyesight for PWA the reading of information in small fonts that is not provided in alternative formats a glaring challenge. The study concluded that information about albinism is critical not only for PWA, but also to an African society that often subjects PWA to grievous harm, simply because it still holds myths and stigma about albinism. Therefore, the study recommends that it is crucial to provide information to PWA, including their family members through platforms such as open days, sensitisation meetings, and the creation of WhatsApp groups. These interventions should also be directed at society at large in order to create a sense of belonging and get rid of isolation suffered by PWA. The study also recommends that an information booklet be developed by the ministry of health and social services. This booklet should contain information on different types of disabilities that can affect unborn children, in order to prepare the parents.