The transitional role of the Xhosa oral poet in contemporary South African society
- Authors: Kaschula, Russell H
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Folk poetry, Xhosa Xhosa (African people) -- Religion Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs Xhosa poetry Laudatory poetry
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3563 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002085 , https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5481-6748
- Description: This thesis outlines the changing role of the Xhosa imbongi in contemporary South African society. The changing socio-economic and political scenario in South Africa, and the way in which the imbongi is adapting in order to accommodate new pressures created by these changes, form an integral part of this thesis. The effects of education and increasing literacy on the tradition are outlined. The interaction between oral and written forms is explored in chapter 2. The role of the imbongi within the religious sphere is included in chapter 3. Xhosa preachers within the independent churches often make use of the styles and techniques associated with oral poetry. Iimbongi who are not necessarily preachers also operate within this context. The relationship between the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the African National Congress and iimbongi has also been researched and forms part of chapters 4, 5, and the epilogue. The modern imbongi is drawn towards powerful organisations offering alternative leadership to many of the traditional chiefs. In the epilogue collected poetry is analysed in the context of Mandela's visit to Transkei in April 1990. Interviews have been conducted with chiefs, iimbongi attached to chiefs as well as those attached to different organisations. Poetry has been collected and analysed. In chapter 5, three case studies of modern iimbongi are included. The problems facing these iimbongi in their different contexts, as well as the power bases from which they draw, are outlined. Finally, an alternative definition of the imbongi is offered in the conclusion
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
The transport system of the Border : a study of transport and communications in the Border region of the Cape Province with special reference to the effect of transport on the economic and commercial development of the region
- Authors: Smith, Hugh Hamilton
- Date: 1959
- Subjects: Transportation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Harbors -- South Africa -- East London , Railroads -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Transportation, Automotive -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Communication and traffic -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1122 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018721
- Description: Transport undoubtedly occupies a most important place in the economic and commercial life of all countries. In this respect South Africa is no exception, and very briefly, the principal economic functions of transport are enumerated below. 1. Transport establishes communication between consumers and the producers of goods or services. 2. Transport facilitates the movement of persons between the place where they live and the place where they work - usually this is a daily procedure, but in South Africa it also entails the movement of large numbers of Natives from the Native Reserves to work for some months at a time either in the gold mines or in the several urban areas of the Union. 3. Transport makes geographical specialization possible, for agricultural or mineral resources will only be exploited, or specialized industries established, in a particular area, if the commodities produced can be transported to other parts of a country, or the world; and other capital and consumer goods brought to the producers living in the area of specialized production. 4. Transport faciitates industrial production because, of raw materials which come from many sources. Furthermore, transport enables the finished products of industry to be distributed to the markets in which they are sold. In all these cases, the efficiency of transport has to be measured not only in terms of its cost, but also in terms of its efficiency, which includes, inter alia, the time taken, the frequency of services, the safety of goods and passengers while in transit and the provision of various special services, such as the provision by railway undertakings of private siding facilities. This thesis will be divided into five parts, the first dealing with the technical and commercial development of the Buffalo Harbour. It has been decided to deal with the Harbour first because, not only has it been the focal point of the transport system of the Border Region since the latter part of the nineteenth century, but it has dominated the economic and commercial development of East London, as well as that of the Border Region as a whole. The second part deals with the evolution of the railway system from the 166 mile long East London and Queenstown Railway, to the present 1,110 miles of the Cape Eastern System. This historical chapter is followed by an analysis of the traffic of the Cape Eastern System. Part Three deals with the theory, practice, and economic consequences, of railway rating policy. Part Four is a detailed analysis of the goods traffic forwarded from, and received at East London in the period from 1st April, 1953 to 31st March, 1956. Part Five deals with roads and road transport. Finally, certain conclusions are offered, based on the significant points revealed by the investigation on which this thesis is based. In this thesis the theory of transport will not be dealt with in detail for it is essentially a factual account of the development of the transport system of the Border Region and an analysis of the present situation. It has unfortunately not been possible to make in this thesis a study of railway finance or railway economics with regard to the Cape Eastern System, for the data upon which to base such an investigation are not available for the Cape Eastern System in isolation. No attempt will be made to assess either the technical or the operating efficiency of the railway system for not only would this require more data than are available, but also a technical knowledge not possessed by the writer.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1959
The treatment of brewery effluent using an integrated high rate algal ponding system
- Authors: Cilliers, Anneke
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Water -- Purification -- South Africa , Algae -- Biotechnology , Algae culture , Algae -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5331 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005177 , Water -- Purification -- South Africa , Algae -- Biotechnology , Algae culture , Algae -- Economic aspects
- Description: The application of high rate algal ponds (HRAP) in the treatment of brewery effluent that met the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's (DWAF) general limits for discharge into a natural water resource of 1998 were tested during a lO-month baseline phase, followed by an 11-month optimization phase. The objective of the baseline phase was to monitor the seasonal performance of HRAPs. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) fluctuated between 11.16 d and 12.00 d in HRAPs. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased from 130.12 ± 6.94 mg/L (post-AD), to 171.21 ± 7.99 mg/L (post-HRAP) . The presence of algal cells and evaporation contributed towards an increase in post-HRAP COD. The ammonia (NH₄-N) concentration decreased from 46.59 ± 2.47 mg/L (post-AD), to 1.08 ± 0.12 mg/L (post-HRAP). The nitrite (NO₂- N) concentration remained below 1.00 mg/L in post-pilot plant AD, post-PFP and post-HRAP effluent. The phosphate (PO₄-P) concentration decreased from 29.81 ± 1.39 mg/L (post-AD) to 17.30 ± 1.16 mg/L PO₄-P. The objective of the optimization phase was to manipulate the HRT to achieve the maximum treatment rate that met the DWAF general limits for discharge into a natural water resource of 1998. Nitrogen (as NH₄-N, NO₃-N, NO₂-N) removal efficiency was used as an indicator of nutrient removal success. HRT was influenced by season. The optimal HRT for autumn was 4.30 d at a temperature of 20.53ºC in HRAP A2 (heated) and 18.96ºC in HRAP B2 (ambient). The optimal HRT for summer was 2.74 d at 29.90ºC in HRAP A2 (heated) and 26.36ºC in HRAP B2 (ambient). The COD decreased from 152.33 ± 4.85 mg/L (post-AD) to 95 .00 ± 3.75 mg/L (post-HRAP A2), and to 100.82 ± 5.93 mg/L (post-HRAP B2). The incoming NH₄-N concentration decreased from 42.53 ± 1.38 mg/ L (post-AD), to 1.70 ± 0.81 mg/ L (post-HRAP) . The nitrate (NO₃-N) concentration post-HRAP was 12 - 14 mg/L. The main methods for NH₄-N removal were probably NH₄-N volatilization through algal uptake. HRAPs were able to lower nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations to within the DWAF limits under normal operating conditions. It is recommended that HRAP treated brewery wastewater be used for irrigation after salt removal, or alternatively, for groundwater recharge . Regulatory exemptions would be required for higher than permitted COD and EC concentrations to enable these actions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The Trope of the Child: Rereading Trauma, Subjectivity and Embodiment in Contemporary Child-Centred African Narratives by Ahmadou Kourouma, Chris Abani, K. Sello Duiker and Yvonne Vera
- Authors: Njovane, Thandokazi
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164557 , vital:41134 , doi:10.21504/10962/164557
- Description: Thesis (PhD)--Rhodes University, Humanities, Literary Studies in English, 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The trophic and spatial ecology of a sympatric dasyatid community at a remote Atoll, Seychelles
- Authors: Elston, Chantel
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Dasyatidae -- Seychelles -- Ecology , Rays (Fishes) -- Seychelles -- Ecology , Ecology -- Seychelles , Dasyatidae -- Seychelles -- Conservation , Pastinachus sephen , Urogymnus granulatus , Urogymnus asperrimus
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/95756 , vital:31196 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/95756
- Description: Batoid populations are declining globally but the paucity of information makes management or conservation efforts difficult. Additionally, batoids are mesopredators and are hypothesised to play important ecological roles, but a comprehensive understanding of these roles is also limited. Therefore, information on batoid habitat use, foraging ecology, and resource partitioning is needed. St. Joseph Atoll is a relatively pristine ecosystem that hosts a sympatric dasyatid community (Pastinachus sephen, Urogymnus granulatus, and U. asperrimus). Passive acoustic telemetry identified high levels of long-term site affinity by both juvenile and adult dasyatids to St. Joseph Atoll. Dispersal from the atoll by larger juveniles was also evident. Juveniles displayed restricted horizontal movements in the atoll, but the extent of these movements differed seasonally. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses identified inter-specific prey partitioning (P. sephen juveniles were mollusc specialists and U. granulatus juveniles were crustacean specialists) and intra-specific prey partitioning. Juveniles were reliant upon a seagrass-based food web, whereas adults were reliant on phytoplankton-based food web. Adults fed at higher trophic levels compared to juveniles (mean of 4.6 and 3.4 respectively). Juvenile dasyatids preferentially selected the shallow reef at habitat of the atoll, where there was no evidence for inter-specific habitat partitioning (individuals co-occurred randomly with con-and hetero-specifics). Conversely, resident adults were more reliant on the deeper lagoon. Juveniles selected the reef at habitat likely because it provided refuge from predation and foraging opportunities. However, juveniles were also detected in the lagoon habitat and this appeared to be necessitated by physical factors as they were detected more frequently in the lagoon at low tides and when temperatures on the reef fats became too warm or too cold. All results together suggest that St. Joseph Atoll is a nursery area for these dasyatids. Juveniles may be limited by resources as prey was partitioned between species. However, top-down control by larger sharks was likely a significant influence on habitat selection, as was the physical effects of tide and temperature. Finally, St. Joseph Atoll is suitable for the designation of a Marine Protected Area, which would likely confer high conservation benefits to this dasyatid community.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The trophic and spatial ecology of juvenile porcupine rays Urogymnus asperrimus at the remote St. Joseph Atoll
- Authors: Elston, Chantel
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/965 , vital:20007
- Description: Little information exists for the widely occurring but rare porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus. This is a concern given that it is a vulnerable species and likely plays an important ecological role in tropical atoll ecosystems. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the trophic and spatial ecology of juvenile porcupine rays within the St. Joseph Atoll, which is hypothesized to be functioning as a nursery for this species. Specific objectives were to determine i) the dietary composition and resource selectivity displayed by juvenile porcupine rays, ii) residency to the atoll, space use, and seasonality in movements, and iii) whether environmental factors affect short-term movements. Gastric lavage was used to collect stomach contents from 55 juveniles and sediment samples were collected. Thirteen juveniles were implanted with acoustic transmitters and monitored for a year by an array of 88 acoustic receivers situated in and around the St. Joseph Atoll. Porcupine rays appeared to be generalist and opportunistic feeders, foraging predominantly on annelids with the highest environmental availability. Polychaetes of the family Capitellidae were the most important prey item (Index of Importance = 35%). Rays only fed on deep infaunal prey, likely because of their foraging behaviour, suggesting they may influence this community. There was a size-related shift in the crustacean families consumed. The tagged rays displayed high residency to the atoll (mean residency index of 64%) and restricted movements, with small core use and activity space areas (mean of 0.5km² and 3km² respectively) and the majority of detections were recorded within 1km of their tagging locations. The rays favoured the sand ats where 88% of detections occurred. Transient use of the lagoon and fringe reef peaked in the north-west monsoon season, indicating a seasonal usage of these habitats. The effects of temperature and water depth on movements were manifested as diel and tidal cyclical patterns in presence. Evidence illustrates that the St. Joseph Atoll constitutes an important nursery for this species, which has been declared a Marine Protected Area. A major determinant behind the dependence of this nursery habitat is related to predator avoidance. Thermoregulatory behaviours were identified, suggesting that this species is vulnerable to climate change.
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- Date Issued: 2016
The trophic ecology of parrotfish of Zanzibar application of stable isotope analysis
- Authors: Plass-Johnson, Jeremiah Grahm
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Parrotfishes -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Parrotfishes , Parrotfishes -- Ecology -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Parrotfishes -- Behavior -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Parrotfishes -- Food -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Scleractinia -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Algae -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Coral reefs and islands -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Coral reef fishes -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Stable isotopes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005477 , Parrotfishes -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Parrotfishes , Parrotfishes -- Ecology -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Parrotfishes -- Behavior -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Parrotfishes -- Food -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Scleractinia -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Algae -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Coral reefs and islands -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Coral reef fishes -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar , Stable isotopes
- Description: Parrotfish are a critical component of the herbivore functional group on tropical coral reefs around the world because they mediate competition that occurs between algae and scleractinian corals. Also, because of their feeding technique, which consists of rasping at the substratum with their beak-like teeth, they play an important role in carbonate turnover and the clearing of reef surface area for the settlement of new sessile organisms. Because of these roles, parrotfishes are an important structuring component of coral reef communities. However, individual species can play different roles depending on their physiology, behaviour and ecology. Despite the possible ecological differences that may exist amongst species, specific roles of the fishes remain unclear as the group is most often studied at higher community levels. This thesis applied stable isotope analysis to differing levels of organisation within a parrotfish community to help elucidate their trophic ecology on coral reefs in Zanzibar. Firstly, blood and muscle tissues were compared to identify differences in their isotope signatures. In other organisms, blood turns over faster than muscle tissue so that muscle tissue represents the diet as integrated over a longer period of time. In most species of parrotfish the blood and muscle δ¹³C signatures were not found to be significantly different, but the δ¹⁵N signatures were significantly different between tissues. This indicated that the δ¹³C signature of both tissues would reveal similar dietary information. Conversely, differences in the δ¹⁵N signature indicated that the nitrogen relationship between tissues was more complicated. Secondly, spatial variability in parrotfish, coral, detritus and macroalgae isotope signatures was assessed at different scales. In macroalgae and coral tissues (zooxanthellae and polyp treated separately), the δ¹³C signatures were shown to differ with depth, presumably because of changes in photosynthetic processes related to depth-associated changes in light. While δ¹⁵N signatures were not affected by depth, all organisms showed enrichment at the Nyange reef, the closest reef to the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town, presumably reflecting the effects of sewage outfall. These results show that processes that impact the δ¹⁵N signatures of primary producers (macroalgae and zooxanthellae) can be traced to higher trophic levels (coral polyps and fish). Lastly, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures were used to identify ontogenetic dietary changes in multiple species of parrotfish. Four of the species showed stages that varied from the diets that are normally assumed on the basis of their dentition and feeding technique. This indicates that functional roles based on taxonomy or morphology may fail to include possible ontogenetic dietary changes, and may also fail to elucidate the full impact a species could have on coral reef communities. The conclusions from these studies indicate that the species-specific ecological role of parrotfish in coral reef communities can be complex within and between species, and may differ amongst reefs. In light of the natural and anthropogenic pressures that affect coral reef systems, management decisions based on a more complete understanding of the role of these fish in coral reef communities will help decisions that maintain resilience in these fragile systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The trophic ecology of the endangered endemic Barau's Petrel (Pterodroma baraui) from Reunion Island, south-western Indian Ocean
- Authors: Danckwerts, Daniel Keith
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Petrels -- Réunion , Pterodroma baraui , Ecology -- Réunion
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5925 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017803
- Description: Réunion is the only tropical island that supports two endemic gadfly petrels. Population modelling has indicated that the current threats to the Barau’s Petrel (Pterodroma baraui) may drive it to extinction; this fate is almost definite for the Mascarene Petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima). Management interventions have therefore been implemented, but conservation potential is handicapped since virtually nothing is known about the former species’ at-sea biology. Thus, following numerous recommendations, this study aimed to combine stomach content, stable isotope, and fatty acid analyses so to provide new information on the at-sea ecology of Barau’s Petrel. Breeding colonies were repeatedly visited over the same season and samples gathered from adults, fledglings, and downy chicks. Stomach contents consisted mostly of accumulated cephalopod beaks whereas structures from fishes, molluscs, arthropods, and crustaceans were less frequently encountered. Fatty acid profiles of blood varied greatly among individuals and the lowincidences of monounsaturated and n-3 fatty acids discounted fish as an important dietary component. δ¹⁵N of blood indicated a niche between the fourth and fifth trophic levels, which proposes that these birds scavenge to a greater degree than other sympatric seabirds and suggests that adults are also reliant on their endogenous reserves during breeding. δ¹³C values confirmed the migratory behaviour of adults since birds returning from the non-breeding grounds were enriched relative to individuals sampled through the breeding period. Significant intra-breeding season variations in δ13C were also observed, which matched this species’ patterns of habitat use as have recently described. These results collectively indicate an opportunistic behaviour, which implies some degree of resilience against shifts in prey availability/accessibility, and suggest that this species’ reproduction isdependent on distant foraging areas. This breeding strategy is synonymous with great vulnerability as over-investing into a single breeding episode may jeopardize future survival and fecundity. Thus, in light of environmental conditions that are becoming increasingly more susceptible to dramatic changes, the birds could rather be prioritising adult survival, over reproductive output. Further work is obviously necessary and should benefit from databases of fatty acid profiles and isotope signatures of potential prey species.
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- Date Issued: 2015
The trophic ecology of waterbirds in a small temperate estuary: a stable isotope and lipid tracer approach
- Authors: Hean, Jeffrey William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54356 , vital:26557
- Description: Waterbirds are often overlooked as predators in aquatic ecosystems, despite the fact that waterbirds congregate in great numbers in and around waterways, notably estuaries. To fully appreciate the effect that aquatic feeding waterbird species may have on aquatic prey communities and the role that they play in estuarine food webs, stable isotopes and fatty acid profiles were employed to examine the seasonal diet of selected waterbirds in the Kowie Estuary, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Population counts were conducted every month for four seasons to examine the demography of waterbirds in the lower reaches of the estuary. The mean monthly energy consumption, along with dry matter intake of all waterbird species observed, were calculated and compared to similar estuaries in South Africa and elsewhere. Three duck species, one migrant sandpiper and one piscivore were selected for more detailed investigation at several temporal scales. This thesis has revealed that stable isotope analysis of waterbird tissues provides more informative data than fatty acid analysis for investigating waterbird diet and basal resource-tertiary consumer nutrient coupling. Stable δ15N and δ13C isotopes from several body tissues, in conjunction with SIAR models, were used to determine the seasonal diet of each waterbird species, while fatty acid profiles were investigated to examine the trophic transfer of fatty acids from basal resources to waterbird predators via the benthic fauna. Stable isotopes revealed that Cape Shoveller, Cape Teal and Yellow-Billed Duck shifted their diet over both long and short temporal scales, while the migratory Ruff and piscivorous Little Egret maintained a relatively consistent diet over time. Isopods, amphipods, copepods and Mysidacea were the main foods of all three duck species and the Ruff (>30%). Little Egret fed mainly on flathead mullet throughout the year. Fatty acid analysis revealed evidence for trophic transfer of specific fatty acids from basal resources to waterbirds in the Kowie Estuary but provided little information on seasonal diet of waterbirds. Waterbirds foraging in the Kowie Estuary appeared to shift their diet to coincide with resource abundance pulses, but also displayed seasonal dietary overlap. This study highlights the role that waterbirds play in aquatic food webs. The subject requires more attention so that we can better understand all the predatory drivers on aquatic communities.
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- Date Issued: 2016
The tropical environment and malaria in southwestern Nigeria, 1861 – 1960
- Authors: Adetiba, Adedamola Seun
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Diseases and history -- Africa , Diseases and history -- Nigeria , Medical anthropology -- Africa , Medical anthropology -- Nigeria , Malaria -- Social aspects -- Nigeria , Malaria -- Nigeria -- History , Nigeria -- History , Imperialism -- Health aspects , Medicine -- Colonies -- Great Britain -- History
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76564 , vital:30605
- Description: This thesis is a social history of malaria in southwestern Nigeria. It contributes to the burgeoning literature in the historiography of medicine, specifically the medicine and empire debate. Key to the issues raised in this thesis is the extent to which the limitations in colonial medical policies, most especially malaria control programmes, inspired critical and ingenious responses from African nationalists, doctors, patients, research volunteers, and indigenous medical practitioners. Challenged by a wide range of diseases and a paucity of health facilities and disease control schemes, African rural dwellers became medical pluralists in the ways they imagined and appropriated ideas of Western medicine alongside their indigenous medical practices. Beginning with a detailed historical exploration of the issues that informed the introduction of curative and preventive medicine in southwestern Nigeria, this thesis reveals the focus of colonial medicine. It exposes the one-sided nature of medical services in colonial spaces like southwestern Nigeria and the ways it shaped multifaceted responses from Africans, who were specifically side-lined till the 1950s when the rural medical service scheme was introduced. The focus of colonial medicine is drawn from relatively rich but often subjective historical evidence, such as a plethora of official reports of the department of medical and sanitary services, official correspondences within the colonial government in Lagos and Nigeria, and between the colonial government and the colonial office in the United Kingdom. Details of African responses to medical policies were garnered from newspaper publications and correspondences between the African public and the colonial government in Lagos. They reveal very interesting details of the ways Africans imagined, reimagined, and appropriated malaria control ideas and schemes. The central argument in this thesis is that attempts to control malaria in southwestern Nigeria till the 1950s, were shaped by a single concern to ameliorate the implications of the disease on the colonial state. It argues that this one-sided nature of malaria control programme informed the basis for medical pluralism in most rural spaces where African communities became patrons and sponsors of Western medicine and at the same time custodians of their indigenous medical practices. The series of justifications for the sustenance of these services were reinforced on the basis of the failure of the colonial state to guarantee the health needs of their colonial subjects. The aim of the thesis is to reinforce arguments that portray colonial medicine as a “tool of empire” but goes a bit further to explain the extent to which Africans related to this reality. It states quite categorically that Africans were not docile and silent, but that they acted decisively in ways that suited their varied interests and courses.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The trouble with culture : Plato's critique of poetry
- Authors: Ansell, James D'Olier
- Date: 2007 , 2013-07-25
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2733 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004460
- Description: In this thesis I argue that Plato's critique of poetry, taken in its proper context, is a serious and relevant critique of popular culture. In the first chapter I argue that the poetic reforms proposed in Books 2 and 3 and Book 10 of Republic stand at the front of a total reform of Greek culture. I argue for the consistency of Plato's whole argument and then I claim that if we get Plato's targets right, not fine art or literature, and focus on appropriate modern analogues then we can see why his critique is still important. If we share his claim that we are influenced by popular culture in important and often insidious ways and agree that culture can promote corrupt values, then we have accepted the core of Plato's challenge. If we find his solution distasteful, then the task is to come up with a democratic alternative. In the remaining two chapters I focus specifically on the challenge to the poets, putting the other reforms to the side. In the second chapter I consider a possible reply to the challenge focusing on the worth of the poetry that was expelled. I first look elsewhere in the Platonic oeuvre at the account of beauty in Symposium and Phaedrus but I argue that neither of them gives anything like aesthetic value that could be usefully applied to poetry. Next I look to some modern accounts of aesthetic value. I argue that while they might go some of the distance against Plato's challenge, they face a difficult task because it is not sufficient positing the value, an account is needed of their positive benefit. In the third chapter I turn to a more direct response to the challenge. Arguably Aristotle offers such a response in the Poetics, in terms of the notion of katharsis. I consider two interpretative candidates for katharsis. The first takes the benefit of poetry to be psychological - katharsis is a purgation of otherwise pathological emotions. I argue that this fails because it misunderstands precisely what Plato's concerns about poetry are, and, furthermore, this account could even be compatible with Plato's worries. The second interpretation takes the benefit of poetry to be ethical- katharsis is a type of ethical clarification which is beneficial in training our emotional responses. I claim that the clarification, and education, is worryingly conventionalist, and doesn't take seriously that Plato's target was popular culture and not great, educative literature. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
The tuber-feeding weevil Listronotus frontalis as a candidate biological control agent for the invasive semi-aquatic plant Sagittaria platyphylla within South Africa
- Authors: Rogers, Daniel James
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Listronotus South Africa , Arrowhead (Plants) South Africa , Arrowhead (Plants) Biological control South Africa , Invasive plants Biological control South Africa , Insects as biological pest control agents South Africa , Plant populations South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190731 , vital:45023
- Description: Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G.Sm. (Alismataceae) is an invasive, aquatic macrophyte originating in the southern United States of America. In South Africa, the plant was first detected in Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal Province in 2008, and due to its known impact in other countries, it was listed as a Category 1a invader species under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 2004 (NEM:BA). This invasive plant has proved difficult to manage due to its varied growth forms and reproductive strategies, such as prolific seed and below ground tuber production. Due to the limitations of conventional control mechanisms, biological control is currently being considered as a potential control option. The tuber feeding weevil Listronotus frontalis LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has been identified as a candidate biological control agent for this invasive species. The aims of this study were twofold; to firstly determine the importance of tubers to S. platyphylla populations growing in South Africa; and secondly, to determine the biology and suitability of L. frontalis, a tuber feeder, as a candidate biological control agent. Surveys of S. platyphylla populations in South Africa showed that tubers were found in all sampled sites, except for Krantzkloof Nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal Province. The highest number of tubers was 97.75 ± 10.62 (SE) m-2 recorded at Jonkershoek in the Western Cape Province. Monthly sampling from two sites in the Eastern Cape Province, the Makana Botanical Gardens and Maden Dam showed that neither season nor water depth affected tuber production. However, the mean number of tubers as well as mass of tubers sampled, were consistently higher (F(1,179) = 20.9542, P < 0.0001) and heavier (F(1, 857) = 585.7293, P < 0.0001) at the Botanical Gardens than at Maden Dam, respectively. The study showed that tubers are an important life stage of S. platyphylla populations and may vary in size and abundance between and within sites. The tuber feeding weevil was shown to develop from egg to ovipositing adult within just over 40 days. Females were recorded to lay up to 48 eggs within a period of one week. Impact studies showed that adult feeding led to a reduction in all but one of the 11 measured plant growth and developmental measurements, including a reduction in the mean mass of the above-ground plant material (F(2,2743) = 12.05, P = 0.002) as well as a reduction in size and abundance of tubers (F(2,58.47) = 9.756, P = 0.0006) and stolons(F(14.943) = 8.7577, P = 0.003). These results are encouraging and suggest that if the insect is released in South Africa, it may prove to be a valuable biocontrol agent. It is concluded that, until suitable biological control options become available in South Africa, the chemical and mechanical control measures currently implemented should continue, however, controlling tubers should be considered during the planning and implementation of these strategies. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10
The ultrastructure and histology of the defensive epidermal glands of some marine pulmonates
- Authors: Pinchuck, Shirley Clare
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Snails -- Histology , Snails -- Physiology , Snails -- Cytology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5793 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005481 , Snails -- Histology , Snails -- Physiology , Snails -- Cytology
- Description: Histology and electron microscopy were used to describe and compare the structure of the dorso-lateral pedal defensive glands of three species of marine Basommatophora, Siphonaria capensis, S. serrata and S. gigas. All three species possessed multi-cellular glands that were larger and most abundant in S. capensis. In S. capensis and S. serrata, defensive glands were composed of two types (type I and II) of large secretory cells filled with product and some irregularly shaped support cells that surrounded a central lumen. The product of both cell types was produced by organelles confined to the bases of the cells. The entire gland was surrounded by a well developed layer of smooth muscle and collagen. Type I cells stained positively for neutral and sulphated mucins, and at the transmission electron microscope level the product had a reticulated appearance. By contrast type II gland cells stained very positively for acidic mucins and the secretory product was formed as large granular vesicles. The product from both types of cell, which appeared to be secreted by holocrine secretion, mixed in the lumen of the duct. Individuals of Siphonaria gigas had two types of lateral pedal glands, a large multi-cellular type and a tubular unicellular gland. The multi-cellular glands, which were surrounded by poorly developed muscle, contained one type of gland cell that stained for neutral and sulphated mucins only, as well as some support cells. The tubular glands contained a heterogeneous product that stained very positively for neutral and sulphated mucins. In addition two species of shell-less marine Systellommatophorans, Onchidella capensis and O. hildae, were examined. Onchidellids also posses large marginal, multi-cellular, epidermal glands that produce a repugnatorial secretion. Like the multi-cellular epidermal glands of siphonariids, those of onchidellids are surrounded by layers of smooth muscle. The muscular capsule was particularly well developed in both species of onchidellid, but more so in O. hildae. In addition, this study has shown that unlike siphonariids, muscle fibres run between the gland cells of O. capensis and O. hildae. Unlike siphonariids, onchidellids have a layer of epithelial cells lining the lumen of the gland. The well developed muscle layer and the strands of muscle running between the different gland cells indicates that the glands can be constricted to forcibly propel their secretions along the length of the duct and away from the body of the animal. Based on their product, glands of O. capensis were comprised of five different types of secretory cell and O. hildae only four. Histological and histochemical staining of the glands of showed that the secretory product is largely made up of acidic mucopolysaccharides and neutral and sulphated mucins. A single species from the order Eupulmonata, Trimusculus costatus, was examined and the glands were very different to the species from the siphonariids and onchidellids. Trimusculus costatus does not have large multi-cellular glands encapsulated in a well developed muscle layer, but based on their cell contents, three different types of large unicellular gland cell can be recognised. The glands of T. costatus gave positive results for acid, neutral and sulphated mucins, but negative results for carboxylated mucin. It is possible that the mucous secreted by T. costatus is also an anti-bacterial agent and whilst not totally eliminating bacteria may prevent the accumulation of epibionts on these sedentary limpets. The acidic or sulphated nature of the secretions may help in this role. The defensive mucous secretions of Siphonaria and Onchidella contain polypropionate derivatives, whilst the active ingredients of Trimusculus mucus have been identified as labdane diterpenes, similar to those produced by opisthobranchs. The structure of the glands thought to produce these repungnatorial secretions is very different, with the glands of T. costatus resembling those of the opisthobranchs.
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- Date Issued: 2010
The underreporting of sexual violence against women in the Camdeboo
- Authors: Luyt, Derek
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Women -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Camdeboo, Plains of Abused women -- South Africa -- Camdeboo, Plains of Sexual abuse victims -- South Africa -- Camdeboo, Plains of Camdeboo, Plains of (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2796 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003006
- Description: This thesis examines the underreporting of sexual violence against women in the Camdeboo. It is based on a survey of 971 women living in the Camdeboo aged fifteen and older. The thesis considers, with reference to relevant secondary literature, methodological issues pertinent to conducting survey research into violence against women. While many survey researchers into violence against women argue that behaviourally specific questions lead to higher rates of disclosure, the survey on which this thesis is based employed complex and open-ended questions to allow respondents to record their own definitions of physical and sexual abuse. 31,2 percent of the women surveyed disclosed having experienced sexual abuse, but 76,7 percent did not report this abuse to the police. The thesis explores the patterns of sexual abuse of women in the Camdeboo and the factors influencing the underreporting of such abuse. While it was possible to establish correlations between certain socio-demographic variables and the underreporting of sexual abuse, such correlations should be treated with caution. The survey found that women were far more likely to report (and disclose) sexual assaults by strangers than by people known to them, particularly intimate partners. Sexual abuse in intimate relations was found to be strongly associated with physical abuse, and women who had experienced sexual and physical abuse within intimate relationships were more likely to report their physical abuse to the police than their sexual abuse. However, the majority of women, particularly poor and economically dependent women, believed that reporting their intimate partner abuse to the police would not end it, and might even place them at greater risk. The evidence suggests that these perceptions are accurate. Under current circumstances, reporting sexual abuse to the police may not be the best help-seeking strategy available to many sexually abused women, and alternative sources of help may be more appropriate. Consideration should be given to directing more resources into such alternatives.
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- Date Issued: 2008
The University - concept and reality
- Authors: Henderson, Derek Scott
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:7346 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017075
- Full Text:
The university and the new foreigners
- Authors: Budlender, Geoff
- Date: 1979
- Subjects: Academic Freedom -- South Africa Rhodes University -- History Africans -- Legal status, laws, etc. Universities and colleges -- employees Universities and colleges -- Public services South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1961-1978
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/239 , vital:19940
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1979
The universtiy in a developing free society : challenges to autonomy and academic freedom
- Authors: Makgoba, M W
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Academic Freedom -- South Africa Universities and colleges -- South Africa Equality Liberty Education, Higher -- Political aspects -- South Africa Education and state -- South Africa Education, Higher -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/684 , vital:19981
- Description: The real point of democratic reform, what I have been calling institutional reform, is not just to change the complexion of researchers, teachers and students, nor just to change the location of research and teaching, to be truly meaning- fill, reform has to lead to a change in the orientation of these activities. Let me take a hypothetical example, one where you succeed in adding more black and female faces to the research and leaching establishment and even to shifting the location of that establishment mainly to historically black universities - say your most advanced medical research facilities come to be located at the University of Fort Hare, with researchers mainly black and female, but the facility is still oriented to proton beam research for special types of cancer, away from the public health needs of the people - what will you have achieved? I dare say you would then have joined the ranks of independent Africa. The key issue will still remain not addressed: who should centres of research and learning serve and how? This is why I think the real challenge for all of us, whether south or north of the Limpopo, whether black or brown, yellow or white, is to begin thinking of how to root African universities in African soil.
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- Date Issued: 2000
The unstable earth landscape and language in Patrick White's Voss, Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient and David Malouf's An Imaginary Life
- Authors: Lee, Deva
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: White, Patrick, 1912-1990. Voss Ondaatje, Michael, 1943- The English patient Malouf, David, 1934- An imaginary life Language and languages in literature English fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2238 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002281
- Description: This thesis argues that Patrick White’s Voss, Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient and David Malouf’s An Imaginary Life depict landscape in a manner that reveals the inadequacies of imperial epistemological discourses and the rationalist model of subjectivity which enables them. The study demonstrates that these novels all emphasise the instabilities inherent in imperial epistemology. White, Ondaatje and Malouf chart their protagonists’ inability to comprehend and document the landscapes they encounter, and the ways in which this failure calls into question their subjectivity and the epistemologies that underpin it. One of the principal contentions of the study, then, is that the novels under consideration deploy a postmodern aesthetic of the sublime to undermine colonial discourses. The first chapter of the thesis outlines the postcolonial and poststructural theory that informs the readings in the later chapters. Chapter Two analyses White’s representation of subjectivity, imperial discourse and the Outback in Voss. The third chapter examines Ondaatje’s depiction of the Sahara Desert in The English Patient, and focuses on his concern with the ways in which language and cartographic discourse influence the subject’s perception of the natural world. Chapter Four investigates the representation of landscape, language and subjectivity in Malouf’s An Imaginary Life. Finally, then, this study argues that literature’s unique ability to acknowledge alterity enables it to serve as an effective tool for critiquing colonial discourses.
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- Date Issued: 2011
The uptake of educational technology in South African Higher Education: a study of the context that conditioned emergency remote teaching in the pandemic
- Authors: Ngcobo, Nomathemba Faustinah
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Educational technology South Africa , Education, Higher South Africa , Academic development , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- South Africa , Distance education Computer-assisted instruction , Web-based instruction South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405495 , vital:70176 , DOI 10.21504/10962/405495
- Description: The study explores the enablements and constraints in the uptake of educational technologies in the South African higher education system. This is a multiple institutional study which considers the differentiated nature of higher education institutions in South Africa and reflects on the implications of this for the use of educational technology (EdTech). EdTech is seen as an important aspect of 21st century education. As an established practice in many universities it has made a significant impact on teaching and learning practices. However, EdTech is often presented as a panacea to educational problems and implemented without consideration of the contexts in which it is used. Data was collected from the educational technology units of 22 of the 26 public higher education institutions and the main sources of this data were an online survey questionnaire related to the uptake of educational technologies and semi-structured interviews. For the research analysis, Archer’s analytical dualism and morphogenetic cycle provided a framework with the understanding that a social phenomenon such as EdTech emerges from a complex interplay of multiple mechanisms rather than through simple unidirectional causality. The framework directed me to analyse structure, culture and agency as separate entities allowing an understanding of the complex and rapidly growing phenomenon of EdTech. Analytical dualism provides guiding principles on how agential actions, structural resources, and cultural practices emerge and allows an understanding of how agents experience and respond to structures and cultures in social fields, for example, the uptake of EdTech for teaching and learning. The morphogenetic cycle reveals the historical nature the EdTech uptake with events happening over a period of time so that past events, which possess structural and cultural mechanisms, condition agency in socio-cultural interaction. The study identified several mechanisms enabling and constraining the uptake of EdTech, and while the findings are not exhaustive, they do indicate important enablements and constraints which the sector would do well to consider as it enters a post-pandemic phase. The data was collected prior to the pandemic and thus provides an understanding of what allowed for the uptake of EdTech when face-to-face teaching and learning was the norm. While the pandemic resulted in a rapid pivot to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), and fundamentally changed the face of EdTech in the South African higher education sector and around the world, the findings of this study remain pertinent. Archer argues that when a new person or structure is introduced, it occurs within a pre-existing context and so what emerges should not be seen to be simply caused by that new person or structure. Rather, its emergent properties are exercised within the conditioning effects of the pre-existing structures, cultures and agents. The Covid-19 virus brought about significant effects around the world, but it would be a mistake for us to assume that the effects were the same across different national higher education systems or even across different universities within a country. For us to understand both what occurred during the pivot to ERT and to consider the implications of this for the future of EdTech, it is imperative that we understand the pre-existing conditions in which ERT was implemented. This thesis offers a rich picture of these pre-existing conditions. Key findings include the extreme extent to which universities differed in their resourcing and uptake of EdTech prior to the pandemic. In some universities, there were well-resourced EdTech centres while in others, the implementation of EdTech was seen to be the responsibility of the IT department. Even where EdTech staff were employed, the nature of this employment varied greatly. In some cases, such staff were seen as educational experts who were hired as academics and often worked within academic development centres. In other cases, such staff were employed as administrative support staff. Another difference pertained to whether they were employed on contract (often funded through project funding) or on a permanent basis. These differences in employment and the positioning of the EdTech staff were seen to greatly condition the levels of credibility they enjoyed and the kinds of work they could undertake. If they were employed as support staff, they were more likely to be seen to be responsible for providing academics with end-user technical assistance. If they were employed as academics, they were more likely to be seen to be responsible for providing pedagogical and curriculum development support in using EdTech for teaching and learning. Another set of findings related to the extent to which EdTech was seen to be valued within each university, such as by being included in promotions criteria, mentioned in institutional strategies, and supported by university management. Where this was not the case, this constrained the uptake of EdTech. In all cases, the EdTech staff reported working almost exclusively with academics who sought to develop their EdTech capability on a voluntary basis because it aligned to what Archer terms their ‘personal projects’. At times a departmental champion, especially in the form of the Head of Department as a social actor, led to EdTech uptake spreading across the academic body. There was evidence of some resistance to the use of EdTech and a great deal of anxiety among some academics. This was seen to be implicated in concerns that at times EdTech was seen to be a ‘dumping ground’ and the Learning Management System positioned simply as a repository of materials. Many academics reported being pushed by their students to integrate more technology in their teaching. Many students seem to be adept at using technology and can see its potential pedagogical benefits and so placed pressure for this to be increased. There were however concerns that the notion of ‘Digital Natives’, that is millennial students who were born into a technological era, was only a partial picture of the student body. The ‘Digital Divide’ meant that there was highly uneven access to hardware, data, bandwidth, and technological literacies among the student body. For many students, their only access to technology was while they were physically on campus, a finding that was to have extreme implications for the pivot to ERT. This research will be valuable to the field of educational technology and enhance the understanding of what is needed to enable the uptake of educational technologies in higher education teaching and learning in pedagogically sound ways. As the sector responds to the pandemic and reflects on lessons learned during this time, it will be important to look to the conditions outlined in this study as they continue to enable and constrain the uptake of educational technology. , Ucwaningo olwethulwe yindlela elandela imigomo ka-Bhaskar kanye no-Archer yesayensi yezenhlalo ehlola ukuze inikeze incazelo yokuvumeleka nezithiyo ekuthathweni kwezifundo ezisekwe ubuchwepheshe besimanje. Lolu ucwaningo lwezikhungo eziningi zemfundo ephakeme, futhi inhloso yalo enkulu bekuwukuhlonza ukuthi kwavela kanjani izindlela ezehlukene ukuze kuvunyelwe futhi kuvinjwe ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe bezemfundo ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ezehlukene eNingizimu Afrika. Izifundo ezisekwe ubuchwepheshe besimanje (EdTechs) ibonwa njengezici ezibalulekile zemfundo yekhulu lamashumi amabili nanye (21st century), futhi njengomkhuba osunguliwe emanyuvesi ibe nomthelela omkhulu ekufundiseni nasekufundeni. Kodwa-ke, i-EdTechs ivame ukwethulwa njengekhambi ezinkingeni zemfundo futhi yacwaningwa ngaphandle kokucabangela izimo lapho isetshenziswa khona. Ngenxa yalokho, kwaba nesidingo sokuqonda kangcono ukuthi ukutholwa kwayo kwehlukaniswa kanjani phakathi nohlelo lwemfundo ephakeme olungalingani emaNyuvesi ahlukene. Ubufakazi buqoqwe ezingxenyeni zobuchwepheshe bezemfundo zezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zikahulumeni ezingamashumi amabili nambili (22) kwezingamashumi amabili nesithupha (26) futhi imithombo eyinhloko yalobufakazi kwakuwuhlu lwemibuzo lwenhlolovo oluku-inthanethi oluhlobene nokusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe bezemfundo kwase kulandela kanye nezingxoxiswano ezihlelwe kancane. Ukuze kuhlaziywe ucwaningo, i-analytical dualism ngokuka-Archer kanye nomjikelezo we-morphogenetic (uzalo kabusha) unikeze uhlaka lokuhlaziywa kokutholwa kobuchwepheshe bezemfundo njengokusebenzelana okuqhubekayo phakathi kwezifundiswa nabasebenzi bomnyango bobuchwepheshe besimanje (EdTech staff). Ekuhlaziyeni, ngixoxa ngokuthi uhlaka lungiqondise kanjani ukuba ngihlaziye isakhiwo, isiko kanye nokwenza kwabantu njengezinhlangano ezihlukene nokuthi kungani lolu hlaka lufaneleka ukuze siqonde lesi simo esiyinkimbinkimbi nesikhula ngokushesha sezemfundo zobuchwepheshe besimanje. Ubumbaxambili bokuhlaziya buhlinzeka ngohlaka oluvumela abacwaningi ezimweni zomphakathi ukuthi babone futhi bahlaziye izindlela ezikhiqizayo neziyisisekelo, okuhlanganisa izindlela zokwenza ngokusebenzisa ukuxhumana komphakathi. Iphinde inikeze izimiso eziqondisayo zokuthi ezinye izenzo zokwenza komuntu kanye nemikhuba yamasiko zivela kanjani kanye nokuqonda ukuthi abenzi nabasebenzi bezemfundo, nokuthi abhekana kanjani futhi asabela kanjani ezakhiweni namasiko emikhakheni yezenhlalo, isibonelo, ukutholwa kwe-EdTechs ekufundiseni nokufunda. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umjikelezo we-morphogenetic wembula ubunjalo bomlando ukuthathwa kwe-EdTechs nezenzakalo ezenzeka esikhathini esithile ukuze izehlakalo ezidlule ezinezindlela zesakhiwo nezamasiko zibekezelele izenzo zezifundiswa njenge-ejensi ezovela ekusebenzelaneni kwezenhlalo namasiko. Izakhiwo ezivelayo zesakhiwo, isiko kanye nezabenzi zibonwa njengezindlela ezibalulekile ezivumela futhi zibambe iqhaza ekuthathweni kobuchwepheshe bezemfundo ekufundiseni nokufunda yizifundiswa. Ngakho-ke, ucwaningo luveza ukuthi kungani ukuthathwa kunezindlela ezivumelayo neziphoqayo futhi ukuxhumana phakathi kwesakhiwo, isiko kanye nomenzi kudala ukucabangela kwesimo okungaba okuncomayo noma okuphikisanayo ngokwemvelo. Imvume yokulandelana kwesimo yencazelo yokuthi kungani kunokuhlangenwe nakho okuhlukile ekuthathweni kwalawa ma-EdTech avela ezikhungweni ezehlukene esimweni semfundo ephakeme yaseNingizimu Afrika. Lolu cwaningo luzobaluleka emkhakheni wezobuchwepheshe bezemfundo futhi luthuthukise ukuqonda kwalokho okudingekayo ukuze kusetshenziswe ubuchwepheshe bezemfundo ekufundiseni nasekufundeni imfundo ephakeme. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
The use of a database to improve higher order thinking skills in secondary school biology: a case study
- Authors: Phipps, Owen Dudley
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: Education -- Data processing Biology -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Data processing Biology -- Study and teaching -- Data processing -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1810 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003696
- Description: The knowledge explosion of the last decade has left education in schools far behind. The emphasis in schools must change if they are to prepare students for their future lives. Tertiary institutions as well as commerce and industry need people who have well-developed cognitive skills. A further requirement is that the school leaver must have skills pertaining to information processing. The skills that are required are those which have been labelled higher order thinking skills. The work of Piaget, Thomas and Bloom have led to a better understanding of what these skills actually are. Resnick sees these skills as being: nonalgorithmic; complex; yielding multiple solutions; involving nuanced judgements; involving the application of multiple criteria; involving uncertainty; involving self-regulation of the thinking process; imposing meaning and being effortful. How these can be taught and the implication of doing so are considered by the researcher. The outcome of this consideration is that higher order - thinking entails communication skills, reasoning, problem solving and self management. The study takes the form of an investigation of a particular case: whether a Biology field trip could be used as a source of information, which could be handled by a computer, so that higher order thinking skills could be acquired by students. Students were instructed in the use of a Database Management System called PARADOX. The students then went on an excursion to a Rocky Shore habitat to collect data about the biotic and abiotic factors pertaining to that ecosystem. The students worked in groups sorting data and entering it into the database. Once all the data had been entered the students developed hypotheses and queried the database to obtain evidence to substantiate or disprove their hypotheses. Whilst this was in progress the researcher obtained data by means of observational field notes, tape recordings, evoked documents and interviews. The qualitative data was then arranged into classes to see if it showed that the students were using any of the higher order thinking skills. The results showed that the students did use the listed higher order thinking skills whilst working on the database.
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- Date Issued: 1994