Browsing by Subject "Experiential Learning"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Open Access
    Cultivating a growth mindset within a blended learning environment at a University in South Africa: a design-based research study
    (2024) Titus, Fahiema; Hutchings, Catherine
    This Design Based Research study attempts to unlock the spirit of personal empowerment among professional adult learners within the higher educational system through an interpretivist qualitative lens of observation and reflection. Adult Learners in this research include the educators assigned to transmit subject information and the professional development of relevant skills and competencies as required within a Blended Learning Environment. Candidates were selected from professional academic, training and learning institutions and the sample of individuals hold professional positions in their respective fields. The workshop practices were based on simplified hand, eye, body, breathing, calming, mental stimulations to enhance the awareness of their ability to self regulate their thinking, emotional and physiological processes. Furthermore, the outcomes of the research also showcase how often overlooked qualities of Human Excellence can be unhinged through Intentionality, Awareness and Attentional Training, Reflection/ Contemplation, and Mindful Learning Processes. The overall analysis and feedback sessions are drawn from the candidates' demonstrable understanding of their ability to enhance awareness of their personal perceptions, biases, internal energies, proprioception, mental states, and habitual behavioural conditioning. These components of personal change within a blended learning space are designed as part of the Foundational and Intermittent phases of application to the professional development program. Design principles and related artefacts derived from the DBR methodology provide educators and researchers a means by which educational practices are potentially optimised. In conclusion this DBR incentivises researchers, adult educators and policymakers to deepen investigations in improving professional development standards and practices within Blended Learning environments in the Higher learning institutions
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Towards a disruptive learning model in information systems education: a reflective student-dominant logic perspective
    (2022) Garbutt, Malcolm; Seymour, Lisa; Cronjé, Johannes C
    This thesis describes the research carried out to identify mechanisms as potential causes of action that can lead to improved learning outcomes. Identifying mechanisms requires an exploratory approach because mechanisms are not always directly perceivable. The potential mechanisms in this study were identified by analysing the reflections of students who participated in experiential learning projects during business process management education. The research was necessary due to a persistent need to minimise the gap between learning and practice. The research is unique because it takes a student-dominant approach to review students' reflective practices using a novel pragmatic-critical realist paradigm. Although reflection is central to experiential learning, there is limited understanding of how students reflect and what they consider to influence their learning outcomes. This limitation was explored using action research with mixed methods analysis which combined thematic analysis and partial least squares based structural equation modelling. During four action research cycles, student reflections on business process projects as part of higher education enterprise systems and business process management courses in a South African higher education institution were observed and analysed. Each action research cycle changed one aspect of the students' projects. The first intervention required students to reflect on action, the second required students to reflect in action, and the third required reflection for action. In the fourth cycle, the teaching staff changed. The findings showed that reflection is complex and must be linked to action to improve learning. Reflections were observed to positively influence learning outcomes when students apply effort to assigned tasks. On the basis of the observations, two models were proposed. The first model is a learning influence model embedded in the second disruptive learning model. The models show that reflective practices can improve learning outcomes by recognising that students learn at different levels but are predominantly absolutist. Students need to be inspired to apply effort in completing tasks and overcoming satisficing.